Zaghouan Excursion: Zriba Loulia and the Temple of Waters
Zriba Loulia, the town of Zaghouan and the Roman Temple of Waters, three stops inside the same massif. This Zaghouan excursion runs in a private vehicle from your hotel, on a short day with no race against the clock.
- 08:00 at your hotel
- At your hotel by 15:15
- Full day, private vehicle
From70 €per vehicle
What the Zaghouan excursion covers
This Zaghouan excursion stays entirely inside the Zaghouan massif, 45 minutes from Hammamet, and it is the best value day we run. You climb to Zriba Loulia, also written Al Zriba El Alia, a dry-stone Berber village abandoned in the 1960s and left standing on its spur above the Hammam Zriba gorge. You then drop into Zaghouan itself for its Andalusian quarter and its mountain air, five degrees cooler than the coast. The day finishes at the Temple of Waters, the Roman nymphaeum built under Hadrian where the 132-kilometre aqueduct to Carthage began. Pickup at your accommodation at 08:00.
How the Zaghouan and Zriba Loulia day runs
The three stops on the Zaghouan excursion are within twenty kilometres of each other, which leaves plenty of slack in the day. We take Zriba Loulia in the morning, while the climb is still cool, Zaghouan for lunch, and the Temple of Waters in the late afternoon, in the shade. Because the driving is short, you can linger a long time in the village without putting the rest at risk.
Scroll to drive the day
Pickup at your hotel
Your driver waits at reception. Hotel, residence, Airbnb or any address in Hammamet, Sousse, Port El Kantaoui or Tunis.
On the road to Zriba Loulia
Zriba Loulia
Abandoned Berber village, Rocky spurVisit: 1 h 30
Zriba Loulia looks down on the Hammam Zriba gorge from a rocky spur. Its people left in the 1960s for the new town below, leaving the dry-stone houses, the lanes cut into the rock and the small white mosque with its marabout exactly as they were. Nothing has been restored or turned into a museum: you climb up, walk between the walls and come back down. The path from the car parc takes about fifteen minutes.
- Dry-stone houses untouched since the 1960s
- White mosque and marabout crowning the village
- Sheer views over the gorge and the Zriba valley
On the road to Zaghouan
Zaghouan
Mountain town, Andalusian quarterVisit: 1 h 30
Zaghouan leans against a massif topping out at 1,295 metres, which keeps its air noticeably cooler than the coast. The town was refounded by Andalusian families in the 17th century, who left behind a quarter of porched houses, fountains and a mosque. This is where you stop for lunch, at one of the simple restaurants on the main square, before heading up to the Temple of Waters.
- Andalusian quarter and 17th-century fountains
- Mountain air at the foot of Jebel Zaghouan
- Lunch stop around the main square
Temple of Waters
Roman nymphaeum, Source of the Carthage aqueductVisit: 1 h
Three kilometres above Zaghouan, the Temple of Waters encloses the spring in a semicircle of niches that once held statues. Built in the 2nd century under Hadrian, it marks the start of the aqueduct that carried water 132 kilometres to Carthage, one of the longest in the Roman Empire; its arches are still visible across the plain on the way back down. The water still runs, the trees give shade and the view reaches to the gulf.
- 2nd-century nymphaeum, semicircle of niches and basin
- Starting point of the Zaghouan-Carthage aqueduct
- Panorama over the plain from the temple terrace
Lunch break
In a local restaurant of your choice. Your driver suggests good addresses, the meal itself is not included.
Drive back
The driver takes you back to your hotel, with a stop on the way if you need one.
Back at your hotel
Drop-off at the same address, never later than 18:00.
From Sousse, Port El Kantaoui or Tunis the pickup stays at 08:00 and you are back at your hotel by 18:00 at the latest. The driver adapts the time at each stop to the road.
Zriba Loulia, Zaghouan and the Temple of Waters on the map
Zriba Loulia overlooks the Hammam Zriba gorge on the south east side. Zaghouan is twenty minutes away at the foot of a 1,295 metre summit, and the Temple of Waters sits three kilometres above the town. Pick your pickup city above the map to see your own route.
Zaghouan tour price by departure city
The price of the Zaghouan excursion is one of our lowest, because the driving is short and only the Temple of Waters charges an entry ticket, around 8 dinars. The rate covers the vehicle for the day and not the passenger: with four of you from Hammamet it comes to €17.50 each. No deposit when you book.
- Your day
- Your details
Pickup at 08:00 at your hotel in HammametBack at your hotel by 15:15
No deposit. You pay the driver on the day.
See every price by city and group
| Pickup | 1 to 4 people | 4 to 6 people | 5 to 8 people | 8 to 12 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hammamet | 70 € | 95 € | 105 € | 140 € |
| Sousse | 100 € | 125 € | 135 € | 170 € |
| Port El Kantaoui | 100 € | 125 € | 135 € | 170 € |
| Tunis | 100 € | 125 € | 135 € | 170 € |
What's included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle, never shared
- Driver who knows the sites, for the whole day
- Fuel, tolls and parking
- Pickup and drop-off at your accommodation
Not included
- Temple of Waters entry, around 8 dinars
- Lunch and drinks
- Licensed professional guide, available for an extra fee on request
Zriba Loulia, the Berber village left as it was
The residents left in the 1960s for the new town below and abandoned an entire village of dry-stone houses clinging above the gorge. The walls stand, the lintels are in place, the small white mosque still crowns the site. There is no ticket office and no barrier: you climb for fifteen minutes and walk freely between the walls.
- Dry-stone village, never restored
- White mosque and marabout at the summit
- Sheer views down into the Hammam Zriba gorge
- Fifteen-minute climb on a stony path
Zaghouan and its Andalusian quarter
Backed by a 1,295 metre massif, Zaghouan runs five to seven degrees cooler than the coast in summer. Families who arrived from Spain in the 17th century left a quarter of porched houses, fountains and a mosque. This is the lunch stop of the day, at one of the simple restaurants around the square.
- Mountain air, clearly cooler than the coast
- Andalusian quarter and 17th-century fountains
- Simple restaurants around the main square
- Views up to Jebel Zaghouan from the streets
The Temple of Waters and the Carthage aqueduct
Built in the 2nd century under Hadrian, the nymphaeum wraps the spring in a semicircle of niches that once held statues. From here the aqueduct ran to Carthage over 132 kilometres, one of the longest in the Empire, and its arches are still visible across the plain on the way back down. The site is shaded, the water still runs and the visit is short.
- Second-century Roman nymphaeum, reign of Hadrian
- Start of the 132 km aqueduct to Carthage
- Semicircle of niches and basin fed by the spring
- Shaded site, an hour is enough
Your pace on a short day in the Zaghouan massif
The Zaghouan excursion takes a little over six hours, so it leaves room. Many travellers stretch the stop at Zriba Loulia, where you can walk for a long time without meeting anyone, or extend lunch in Zaghouan to enjoy the cooler air. You set the time you want to be back, before 18:00, and the driver fits the rest around it.
- About 6 h 15 in total from Hammamet
- Comfortable margin to extend any stop
- Lunch in Zaghouan, with no fixed timing
- Return possible in mid afternoon
Worth knowing before you go
Three points tied to the terrain and to the fact that Zriba Loulia is not a managed site.
The climb at Zriba Loulia
Fifteen minutes up a stony path with no handrail. Closed shoes are essential, and it gets slippery after rain.
An unmanaged site
Zriba Loulia has no ticket office, no lighting and no safety barriers. The houses are open but some floors and lintels are fragile, so stay on the visible paths.
Bring cash
The Temple of Waters entry and the restaurants in Zaghouan take dinars in cash only. Allow around twenty dinars per person for the day.
Zaghouan, Zriba Loulia and the Temple of Waters: your questions
How hard the climb to Zriba Loulia is, what the Temple of Waters actually is, ticket prices and whether it suits children: the answers asked for most.
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Every day below runs with the same driver, the same 08:00 pickup and one price per car.
Book your Zaghouan excursion
Send us your accommodation, your date and the number of travellers. You get written confirmation within two hours with a firm price for the vehicle, no deposit and no online payment. One message books your Zaghouan excursion.