Tunis has been Tunisia's capital since the Almohads took it in 1159, reaching its height under the Hafsid dynasty from 1228 as one of the richest cities in the Islamic world. The settlement dates to 698 AD, when a mosque rose beside the ruins of Carthage on the Lake of Tunis. The walled medina, UNESCO-listed since 1979, holds the Zaytuna Mosque among hundreds of monuments. The uprising that toppled Ben Ali and opened the Arab Spring began 300 km south in Sidi Bouzid in December 2010, but crowds on Avenue Habib Bourguiba downtown forced him out that January; the capital is calm day to day now. The dinar cannot be exchanged abroad, so a month here runs mostly on cash drawn locally.
Nights sit around 22°C and afternoons around 31°C, though some days reach 36°C.
Tunis has real seasons: summer afternoons sit around 34°C, winter ones around 18°C.
Some summer days reach 40°C, and some winter nights drop to 5°C.
Most of the rain falls in winter, least in summer. The wettest month is December, with 68 mm.
Wind is rarely an issue; most months sit between calm and a light breeze. Air quality is worth watching: February averages an AQI of 73, while April clears to 58.
Days stretch to about 14.5 hours of light in June and shrink to 9.5 in December — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
For what you're after, the best months in Tunis are June – October. Expect decent internet (26 Mbps) and a moderate cost of living (about €950 a month).
Affiliate links: if you book through them I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
