Things to do in Bizerte
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Bizerte
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring is the all-round best window, mild and green, with lingering and migrant birds at Ichkeul and calm old town days.
Summer beach season, sea warmest July to September, beaches busiest in July and August and prices at their highest.
Autumn keeps a warm sea into October with crowds gone; October is the wettest month and Ichkeul refills from late autumn.
Winter is birding season, with the Ichkeul wintering peak from November to February, cold windy hides and low prices.
What's on
- Bizerte International Festival July to August
Music, dance and theatre nights centred on the Spanish Fort open-air theatre; exact dates are announced late.
- Independence Day 20 March
A national holiday with a civic feel in Bizerte rather than a visitor-focused event.
Best things to do in Bizerte
Vieux Port de Bizerte
A working fishing harbour of painted boats and quay cafes, best at sunset when the promenade fills.
Kasbah of Bizerte
A walled living quarter of lanes and eight towers, with rampart views over the port, channel and sea.
Fort d'Espagne
A small 16th century hilltop fort holding the best panorama in Bizerte, over port, medina, lake and sea.
Medina of Bizerte
A residential medina of craft lanes named for blacksmiths and carpenters, uncommercial and best by day.
Oceanographic Museum of Bizerte
A small maritime museum in the Ksiba fort, with boat models, aquariums and a rooftop terrace over the port.
Grande Mosquee De Bizerte
The old town's main mosque by the port, an exterior landmark whose minaret anchors the harbour view.
Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Church
A small Russian Orthodox church built by the White Russian fleet families who settled in Bizerte.
Where to stay in Bizerte
Old Port and Kasbah
character and walkable dinners
Walk to the port restaurants, museum and medina from a kasbah guesthouse, and swim by taxi.
Corniche and Ain Meriem
sea views, quiet and couples
The green north coast road toward Cap Blanc holds the best boutique stays, pools and private beach access.
Sidi Salem
conventional hotels and town beach
The hotel zone just east of the centre, with the town beach at hand and the fullest hotel services.
Think twice about
- Zarzouna
A working and industrial district across the canal with a poor walk to the old town and no visitor upside as a base.
Best restaurants in Bizerte
Le Sport Nautique
Bizerte's expensive seafood house by the marina, superb fish at its best but check by weight prices and bills.
EL Ksiba
The Old Port's best supported seafood table, fresh and well seasoned fish with the harbour as the view.
Le Grand Bleu Da Ciccio
Sicilian inflected Italian seafood, the change of register from Tunisian grills after two fish dinners.
Restaurant Le Phenicien
A formal Old Port dining room in a prime waterside spot, useful for groups, with a mixed review record.
Henchir Dhab Restaurant
A charming Arabic restaurant with a winter fireplace, the inland change of pace from harbour seafood.
Marche aux Poissons de Bizerte
Buy the morning catch at the fish market and have it grilled at the stalls, the cheapest great lunch in town.
Eddrina
A tiny cheap seafood grill with a bring your own fish tip, a local lunch lead with a very small review sample.
Outdoor things to do in Bizerte
Ichkeul National Park
A UNESCO wetland lake and marshes wintering huge flocks of waterbirds, with an ecomuseum and buffalo herd.
Jebel Ichkeul
A two to three hour climb from the ecomuseum to views over Lake Ichkeul, the marshes and the coast.
Cap Angela
The rocky headland and monument marking the northernmost point of mainland Africa, pure wind and view.
Cap Blanc
White cliffs and clear rocky coves at the end of the Corniche road, the city's best coast drive stop.
Remel Beach
A long pine backed sandy beach east of the city that local families favour over the in-town strand.
Sidi Salem Beach
The city's own broad sandy beach by the hotel zone, the easiest swim in Bizerte without a car.
Raf Raf Beach
The beach village Tunisians queue for, clear water below a hill and grilled fish lunches, best on weekdays.
Ghar El Melh
A quiet Porto Farina town of Ottoman forts, a Ramsar lagoon and a long open sea beach on one outing.
Best hotels in Bizerte
Dar Salama
A beachfront boutique dar on the Corniche with a sea view pool and themed suites, Bizerte's top address.
Cap Blanc Guest House
A sea view guesthouse with a pool and praised home cooking in the quiet Cap Blanc and Ain Meriem area.
Residence Ain Meriem
Corniche apartments with kitchenettes, a pool and a private beach, the reliable family and group base.
Andalucia Beach Hotel
Apartment style resort hotel at Sidi Salem with terraces, a big pool and the fullest services in town.
Dar El Kasba Bizerte
A family run restored house inside the kasbah walls, two minutes from the Old Port, with a roof terrace.
Hotel Jalta
A simple, friendly Corniche hotel between the centre and the northern beaches, at bottom of range prices.
Is Bizerte expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | TND 100 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | TND 260 a person |
| Splurge | TND 550 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Mouja Diving Club: a few days ahead
- Cani Islands: a few days ahead
- Dar Salama: weeks ahead
- Cap Blanc Guest House: weeks ahead
- Dar El Kasba Bizerte: a few days ahead
- Le Sport Nautique: a few days ahead
- Book Dar Salama, Cap Blanc Guest House and Dar El Kasba well ahead for July, August and the festival.
- Book a rental car or driver in peak summer, and festival tickets once dates are announced.
- Arrange dives by phone with the club and boat days locally; almost nothing else allows advance booking.
Is Bizerte safe?
- Swim at open sea beaches, not in the lagoon, harbour or near the canal and industrial shore, where pollution is documented.
- Do not photograph military, police, port security or naval installations; Bizerte is a naval city.
- Watch bags and phones in the market and on crowded summer beaches, and walk the lit port area after dark rather than medina lanes.
- Emergency numbers are 197 for police and 190 for ambulance.
Bizerte travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Agree fish, weight and total price before cooking, above all at Le Sport Nautique and Le Phenicien, and check bills line by line.
- Old Port view tables charge for the view; the fish market grill stalls eat fresher for far less at lunch.
- Many restaurants close between lunch and dinner, and hours contract further during Ramadan.
Getting around Bizerte: public transport and more
- Tunis-Carthage Airport is about 60 to 65 km away, roughly 45 minutes to an hour by the A4 motorway.
- Louages and SRT Bizerte buses link Tunis and Bizerte in about an hour to an hour and a half.
- The old town cluster is one walkable morning; Ichkeul, Utica, Raf Raf and Ghar El Melh all need a car or driver.
- Town taxis are cheap, but confirm the price before longer runs and for any return from Remel Beach.
Who Bizerte suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Bizerte your trip
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