Planning a trip to Algeria takes a little more preparation than most destinations: visas, distances and the desert season all shape your itinerary. This guide walks you through the steps, suggests sample itineraries and explains how to get around, where to stay and how to time your trip.
Planning step by step
- Choose your season (see below): it decides whether your trip leans towards the Sahara or the north.
- Pick your regions. Distances are huge — Algiers to Djanet is about 1,500 km as the crow flies — so most trips focus on two or three areas linked by domestic flights.
- Check your government's travel advice and your insurance cover for the regions you want to visit.
- Ask for a proposal. We send a day-by-day itinerary with a clear price within two working days.
- Apply for your visa. Once you book, we send the supporting documents for your consular application (or arrange the paperwork for a visa on arrival when your trip qualifies). Start at least six to eight weeks before departure — processing times vary by consulate.
- Book international flights to Algiers (or Oran/Constantine), ideally after the visa is granted or with flexible fares.
- Prepare: insurance with medical evacuation, cash in euros, packing list, and your offline maps and documents.
Sample itineraries
These examples show what fits in a given time. Every trip we organise is adapted to your dates and interests; links lead to our published circuits.
7 days — Sahara focus
Day 1 Algiers → Djanet. Days 2–5 trek on the Tassili n'Ajjer plateau to Sefar or 4x4 journey to the Tadrart Rouge. Day 6 Erg Admer dunes. Day 7 flight back. Based on our circuits Tassili n'Ajjer and Tadrart Rouge.
10 days — North and Sahara
Days 1–3 Algiers, the Casbah and Tipaza (our Algiers circuit). Days 4–5 Ghardaïa and the M'zab Valley. Days 6–10 Djanet and the Tassili or Tadrart. A balanced first trip combining culture and desert.
14 days — Grand tour
Days 1–3 Algiers and Tipaza. Days 4–6 Constantine, Djémila and Timgad (our eastern circuit). Days 7–8 Ghardaïa. Days 9–14 Djanet, the Tassili plateau and the Tadrart Rouge. Alternative: replace the east with Oran and Tlemcen, or the deep south with Taghit and Timimoun.
Long weekend — Algiers
Three or four days are enough for the Casbah, the bay, the Jardin d'Essai and a day trip to Tipaza and the Royal Mausoleum. See 48 hours in Algiers.
Getting around
- Domestic flights are the practical way to cover long distances. Air Algérie and Tassili Airlines link Algiers with the main cities and Saharan towns, including Djanet, Tamanrasset, Ghardaïa, Béchar, Timimoun and Adrar. Schedules change by season and some routes run only a few times a week, so we build itineraries around them.
- Trains (SNTF) run in the north, for example between Algiers and Oran, Algiers and Constantine, and on suburban lines. Algiers also has a metro, trams and cable cars; Oran and Constantine have trams.
- Car with driver: the most comfortable option between northern cities and sites. Roads are generally good; driving is on the right.
- 4x4 in the desert: always with an experienced local driver and guide, as part of an organised trip.
- Taxis: plentiful in cities; agree the fare or ask for the meter, and use official taxis at airports.
Accommodation
- Cities: international and Algerian hotel chains in Algiers, Oran and Constantine, plus smaller independent hotels.
- Traditional houses and guesthouses: in the M'zab Valley, Djanet, Taghit and Timimoun — simple, charming and often the best experience.
- Desert camps: on our Sahara trips you sleep in tents or under the stars on mattresses, with blankets, a kitchen team and simple washing facilities.
- Registration: hotels register foreign guests with the authorities; keep your passport handy at check-in.
Seasons at a glance
- October–April: Sahara season. December–February nights are cold in the desert.
- March–June and September–November: ideal for the north and the Roman sites.
- June–September: beach season on the coast; too hot for the deep south.
- Ramadan (around February–March in 2027, dates depend on the moon): travel is possible, but daytime services slow down and evenings are lively.
Month-by-month details: best time to visit.
Our planning tips
- Allow a buffer day around domestic flights to the Sahara.
- Bring enough euros in cash: cards are accepted in few places outside large hotels.
- Learn a few words of Arabic or French — they open doors.
- Keep paper and digital copies of your passport, visa and insurance.
- Combine regions by season: north in spring or autumn, Sahara in winter.
- Ask us anything — we answer on WhatsApp, by email or by phone.
Last reviewed: 20 October 2026
