← Tunis-Carthage Marathon·2 nights

Kairouan and El Jem: A Holy City and a Roman Arena

The Great Mosque and medina of Kairouan, one of Islam's four holy cities, followed by the Roman amphitheatre at El Jem, which still stands almost to its full height.

Duration2 nights
TransitSNTRI coach from Tunis to Kairouan, about 2 hours 15 minutes, then shared louage to El Jem via Sousse
DepartsTunis southern coach station

After the Tunis-Carthage Marathon: Kairouan and El Jem

The Route: Tunis → Kairouan → Sousse → El Jem → Tunis → Tunis–Carthage Airport Logistics: SNTRI coach to Kairouan, louage to Sousse and on to El Jem, then SNCFT train back to Tunis. Marathon Month: December Duration: 2 nights

Tunis ──(2 hrs 15 mins SNTRI coach)──> Kairouan ──(louage)──> Sousse ──(louage)──> El Jem
  ▲                                                                                               │
  └──────────────────────(about 3 hrs SNCFT train, check timetable)─────────────────────────────┘
                                          │
                              Tunis–Carthage Airport (TUN) (15 to 20 mins taxi)

Kairouan sits on a plain 150 km south of Tunis, and El Jem lies another 100 km or so beyond it. The race ends on a Sunday, so this trip begins on a Monday. Both sites are flat and mostly outdoors, which suits legs that can walk but not climb.

December in Kairouan and El Jem: the interior is drier and cooler than the coast, with cold nights and bright, breezy days. Bring a warm layer for the evenings, and expect shorter daylight hours than the opening times suggest. Both sites keep winter hours, and the Great Mosque closes early.

The coach is the simplest way to reach Kairouan. SNTRI coaches leave Tunis roughly every hour from the southern coach station, and the journey takes about 2 hours 15 minutes. A louage, or shared taxi, is the quicker alternative and leaves when full. Check the coach times at the station and turn up early on a Monday.

Night One: Kairouan

Kairouan is the fourth holy city of Islam, and the Great Mosque, founded in 670, is its centre. Foreign visitors pay about 12 TND, and on Fridays it closes at noon. Check the winter hours before you go. The prayer hall is closed to non-Muslims, so the visit is to the courtyard and the base of the minaret. A combined ticket covers several sites in the town, including the Aghlabid Basins and the Mausoleum of Sidi Sahbi, known as the Barber's Mosque. Ask at the ticket office which sites the ticket includes and how long it stays valid.

Walking is flat and on packed earth and paving. The medina is a lattice of back streets where hotels are hard to find, so take a map. Paul Klee visited Kairouan in April 1914, and the town's light and colour are still the reason to stay a night rather than pass through.

Eat makroudh, the fried semolina and date pastry that Kairouan is known for, from one of the pastry shops in the medina, and drink mint tea at a café near the town's gates. Café Nuits de l'Orient has been recommended by travellers, so check that it is open.

For a place to sleep, Dar Hassine Allani is a medina guesthouse and the best choice for the town's character. Hôtel La Kasbah Kairouan is a central mid-range option with more conventional comforts.

Night Two: El Jem

Reach El Jem by louage. The usual route is Kairouan to Sousse, then Sousse to El Jem, with a change of louage in Sousse. Fares are a few dinars a leg, and the whole trip takes half a day.

The amphitheatre was built in the third century at Thysdrus and still rises close to its full height from the town's low roofs. Its capacity is usually put at around 35,000. Admission is 12 TND, winter hours run from 07:30 to 17:00, and the ticket includes the museum. Allow 90 minutes to two hours for the arena and 30 to 60 minutes for the museum. The arena floor and lower galleries are level. Reaching the upper tiers means steps, so skip them if your quads object.

For a place to sleep, Julius Hotel is a mid-range hotel about 650 m south of the amphitheatre. Dar Ammar is a guesthouse listed close to the arena. Two listings share the name, so confirm the address when you book. Eat in the town centre near the amphitheatre, and ask your hotel which grill is busy that night.

Getting to Tunis–Carthage Airport (TUN)

The train from El Jem to Tunis takes roughly three hours or more and runs on the Sfax line, so check the SNCFT timetable at sncft.com.tn for the next departure. Tickets are bought at the station. From Tunis station, a taxi to Tunis–Carthage Airport takes 15 to 20 minutes. If you are flying the same day, leave El Jem before midday.