Things to do in Hammamet
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Hammamet
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring, blossom on Cap Bon, sea warming, prices below summer, one of the two best seasons.
Season starts, sea warm, festival approaches, busy at weekends.
Peak season and the Hammamet International Festival, hottest, busiest and most hassle.
Warmest sea, crowds gone, prices fall, the other best season.
Winter, Yasmine goes quiet with closures and reduced hours, suits thalasso, golf and touring, not a beach holiday.
What's on
- International Festival of Hammamet mid July to mid August
Music, theatre and dance in the Villa Sebastian garden amphitheatre, founded in 1964.
- Nabeul Friday Market every Friday
The big weekly Cap Bon market in the pottery town, busiest on Friday mornings.
Best things to do in Hammamet
Medina of Hammamet
The small walled old town on its rocky point, white lanes and sea walls, lovely at opening time and crowded by midday.
Kasbah of Hammamet
The seafront fortress on the medina point, worth it for the rampart walk and the panorama over both bays.
Villa Sebastian
George Sebastian's 1920s villa in big gardens, now the cultural centre, with a sea backed open air amphitheatre.
Centre Culturel International de Hammamet
The institution inside Villa Sebastian that runs the summer festival, exhibitions and concerts in the gardens.
Pupput Archaeological Site
Quiet Roman ruins south of town, mosaics and bath remains that link to the hammam root of the town name.
Hammamet Beach
The long sandy bay north and south of the medina, shallow and swimmable, with the kasbah as its landmark.
Great Mosque of Hammamet
The medina mosque seen from outside and from the kasbah, a landmark minaret at the heart of the old town.
Yasmine Hammamet Marina
The purpose built marina promenade in Yasmine, clean and calm, best as an evening stroll rather than a sight.
Where to stay in Hammamet
Old Town and Town Centre
independent travellers, food and day trips
Real cafes, restaurants, taxis and louages on foot, with the medina and kasbah as your evening walk.
Hammamet Nord
beach, thalasso and quiet luxury
The north bay beach resorts, La Badira and the thalasso centres, calmer than Yasmine and close to town.
Yasmine Hammamet
package resorts, families and the marina
Purpose built strip with the marina, fake medina and big hotels, a taxi ride from the real town.
Think twice about
- Yasmine Hammamet in winter as a beach base
Much of the strip closes or cuts hours from November to February and it can feel like a ghost town. Visit for the marina, do not base a winter beach holiday there.
Best restaurants in Hammamet
Le Barberousse
Seafood on the medina ramparts at sunset, the splurge dinner in the old town and the view is part of the price.
Chez Achour
Long running fish restaurant near the medina, grilled catch, couscous and octopus salad without resort markup theatre.
La Bella Marina
Seafood and pasta in town, prawn tagliatelle and lobster on the menu, popular with residents as well as visitors.
Barberousse Beach Club
Beach club lunch in Yasmine, sole, paella and crudo on the sand, the best reason to eat inside the strip.
Restaurant Condor
A big tourist restaurant with live music on the south road, go for a group night out, not for quiet local food.
Ettahrir Restaurant
A straightforward town restaurant on Liberation Avenue, Tunisian and Mediterranean plates at local prices.
Best bars in Hammamet
Cafe Sidi Bou Hdid
Coffee and mint tea on the steps below the kasbah at the old shrine, the classic late afternoon seat in town.
Outdoor things to do in Hammamet
Citrus Golf Club
Two courses through olive and citrus groves inland, the round most visiting golfers rate above Yasmine.
Golf Yasmine
The Ronald Fream course by Yasmine, hilly and scenic, with a 9 hole short course and published green fees.
Kerkouane Archaeological Site
The UNESCO listed Punic town on Cap Bon, streets and houses preserved because Rome never rebuilt over it.
Nabeul Market
Pottery town 15 minutes away, workshops and a big Friday market, the easiest and best half day out of Hammamet.
Kelibia Fort
A huge fortress on a rock above a fishing port on Cap Bon, with the best coastal view on the peninsula.
Korbous
A cliff road village on Cap Bon where hot springs run toward the sea, a local bathing stop not a spa resort.
Carthage Archaeological Park
Antonine Baths and the Punic ports an hour away, a full and feasible day if you start early and use the train or a driver.
Sidi Bou Said
The blue and white hill village above the Gulf of Tunis, paired with Carthage on the same day out from Hammamet.
Best hotels in Hammamet
La Badira - Adult Only
Adults only luxury on a headland north of town, infinity pools and a strong spa, the clear top end pick.
Hasdrubal Thalassa & Spa Yasmine Hammamet
Big, formal five star in Yasmine with a real thalasso centre, the luxury choice inside the resort strip.
Le Royal Hammamet
A large Yasmine resort hotel by the marina, gardens and beach, mid range when booked outside peak weeks.
Hotel Menara
A town hotel near the centre rather than a resort compound, a saner base for eating out and day trips.
Dar Khayam
A big north beach resort at lower prices than the Yasmine five stars, family heavy and package oriented.
Hotel Emira
A simple three star in town from 1989, the honest cheap base near cafes and taxis rather than on the sand.
Is Hammamet expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | TND 180 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | TND 450 a person |
| Splurge | TND 1,200 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Carthage Land: a few days ahead
- Royal Azur Thalasso: a few days ahead
- Citrus Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Golf Yasmine: a few days ahead
- Yasmine Hammamet Pirate Ship: a few days ahead
- La Badira - Adult Only: weeks ahead
- Hasdrubal Thalassa & Spa Yasmine Hammamet: weeks ahead
- Le Royal Hammamet: a few days ahead
- La Badira and Hasdrubal in high season, festival headline nights, golf tee times and Le Barberousse at sunset.
Is Hammamet safe?
- Local risks are petty crime, scams and souk hassle.
- Use licensed taxis at night and keep valuables out of sight in the medina.
Hammamet travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The stranger who says he works at your hotel and leads you to a family shop in either medina.
- Camel, jet ski and excursion prices not agreed in words before the ride starts.
Getting around Hammamet: public transport and more
- Walk the old town. Use yellow taxis between town, Hammamet Nord and Yasmine, meter on or fare agreed first.
- Louages run to Nabeul and Tunis. Hire a driver for Cap Bon and Carthage days.
Who Hammamet suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Hammamet your trip
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