Fifteen Days Malta and Tunisia
In this adventure, you will experience world of the Mediterranean. The Highlights of this trip includes exploring Pre-historic Marsaxlokk and underground cave of Ghar Dalam, visit to Legendary Carthage Djerba island, Excursion El Djem Museum,Visit to Amphitheatre
Day One: Arrival in Malta
Upon your arrival in Malta. The guide from Afrikan Wildlife Safaris will welcome you and transfer you to the hotel for the overnight. Dinner and overnight at Sliema hotel.
Day Two: Valletta to Harbour Cruise & Walking Tour
After our breakfast, we will witness Malta’s past and sail the routes of the Knights of St John and the Ottoman fleets of Suleyman. We will depart from Sliema and take a guided cruise of the two natural harbours surrounding the city of Valletta. During the cruise, Malta’s rich history will be told, from the the Knights of St John to World War II. The “Three Cities” and the Marsamxett and Grand Harbour once witnessed the two Great Sieges of 1565 and 1942. The fortifications and bastions, Fort St Elmo, and monuments surrounding the creeks are only fully appreciated from the sea. Then later, we will walk through Valletta, the capital of Malta, and visit the Barracca Gardens. This colonnaded public garden on top of St Peter’s and St. Paul’s was once a covered play area for the boisterous Italian knights. The gardens offer a magnificent view of the harbour. From the gardens we will visit the St. John’s Co-Cathedral, built by the Knights of Malta between 1573 and 1578. The severe exterior of the Cathedral, built immediately after the ending of the Great Siege of 1565, is reminiscent of a military fort.
Day Three: Valletta, Marsaxlokk, Hagar Qim
On this day, we will return to Valletta to view the Grand Master’s Palace which is a magnificent building and houses Malta’s House of Representatives, the office of the president, several state rooms, and the Gobelins Tapestry. Visit the National Museum of Archaeology, one of the finest and most comprehensive museums in Malta. Then proceed to the southern part of the island to learn the prehistory of Malta. Stop at Marsaxlokk. The decoration and form of the bright multi-coloured fishing boats which fill the harbour can be traced back to the age of the Phoenicians. The lastly, stop at the Neolithic temples of Hagar Qim, from 300 BC, and some of the oldest human-made structures in the world. Reminiscent of England’s Stonehenge, the temples are built of limestone rock, some towering six metres high and weighing several tonnes. The complex is an impressive maze of corridors, chambers, niches and altars, all carved out of stone using flint.
Day Four: Gozo
This morning, you will take a ferry to Gozo, the second largest island of the Maltese archipelago, separated from Malta by a 8km (5 miles) wide channel. Gozo is an island of green hills surrounded by blue sea, where tranquil villages are set onto the sides of the fertile and flat-topped hills. Visit the citadel where we can enjoy a wonderful panorama of Gozo. This citadel dates back to the second century AD, when the Romans once occupied this area. We will visit the capital, Victoria, and its grand Cathedral. In 1897 the capital of Gozo had its name changed from Rabat to Victoria to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. While on Gozo we will visit Xaghra, meaning “a large open space”, with the most enchanting village square on Gozo. We will also see the temple at Ggantija, the most impressive of all Maltese Copper Age monuments. According to legend, the huge monolithic stones of the temple were carried great distances on the head of a female giantess. The return to Malta by ferr.
Day Five: Mosta, Mdina, Rabat, Dingli Cliffs, Blue Grotto
We will visit the 19th century parish church of St Mary’s in Mosta. Among some of the marvelous interior decorations are the murals painted by Guiseppe Cali. In World War 2, a bomb fell through the dome but did not explode. the bomb was defused and is preserved and displayed as a sign of this miraculous occurrence. We will also see some of the finest examples of silver workmanship which testify to the fame of Maltese gold and silver smith. We also visit Mdina. Mdina’s zenith was during the darker medieval times of the Normans and Spanish. It is truly a Maltese city with the knights’ influence restricted to a few fine buildings. Today Mdina has the smallest population in Malta with 420 people. We will visit the Cathedral and Roman Villa, in which a number of beautiful floor mosaics were discovered. Walking through the winding streets we come to the city of Rabat, just outside the walls and separated by a moat from Mdina. We will explore the early Christian Catacombs dating as far back as the 8th century. These Catacombs emerged because of a Roman law that prohibited the burial of the dead within the city limits; for Christians cremation was not acceptable. We continue on to the Dingli Cliffs and Dingli village, the highest on the island on cliffs 260m (858 feet) above the sea. The proceed to the Blue Grotto. The Blue Grotto was home to the sirens, the sea nymphs, who serenaded sailors to their destination with soft verse. Dinner and overnight at Sliema hotel.
Day Six: Malta to Tunisia
After our breakfast, we will drive and cross from Malta to Tunisia. Dinner and overnight at Hotel International el Hana or similar
Day Seven: Tunis Medina, Carthage, Bardo Museum
Today we will start with a visit to the Bardo Museum. The Bardo houses the largest and finest collection of ancient mosaics in the world. These mosaics were discovered in the wealthiest of Roman villas in the many ancient cities found in Tunisia. From their details, we can understand why the North African school of mosaicists was the finest in the ancient world, and whose masterpieces can be found throughout the Mediterranean. As well, there are also fine sculpture galleries, exhibits of Punic, early Christian and Islamic artefacts, and an exhibition of magnificent bronzes from the 1st BC Mahdia shipwreck.
Have time for lunch, then go for a walking tour through the old medina of Tunis, its narrow lanes crowded with markets, mosques, tombs and palaces. On our walk, we pass through the various bustling souks of spices, carpets, clothing, gold, and the Souk des Chechias, the area of workshops where the traditional red hats of the Tunisians are still made by hand. En route we will see the Great Mosque of Tunis, Jemaa Zitouna, and the elegant Place du Gouvernement. Then proceed to Carthage – the legendary city of Queen Dido and Hannibal. Visit the Tophet, or sanctuary to Baal and Tanit. Our next stop is the Punic ports, Here we see the remains of what was once an sophisticated naval harbour, complete with ship sheds for dry-docking their warships, and a elaborate merchant harbor, for their fleets of cargo ships which engaged in trade throughout the Mediterranean. Visit Byrsa hill — the ancient acropolis and the first area to be settled by the Phoenicians. Crowning the hill is the 19th century Cathedral of St. Louis and the Carthage museum with finds excavated from the city. Our final stop is the Antonine Baths — the monumental public baths of the city. In the 2nd century AD, these were the largest baths in North Africa and the 3rd largest in the Roman world.
Day Eight: Bulla Regia, Dougga
We will have very early breakfast and head for Bulla Regia. This ancient site is famous for its unique subterranean villas, which belonged to the wealthiest of its inhabitants; we descend to see these luxurious villas and their splendid floor mosaics. After lunch we proceed to Dougga, the best-preserved Roman city in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monumental Capitolium temple stands in the city’s Forum, with a breathtaking view over the green rolling hills and plains below. There are theaters, gymnasia, baths, shops, stone paved streets and lavish villas.
Day Nine: Tunis to Kairouan
On this day, we will head to Kairouan. The Holy City of Kairouan is not only the spiritual center of Tunisia, it is the first Islamic city to be established in North Africa, and the 4th oldest Muslim city outside of Arabia. Founded as the capital of the region in 670 AD by the Arab general Oqba ibn Nafi, Kairouan soon acquired magnificent ramparts, mosques, palaces and hammams. We stop at the Aghlabid basins, enormous artificial reservoirs constructed in the 9th century to store water for Kairouan. In the afternoon we will have a walking tour of old medina of Kairoua. The entire medina is protected by UNESCO. Meandering through the lanes, we will look at the beautiful traditional doors and architectural styles, the main monuments, markets, pastry shops and traditional workshops where weavers (men) still create textiles on hand looms.
Day Ten: Kairouan, Sbeitla, Tozeur
After breakfast, we will visit the Great Mosque of Kairouan, the oldest, largest and most important mosque in Tunisia. Inside we will see the colonnaded courtyard with its ancient wellheads and sundials, and the columns of the prayer sanctuary. The hundreds of columns all differ from one another, in marble types, size, shape and designs, since most were taken from ancient Roman sites and reused in the mosque’s construction. Visit the Mausoleum of Sidi Sahab, also known as the Mosque of the Barber.
The continue to the city of Sufeitula — modern Sbeitla. Sbeitla, like other North African cities, prospered in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD under the Pax Romana. Upon entering the site, we will see olive press — one of many in the city, since the inhabitants here became extremely wealthy from the trade of olives and olive oil. After visiting the forum and its temples, we will walk through Sbeitla’s stone paved streets to see the public baths, theater, and numerous Christian basilicas with their elaborate baptisteries covered in colourful mosaics. Later, proceed to the fascinating oasis town of Tozeur. Tozeur was an important cultural and market center, due to its strategic location on the caravan routes. Merchants from North and West Africa gathered in this thriving oasis, trade such goods as wool, dates, gold, ivory, salt and slaves. Some of the finest dates of the world are grown in the region, the deglat nour or “finger of light”. Medieval accounts state that over 1,000 camels used to leave here per day, laden only with dates. While in the vicinity of Tozeur, we will visit the palmerie to view the various crops being grown here.
Day Eleven: Tozeur, Douz, Djerba
This morning, we continue across Chott El Jerid, Tunisia’s largest salt lake, extending over 5,000km2. The chott lies 30m below sea level, and is a remnant from over 1.5 million years ago when the area was flooded by the sea. We will stop in Douz, the “Gateway of the Sahara”, another ancient oasis town surround by vast expanses of sand dunes. Here you will have the opportunity to participate in optional adventure excursions (payable locally). You may choose to ride a camel or horse carriage or drive a dune buggy out to the sand dunes. Or, you may choose to take an “ultralight” airplane over the dunes and the palmeries of Douz. Then later proceed to Island of Djerba, where we will spend the two nights. Our drive takes us through one of the main olive growing regions of the country.
Day Twelve: The Isle of Djerba
Explore the sites of this splendid island, originally settled by the Phoenicians. the isle of Djerba is the mythical place where Odysseus encountered the Lotus Eaters during his journey back home from Troy. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Normans, Arabs, Spaniards, and Ottoman Turks — all have come to Djerba and left their footprint. Historically Djerba has been known for its sponge fishing and agriculture — here we can find olive trees which are over 1000 years old. The island today is one of Tunisia’s most famous resorts, with its small villages, charming towns, and sandy beaches. We will visit is the ethnographic Museum of Patrimonie, which celebrates the island’s peoples and traditions. Here we will see displays of marriage festivals and traditional wedding dresses from various parts of the country, traditional costumes of the island, circumcision ceremonies, household and agricultural implements, and displays of typical arts of weaving, calligraphy, jewelry and metalwork. We proceed to the center of Guellala, the pottery producing center of the island where we stop to see the kilns and workshops. Then we go to El Ghriba (“The Miracle”) synagogue: one of the oldest synagogues and most important Jewish pilgrimage sites in the world. Djerba is home to one of the world’s most ancient Jewish communities. tradition states that they arrived here after the First Destruction of the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar in 566 BC. This holy synagogue is fascinating for its historic and spiritual importance, as well as for its distinctive style of architecture (a marvelous blend of Jewish, Tunisian, Maghrebian and Sephardic elements. We proceed to the main town Houmt Souq, where we shall stop to see the medieval fort, Borj el Kebir; this was the scene of a bloody conflict in 1560 between the forces of Dragut, the Barbary corsair, and Philip II of Spain. In town, we will explore the fruit and vegetable markets, watch the daily fish auctions. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. You may wish to stay in Houmt Souq, go to the beach, or relax at the hotel.
Day Thirteen: Djerba, Matmata, Sfax
Leave in the morning and head to Matmata, where the inhabitants live in rock-hewn dwellings (“troglodyte” homes), some of which are over 400 years old. We will visit the pit dwelling of a local family who will happily show us around. We will also stop to see the cave home which appeared in the first Star Wars film in1977 and was later converted into Hotel Sidi Driss. Then drive to the coastal city of Sfax and walk through the medina. This is the second largest city in Tunisia. today Sfax a major commercial and manufacturing centre (mainly of olive oil, almonds, phosphates and textiles) with very little tourism. Inside the massive 9th century ramparts of the old walled city, is the country’s finest “living and working” medina. Part of the Blacksmith’s souq was featured in the film, ‘The English Patient.’ We will do a walk through the historic lanes, markets and workshops before going back to our hotel.
Day Fourteen: Sfax, El Djem, Monastir, Sidi Bou Said
On this day, we will go to El Djem (ancient Thysdrus) and visit the Archaeological Museum, with its splendid collection of floor mosaics from the villas of the wealthiest inhabitants of El Djem. Just behind the museum is the House of Africa, an opulent villa covering over 3000 sq m which was found in the center of town, dismantled and moved here in its entirety. The villa is named after one of its excellent fine floor mosaics depicting the Goddess of Africa (the only mosaic of its kind in the world).
The massive Roman Amphitheatre is also an extraordinary sight with a capacity of 30,000 spectators. It was built during the reigns of the Emperors Gordion I and his son, Gordian II, both of whom reigned for only a few weeks before being defeated by the legions sent from Rome. Wild beast fights, gladiatorial combats, circuses and games were held here. We climb up to the upper tiers for excellent views of the arena and surrounding countryside, before descending to the basement to see the chambers where scenery, gladiators, prisoners and wild animals were kept.. Then we go to Monastir to see the 8th century ribat, a kind of fortified Islamic monastery, after which the city is named. The Ribat of Monastir affords wonderful views of the city and the sea. North African ribats were built when the inhabitants were threatened by invading European armies; they served not only a military but religious purpose as well, as fortresses and places of prayer and study for devout soldiers. This spectacular ribat served as a backdrop in numerous films, including Monty Python’s ‘Life of Brian’ and Zeffirelli’s ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’
Then later visit Sidi Bou Said, the charming hilltop village, famous for its beautifully decorated blue and white architecture. Visited by the likes of Cervantes, Simone de Beaauvouir and Jean Foucault, Sidi Bou Said made an indelible impression on the works of Paul Klee, August Macke and Louis Moilliet who stayed here together in 1914. You will have some free time to explore this beautiful village overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
Day Fifteen: Fly Out
After breakfast, the guide will take you to the airport to catch your flight back home.
Trip Includes
Accommodation as per the itinerary
All meals as per the itinerary
All sightseeing and entrance fees for sites noted as ‘visited’ in the detailed itinerary
Gratuities for local guides, drivers, restaurant staff, porters
Any domestic flight Malta-Tunis
Ground transportation
Airport transfers