our vision
Since 2009, Sun Smile Tours has been gathering people around an alternative
tourism. Beyond the must-see sites, each tour brings real encounters. We do
not only visit Tunisia, we live it! Exchanges are at the heart of the
experience so that everyone participates in the local life.
We leave our reference points to be satisfied with the essential, to
reconnect with nature and culture and to share the daily life of a
community. This is where the adventure takes on its full meaning, in this
dimension between discovery and sharing!
Our guides and the host communities naturally share the same values in the
field. Let yourself be carried away, we take care of you throughout your
stay!
our commitment
Sun Smile Tours is committed to showcasing the diversity and richness of Tunisia's culture, nature and history through immersive and authentic experiences, while respecting the local communities and the environment.
We involve local communities in our tour programs
Sun Smile Tours involves nomadic groups as service partners in the organization of
camel and Saharan tours to ensure some benefits for the continuity of their
activities.
Also, SST involves small farmers in our tours and excursions programs in order to
bring our clients to participate in date picking and olive harvesting with local
families.
We support the rural woman
Sun Smile Tours encourages rural women to have a productive and lucrative role in the Tunisian economy. Each of our programs includes visits to one of the centers of handicraft activities such as pottery, carpet weaving, traditional clothing design.
OUR categories
BEDOUIN ESCAPE
Discover the Bedouin way of life and spend the
night in the Tunisian Sahara Desert. Go on safari and spot animals such
as oryx and gazelles. Enjoy delicious Bedouin food and cooking
demonstrations.
Day 1: Enjoy a convenient
pick-up from your hotel in Douz and board a Land Cruiser. Join the
desert and let your guide tell you stories about the past and present of
the Sahara. Learn about the many customs and traditions you will
discover throughout the evening. Explore the Douz Desert Reserve and go
on a wilderness safari. Spot Arabian gazelles, fennecs and oryx. Then
settle into a camp inspired by Bedouin culture. Wander inside, past the
camp's flickering lights and sit down to dinner. Participate in a
variety of cultural activities and enjoy your meal. Sip Arabian mint
tea, sit back and relax. Watch the Bedouin chef prepare a traditional
meal. Watch a bread making demonstration. Watch Tunisia's national bird,
the falcon. Return to your table and watch a cooking demonstration.
Learn how to prepare local flat bread over open flames. Enjoy dinner
under the stars. Sample a variety of Bedouin specialties. After your
meal, sit around the fire and watch the stars. Enter your Arabian tent
when you are ready to sleep and enjoy a comfortable mattress, pillows
and blanket. Make yourself comfortable and sleep in the heart of the
desert.
Day 2: Wake up to a beautiful sunrise and the smell of
strong Arabian coffee. Watch your breakfast being prepared. Enjoy a
traditional bread for breakfast. Eat your meal and meet your driver to
return to Douz.
Cultural Escape
Spend your day exploring 3 of Tunisia's historic
cities, Kairouan, El Jem and Sousse.
Be picked up from your accommodation in Tunis and
head to Kairouan. Kairouan was founded in 670 AD and flourished under
the Aghlabid dynasty. Visit the Great Mosque of Kairouan, the Aghlabids
Basins, and the Sidi Sahbi Mausoleum. Spend some time exploring the
medina of Kairouan and enjoy a typical Kairouan lunch. After lunch, head
to the small village of El Jem. Here you will have the opportunity to
see the ruins of the amphitheater of El Jem. The amphitheater is the
largest coliseum in North Africa and could hold up to 35,000 people.
Your next stop is Sousse. Here you will visit the old medina of Sousse
and the port of El Kantaoui. Return to Tunis and be dropped off at your
accommodation in the city.
Camel ride in the Sahara
Enjoy a 2-day camel ride in the Sahara Desert.
Spend the night in a Berber camp and watch the sun set behind the golden
dunes. Sit around the campfire and enjoy a traditional meal.
On the first day, get picked up at your hotel or accommodation in Douz,
meet your camel drivers and start your camel ride. Ride your camel and
marvel at the incredible views of the golden dunes and the beautiful
scenery that changes with the time of day. At noon, take a break for
lunch. Take pictures of the impressive desert while the cook prepares a
delicious meal. Then continue your camel ride until sunset. Admire the
beautiful views of the sun setting behind the golden dunes. Arrive at
the desert camp, sit down to a traditional Berber dinner and discover
the famous bread prepared over an open fire. Spend the night under the
starry Sahara sky and drum around the fire. In the morning, enjoy the
beautiful sunrise and a Berber breakfast. Continue your camel ride
through the incredible dunes and beautiful scenery and finish your
adventure in the Tunisian desert. Return to your original meeting point
and enjoy a transfer to Douz.
Tataouine and Chenini: guided day tour
Return to the time of the Berbers, the caravans
and the Ksours on this guided tour of the fascinating city of Tataouine.
On this day trip, you will visit some of the most spectacular sites in
the region.
Enjoy an early morning pick up from your accommodation by a friendly
driver. After a short introduction, set out to discover the wonders of
southern Tunisia. Start your journey by leaving the island of Djerba,
drive along an ancient Roman road and take some great vacation photos of
Chahbania on the way.Continue to Tataouine, the city that gave its name
to the planet Tatooine in the Star Wars saga, and enjoy some free time
to wander around the market and practice bargaining with the merchants.
Continue on to the Berber village of Chenini, which offers a view of the
mountain, and stay for about 1 hour with your local guide. This guide
will be happy to show you the different buildings that make up the
village, such as the oil mill, the mosque, the houses carved in the
mountains, and much more. Then enjoy a delicious local meal. From there,
continue to Ksar Ouled Soltane, where some scenes from the Star Wars
movie "The Phantom Menace" were filmed. To finish this fantastic day,
return to Djerba in an air-conditioned vehicle.
Tunis: guided walking tour in the medina
Discover the historic city of Tunis on a 4-hour
guided walking tour. Explore the stores, mosques and monuments of the
historic medina. Pick up bargains at the souks and central market of
Tunis.
Meet your guide at hotel. Explore the city and
discover all aspects of Tunis: the old and the new, the modern and the
traditional. Visit the University of Tunis and learn more about
Tunisia's proud modern education system. 30% of the country's national
budget is spent on education. Visit the souks, a collection of stores
and boutiques that have been used for trade since the 13th century.
Wander through the winding streets of the medina of Tunis and admire its
many stores, monuments and mosques. Let your guide tell you about the
rich architectural heritage of the city of Tunis and see examples of
Islamic and Romanesque architecture. Make a stop at Tourbet el Bey and
admire the royal Tunisian mausoleum. Stroll through the fresh fish,
fruits and vegetables at the central market of Tunis, an oasis of life.
Wine tasting experience
Tunisia is known around the world for producing
crowd-pleasing wines. This half-day tour will take you to the birthplace
of this beautiful wine region. During the tour, your guide will share
with you the history of the birth of the Tunisian wine industry. You
will start your morning tour by being picked up at your hotel in Tunis
before being driven to Mornag. There you will have a wine tasting, as
well as a wine and cheese tasting. Afterwards, you will take a guided
bike tour of the charming vineyards of Mornag.
When you have had your fill of tours and tastings, you will have the
opportunity to purchase the wine you have tasted. For wine lovers of all
levels, this exceptional tour and tasting experience is not to be
missed.
Share, exchange with the Toujane population
Elaborated with a local guide of Toujane, we
wished to give to this program a particular dimension. Indeed, Toujane
is a small village which lives essentially from agriculture and from a
little tourism thanks to its craft industry (weaving of kilims).
Djerba – Toujane
Arrived at Toujane, you will settle in the troglauberge of Dahar then
you will have lunch.
Then, your guide will lead you to the discovery of the village and its
alleys. You will visit the oil mill and an old troglodyte house. Your
guide will explain you how these houses were built in the ground. Then
you will attend a weaving demonstration by a woman of the village. The
carpets and shawls of Toujane are famous.
Culinary experience with a local
Get ready for an incredible culinary experience during this unique
cooking class in Ksar Jouamaa. From the market to your plate, learn how
to prepare a salad, egg brik (a traditional pastry) and a couscous dish
using fresh ingredients purchased in one of the city's most famous
souks.
After a pick-up from your hotel, the adventure begins with a transfer to
Ksar Jouamaa. Arrive and stroll through the market among the vibrant
stalls of meat, vegetables, herbs and spices. You'll learn how these
spices have been used throughout the history of Tunisian cuisine, and
how to use each spice to make a perfect dish.
Then, during your cooking lesson, learn from your host how to create the
best traditional dishes of Tunisian cuisine and enrich your knowledge of
spices and ingredients while making an authentic dish. Famous Tunisian
dishes include mechouia salad, brick, and of course couscous.
The best part of the visit? When you finally feast on your own
masterpiece. Savor the fruits of your labor for lunch in an authentic
local setting before being comfortably returned to your hotel with a
knowledge of Tunisian recipes that will last a lifetime.