How the Zaghouan and Zriba Loulia day runs
The three stops on the Zaghouan excursion are within twenty kilometres of each other, which leaves plenty of slack in the day. We take Zriba Loulia in the morning, while the climb is still cool, Zaghouan for lunch, and the Temple of Waters in the late afternoon, in the shade. Because the driving is short, you can linger a long time in the village without putting the rest at risk.
Collected at 08:00 or 09:00, whichever you prefer
Departure from your hotel
Dropped off where you started by 18:00, or earlier if you prefer
Back at your accommodation
Zriba Loulia, Zaghouan and the Temple of Waters on the map
Zriba Loulia overlooks the Hammam Zriba gorge on the south east side. Zaghouan is twenty minutes away at the foot of a 1,295 metre summit, and the Temple of Waters sits three kilometres above the town. Click a stop to see it on its own.
Map from Hammamet. Change your departure city in the booking form to recalculate the route.
Zriba Loulia, the Berber village left as it was
The residents left in the 1960s for the new town below and abandoned an entire village of dry-stone houses clinging above the gorge. The walls stand, the lintels are in place, the small white mosque still crowns the site. There is no ticket office and no barrier: you climb for fifteen minutes and walk freely between the walls.
Dry-stone village, never restored
White mosque and marabout at the summit
Sheer views down into the Hammam Zriba gorge
Fifteen-minute climb on a stony path
Zaghouan and its Andalusian quarter
Backed by a 1,295 metre massif, Zaghouan runs five to seven degrees cooler than the coast in summer. Families who arrived from Spain in the 17th century left a quarter of porched houses, fountains and a mosque. This is the lunch stop of the day, at one of the simple restaurants around the square.
Mountain air, clearly cooler than the coast
Andalusian quarter and 17th-century fountains
Simple restaurants around the main square
Views up to Jebel Zaghouan from the streets
The Temple of Waters and the Carthage aqueduct
Built in the 2nd century under Hadrian, the nymphaeum wraps the spring in a semicircle of niches that once held statues. From here the aqueduct ran to Carthage over 132 kilometres, one of the longest in the Empire, and its arches are still visible across the plain on the way back down. The site is shaded, the water still runs and the visit is short.
Second-century Roman nymphaeum, reign of Hadrian
Start of the 132 km aqueduct to Carthage
Semicircle of niches and basin fed by the spring
Shaded site, an hour is enough
Your pace on a short day in the Zaghouan massif
The Zaghouan excursion takes a little over six hours, so it leaves room. Many travellers stretch the stop at Zriba Loulia, where you can walk for a long time without meeting anyone, or extend lunch in Zaghouan to enjoy the cooler air. You set the departure time and the time you want to be back, and the driver fits the rest around it.
About 6 h 15 in total from Hammamet
Comfortable margin to extend any stop
Lunch in Zaghouan, with no fixed timing
Return possible in mid afternoon
Zaghouan tour price by departure city
The price of the Zaghouan excursion is one of our lowest, because the driving is short and only the Temple of Waters charges an entry ticket, around 8 dinars. The rate covers the vehicle for the day and not the passenger: with four of you from Hammamet it comes to €17.50 each. No deposit when you book.
| Departure | 1-4 pers. | 4-6 pers. | 5-8 pers. | 8-12 pers. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hammamet | 70 € | 90 € | 105 € | 140 € |
| Sousse | 80 € | 100 € | 115 € | 150 € |
| Tunis | 90 € | 110 € | 125 € | 160 € |
Included in the price
Private air-conditioned vehicle, never shared
Driver who knows the sites, for the whole day
Fuel, tolls and parking
Pickup and drop-off at your accommodation
Not included
Temple of Waters entry, around 8 dinars
Lunch and drinks
Licensed professional guide, available for an extra fee on request
Worth knowing before you go
Three points tied to the terrain and to the fact that Zriba Loulia is not a managed site.
The climb at Zriba Loulia
Fifteen minutes up a stony path with no handrail. Closed shoes are essential, and it gets slippery after rain.
An unmanaged site
Zriba Loulia has no ticket office, no lighting and no safety barriers. The houses are open but some floors and lintels are fragile, so stay on the visible paths.
Bring cash
The Temple of Waters entry and the restaurants in Zaghouan take dinars in cash only. Allow around twenty dinars per person for the day.
Zaghouan, Zriba Loulia and the Temple of Waters: your questions
How hard the climb to Zriba Loulia is, what the Temple of Waters actually is, ticket prices and whether it suits children: the answers asked for most.
The other days from your hotel
Staying several days? Most of our guests do two trips in the same week, one cultural and one closer to nature. Here are the other six routes, with their starting price and real duration.
Two UNESCO sites
Carthage, Sidi Bou Said & Tunis Medina Excursion
Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and the Tunis medina: two UNESCO sites in one day.
from 80 € · 7h
Two UNESCO sites
El Jem Amphitheatre & Kairouan Excursion
The El Jem amphitheatre, seating 35,000, and Kairouan, the fourth holy city of Islam.
from 90 € · 7h45
UNESCO archaeology
Dougga & Bulla Regia Roman Cities Excursion
Dougga, the best-preserved Roman city in North Africa, and the underground villas of Bulla Regia.
from 120 € · 9h45
Punic heritage and coast
Kerkouane, El Haouaria & Korbous: Cap Bon Excursion
Kerkouane, the only Punic town left standing, the El Haouaria caves and the hot springs of Korbous.
from 90 € · 7h30
Medinas and coast
Sousse, Monastir & Port El Kantaoui Excursion
Port El Kantaoui, the UNESCO medina of Sousse and the ribat of Monastir in one day.
from 90 € · 6h30
With the family
Friguia Park Safari Excursion from Hammamet
A semi-open safari park at Bouficha: lions, giraffes and African savannah in half a day.
from 45 € · 4h
Worth reading before you book this day
Three guides that answer the questions we get most often: what there is to see in the country, what a day costs and when to go.
Book your Zaghouan and Zriba Loulia excursion
Send us your accommodation, your date, the departure time you want and the number of travellers. You get written confirmation within two hours with a firm price for the vehicle, no deposit and no online payment. One message books your Zaghouan excursion.
Confirmed within 2 h
No deposit
Free cancellation 48 h before