Algeria Beyond Expectations — 10 Days

Overview

Our most adventurous grand tour. Across ten days you join Algiers and Roman Tipaza, the Roman cities of Djémila and Timgad, Sétif's highlands and Constantine's bridges, and finish in the M'Zab Valley at Ghardaïa — capped by a Saharan excursion with quad biking, camel riding and sandboarding. Four UNESCO sites and the full north-to-desert sweep, with adventure and culture in equal measure.

Highlights

• Algiers and the Roman ruins of Tipaza
• Constantine, the city of bridges
• Sétif, Djémila and the Roman city of Timgad
• The M'Zab Valley desert culture at Ghardaïa
• A Saharan excursion with quad, camel and sandboarding

Why this trip is different

• Culture plus adventureThe grand circuit, finished with quad, camel and sandboarding in the Sahara.
• Four UNESCO sitesTipaza, Djémila, Timgad and the M'Zab, plus the Casbah.
• Coast to deep desertThe full range of Algerian landscapes in ten days.
• Active desert finaleA hands-on Saharan excursion at Ghardaïa.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day 1 Arrival in Algiers

   Airport reception, hotel check-in and a welcome dinner.

   Airport reception, hotel check-in and a welcome dinner.

2. Day 2 Tipaza & Cherchell

   The Roman ruins and amphitheatre of Tipaza, the Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania, the Cherchell museum and coastal views.

   • Roman Tipaza — A UNESCO-listed Roman port strung along the Mediterranean — basilicas, baths and a theatre with the waves at their feet.
   • The Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania — A great stone drum on a hill above the sea — the 1st-century-BC tomb of Berber king Juba II and Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Cleopatra of Egypt.
   • Cherchell (ancient Caesarea) — Juba II's old capital, whose museum holds some of Algeria's finest Roman and Greek mosaics and statuary.
3. Day 3 Algiers historical tour

   The UNESCO Casbah, the Martyrs' Memorial, and the National Army Museum.

   • The Casbah of Algiers — The UNESCO-listed Ottoman citadel — a steep white labyrinth of palaces, mosques and courtyard houses climbing above the bay.
   • The Martyrs' Memorial (Maqam Echahid) — Three soaring concrete palm-fronds raised in 1982 over the city, honouring the dead of the war of independence.
   • The National Army Museum — Algeria's long military story from antiquity to 1962, beside the Martyrs' Memorial.
4. Day 4 Travel to Sétif

   Transfer to Sétif and the Roman ruins of Djémila; overnight in Sétif.

   • Djémila (Cuicul) — A UNESCO Roman city in green mountains, superbly preserved — forum, temples and a steep theatre.
   • The Djémila mosaics — On-site mosaics among the richest in the Roman world, in the site museum.

   A transfer day to Sétif, ending at Djémila.

5. Day 5 Constantine

   The suspension bridges of Constantine, the Emir Abdelkader Mosque and Ahmed Bey Palace; overnight in Constantine.

   • Constantine's bridges — The 'City of Bridges' spanning the dizzying Rhumel gorge, the Sidi M'Cid footbridge slung high above it.
   • The Emir Abdelkader Mosque — One of Africa’s largest mosques, its twin minarets a modern landmark of Constantine.
   • Ahmed Bey Palace — The early-19th-century Ottoman palace of the last bey, with painted galleries and shaded courtyards.
6. Day 6 Batna & Timgad

   Travel to Batna and the UNESCO Roman city of Timgad, with local heritage; overnight in Batna.

   • Timgad — Trajan's grid-planned colony of AD 100 — the 'Pompeii of the Aurès', laid out across the open plain.
   • Trajan's Arch — The triumphal arch framing Timgad's main street — the city's iconic silhouette.
   • The Timgad library & theatre — The ruins of a rare Roman public library and a 3,500-seat theatre still in use today.
7. Day 7 Journey to Ghardaïa

   Travel south to the M'Zab Valley and check in at a traditional guesthouse, with a free evening.

   A long drive south to the M’Zab Valley and check-in, with a free evening.

8. Day 8 Ghardaïa cultural tour

   The villages of El Atteuf, Beni Isguen and Melika, their mosques and architecture, the souks and a lunch with a local family.

   • El Atteuf — The oldest of the five M’Zab towns, whose simple Sidi Brahim mosque so struck Le Corbusier that it shaped modern architecture.
   • Beni Isguen — The sacred walled town of the M’Zab, entered by its old gate, where dress and photography follow local custom.
   • Melika — A hilltop M’Zab town of marabout tombs and long views over the valley.
9. Day 9 Return to Algiers

   Travel back to Algiers, with the Hamma botanical garden, the Bardo Museum and Notre-Dame d'Afrique.

   • The Hamma Botanical Garden — The grand 19th-century Jardin d'Essai, one of the finest botanical gardens in Africa.
   • The Bardo Museum — Prehistory and ethnography inside a graceful Moorish villa, from Saharan rock-art casts to silver jewellery and everyday Algeria.
   • Notre-Dame d'Afrique — A 19th-century basilica — 'Our Lady of Africa' — on the cliffs above the bay, inscribed for Muslims and Christians alike.

   Travelling back to Algiers.

10. Day 10 Departure

    Breakfast and transfer to the airport.

    Breakfast and the transfer to the airport.

Good to know

Best season

October–April (best for the Sahara)

Pace

Active — touring plus desert activities

Style

Private, guided, 9 nights in 4-star hotels with breakfast

Bring

Layers, closed shoes for desert activities, sun protection, modest dress