Stand on the square at the north side of the Grand Mosque of Sousse and the city shows you its two faces at once: a plain, fortress-like prayer hall on one side, and the whitewashed lanes of the medina twisting away behind it. Sousse has kept a medieval heart of narrow streets, a kasbah and medina, its ribat fortress and a long wall facing the Mediterranean.
This guide suits travellers who are happy to spend a day on foot inside the old town walls, mixing monuments with markets and a walk down to the port. Almost everything worth your time sits within the medina, so you can plan around a single compact area rather than a series of taxi rides.
1. Sousse Ribat
This fortified holy site served as home to a branch of Islamic warriors similar in nature and creed to the Hospitaller Knights of Rhodes. Climbing to the top of the watch tower gives you views over the medina, and the structure remains in outstanding condition.
Reach it via the square north of the mosque. It is open 8:00-17:30, and 8:00-19:00 during summer, with an entrance fee of 8 DT. Combine it with the Grand Mosque next door while you are on the square.
2. Grand Mosque of Sousse
Built around 850 AD, this mosque is simple and austere in the Aghlabite style, with no decoration beyond a string of angular Arabic and curved arches. Even the prayer room is covered in reed mats instead of the usual carpet, and it is a surprisingly tranquil place despite sitting in the middle of the city.
The visitor entrance is on the square at the north side of the mosque; ask the person sitting next to the door or at the ticket booth on the other side of the square. It is open 8:00-14:00 and costs 5 DT. You must be properly dressed to enter, though traditional dress is available for covering up.
3. Sousse Archaeological Museum
Housed in the gently crumbling old Kasbah on the south-western edge of the medina, this museum holds a large collection of mosaics second only to the Bardo, along with other archaeological artefacts from Roman times.
It is open 9:00-17:00 and closes two hours later during summer, with a 10 DT entrance fee. Note that the entrance is from outside the city walls, with no access from within, so plan this as a separate approach rather than a stop mid-walk through the lanes.
4. Musee Dar Essid
This charming little museum just within the old city walls was the home of a long-standing Tunisian family, opened as a museum after the passing of the last family member. The property centres on an open courtyard giving access to all the rooms, including the bedrooms of the first and second wife and the children's rooms, all fully furnished, with some curtains dating back 200 years and German clocks imported from the 1800s.
The house has a tower used to watch the stars for the onset of Ramadan, and the views over Sousse from it are higher than those from the Ribat. There is also a small cafe area with good views. It is open 10:00-18:00, closing one hour later during summer, and costs 5 DT with 1 DT for photo rights. Approaching the Ribat from Hotel de Paris along the north wall, follow the signs on Boulevard Yahia Ibn Omar.
5. The Sousse Catacombs
An underground Christian necropolis created in the 1st century, stretching over 5 km and containing more than 10,000 graves. Be aware that it has been closed for reconstruction since 2016, so check locally before building a day around it.
6. Eglise St Felix
A church in the city listed among the sights of Sousse.
7. Synagogue Keter Torah
A synagogue in Sousse, also listed among the city's sights. Like Eglise St Felix, it is best treated as a stop on a wider wander rather than a destination in itself.
8. Walking the medina
All of Sousse's main sights are located within the labyrinthine medina in the heart of the city. Walk around and get lost in the western residential areas, which have beautiful surprises, and follow the signboards marking out a "cultural walk" if you prefer a route.
Up on the western side the medina rises onto higher ground, and from there you can see the sea. This is the thread that ties the individual sights together, so leave time for it rather than rushing between monuments.
9. The port and the fishing boats
Walking around the fishing boats at the port is a pleasant way to spend time. Families with children may wish to take a trip on one of the "pirate" ships, which offer fishing and other nautical activities.
10. Play golf
There is no golf course in Sousse itself, but there is one in Port El Kantaoui and two in Monastir. Worth knowing if you want to break up days of walking with a round.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start on the square at the north side of the Grand Mosque of Sousse, where the visitor entrance is, and go in when it opens at 8:00. When you come out, go straight to the Sousse Ribat via the same square and climb the watch tower for views over the medina.
Afternoon. Walk the medina, following the signboards for the "cultural walk" and drifting into the western residential areas, which rise onto higher ground with a view of the sea. Work your way to Musee Dar Essid just within the old city walls, then leave the walls to enter the Sousse Archaeological Museum from outside, in the old Kasbah on the south-western edge.
Evening. Finish at the port, walking around the fishing boats. If you are travelling with children, this is the moment to look into one of the "pirate" ships offering fishing and other nautical activities.
Where are Sousse's main sights located?
All of Sousse's main sights are within the labyrinthine medina in the heart of the city, so you can cover the core of them on foot in a single day.
Do I need to dress a certain way to enter the Grand Mosque of Sousse?
Yes. You must be properly dressed to enter, but traditional dress is available for covering up.
Can I visit the Sousse Catacombs?
Not at present. They have been closed for reconstruction since 2016.
Is there anywhere to play golf in Sousse?
There is no golf course in Sousse, but there is one in Port El Kantaoui and two in Monastir.
Decide your dates, book a place inside or near the medina, and let the old town's lanes do the rest of the planning for you.