Houmt-Souk UNESCO + El Houch Ceramic Workshop (RAKU)
Half-day pack in Djerba: guided Houmt-Souk tour + Borj El Kébir + Mosque of the Foreigners (UNESCO 2023) + street food tasting + El Houch ceramic workshop (rare RAKU technique). Hotel transfer included. 2 options: basic modelling (35 €) or with glazing & firing (50 €). Saturday PM & Sunday.
Highlights
- ✓🎨 El Houch Ceramic Workshop · rare RAKU technique in Tunisia
1 hour 30 minutes with Mohamed Ben Abdallah (Master ISBAT, trained in China by UNESCO). Spectacular Japanese technique — firing at 1000 °C, incandescent removal, smoking. You take home a unique signed piece. - ✓🏰 Guided Houmt-Souk Tour · 2 UNESCO sites included
Borj El Kébir (15th-century Spanish fortress) + Mosque of the Foreigners (Houmt-Souk centre, within walking distance of the workshop). Both listed as UNESCO Djerba 2023. Option to visit another UNESCO site of your choice (La Ghriba, Fadhloun, Sidi Yati) on request. - ✓🥙 Street Food Tasting + Medina
Guided tour of Ottoman caravanserais, spice souk, Hédi Chaker Square. Local street food tasting: egg brik, fricassée, lablabi, kaftaji, fresh juice — an authentic lunch walk. - ✓🚐 Hotel Pickup Return Transfer Included
Transfer from your Djerba hotel (any area), return journey. No taxi costs, complete programme 3-4 hours. - ✓📅 Limited Availability · Saturday PM & Sunday
The 4 ceramicists at El Houch produce during the week for their Concept Store. Visitors welcome only Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Booking 48 hours in advance recommended. Family rates: −5% per extra person, 2nd child free with 2 parents.
A complete half-day in Houmt-Souk — the capital of Djerba, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2023. The package combines guided cultural tour + street food tasting + art ceramics workshop in a turnkey formula lasting 3 to 4 hours, transfer included.
🏰 Guided tour of Houmt-Souk · 2 UNESCO sites
The island of Djerba was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in September 2023 for its unique vernacular architecture and multicultural heritage. Houmt-Souk concentrates several of the 24 sites in the UNESCO portfolio. On the programme:
- Borj El Kébir — Spanish coastal fortress from the 15th century (1289-1300 then rebuilt by the Aragonese in 1432). Archaeology museum. Sea views over the traditional sponge fishermen's port.
- Mosque of Strangers — neighbourhood mosque a 5-minute walk from the El Houch workshop, testimony to Djerban vernacular architecture (white walls, low dome, cylindrical minaret).
- Stroll through the medina — Ottoman fondouks (former caravanserais converted into hotels and shops), spice souk, paved pedestrian streets, Hédi Chaker square.
💡 Client option · prefer to visit another UNESCO site? Upon request at booking, we adapt the itinerary to include La Ghriba Synagogue (Erriadh), Fadhloun Mosque (Mahboubine) or Sidi Yati Mosque (Aghir) — subject to availability on the day. No extra cost within the basic package.
🥙 Djerban street food tasting
During your stroll through the medina, your guide introduces you to Djerba's street food specialities at his favourite vendors: brik with egg (crispy fried pastry), fricassé (small bread filled with tuna, olives and harissa), lablabi (chickpea soup with cumin), kaftaji (fried vegetables & egg), fresh pomegranate juice, mint tea. A truly authentic lunch-stroll, free from tourist traps.
🎨 El Houch ceramics workshop · 1 hour 30 minutes
El Houch (الحُوش) — "the courtyard" in Maghrebi Arabic — is a genuine traditional Djerban house converted since 2015 into a collective art ceramics workshop. Mohamed Ben Abdallah, founder, holds a Master's in Arts and Techniques at ISBAT (Tunis), trained at the Nabeul Centre of the Arts of Fire, and completed a 6-month UNESCO-sponsored internship in China. His signature technique: RAKU (16th-century Japanese ceramics, rare in Tunisia).
Four guided steps (1 hour 30 minutes):
- Feeling the material — first contact with Djerban clay, demonstration of centring.
- Modelling — choice of your project (bowl, vase, free sculpture), introduction to hand-throwing.
- Shaping & finishing — sculpting details, smoothing, personal signature. Coffee break included.
- Glazing (full package 50 € only) — application of coloured slips, introduction to RAKU for selected pieces.
🪙 2 packages to choose from according to your style
- 🟢 Simple package — 35 €/person
Complete package (transfer + UNESCO tour + street food + modelling workshop). Unfired piece handed over on the day. Ideal for short-stay travellers. - ⭐ Full package — 50 €/person
Same as above + glazing + kiln firing at the workshop. Piece delivered to your hotel in Djerba within 1 week or collection from the workshop. For those wanting a lasting art souvenir.
📅 Availability & family rates
The ceramicists at El Houch produce for their Concept Store (22 Rue Moncef Bey) Monday to Friday. Visitor workshops take place only Saturday afternoon and Sunday. Booking 48 hours in advance recommended — limited slots in high season (April-October).
Family-friendly rates:
• −5% per additional person (cumulative up to −30%)
• 2nd child free with 2 registered parents
• Babies free · children from age 4 welcomed
Included
✅ Included
- ✓✅ Hotel return transfer · pickup and drop-off at your address
- ✓✅ Guided Houmt-Souk tour · medina, caravanserais, Hédi Chaker Square
- ✓✅ Borj El Kébir entrance (15th-century fortress, UNESCO Djerba 2023)
- ✓✅ Mosque of the Foreigners visit (UNESCO Djerba 2023)
- ✓✅ Street food tasting (brik, fricassée, lablabi, kaftaji + drinks)
- ✓✅ 1 hour 30 minutes ceramic workshop at El Houch with a professional ceramicist
- ✓✅ Djerbian clay + all tools + apron
- ✓✅ Coffee break at the workshop during drying
- ✓✅ Unique piece signed by you
- ✓✅ (Complete option 50 €) Glazing + firing + delivery within 1 week
- ✓✅ Advice on RAKU technique and Tunisian ceramics
- ✓✅ Option: substitute a UNESCO site of your choice (La Ghriba, Fadhloun, Sidi Yati) at no extra cost
❌ Not included
- ✕➕ Firing on the basic 35 € option (unfired piece)
- ✕➕ Additional drinks outside street food and coffee break
- ✕➕ Guide & driver tips
- ✕➕ International postage costs if you leave before firing (50 € option)
🗺 Programme · 3-4 hours door-to-door
- 13h30
Hotel Pickup
- 14h00
Guided Houmt-Souk Tour + Borj El Kébir
- 14h45
Mosque of the Foreigners + Street Food Tasting
- 15h30
El Houch Ceramic Workshop · Welcome + First Touch
- 15h45
Modelling & Shaping
- 16h45
Glazing <em>(50 € option only)</em>
- 17h00
Hotel Return
Frequently asked questions
Which UNESCO sites are included? Can I choose a different one?▼
If you prefer to visit another Djerba UNESCO site (La Ghriba Synagogue in Erriadh, Fadhloun Mosque in Mahboubine, Sidi Yati Mosque in Aghir), indicate it at booking: we substitute one of the 2 Houmt-Souk sites for your choice, at no extra cost. Logistics will be adapted according to availability.
What is the difference between the 2 options?▼
Complete option — 50 €/person: same + glazing + kiln firing + free delivery to your hotel within 1 week.
What is the RAKU technique?▼
From what age can children participate?▼
How long does the complete pack take?▼
How do I collect my piece after firing (50 € option)?▼
• Free delivery to your Djerba hotel within 7 days (default option)
• Collection at the workshop within 1 week if you stay on Djerba
• International postal shipping if you leave beforehand — postage costs extra (≈ 15-30 € for Europe)
Your piece is wrapped in foam + reinforced cardboard for transport.
