Medina of Tunis: what to see, getting there and where to stay

The Medina of Tunis at a glance

The Medina is the old city of Tunis: a web of lanes, dead ends and covered passages, flanked by two suburbs to the north and south. Its central core dates back to the 8th century. Under the Almohads and then the Hafsids, from the 12th to the 16th century, Tunis was one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the Arab world, and later centuries added palaces, mosques, zawiyas and madrasas.

It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. UNESCO counts some 700 monuments — palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas and fountains — including the Zitouna Mosque. What strikes most visitors, though, is that people live here: they shop, work and raise children in these lanes. The courtyard houses, or dars, hide behind studded doors, often painted blue or yellow.

The souks, trade by trade

The souks of Tunis are organised by trade, most of them since the 13th century. The more “noble” a trade was considered, the closer its souk stood to the Zitouna Mosque. A few landmarks:

• Souk el Attarine, the perfumers’ souk, founded around 1240 under the Hafsid ruler Abu Zakariya, right by the Zitouna. It still sells essences, rose water, amber and henna.
• Souk ech Chaouachia, home of the chechia makers — the traditional red felt cap. It dates from the late 17th century, when craftsmen from Andalusia brought the skill with them.
• Souk el Berka, a slave market until abolition in 1846, now the jewellers’ souk.

Many of the trading lanes are roofed: cool in summer, sheltered from the rain in winter. Prices are open to negotiation, and many small shops take cash only, in dinars.

What to see in the Medina of Tunis

The Zitouna Mosque

The oldest mosque in Tunis, founded in the early 8th century and completely rebuilt by the Aghlabids in the 9th; some of the prayer hall’s columns came from Carthage. It was long home to a major university. The prayer hall is closed to non-Muslims; the courtyard is often open outside prayer times, with variable hours.

Kasbah Square

On the western side of the Medina, the broad Kasbah Square is lined by Dar el Bey, the office of the Head of Government, and the Kasbah Mosque, built in the 1230s by the first Hafsid ruler, whose minaret rises above the old city.

Tourbet el Bey

The burial place of the Husainid beys, completed in 1777 under Ali II Bey, is the largest funerary monument in Tunis, with domes, tilework and carved stucco. Closed for around a decade, it reopened in February 2023 after restoration.

Dar Lasram and Palais Kheireddine

Dar Lasram, built between 1812 and 1819 for Hammouda Lasram, is a fine example of a grand Tunis townhouse; it houses the Association for the Safeguard of the Medina and hosts concerts during Ramadan. Nearby, Palais Kheireddine became the Tunis City Museum in 1999 and puts on temporary exhibitions.

Dar Ben Abdallah

This courtyard palace, with its marble basin and a mix of Andalusian and Italian decoration, holds the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions. It has been closed for restoration for many years, so check it is open before you go.

Bab Bhar, the Porte de France

Bab Bhar, the “sea gate”, marks the line between the Medina and the modern city; it is also known as the Porte de France. Behind it run Avenue de France and then Avenue Habib Bourguiba; in front, Rue Jamaa Zitouna climbs up to the great mosque.

Getting there and around

From Tunis-Carthage airport

The airport is about 8 km from the centre: 15 to 30 minutes by taxi depending on traffic. Ask for the meter or agree the fare before you set off. Our guests can also book a transfer with our driver, who knows the ways into the Medina — just send us your flight number and arrival time.

Taxis, cars and drop-off points

The Medina is pedestrian: no cars drive through its lanes. Taxis drop you at the gates and the squares around the edge — Bab Bhar, Kasbah Square, Bab Souika or Bab Jedid, depending on your address. If you have your own car, you will need to leave it in a car park in the new town or on the edge of the Medina. For trips around the city, our guests also use ride-hailing apps such as inDrive: always check the driver’s name and number plate before getting in.

Light metro, TGM and louages

Place de Barcelone, a few minutes’ walk from Bab Bhar, is the main hub for the light metro, buses and Tunis railway station; République station also serves several lines. For the coast — La Goulette, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said, La Marsa — take the TGM from Tunis Marine station at the end of Avenue Habib Bourguiba. For other cities, louages (shared taxis) leave from Bab Alioua for Cap Bon, from Moncef Bey for Sousse, Sfax and the south, and from Bab Saadoun for the north-west. Travel in the morning if you can, and carry cash.

Practical tips

• Arriving late. The souks close in the early evening and the lanes go quiet. Tell your host your arrival time and ask for the exact drop-off point. At our homes there is no check-in cut-off and a night receptionist is on duty.
• Luggage. The lanes are paved, sometimes sloping, with the odd step. A wheeled suitcase will manage, but a light bag is easier. If you are travelling heavy, let us know before you arrive.
• Souk days. On Sundays many shops are shut or close early; on Fridays some workshops stop around the midday prayer. Mornings, Monday to Saturday, are best.
• Dress. For mosques and religious sites, cover your shoulders and knees. In the lanes, simple clothes are the most comfortable.
• Self-appointed guides. Near Bab Bhar, strangers sometimes offer to show you a “free” rooftop or claim a monument is closed: decline politely and walk on.
• Money. Carry dinars in cash for the souks, cafés and louages.

Where to stay in the Medina of Tunis

Staying in the Medina puts the souks and monuments within walking distance, and in the evening you come back to the quiet of a house built around its courtyard. Two kinds of accommodation sit side by side:

• Guesthouses (dars): restored traditional houses with a handful of rooms, a patio, home-made breakfast and personal service.
• Boutique hotels and restored palaces: more rooms, more services, often a restaurant.

If you will be driving a lot, a hotel in the new town, on the other side of Bab Bhar, may be simpler. For a stay on foot, the Medina is the best base.

Our homes in the Medina

Kasbahost runs several homes in the old city under the The Landlord Médina name. All have a day reception and a night receptionist; check-in is from 2 pm with no cut-off, check-out by 11 am, and breakfast is served from 8 to 11 am at the guesthouses.

• Dar Zyne: five air-conditioned rooms and suites, each with a private bathroom.
• Dar Dou: four rooms, two with a terrace, and a patio with a pool.
• Dar Majoul: three rooms around a patio where breakfast is served.
• The Oukala: three self-contained apartments with a kitchen or kitchenette, well suited to longer stays.
• Dar Kenza May: two suites and an apartment with a rooftop terrace, opening on 1 November 2026.

Travelling as a family or a group of friends, or staying for several weeks? Message us on WhatsApp and we will suggest the best option. Compare all our guesthouses in the Medina.

Half a day, a full day

Half a day

1. Walk in through Bab Bhar and up Rue Jamaa Zitouna to the mosque.
2. Explore the souks around it: el Attarine, ech Chaouachia, el Berka.
3. Finish with mint tea on one of the terraces overlooking the rooftops, or at Café M’rabet in the souks.

A full day

1. Morning: the souks and the Zitouna, as the shops open.
2. Lunch in the Medina: Dar El Jeld, Fondouk El Attarine or Dar Belhaj are among the places we recommend.
3. Afternoon: Kasbah Square, Tourbet el Bey, Dar Lasram and Palais Kheireddine.
4. Late afternoon: the Central Market, between the Medina and the modern city, or a traditional hammam.

The next day, the Bardo Museum and its Roman mosaics, or the TGM to Carthage and Sidi Bou Said, round off the visit nicely.

Festivals and events

The Medina Festival takes place every year during Ramadan, in the evenings after the fast is broken: music, tarab and theatre at Dar Lasram, the Sidi Mahrez zawiya, the Tahar Haddad club and the Municipal Theatre. The 42nd edition ran from 21 February to 15 March 2026.

Dream City, founded in 2007 by Selma and Sofiane Ouissi and run by the association L’Art Rue, is a contemporary art biennale that takes over the Medina’s lanes, houses and squares. The latest edition was held in autumn 2025.

Our rates follow this calendar, so book early if you are coming for one of these events.