Dougga & Bulla Regia: DayTrip from Tunis

Culture and History tour in Tunis, Dougga, Bulla Regia

Tour Price : $200 Duration : 8-9 hours Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Arabic

Dougga & Bulla Regia: Day Trip from Tunis

Departure Time: 8.00    Return Time 17:00  (approximate times, depending on season)

Departs from TUNIS

A full day tour into the green interior – to the Medjerda River valley and the heart of Roman Africa. En route to Dougga we stop at the charming village of Testour, founded by Andalusian refugees in the 17th century. We see the Great Mosque with its tiled octagonal minaret – the only one in Tunisia with a clock – recalling the church bell towers of Aragon & Castile. We also buy the local specialty, Testouri cheese, for our picnic in Dougga.

A short drive takes us to Dougga, the best-preserved Roman city in Tunisia, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The monumental Capitolium Temple stands in the main Forum, with breath-taking views over the surrounding plains. The theatre, baths, shops, stone paved streets and lavish villas are all testimony to the golden age of this North African city. We spend about 2 hours here (depending on your interest), exploring this magnificent site and walking through its ancient olive groves. In the shade of the olive trees, we have our picnic lunch (supplied) of locally made products, including fresh bread, olive oil, olives, harissa, tuna, local cheeses, fresh fruit in season and Tunisian sweets.

A one hour drive takes us to Bulla Regia* - famous for its unique subterranean villas. These luxurious residences belonged to some of the wealthiest families of the Roman era, in which we can see some fine mosaics still in situ. We will descend into the luxurious mansions, including the House of Amphitrite, the House of the Hunt & House of the New Hunt.*  We also see the remnants of the ancient city, including the Julia Domna Baths & theater. Return to Tunis.

*NB: at the time of writing, 2 of the 3 villas were closed for restoration. Please contact me for updated information. Instead, you may wish to see to the surviving stretches of the Great Aqueduct of Zaghouan (near Mohammedia).

Additional information