Private tour itinerary
Djanet & Ghardaïa — 6-Day Desert & Heritage
Six days across two deserts — the red Tadrart and the rock art of Tassili around Djanet, then the thousand-year-old M'Zab towns of Ghardaïa. Private trip on your own dates, with a licensed local guide.
Day by day
Day 1Arrival in Djanet
Met at Djanet airport and transferred to a guesthouse or desert camp, with a sunset excursion to nearby dunes and a traditional Saharan dinner.
- Tiska Airport, Djanet — Met at Algeria’s deepest-south airport and driven in through the palmeries — 30 km from tarmac to oasis.
- Djanet & sunset dunes — A Tuareg oasis town under red cliffs, with a first sunset excursion to nearby dunes.
- A Saharan welcome dinner — Taguella baked in the sand with a tagine and Tuareg tea, served at the camp or guesthouse on your first night in the south.
Day 2Tadrart Rouge
A 4x4 day into the Tadrart, exploring rock formations and ancient engravings, a desert picnic, sunset over the red dunes, and a night camping under the stars.
- The Tadrart Rouge — Wind-carved orange sandstone canyons and arches — among the Sahara's most cinematic landscapes.
- Prehistoric rock art — Paintings and engravings of herders, hunters and wildlife from a green Sahara up to ~10,000 years old — older than the pyramids.
- Red dunes & star camp — A desert picnic, sunset over the red dunes and a night camping under the stars.
Day 3Tassili n'Ajjer
Discover the Tassili plateau and its cave paintings, walking through canyons and sandstone landscapes, with dinner and a night in camp.
- The Tassili n'Ajjer plateau — A vast sandstone 'forest of rock', UNESCO-listed for one of the world's greatest concentrations of prehistoric art.
- Cave paintings of the Tassili — Thousands of paintings of herders and wildlife from a wetter Sahara, walked to through canyons.
- Sandstone canyons & towers — Eroded pinnacles and gorges that feel like another planet.
Day 4Oases & desert culture
Visit a local oasis and palm groves, meet a Tuareg community over a tea ceremony, and return to Djanet for the night.
- An oasis & palm groves — Shaded gardens and irrigation channels in the desert.
- Tuareg tea ceremony — The customary three glasses of Saharan tea with a Tuareg family — the living culture of the deep south.
- Djanet’s old ksour — The three stacked mud-brick villages — Azellouaz, El Mihan and Adjahil — that the modern oasis grew up around.
Day 5Transfer to Ghardaïa
Travel to Ghardaïa in the M'Zab Valley, check in at a traditional guesthouse, and take an evening walk through the old town.
- The journey north to the M’Zab — The long transfer out of the deep south, roughly 1,000 km, from the Tassili to the edge of the northern Sahara.
- A traditional M’Zab guesthouse — A restored Mozabite house of thick walls, an internal courtyard and a roof terrace — inside the old town rather than out on the bypass.
- Ghardaïa old town walk — An evening through the M'Zab's hill-town lanes after the journey north.
Day 6M'Zab Valley & departure
Visit Beni Isguen, El Atteuf and Melika, their mosques, souks and workshops, with lunch before the transfer to the airport.
- Beni Isguen — The sacred walled town of the M’Zab, entered by its old gate, where dress and photography follow local custom.
- El Atteuf — The oldest of the five M’Zab towns, whose simple Sidi Brahim mosque so struck Le Corbusier that it shaped modern architecture.
- Melika — A hilltop M’Zab town of marabout tombs and long views over the valley.
Included
- Airport/hotel pickup and drop-off
- Air-conditioned vehicle / 4x4
- Professional local guide
- Accommodation as per program
- Meals as mentioned (lunch & dinner)
- Entrance fees to the sites
- Desert excursion in Djanet
Not included
- Domestic and international flights
- Personal expenses
- Drinks not mentioned
- Tips
Good to know
- Best season: November–February
- Pace: Moderate — 4×4 days and short desert walks
- Style: Private, guided, 5 nights; meals as listed
- Bring: Warm layers for desert nights, headtorch, sun protection, modest dress for the M'Zab
How to book
- Your dates are held free for 72 hours while we confirm.
- Free cancellation up to 5 days before departure.
- 5% off when you book 60+ days ahead.
- Visa support included; full refund if your visa is refused.
https://algeriacompass.com/tours/djanet-ghardaia-desert-2-days/