# The Soul of Algeria — 4 Days

> Four days of capital culture, Roman coast and desert: the Casbah of Algiers, the ruins of Tipaza and Cherchell, and the oasis of Bou Saada.

- Price: from €504 per person (private trip or small group)
- Duration: 4 days · 3 nights
- Starts: Algiers
- Best season: Spring & autumn; October–April for Bou Saada
- Guides speak: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, German, Russian
- Visa on arrival at Algiers airport possible: no — consulate visa with our invitation letter
- Web page: https://algeriacompass.com/tours/the-soul-of-algeria/
- Book (request, no payment to enquire): https://algeriacompass.com/contact/?tour=the-soul-of-algeria

## Overview

A balanced four-day introduction to Algeria's range. You take in the Bardo Museum, Notre-Dame d'Afrique, the Martyrs' Memorial and the UNESCO Casbah in Algiers; the seaside Roman ruins of Tipaza and the Cherchell museum; and the oasis town of Bou Saada on the Saharan edge. Culture, antiquity and desert in a short, comfortable trip with hotels included.

## Highlights

- The Bardo Museum and Notre-Dame d'Afrique
- The Martyrs' Memorial and the UNESCO Casbah
- Roman Tipaza and the Cherchell museum
- The oasis town of Bou Saada
- A short journey across cultures and landscapes

## Day by day

### Day 1 — Algiers

The Bardo Museum and its mosaics, Notre-Dame d'Afrique above the bay, and the Martyrs' Memorial.
- **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.
- **The Martyrs' Memorial (Maqam Echahid)**: Three soaring concrete palm-fronds raised in 1982 over the city, honouring the dead of the war of independence.

### Day 2 — Tipaza & Cherchell

The Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania, the Roman archaeological park of Tipaza, and the Cherchell museum.
- **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.
- **Roman Tipaza**: A UNESCO-listed Roman port strung along the Mediterranean — basilicas, baths and a theatre with the waves at their feet.
- **Cherchell (ancient Caesarea)**: Juba II's old capital, whose museum holds some of Algeria's finest Roman and Greek mosaics and statuary.

### Day 3 — Bou Saada

South to Bou Saada for its fortress and panoramas, the town museum of crafts and relics, and its historic mosque.
- **Bou Saada panoramas**: The fortress and viewpoints over the oasis town.
- **The Nasreddine Dinet Museum**: The museum of the Orientalist painter who made Bou Saada famous, with his works and relics.
- **The historic mosque**: The old town mosque at the heart of Bou Saada.

### Day 4 — Algiers

Back to Algiers for the UNESCO Casbah, the Hamma botanical garden, and the Museum of the Mujahideen.
- **The Casbah of Algiers**: The UNESCO-listed Ottoman citadel — a steep white labyrinth of palaces, mosques and courtyard houses climbing above the bay.
- **The Hamma Botanical Garden**: The grand 19th-century Jardin d'Essai, one of the finest botanical gardens in Africa.
- **The Museum of the Mujahideen**: The story of the independence fighters, told beneath the Martyrs’ Memorial.

## Included

- Accommodation in 4-star hotels with breakfast
- Traditional lunch
- Private transportation
- Local tour guide

## Questions

**Which UNESCO sites are included?**
Tipaza and the Casbah of Algiers.

**Is Bou Saada far?**
A few hours south of Algiers; transport is included.

**Is accommodation included?**
Yes — 4-star hotels with breakfast and a traditional lunch.

**Is this good for a short trip?**
Yes — it samples three regions in four days.

## Booking & policies

- Request to book: dates are held free for 72 hours with no payment while availability, permits and flights are confirmed; a 20% deposit paid before arrival then secures the trip, and the balance is paid on arrival in Algeria. Payment by bank transfer, card or PayPal.
- 5% off when booked at least 60 days before departure.
- Free cancellation up to 5 days before departure, full refund. Within 5 days, committed costs may not be recoverable; the rest is refunded.
- If the visa is refused, everything paid to Algeria Compass is refunded.
- Visa: Consulate route: invitation letter 25 USD for a programme of at least 3 days with airport pickup and drop-off. Visa on arrival at Algiers airport for organised programmes that include the Sahara: authorisation 45 USD, plus the arrival stamp paid at the airport (by length of stay).