Dar Ben Gacem

Dar Ben Gacem is the Tunis medina guesthouse for travellers who want to experience the neighbourhood from the inside: fifteen rooms, each one different, in two restored houses, a Tunisian breakfast served in the courtyard, and tours, workshops and cooking classes arranged with local people. It is also a social enterprise: its profits fund the restoration of the medina's heritage, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

Two houses, two addresses

The guesthouse occupies two separate houses, about four minutes' walk from each other:

• Dar Pasha, at 38 rue du Pacha, has seven rooms;
• Dar Kahia, at 16 rue El Kahia, has eight, and its basement houses Dehliz El Zliz, a small museum of Tunisian ceramics with more than 400 pieces, ticketed separately.

Each house has its own courtyards, roof terraces and dining room, shared by the guests: life here feels like staying in a family home, at the pace of the neighbourhood.

Rooms with a layout of their own

The guesthouse does not publish room sizes: each room has its own size, layout and furniture. All have a private bathroom, air conditioning, a minibar and free wifi. The rooms table describes four of them, which give a sense of the range.

The choice comes down to the character of each room. Najma, on the ground floor of Dar Pasha, is the oldest, under a 17th-century wooden ceiling; Alia, on the first floor, is the highest, with its own staircase and a balcony over the courtyard, a good hideaway for a couple. For the richest decoration, the Kallalin suite at Dar Kahia combines carved stucco, carved wood and hand-painted tiles.

The other categories (single room, twin room, junior suite) are best chosen with us according to the size of your party.

What you come here for

Dar Ben Gacem's appeal lies in what it arranges around the house: medina walks, visits to craftspeople's workshops, cooking and calligraphy classes. Childcare is available if requested 24 hours ahead, and airport transfers on request.

There is no à la carte restaurant. Tunisian breakfast is included; other meals, also Tunisian, are ordered in advance. For dinner out, the medina and central Tunis are within walking distance.

Location

Both houses are in the heart of the medina. The Zitouna Mosque, the great mosque and a former religious university, and Dar Ben Abdallah, the museum of popular arts and traditions, are a walk away through the lanes. Tunis-Carthage airport is about 11 km from the guesthouse, around ten minutes without traffic, and the guesthouse arranges the transfer on request. For the city, see our Tunis page.

Seasons and events

The guesthouse is open all year. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for walking: in Tunis, daytime highs reach 22 °C in April and 27 °C in October, against more than 34 °C in July and August. During Ramadan, expected from 8 February to 9 March 2027, the Medina Festival stages evening concerts in the neighbourhood's historic houses. The guesthouse website also points to the total solar eclipse of 2 August 2027, to be watched from the roof.

Prices

In October 2026, for two nights in March 2027, the cheapest room was offered at about €105 a night for two adults, breakfast included, with free cancellation, all taxes included. Tourist tax is extra and paid on site: TND 12 per person per night in 4- and 5-star hotels, about €3.60, and TND 8 in 3-star hotels; the amount that applies to the guesthouse is confirmed with the offer.

Sabaro's view

Who it suits: curious travellers, photographers, lovers of crafts and food who prefer a lived-in house to a hotel, and anyone who likes the idea that their stay pays for restoring the neighbourhood.

Highlights: two carefully restored houses; the ceramics museum; the workshops and walks; a rating of 4.6 out of 5 on Tripadvisor (174 reviews).

Good to know: comfort is that of a guesthouse, with no spa, pool or room service, and meals must be ordered ahead. For a hotel suite with a hammam in the medina, see Dar El Jeld; for a palace lined with antique tiles, Palais Bayram. More houses are gathered on our riads and medina houses page.