Tunisian Coast, ancient Carthage and Eclipse

Our tour starts in Tunis, the modern bustling capital of Tunisia. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to arrive in Tunis at any time.

If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Tunis International Airport (TUN), which is around 30 minutes from the hotel, depending on traffic. For those arriving before 7pm, our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception to head out for dinner, if you'd like to join. Due to the late arrival of many flights into Tunis, the welcome meeting will take place on the morning of day two.

We stay out on the coast on the sandy shores of the Cote de Carthage, benefiting from a cooling sea breeze. Our hotel features an expansive swimming pool, landscaped gardens and has access to the beach, making it the ideal location to base ourselves for the start of our trip.

Following this morning's welcome meeting, we head to Dougga and the Andalousian city of Testour, one of the best preserved Roman archaeological sites in North Africa. It's around a one-hour drive to Testour and a further 30 minutes to Dougga. The Dougga site itself sits within a fertile valley surrounded by olive groves and is one of the oldest settlements in Tunisia.

The main attraction is the imposing 3,500-seat theatre built in the 2nd century, there are ruins from several periods in history, some pre-dating the Roman era with temples, well preserved streets and cisterns that were built to meet the ancient cities ever growing demand for water. Thanks to how complete the site is, we get a feel for how life must have been almost 2,000 years ago. Please note, there is very little shade in Dougga so we recommend bringing a hat and sun cream - it will be extremely hot. The site is still being excavated, so sturdy footwear is also recommended.

Lunch is included today at a local restaurant. We aim to be back at our beachfront hotel by mid-afternoon, in time for a refreshing dip in the swimming pool or a stroll along the beach.

As well as being a modern dynamic city, Tunis retains its distinctive Arab flavour with colourful souks crammed with everything from crafts, household wares to spices and baklava.

We'll head out early, to avoid the heat of the day, and take a walking tour of Tunis' historic medina, with its labyrinth of streets and alleyways in the heart of the old city. The medina contains over 700 monuments, mosques and palaces including the stunning Ez-Zitouna mosque, which we'll see from the outside.

We'll then visit the recently reopened Bardo National Museum. Housed in a grand palace, the Bardo is home to a rich collection of artefacts, over 1,000 mosaics and treasures, collected through the ages from sites across Tunisia.

The afternoon is free to head back to our beach front hotel or further explore the sights of Tunis.

This morning, we take a short drive to ancient Carthage, located in the Sidi Bou Said neighbourhood. Founded around 1,000 BC, Carthage grew to be the most important and powerful trading centre on the Mediterranean. The mighty fleet of hundreds of armed ships was an efficient deterrent against invaders for many centuries. Its geographical situation, as the gateway to Africa (today only six hours by boat from Sicily), meant that it was a crucial strategic post which the Romans fought hard to attain. After the third and final Punic war the Romans sacked Carthage in 146 BC, destroying much of the old town.

Today many of the ruins date from the Roman period, but we'll also see the two ancient Punic harbours, once the very foundation of Carthaginian prosperity as well as the Punic tophet, the Antonin baths, the amphitheatre, residential areas and the acropolis of Byrsa.

This afternoon, we'll continue to Sidi Bou Said on the coast. This picturesque cliff-top village is a beautiful spot, where scarlet bougainvillea cascade over the white and blue walls of the narrow streets, and colourful shops, overflowing with carpets, pottery and jewellery, line the winding streets. We'll explore the village, returning to our beach hotel in the mid afternoon.

We bid farewell to Tunis today, heading south to the less-visited yet highly acclaimed archaeological site of Uthina (also known as Oudna), established by Emperor Augustus for retired soldiers of the Roman third legion. The site is well-preserved with substantial public buildings still visible, including an impressive amphitheatre and the roman baths with intricate mosaics.

We aim to get to Kairouan by 4pm, giving us time to enjoy our hotel tonight. The Hotel La Kasbah in Kairouan blends traditional architecture with modern comfort. Located near historic sites, it offers spacious rooms, a relaxing courtyard and an outdoor pool all within very close proximity to the medina.

This morning ,we take a sightseeing tour of Kairouan. We start by driving to the Aghlabid Pools and walking up to the stunning Abou Zomaa mosque followed by a visit to the Great Mosque of Kairouan, the 4th holiest Islamic centre after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Originally constructed in the seventh century, the mosque has a myriad of columns and arabesque bas reliefs surrounding an immense marble courtyard.

Heading through the imposing archway in the walled ramparts, we enter the labyrinth of the old medina and covered market. Here traditional crafts such as copper and silver engraving, carpet weaving and saddle making are carried out by skilled craftsmen. This is a good place to stop for a coffee scented with rose water or try a local delicacy 'makroudh' (small wheat cakes soaked in honey and stuffed with dates).

Bidding Kairouan farewell, we will continue our journey to Sfax. Our hotel tonight is a modern five star resort style property, close to the marina and within a short walking distance to the old town media.

A total eclipse of the sun will take place today, 2nd August 2027. The moon's shadow will cross Sfax in Tunisia at 8.52am, reaching totality at 10.04am, at which point the altitude of the sun will be around 40 degrees above the horizon.

In the run up and during the eclipse, we'll be based on the beach at Chafar in Sfax, next to the El Marles district, providing uninterrupted viewing to the east as the sun climbs in the sky. There is a very low chance of cloud cover in Sfax at this time of year.

Explore will have a local astronomer with us to provide expert information and to answer any questions that you may have, as well as providing eclipse glasses for you to watch the phenomenon safely. The Tunisian national institute of Meteorology will also be providing viewing equipment.

The Moon orbits the Earth almost 13 times a year, and an eclipse happens if it lines up exactly with the Earth and the Sun. Solar eclipses occur at New Moon, when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun. Lunar eclipses occur at Full Moon, when Earth is between the Sun and the Moon. A total eclipse of the sun occurs when the moon appears the same size as the sun, thus completely obscuring the light.

Eclipses do not take place every month because the orbits of the Moon and Earth are tilted at an angle. Most of the time, the line-up is not precise enough for an eclipse. When an eclipse is total, the solar corona can be seen as a white halo around the black disk of the Moon. Near the beginning and end of total eclipses, the thin, visible slice of the Sun appears broken up into blobs of light. These blobs are called 'Baily's beads' after the British astronomer Francis Baily. They happen because the edge of the Moon is not smooth but jagged with mountain peaks. When just one bead is visible, the effect is often likened to a diamond ring.

The duration of the total eclipse on 2nd August 2027 will be 5 minutes 41 seconds, making it one of the longest periods of totality this century. The rest of the day following the eclipse is free to relax or further explore Sfax.

Today, we'll head to the quiet coastal town of Mahdia. The Fatimids built a fortified city, al-Mahdiyya (Mahdia), on the Tunisian coast in 916. This city served as their capital and included the Great Mosque of Mahdia, one of the earliest Fatimid mosques. Our tour of Mahdia includes the Skifa Kahla, a formidable fortified gate tower built in the 10th century, the Borj el Kebir, an impressive 16th century Ottoman fortress that provides a glimpse into Mahdia's strategic past with fine views out to the ocean, the imposing Great Mosque of Mahdia (seen from the outside) and the archaeological museum, which houses artifacts from a Roman-era shipwreck.

Lunch is included today at a local restaurant in Mahdia. After lunch it's a short drive inland to El Djem. Stepping back in time this afternoon, we'll pay a visit to the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage site of El Djem, the best-preserved Roman Amphitheatre in North Africa. One of the largest of its kind in the world, this stunning monument to Roman glory once echoed to the sounds of gladiatorial contests and chariot races. El Djem was capable of seating 27,000 spectators although now has a capacity of around 500. Tonight, we'll stay in a hotel near to the famous amphitheatre.

We make our way back to Tunis. Today's sights are based along the Gulf of Hammamet coastline. Our first stop is a tour of Monastir to see its impressive fortress and mausoleum. Continuing north, we'll explore Sousse, where our tour leader will accompany us on a walking tour of the UNESCO protected medina. We'll break for a leisurely lunch in Sousse (lunch not included). We return to Tunis, in the afternoon, staying in a centrally located hotel for the final night.

Our trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Tunis. There are no activities planned today, so you\ re free to depart from Tunis at any time. If you\ d like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Tunis International Airport (TUN), which is just over 30 minutes from the hotel, depending on traffic. If you\ d like to extend your stay, we can offer extra nights either on the beach or in the city centre.