Departing from / returning to: Tunis (or Hammamet or environs, upon request)

Availability            departing any day except Mondays





On April 3, 1914, the artists Paul Klee, Louis Moilliet, August Macke arrived in the port of Tunis after xx days sailing from Marseilles. Their time spent here would have a lasting & profound impact on their work. They were not the first European artists to spend time here – on this tour we will learn of the others who came  to North Africa – artists, poets, painters. During these 3 days, we will follow their Journey through Tunisia ...



This is part of a series of SPECIAL TOURS. Please contact me for a fully detailed itinerary. A perfect tour for those with special interests in photography, painting, history. Feel free to bring your art supplies.



Day 1:Tunis, Sidi Bou Said, Hammamet - This morning we take the historic TGM train from downtown Tunis to Sidi Bou Said, where our car is waiting. A brief walking tour will take us through the narrow picturesque streets of this beautiful Andalusian village, famous for its blue & white architecture, colorful doors, and magical views of the Gulf of Tunis. We visit the beautiful Dar Ennejma Ezzahra, the mansion of Baron Rodolphe Erlanger. Built between 1912-1922 by this aristocratic Orientalist painter & musicologist, today it serves as both a museum and the Center of Arab & Mediterranen Music. We will also see the famous Cafe des Nattes, which at the turn of the 20th century, was popular among European artists, painters, poets and celebrities. You will have some free to explore and take lunch. We continue by car via the scenic (old) road to Hammamet, to see the countryside through the eyes of the artists: the sprawling green hills, vineyards, fruit orchards and colonial era estates. Hammamet is known for its citrus groves and pretty bay with fishing boats moored at the foot of the 16th century castle. We visit Dar Sebastien, built in the 1920's by a wealthy shipping magnate & admired by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is a beautiful place, set on the bay and surrounded by orange groves. We continue to Kairouan in the late afternoon. Overnight in the historic Hotel Kasbah, Kairouan.(B & D)





Day 2: Hammamet to Kairouan

We spend the morning exploring the monuments and narrow lanes of Kairouan’s ancient medina, with architecture, houses, souks, and play of shadow & light as they were captured in the works of the Impressionists. We visit the historic monuments of Kairouan including the Great Mosque, North Africa’s oldest and most historically important mosque, grand in the simplicity and harmony of its design as an expression of the faith. Next is the Zaouia of Sidi Sahab, also known as “The Mosque of the Barber”; originally built in the 7th century, it houses the mausoleum of the venerated Sidi Sahab, a companion of the Prophet Mohammed. The interior is richly decorated with ornamental stucco ceilings and stunning tile work. We also visit the Aghlabid basins, enormous cisterns that were built in the 9th century under the Aghlabids – the first Islamic dynasty under which the finest Islamic monuments in Tunisia were built.

En route back to Tunis, we visit Takrouna, a most picturesque medieval hilltop village.The upper part of this village has been lovingly restored and revived by a local Tunisian artist, as part of her "Blue Rock"project.  Return to Tunis in the late afternoon.(B)