Nabeul Bitter-Orange Blossom Festival

The Bitter-Orange Blossom Festival is Nabeul's celebration of the bitter orange flower, on Cap Bon, in spring. For three days the old town shows how its blossoms are distilled into fragrant water, zhar, and everything else made from them. It is organised by the Nabeul Town Heritage Association, chaired by Zouhir Ben Lamine. The latest edition ran from Friday 17 to Sunday 19 April 2026; earlier editions took place from 19 to 21 April 2024 and in late April 2025. Dates for 2027 have not yet been announced.

Nabeul's flower

The bitter orange, or Seville orange, is Nabeul's tree: the town has nearly 50,000 of them. Each season they produce about 2,000 tonnes of blossom, and each year about 3,000 tonnes of bitter oranges. Distilled, the blossom gives zhar, bitter-orange flower water, not to be confused with zahar, sweet-orange flower water. It also gives neroli, an essential oil used in cosmetics.

At the festival

The festival is held at Dar Sidi Ali Azzouz in the old town. It features:

• sales exhibitions of flower waters and related products: bitter-orange jams and petal sweets;
• distilling workshops;
• natural cosmetic treatments based on neroli;
• talks and cultural events.

The Bitter-Orange Route

The 2026 edition launched the Bitter-Orange Route, an eco-tourism trail devoted to the heritage of the bitter orange. The association and the regional office of the Tunisian National Tourist Office (ONTT) run it together, with support from the Pampat programme. It brings together 13 addresses: three guesthouses, an orchard, five producers, two restaurants, an educational farm and a themed museum. On offer: walks through the orchards, distilling and bitter-orange jelly workshops, and traditional meals flavoured with zhar.

Getting to Nabeul

By road. Nabeul is 74 km from Tunis-Carthage Airport, about 1 h 10 on the A1 motorway. Our Hammamet, Nabeul and Cap Bon page covers the town and the region.

Also worth seeing. Nabeul's archaeological museum displays 4th-century mosaics from Neapolis, the ancient town; it opens 9:30 am to 4:30 pm in winter (local time), except Mondays, for TND 8, about €2.40.

Where to stay. The hotels Sabaro has chosen are in neighbouring Hammamet: La Badira, for guests aged 16 and over, from about €115 a night for two, and the Hasdrubal Thalassa & Spa Yasmine Hammamet, from about €120. Prices checked for March 2027, breakfast included; tourist tax of TND 12 per person per night extra.

The season. In April, average highs are around 21°C in Nabeul and the sea, at 16°C, is still cool. Our food and dining page suggests other culinary experiences around the country.