Tunis, Tunisia

Best places to shop in Tunis

4 markets, malls and shopping districts in Tunis — what to buy, when to go, and the tourist traps to avoid at each one.

Last updated 2026-08-11

1. Medina of Tunis souks

The UNESCO-listed medina — Souk el Attarine for perfume, Souk des Chechias for the red felt caps, Souk el Berka for gold, and carpet merchants throughout.

Where: Souk
Map: Open in Maps
Best time: Monday to Saturday 09:00–18:00; quieter Friday midday
Cost: Budget–Mid
Tip: The chechia makers' souk is a genuine surviving guild, still felting and blocking the caps by hand. The terraces above the carpet shops give the best medina views.

Watch outShops offering a free rooftop view then apply heavy carpet-selling pressure. The view is real; the obligation is not — you may simply leave.

2. Avenue Habib Bourguiba

The colonial-era main avenue — bookshops, cafés, French-style department stores and the covered market at the end.

Where: Street Shopping
Map: Open in Maps
Best time: Monday to Saturday 09:00–19:00
Cost: Mid-range

3. Sidi Bou Said

The blue-and-white clifftop village — ceramics, birdcages, painted doors, jasmine and craft in cobbled lanes above the sea.

Where: Street Shopping
Map: Open in Maps
Best time: Daily 09:00–19:00
Cost: Mid-range

4. Office National de l'Artisanat

The state craft board's shops — Tunisian ceramics from Nabeul, Kairouan carpets, olive wood and copper at fixed, certified prices.

Where: Market
Map: Open in Maps
Best time: Monday to Saturday 09:00–18:00
Cost: Mid-range
Tip: Kairouan carpets carry a state quality label stating knot count and materials. It is the one reliable guide to what you are buying.

Best places to shop in Tunis

1. Medina of Tunis souks

2. Avenue Habib Bourguiba

3. Sidi Bou Said

4. Office National de l'Artisanat

More about Tunis