3-Day Tunisian Sahara Desert Tour with Kairouan and Matmata

Depart from Tunis to El Djem and see the magnificent amphitheatre, considered one of the most important Roman coliseums in the world after those in Rome and Capua. Its majestic proportions made it possible to host 27,000 spectators. Continue to Kairouan, a purely Arab city filled with outstanding examples of the finest Islamic architecture in Tunisia.

Visit the Great Mosque, the oldest place of worship in North Africa, and the Zaouia, or tomb complex, of Sidi Sahab, a companion of the Prophet.

See the impressive pools at the Aghlabid Basins, built in the 9th century to collect and store winter rainwater. Then enjoy free time to stroll through the medina, the ancient marketplace encircled by 11th-century walls.

In the morning, take an excursion on a discovery tour to the mountain oases, where many scenes from "The English Patient" were filmed.

Drive south through some of the country's most spectacular mountain scenery and visit the mountain oasis of Tamerza, along with Midès and Chebika. In ancient days, the village of Heike was called Ad Speculum after the Roman troops who communicated by mirror. The towns were flooded in 1969 by freak torrential rains and were later abandoned. The original villages are now "ghost" towns. These villages continue with the old tiered oasis-style cultivation of crops, where vegetables are grown under pomegranate and orange trees, which in turn are grown under date palms.

Arrive in Tozeur and visit the old town, little changed since the 14th century when it was built. This quarter is famous for its unique decorative brick architecture, with exuberant towering facades patterned in bas-relief zigzags.

Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.

After dinner, enjoy an optional ($) visit to the museum of Tunisian traditions in the Dar Cherait complex.

After breakfast, travel to the small, remote town of Nefta. This peaceful oasis, with a crater-like depression planted with palm trees at its centre, is crowned by the white domes of numerous Zaouias (holy sanctuaries).

Visit the old quarter with its distinctive architecture and observe, through ancient doorways, the looms and rugs that provide a living for most of the people.

Continue across Chott El Jerid. This chott, a flat, dry salt lake, is the largest in Tunisia, and the region is also well known for its "Desert Roses".

Arrive in Douz, a typical desert village and the gateway to the Sahara, where you have the opportunity for an optional ($) camel ride through a deserted landscape and picturesque sand dunes. Then depart for the troglodyte village of Matmata, where dwellings are built like craters in the middle of the desert. These primitive-looking homes were designed to maintain moderate temperatures throughout the year, cool in summer and warm in winter, and served as an ingenious hideaway from the enemy.