Algeria Ancient Sahara

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Overview

Algeria Ancient Sahara
Algeria
Jan 17 - 23, 2027
John Ward image
John Ward
$3,299
Deposit: $300

About this trip

Join our Algeria Tour and come explore one of the biggest, strangest and least-visited countries on Earth. We're going back to back to back with 3 group trips. The REAL Algeria (with an optional prequel to the CENTRE OF THE SAHARA in Djanet!), then an optional extension to Tunisia. Then to Libya. You can join 1, 2 or 3 of then!

We’re going from the Mediterranean coast of Algiers, then deep, deep, DEEP into the Sahara with a flight south all the way to Djanet if you do the prequel, (where most people NEVER venture!). Then to the millenium+ old ghardaia, a UNESCO world heritage site, and on to Constantine and some of the best Roman ruins anywhere outside Italy.

Algeria is legit travel. This is not Morocco with fewer tourists. This is not Tunisia with a longer drive. Algeria is its own thing entirely. Africa’s biggest country. Nearly four times the size of France. Mostly desert. Barely touched by tourism. And somehow home to ancient Roman cities, dramatic cliff-top towns, French boulevards, Tuareg camps and some of the wildest Sahara scenery on the planet.

Seven days. 2 domestic flights. Some wild roadtrips Three UNESCO Roman sites. Nights in the deep, real Sahara. Two optional ridiculous red-eye flights directly across Algeria to the Niger/Libya borders on the prequel. And a country almost nobody you know has visited. This is your invitation to join us in January 2027.

Why visit Algeria?

I first visited way back in 2015! I visited during Ramadan, stayed with the most amazing host family and Algeria quickly became one of my top 10 favourite countries to this day.

The world is getting smaller. Thailand is full of Starbucks, Madrid looks like Sydney, and Cancun is basically Miami. Where can you go to REALLY TRAVEL!? Everyone goes to Morocco. Loads of people visit Egypt. A few travellers make it to Tunisia. But Algeria?

Almost nobody.

Which is mental when you realise what’s actually here. Algeria is the biggest country in Africa. The Sahara covers most of it. The Mediterranean sits along the entire northern coast. The Romans built some of their finest cities here. The French left behind huge boulevards and whitewashed architecture. And the Tuareg people have lived in the desert for centuries.

Still, tourism barely exists. Due to safety concerns from a few decades ago, but now it's safe. And the visa (with the right contacts) is easier than ever! So let's goooooo! That means no endless tour buses. No fake desert camps lined up beside each other. No queues of influencers fighting over the same sunset photo. We’re going now because Algeria still feels like an adventure.

It won’t stay that way forever.

Is this trip safe?

Super safe for our destinations. Algiers, Constantine, Tipaza, Timgad and Djemila are super safe to visit. Violent crime against tourists is uncommon, and many visitors comment that locals are welcoming and helpful. 

HOW ABOUT VISA for ALGERIA?!

It's all about who you know. And we know the right people! Visa on arrival, for pretty much every nationality. There's some paperwork on your end that we'll deal with via email and whatsapp, but after that, you just show up (and pay the visa fee - $100-$200, depending on nationalities).

Important Note

This is Algeria. Domestic flight times can change. Routes can change. Permits can take time. The Sahara does not care about your or our!) spreadsheet.

We have built the itinerary around the current direct flight schedules, including the late Algiers-to-Djanet flight and the direct Djanet-to-Constantine flight. But some flexibility is part of travelling here. That’s also what makes it interesting.

For that reason, even after you've signed up, we suggest booking your flights quite late incase we have to move the dates forward or backward 1 day.

What's included

2 Flights

Both domestic flights are included in the price!

Breakfasts

When we're in hotels, the breakfast are included

All transport

Buses, vans, (camels?!)

Western Guide

Josh, or Johnny, or both!

Local guides

A local guide in each destination will be the expert on the ground

All entry fees

All accomodation

Base on twin sharing .Don't worry if you come alone, we'll pair you with someone of the same gender.

What's not included

International flights

The trip starts and finishes in Algiers, so you have to get yourself there and then you''re set (we can help with flights if you need!)

Meals

Lunches and dinners are on you (but cheap)

Algerian Visa fee

We do ALL THE WORK, but you have to pay in the airport (circa $100-$200 depending on nationality)

Tips

We recommend about $100 tips to our local team, but not compulsory

Travel insurance

Mandatory for all travelers

DAY 1

DAY 1 image

Meet in Algiers

Arrive at your leisure on day one. There are cheap and easy flights from places like Paris, Tunis, Istanbul, Frankfurt, Dubai. Super easy to access these days.

On arrival, you'll be surprised! It looks more southern Europe than the image most people have of North Africa. French boulevards, Ottoman lanes, balconies, old cafés and the sea sitting right there beneath the city. Once everyone is checked in, we’ll head out for dinner, and a relaxed stroll. Nothing too organised. Nothing too serious.This is just about getting everyone together, eating too much and beginning the trip properly.

Overnight: Algiers

DAY 2

DAY 2  image

Algiers and the Night Flight to Djanet

Today we explore Algiers properly. We’ll head into the Casbah, the UNESCO-listed old city that climbs steeply above the harbour. This place is a maze. I remember it fondly from my first visit. Tiny streets, hidden courtyards, old mosques, Ottoman houses, people selling absolutely everything and plenty of wrong turns.

We’ll also visit the Martyrs’ Memorial, the giant monument overlooking the city, and see some of the grand French colonial buildings around central Algiers. Then we grab dinner, collect our bags and head to the airport.

At 11:05 PM, we fly south. And I mean properly PROPERLY south. The flight takes us from the Mediterranean coast to Djanet, deep in Algeria’s southeastern Sahara.

We land at 1:20 AM, transfer to our hotel and collapse into bed.

Sleep: Djanet hotel

DAY 3:

DAY 3: image

Into the Sahara

Sahara time! Only my Libya Tours and Mauritania Tours can claim the REAL Sahara like this (Egypt and Morocco don't come close).

So , this morning we fly south into the Sahara to Ghardaïa, one of Algeria’s greatest hidden gems. Built almost a thousand years ago by the Mozabites, the UNESCO-listed M’Zab Valley is unlike anywhere else on Earth.

The striking desert architecture, maze-like alleyways, ancient mosques and bustling markets create a city that feels frozen in time. We’ll spend the day exploring its unique culture, learning about local traditions and soaking up an atmosphere that has inspired architects from around the world. This is one of those places that almost nobody has heard of, yet nobody forgets.

DAY 4

DAY 4 image

Ghardaïa

One last day in Ghardaïa before catching the only weekly flight to Constantine. Miss this flight and you’re looking at a seriously long drive… so let’s not.

We’ll squeeze in more viewpoints, markets and hidden corners before heading north. Tomorrow we wake up in one of Africa’s wildest cities, balanced on giant cliffs with suspension bridges hanging over enormous gorges. Seriously… it’s ridiculous.

DAY 5:

DAY 5:  image

Timgad Roman Ruins

Today is Timgad, and this place absolutely delivers. Imagine a Roman city almost 2,000 years old that’s so well preserved you can still picture everyday life. Temples, theatres, baths, arches, straight streets.

It just keeps going. Best part? Hardly anyone is here. No crowds, no queues, no selfie sticks. Just one of the greatest Roman sites on Earth, almost entirely to ourselves. F*ck yeah.

After exploring Timgad, we return to Constantine. Dinner, drinks and a much-needed proper night’s sleep.

Sleep: Constantine (2 nights in the same place, wow!)

DAY 6

DAY 6 image

Constantine and Djemila

As if Timgad wasn’t enough, today we hit Djemila before exploring Constantine itself. Djemila is another ridiculous Roman city, tucked into the mountains instead of the desert. Then it’s back to Constantine. A place that honestly shouldn’t exist. Bridges fly across enormous gorges, the old city clings to sheer cliffs and every corner somehow looks even better than the last. It’s one hell of a finale before flying back to Algiers.

It’s another UNESCO World Heritage Site and is often listed among the best-preserved Roman towns anywhere in the Mediterranean world. After Djemila, we begin the long drive back towards Algiers.

ROAD TRIP TIME! We were gonna fly, but this is cooler. And it's only three and a half hours. But by the time we reach Algiers, we’ll have gone from cliff-top Constantine to a Roman city in the mountains, then all the way back to the Mediterranean coast.

Sleep: Algiers

DAY 7

DAY 7 image

Tipaza and Home

One final UNESCO site. Because apparently three Roman cities in one week is completely normal. Tipaza sits directly on the Mediterranean, around an hour west of Algiers. The Romans built a coastal settlement here, and the ruins now stretch beside the sea. There are remains of basilicas, villas, baths, streets and an amphitheatre, all surrounded by pine trees and Mediterranean views. It’s completely different from both Timgad and Djemila.

Timgad is the giant desert city. Djemila is the mountain city.

Tipaza is Roman ruins beside the sea.

We’ll also visit the Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania, usually just called “the Tomb”, before heading back towards Algiers.

Then it’s airport time. The trip finishes with an evening flight out of Algeria. Probably to Tunisia (cheap and easy). Then you can join us on our Tunisia extension, or on my wild Libya tour.

Seven days earlier, most of the group probably couldn’t name three places in the country. Now you’ve crossed the Sahara, slept in a desert camp, visited three UNESCO Roman cities and explored two of Africa’s most underrated cities. Not a bad week!

TUNIS EXTENSION?

TUNIS EXTENSION? image

ONWARDS TO LIBYA?!

We have an optional extension to Tunisia, and then Johnny (me!) is running a group trip to Libya, and you can pin them all together for a north africa extravaganza.

Djanet Prequel?!

Djanet Prequel?! image

Come to Algeria Early!

We get so excited when we plan these trips. We need to go here. AND HERE. AND HERE! AND THERE! It's so hard to limit it when they are so many epic places to see.

That's what we HAD to include a 3 day prequel trip to the CENTRE OF THE SAHARA. To Djanet. You can arrive in Algeria on January 14th (as opposed to January 17th, when the main trip starts) and join us in a flight to the Libya/Niger border.

This is truly one of the world's greatest desert destinations.

This trip is priced at $1,999. BUT if you join the main Algeria trip, we discount this prequel down to $1,399. YOU CAN'T MISS IT!

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About your organizer

JW
John Ward
Irish blogger @ onestep4ward.com. Every country in the world, 7 summits, North and South Pole. Now helping some crazy friends go to places they probably shouldn't.

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