Bizerte & Ichkeul National Park Private Day Trip
From $82, a private day trip to the old port of Bizerte and Ichkeul National Park. The lake is a UNESCO site where migrating birds stop.
Private Day Trip from Your Hotel to Bizerte and Ichkeul
This private day trip goes to the far north of Tunisia. In Bizerte, the northernmost city in Africa, you walk around the old port, the Kasbah and the Andalusian quarter. At Ichkeul National Park, you see the lake and marshes where birds stop between Europe and Africa. Your driver picks you up at your hotel, and the price is fixed per vehicle.
Bizerte and Ichkeul: A Port and a Lake Through History
Bizerte has been a port since Phoenician times, and Ichkeul has drawn birds for far longer. Both are worth knowing before you go.
Hippo Cut by the Water
Bizerte began as a Punic port. The Greek historian Polybius called it Hippo Diarrhytus, Hippo cut by the water, for the channel that runs through it. The town still lives around that water, between the sea and a large lake. The Kasbah guards the mouth of the old port. It dates from the 17th century, on a site used since Byzantine times.
Corsairs and Spaniards
Charles V took Bizerte in 1535, but the Ottomans later made it one of their strongholds. Under their rule, the port became a base for corsairs who raided ships at sea. Despite its name, the Spanish Fort above the town was built in 1573 by the Pasha of Algiers, under Ottoman rule. Its walls still look down on the Medina.
The French Naval Base
After 1881, France built a large naval base at Bizerte. It kept the base after Tunisian independence in 1956. In July 1961, fighting around the base left some 700 Tunisians dead in three days. The last French troops left on 15 October 1963. Tunisia marks that day each year as Evacuation Day.
The Canal and the Lake
Behind the town lies Lake Bizerte, joined to the sea by a canal. Large ships sail through it to reach the inner harbor and the shipyards. A movable bridge carries the road over the canal and opens to let them pass. The French built their naval arsenal on the southern shore of the lake, at Menzel Bourguiba.
The Andalusian Quarter
In the 17th century, Muslims driven out of Spain found refuge in Bizerte. They settled beyond the Kasbah, in a quarter that still bears their name. Its lanes are narrow, and its houses are low and white. The Andalusians brought their crafts and their music, as they did in Testour and Zaghouan.
Life on the Quay
The old port lies in the middle of the Medina. Its houses rise straight from the water, white with blue or green shutters. Small fishing boats tie up below them, and fishermen mend their nets on the quay. In the evening, families walk along the water, and the cafés fill up. It is the best place for a coffee before the road to Ichkeul.
A Lake Under One Mountain
Lake Ichkeul lies at the foot of Jebel Ichkeul, a lone mountain rising from the plain. Its water is fresh in winter, when the rivers run. In summer, it turns salty as sea water flows in from Lake Bizerte. Under the Hafsids, in the 13th century, the lake was already a royal reserve.
Birds and Buffalo
Every winter, hundreds of thousands of birds stop at Ichkeul, from ducks and geese to storks and flamingos. UNESCO listed the park in 1980. Dams later cut the fresh water, and the site was on the danger list from 1996 to 2006. Some fifty water buffalo also graze by the lake, a rare sight in North Africa.
Your Day in the North
From Tunis, the drive to Bizerte is short, so there is time for both the town and the park. From the coast resorts, we leave earlier.
- Departure from your hotel at the agreed hour.
- Bizerte: the old port, the Kasbah walls and the Andalusian quarter.
- A stop near the Spanish Fort, above the old town.
- Lunch break in Bizerte, fish or local dishes, paid on the spot.
- Ichkeul National Park: the lake, the marshes and the small museum on the hill.
- Back at your hotel in the evening.
Price from Your Departure City
From Tunis and Bizerte, the price is $82 for the whole private vehicle. From the coast resorts, it rises with the distance, as the table shows. Every price includes the driver, fuel and tolls. A certified guide can join you for $50, for the whole day.
Price per private vehicle, in US dollars
| Departure city | Price |
|---|---|
| Departure from Tunis or Gammarth | $82 |
| Departure from Hammamet | $115 |
| Departure from Nabeul | $125 |
| Departure from Sousse | $150 |
| Departure city | Price |
|---|---|
| Departure from Monastir | $160 |
| Departure from Mahdia | $180 |
| Departure from Bizerte | $82 |
| Departure from Djerba | $260 |
What the Price Includes
The price pays for the vehicle and the driver, from your hotel and back. Entry to the park and to any museum is paid on site.
Included
Your driver takes you from the hotel to the old port, then out to the lake, all at one price.
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with its driver, fuel and tolls
- Morning pickup at your hotel, evening return
Not Included
The national park and its small museum charge their own entry fees, paid at the gate.
- Park and museum entry fees
- Lunch and drinks
- On request: certified guide, $50 for your group for the day
Send us your hotel, the date and the number of people. Our team confirms the day and the fixed price. Reach us 24/7 on WhatsApp if you have a question.
Questions About Bizerte and Ichkeul
When is the best time to see birds at Ichkeul?
From October to March, when ducks and geese spend the winter on the lake. Bring binoculars if you have them.
Is Bizerte worth a visit outside the bird season?
Yes. The old port, the Kasbah and the Andalusian quarter are worth a visit all year, and the beaches are close.
Can we start from Hammamet or Sousse?
Yes. Both are in the price table. The day starts earlier because of the longer drive north.
Do we walk a lot in Ichkeul?
Not much. The driver takes you close to the lake and the museum, and you choose how far you walk.
Is the trip shared?
No. The trip is private, so only your group is in the vehicle.
Other Trips in the North
Further west, Tabarka and Aïn Draham show the green side of Tunisia. Inland, Testour and Bulla Regia mix Andalusian and Roman history.
