Writer: Helena Bergström
Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia is a small Mediterranean town known for its charming white houses, decorated with blue carvings and beautiful shutters. The city is also known as an art center and nowadays attracts tourists with cozy alleys, galleries, cafes and boutique hotels.
Sidi Boo Sid
Sidi Bou Said is a truly charming town that you won’t want to miss if you spend time near the capital Tunis. This small town became famous at the turn of the 20th century, when a number of international artists found their way here.
Over time, the city became a center for both foreign and domestic artists and today you can still find quite a few art galleries here. Although we visited the city twice, it was very nice to make a return visit on our last trip at the end of October 2025.
Sidi Bou Said is located on the Gulf of Tunis in northern Tunisia, about twenty kilometers north of the capital Tunis.
What can you see and do in Sidi Bou Said?
You mainly go to Sidi Bou Said to enjoy charming neighborhoods, photograph the beautiful houses and doors and hang out in cozy cafes and restaurants. You can also spend a night in a nice boutique hotel. Here you will find all our best, personal tips at a glance.
1. Stroll through the charming alleys of Sidi Bou Said
It is almost impossible not to fall in love with the charming alleys of Sidi Bou Said. The narrow cobbled streets wind into something that feels like a labyrinth, and everywhere you see these beautiful white staircase houses with their blue details, in the form of doors, shutters, fences and bay windows.
The floral splendor tumbles over the walls and everywhere you will find small shops, art galleries and cafes.
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2. Admire beautiful doors
One of the most fascinating things in Sidi Bou Said (and several other places in Tunisia) are the beautiful doors. Although the houses sometimes seem simple, the doors are almost always colorful and imaginatively decorated. It’s hard not to take pictures of doors when walking around the small town, so here’s a little photo bomb focusing on doors…
3. Take a selfie in the blue and white city
Sidi Bou Said is a perfect place for photos. If you want to take a selfie – or maybe photograph your partner/friend/mother – the possibilities are endless. If you want to take it all to the next level, you can choose an outfit that goes well with the blue-and-white city and its flamboyant floral displays.
4. Check out the view of the Mediterranean Sea
Sidi Bou Said is located at a height above the water and in many places you have a fantastic view of the sandy beach, the marina and the bay. There are also several restaurants and cafes here. You may have the best view from there Cafe des Deliceswhich has a lovely outdoor seating area spread over several floors.
5. Buy handicrafts in Sidi Bou Said
One of the things you can do in Sidi Bou Said is shopping. There are numerous small shops selling handicrafts in the form of carpets, ceramics and leather products. You will also find clothing, hats, scarves, jewelry, paintings, trinkets and souvenirs. Here you can find many great bargains. Don’t forget to bargain, it’s included!
6. Try it in dolls
A little hungry, but not quite ready to sit down at a restaurant? Then there are plenty of nice cafes, or you can stop for a small snack in the form of bambaloni, which can be described as a sweet fried donut.
7. Eat seafood at Le Pirate
The first time we visited Sidi Bou Said we ate at the restaurant The piratewhich lies almost at the bottom of the sea. Here we had a very good dinner that started with small selections and continued with fish soup and the traditional dish “brik” (a thin parcel of fried dough, often filled with eggs and tuna) before it was time for the main course.
At this fish restaurant we were served cheese gratinated fish with grilled vegetables and rice with raisins. The meal ended with a light sorbet. Very, very good!
8. Enjoy food and views at La Villa Bleue
During our second visit to the blue and white city we had lunch The Blue Villaa fantastically beautiful boutique hotel with stunning views. Here you can sit indoors, in very cozy and beautiful rooms, or in a building with glass walls, with a sea view.
Here too we started with “brik” and as a main course we chose veal fillet. The dinner ended with crème brûlée. Very tasty and well prepared, from the first bite to the last.
9. Eat a good Tunisian meal at Dar Zarrouk
This year we had lunch at Dar Zarrouk restaurant, and it was a really good experience. To start with, you have a beautiful view, whether you sit inside or outside.
Moreover, this restaurant serves very good food. We started the meal with classic salads, such as Mechouia And omek houriaserved in slightly more bottling. We then chose lamb, which was very tender and tasty.
Not even the last dessert Nothing wrong.
10. There is a boutique hotel in Sidi Bou Said
If you like cozy boutique hotels, you will definitely find what you are looking for in Sidi Bou Said. There are no large hotel complexes here, but a range of small, cozy accommodation options in the form of about 15 boutique hotels.
Dar Said Hotel
We looked, among other things Dar Said Hotel. So wonderfully cozy and charming. We didn’t live here, but we immediately had the feeling that this was a place where we could enjoy ourselves!
The hotel patio has many flowers, a beautiful swimming pool and tables overlooking the Gulf of Tunis and the Mediterranean Sea.
The Blue Villa
Another charming boutique hotel in Sidi Bou Said is what it is called The Blue Villa. Here are fantastically beautiful rooms with beautiful balconies. In addition, there is a small swimming pool and a very nice restaurant.
11. Take a trip to Carthage
From Sidi Bou Said it is not far to the archaeological site of Carthage. According to tradition, the Phoenicians founded the city of Carthage in 814 BC, and the success story lasted more than 600 years before the city was violently destroyed. This is a very interesting place to visit!
12. Visit the capital Tunis
From Sidi Bou Said it is also not far to the capital Tunis. Here you can visit the Bardo Museum, one of North Africa’s most important museums, famous for its Roman mosaics. It is also exciting to discover the medina, i.e. the old part of the city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here you will find a labyrinth of alleys, but also markets and mosques.
Video of Sidi Bou Said
Peter has put together a film of Sidi Bou Said. You can watch it here:
More to see and do in Tunisia
Do you want to discover more of Tunisia? If you want to experience sun and swimming, you can go to places like Hammamet, Sousse, Monastir and Djerba Island. In the southern part of the country you can also enjoy desert experiences in Douz, as well as oases and Star Wars locations in Tozeur. Don’t miss the delicious Tunisian food!
Have you been to Sidi Bou Said?
Have you visited the blue-white city in Tunisia? How was your experience? Do you have any more tips about what to see and do in Sidi Bou Said?
Fakta to Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia
- Country: Tunisian
- Location: The Gulf of Tunis, about 20 kilometers north of the capital Tunis.
- Population: About 6000 inhabitants (2014)
- Name: The city is named after the religious figure Abu Said al-Baji and was formerly called Jabal el-Menar.
- Known for: The blue and white architecture and as a center for artistic activities. The city became famous after artists August Mackes, Paul Klees and Louis Moilliets visited the city during their trip to Tunisia in 1914. The city then attracted both European and Tunisian artists and the art school that emerged was named École de Tunis.
Traveling to Sidi Bou Said
- To Tunis: You can fly to Tunis with, for example, Lufthansa, Air France or Turkish Airlines, with a stopover. You can also take a car ferry from Genoa, Citavecchia, Palermo (Sicily) or Marseille.
- From Tunis to Sidi Bou Said: You can take the train towards La Marsa Plage (get off at Sidi Bou Said station), or travel by taxi/bolt, rent a car or travel with a private driver.
- Currency: Tunisian dinar.
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