Public & Religious Holidays in Tunisia: Will They Affect Your Visit?

Sheep for Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice)

Public & Religious Holidays in Tunisia: Will They Affect Your Visit?

Many travelers choose their travel dates solely based on their schedule and holidays in their own passport country. Unfortunately, many tend to forget to consider the public and religious holidays in Tunisia when deciding to visit. It is not until they arrive in Tunisia that they realize that the opening hours of banks, stores and/or attractions are affected by the public and religious holidays in Tunisia.

At Mosaic North Africa, our team of Tunisia Travel Experts often hear from travelers wanting to visit Tunisia without realizing that a significant public or religious holiday will take place during their visit. That is why we decided to put together the following list of public and religious holidays in Tunisia.

Public Holidays in Tunisia

New Year Day (1st of January)- an internationally recognized public holiday.
Youth Day: – this is a very special holiday that celebrates the youth of the country. There are fascinating events dedicated to show the talent and the future of the nation.
Labor Day – On this day, people celebrate the social and economic achievements of their work.
Republic Day (25th of July) – this holiday was inaugurated on the 25th of July 1957 to mark the day when Tunisia became a republic. This is the day when culture, language, traditions, customs and religion are honored.
Women’s Day – this is an internationally recognized holiday. On this day in 1956 the Personal Status Code was adopted by the government which gives Tunisian women the legal rights for equality.

Religous Holidays in Tunisia

Ramadan – this is observed by practicing Muslims as a month of fasting, reflection and prayer. It takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. This means the official start of Ramadan will generally begin about 11 days earlier than the previous year. All of our Tunisia tours will continue to operate during Ramadan. It is possible to travel in Tunisia during Ramadan, but you will need to readjust some of your expectations. Generally, stores are open, but some restaurants and shops may be closed. Non-Muslim tourists traveling in Tunisia during Ramadan may find it to be a fascinating cultural learning experience as they observe many cultural practices that are unique to the month of Ramadan.
Eid al-Fitr – this is the “Festival of Breaking the Fast” and is considered as one of the most important holidays in the Islamic world. The Eid al-Fitr celebration marks the end of the month of Ramadan. All the banks and shops throughout the country will be closed on this day. If you happen to be on a Tunisia tour during this time, there will be no sightseeing and we will schedule this day as a free-day to spend at your hotel.
Eid al-Adha – this holiday is also known as “the Festival of Sacrifice”. This is another very important holidays in the Islamic world. The Eid al-Adha commemorates the prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his own son. All religious holidays in Tunisia observe the Islamic lunar calendar, so the specific date of Eid al-Adha will be different every year. Like the Eid al-Fitr, all shops and banks will be closed in Tunisia so there will be no sightseeing on this day. As much as possible, we encourage our tour guides and drivers to be at home to celebrate with their family on this holiday.
Islamic New Year – it is also known as Al-Hijra and is the first day of the month of Muharram. This does not affect any sightseeing or tours.
Mouled – this holiday is relate to the observance of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. Some stores may be closed on this day, but it usually does not affect your visit to Tunisia.

Sheep for Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice)

Plan Your Visit to Tunisia

If you’re still not sure how certain public and religious holidays in Tunisia may affect your visit, then just ask us! All of our Tunisia Travel Experts live in Tunisia and are ready to help.

You might want to avoid traveling in Tunisia during some holidays. On the other hand, it might be a unique immersive cultural experience to travel in Tunisia during other holidays. In addition to public and religious holidays, there are also cultural holidays or Tunisia cultural festivals such as the International Festival of the Sahara in Douz that you might want to attend. Reach out to us and we are ready to start planning your travel to Tunisia.