Things to do in Sidi Bou Said - 12 tips for the blue and white city in Tunisia

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. It is also renowned as a centre for the arts, and today attracts tourists with its cosy alleyways, galleries, cafés and boutique hotels.

Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia

Sidi Bou Said is a truly charming little town, which you won't want to miss if you're spending time near the capital Tunis. This small town became famous in the early 20th century, when a number of international artists found their way here.

Over time, the city became a centre for both foreign and domestic artists and still today you can find a lot of art galleries here. Although we have visited the city twice, it was really nice to make a return visit during our last trip, at the end of October 2025.

Sidi Bou Said is located on the Gulf of Tunis in northern Tunisia, about twenty kilometres north of the capital Tunis.

What to see and do in Sidi Bou Said?

You'll come to Sidi Bou Said mainly to enjoy the charming neighbourhoods, to take photos of the beautiful houses and doors, and to hang out in cosy cafés and restaurants. You can also stay a night in a nice boutique hotel. Here are all our top personalised tips in one list.

1. stroll through the charming alleys of Sidi Bou Said

It's almost impossible not to fall in love with the charming alleyways of Sidi Bou Said. The narrow cobbled streets wind through what feels like a maze, and everywhere you look you see these beautiful whitewashed houses with their blue details, in the form of doors, shutters, fences and bay windows.

Flowers spill over the walls, and small shops, art galleries and cafés are everywhere.

2. admire beautiful doors

One of the most fascinating things about Sidi Bou Said (and many other places in Tunisia) are the beautiful doors. Although the houses sometimes seem simple, the doors are almost always both colourful and imaginatively decorated. It's hard not to take photos of doors when walking around this small town, so here's a little photo bomb with a focus on doors...

3. Take a selfie in the blue and white city

Sidi Bou Said is a perfect place for photos. If you're looking to take a selfie - or maybe snap your partner/friend/mum - the possibilities are endless. If you want to take it to the next level, choose an outfit that goes well with the blue-and-white city and its colourful flowers.

4. See the view of the Mediterranean Sea

Sidi Bou Said is located on a hill above the water, and many places offer great views of the sandy beach, the marina and the bay. There are also several restaurants and cafés. Perhaps the best views are from Cafe des Delices, which has a delicious multi-storey outdoor terrace.

5. Shop for crafts in Sidi Bou Said

One of the things to do in Sidi Bou Said is shopping. There are countless small shops selling handicrafts such as carpets, ceramics and leather products. You'll also find clothes, hats, scarves, jewellery, paintings, trinkets and souvenirs. You can find many great bargains here. Just don't forget to bargain, it's included!

6. Try a bambaloni

A little hungry, but not quite ready to sit down in a restaurant? Then there are plenty of nice little cafes, or you can stop for a snack in the form of bambaloni, which can be described as a sweet fried doughnut.

7. Eat seafood at Le Pirate

The first time we visited Sidi Bou Said we ate at the restaurant The Pirate, which is located almost at the bottom of the sea. Here we had a really good dinner that started with small picks and continued with fish soup and the traditional dish ”brik” (a thin fried dough package, often filled with eggs and tuna) before it was time for the main course.

At this seafood restaurant we were served cheese grilled fish along 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 at La Villa Bleue, which is a fantastic boutique hotel with a lovely view. Here you can either sit indoors, in very cosy and beautiful rooms, or in a building with glass walls, with a view of the sea.

Here too, we started with ”steak” and for the main course we chose veal fillet. Dinner ended with crème brûlée. Very good and well cooked, from the first bite to the last.

9. Have a good Tunisian meal at Dar Zarrouk

This year we had lunch at the Dar Zarrouk restaurant, and it was a really, really good experience. For starters, you have a nice view, whether you sit inside or outside.

In addition, this restaurant serves very good food. We started the meal with classic salads, such as mechouia and omek houria, served with a little more flavour. Then we chose lamb, which was very, very tender and delicious.

The final dessert was also nothing errors.

10. Stay in a boutique hotel in Sidi Bou Said

If you like cosy boutique hotels, you can certainly find what you are looking for in Sidi Bou Said. There are no large hotel complexes here, but there are a number of small, cosy accommodation options, in the form of around 15 boutique hotels.

Dar Said Hotel

Among other things, we looked at Dar Said Hotel. So fantastically cosy and charming. We didn't live here, but we immediately felt that this was a place where we could enjoy ourselves!

The hotel's patio has lots of flowers, a lovely pool and tables overlooking the Gulf of Tunis and the Mediterranean Sea.

La Villa Bleue

Another charming boutique hotel in Sidi Bou Said is the one called La Villa Bleue. There are fantastic rooms with lovely balconies. There is also a small swimming pool and a very nice restaurant.

11. Take a trip to Carthage

The archaeological site of Carthage is not far from Sidi Bou Said. 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!

READ MORE: Carthage in Tunisia - archaeological site and World Heritage Site

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 the most important museums in North Africa, famous for its Roman mosaics. It is also exciting to discover the medina, that is, the old town, which is classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Here you will find a maze of alleyways, as well as markets and mosques.

READ MORE: Alleys and bazaars in Tunis - shopping and people watching

Video from Sidi Bou Said

Peter has put together a film from Sidi Bou Said. You can check it out here:

More to see and do in Tunisia

Want to discover more of Tunisia? Here you will find more tips on places to visit:

• The resort town of Hammamet
• The resort town of Sousse
• Djerba Island
• Douz with desert experiences
• Tozeur with desert and Star Wars

Have you visited Sidi Bou Said?

Have you visited the blue and white city in Tunisia? How was your experience? Do you have any more tips on what to see and do in Sidi Bou Said?