Visiting the ruins of ancient Carthage is hands down one of the best things to do in Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important cities of the ancient world and was a powerhouse in the Mediterranean until the rise of the Roman Republic, which became the civilization’s ultimate downfall.
If you love history, visiting Carthage is an absolute must. That said, the archaeological sites are fascinating even if you aren’t a history buff. Visiting these ruins will help contextualize many of the other places you’ll visit in the country. For example, many of the pillars used to build the Ez-Zitouna Mosque were borrowed from ancient Carthage.
Carthage is also an easy day trip from Tunis as it sits just across the Lake of Tunis from the city center.
Despite being relatively spread out, most of the main sites of Carthage are within walking or cycling distance (or a short taxi ride), so you can easily visit them in a single day.
Visit:
Baths of Antoninus
Salammbo Tophet
Roman Villas
Punic Ports
Carthage National Museum and Byrsa Hill
Roman Amphitheater
Carthage Cisterns and Aqueduct
The Tunisian government has done a great job of simplifying this by combining all of the sites into a single entry ticket. You can purchase a ticket for Carthage at any of the main ruins, which will set you back 12 TND (around $4 USD). That’s a pretty good deal if you ask us!
Check our blog post on Carthage for more information!
