The Sahara represents 80% of the Algerian territory and has been fascinating for thousands of years. We invite you to discover this mythical desert, the second largest in the world by its size, and its magnificent landscapes between a sea of infinite sand, breathtaking mountains and superb oases. Let's go for a wonderful escape to Algeria!
The oasis circuit
You can start your visit to the Sahara by visiting its northeast region where you can take a tour to discover the countless oases that seem to emerge as if by magic. It is a region all the more prized because several cities stand out for the beauty of their landscapes, including Bou Saada, the oasis closest to the capital and the last stop before the great desert.
Among the most famous cities on this tour, Biskra, a lush green destination in the middle of the Sahara, should not be missed. But Biskra is best known for its dates, mainly grown in Tolga, one of its many oases. This is where the creamy Deglet Nour dates exported all over the world come from. Biskra is also an invitation to rest, as it benefits from world-renowned resorts and hot springs such as those of the Hammam Salihine.
You can also visit El Oued, the city of a thousand domes and capital of Souf, which is distinguished by its amazing sea of white sand, between the Great Eastern Erg and sand roses. The inhabitants of Suf would have arrived from Yemen five centuries ago and they are the ones who developed the date palm culture. They were able to detect the presence of water under the dunes of the disappeared wadi. Further west and on the northern edge of the Great Eastern Erg, 165 km northeast of Ouargla, Touggourt is the most important city in the wadi Righ, a fossil river. Capital of the Ouled Djellab dynasty, the city is famous for its dates and ksar with narrow streets covered with palm tree trunks. It was the starting point of the Black Cruise that took Citroën vehicles to Timbuktu in 1923. A column erected on the main square of the city recalls this sacred "rally". Also worth seeing, in the city's cemetery, the tombs of the Kings. To the south, about ten kilometres away, are lakes Timassine and Megarine, which offer particularly magnificent landscapes.
It will then be time to head south and head for Ouargla, considered the gateway to the Great South. It is a huge oasis whose palm grove has more than one and a half million date palms and is an important tourist centre because of its oases and lakes populated by migratory birds, which form a series of spectacular landscapes.
Further west is the mythical M'Zab Valley, a true Iberian architectural masterpiece where the desert is irrigated by an ingenious system dating back several centuries. The architectural system of the valley has been so well thought out that it is still in operation today in the five cities of the M'Zab Valley, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ghardaia, the capital of this pentagon, is in itself a true lesson in adapting to the desert, an exceptional urban model, built more than 1,000 years ago according to strict rules by a unique community, guided by its sole faith to build a haven of peace after years of exodus
The Saoura region and the Ksour road
Further west, the Saoura region and the Ksour road then begin. The Saoura corresponds to the Saharan region of southwest Algeria of which Béchar is the capital. It is also the name of the Saoura wadi, one of the most important in Algeria. The "ksour" are traditional villages that dot this region, often interspersed with a string of lush oases on the edge of a wadi, but never very far from the Grand Erg occidental, a sea of sand that seems to extend infinitely. The ksour are also a real heritage treasure. Made up of thousand-year-old dwellings, they are a major asset for Algeria's historical, architectural and cultural heritage. UNESCO is also closely involved in their rehabilitation. Several tourist tours are available. Among the natural jewels of the Saoura, it is worth visiting Taghit. This would be the most beautiful oasis of the Great Western Erg and even the Sahara. Already a major centre of Neolithic civilization, as evidenced by the carved flints and numerous animal engravings, the Taghit palm grove, its old ksar, and its red toub houses seem to be nestled in the hollow of the golden dunes that stretch for about 600 km. Deserted by its inhabitants, the old ksar is nevertheless an architectural and heritage jewel that has been well restored. Not far from Taghit, you should not miss El Kenadsa, the old coal town, but especially Beni Abbes, a beautiful oasis whose origin dates back to the 11th century. Its palm grove, which has the shape of an arc of a circle or the more surprising shape of a scorpion according to some, is dominated at its end by a very large ochre-coloured sand dune. On this dune, you can ski, just as if you were skiing down a snow-covered slope. An experience all the more unforgettable as it takes place in the heart of magnificent landscapes! Finally, history and archaeology enthusiasts will not fail to visit the Saharan Museum with its interesting mineralogical and fossil collections.
Tamanrasset and the Hoggar
Of course, the Sahara is also Tamanrasset, or Tam as the locals affectionately call it. It is the capital of the Hoggar. In the Hoggar massif is the 450,000 km² Ahaggar National Park, home to an impressive cultural heritage, an open-air museum containing a multitude of rock art engravings of great historical value and archaeological sites dating back 600,000 to one million years.
The Hoggar is also a major tourist attraction and a back base for organized tourist excursions for hiking and camel trekking or 4X4 tours through Ahaggar National Park. Tourism in Hoggar also means going to water points and Gueltas such as Afilal in bivouacs thanks to expert tourist guides in the region and sleeping under the stars. One of the jewels of the Hoggar remains the Assekrem, one of the highest mountains in the Hoggar, reaching an altitude of 2,800 m. This is where Father Charles de Foucault's refuge and his little chapel are located. A small Christian community still lives there and it is an important place of pilgrimage. However, the place remains open to all. However, the places are particularly popular during the Christmas and New Year period. To climb to the top of Assekrem, it takes three days, on foot or by camel. From up there, you can admire the sunrise or sunset, an absolutely sublime and soothing natural spectacle.
South of Tamanrasset, on the road to In-Guezzam on the border with Niger, the Tassili du Hoggar is a very large collapsed plateau, where erosion has carved phantasmagorical shapes into the sandstone and basalt, enhanced by soft sand dunes and engravings on the walls of castles, needles, mushrooms, towers or sandstone animals... Throughout the day, variations in light metamorphose the landscape
Djanet and Tassili N'Ajjer
An oasis of soft and relaxing charm, enclosed for most of its length between two black mountain ranges dominated by Mount Timbeur, Djanet is very different from Tamanrasset. Caught between the cliffs that protect the Idjeriou wadi and the Tassili, the small town seems almost Mediterranean.
In the region, Tassili N'Ajjer is the largest open-air rock art museum on the planet. Located more than 2,000 km south-east of Algiers, it was classified as a national park in 1972 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. It is a fragile and protected area, especially since it is home to animal and plant species that are important to preserve. This park extends over approximately 140,000 km² and is the spearhead of the Algerian tourist destination. Several types of stays are available: hotel, Saharan camping or bivouacs, 4x4 or camel tours, but also trekking... Throughout his stay in the Tassili, you can observe more than 15,000 paintings and rock engravings exposed in the heart of nature
Tassili is also the land of the Tuaregs, the famous blue men, very often nomads, who still travel through the Sahara today relying only on the stars to find their way around
Smart info
When? When? The Algerian climate is Mediterranean in nature. But the Sahara has a desert and arid climate, particularly hot in summer with temperatures reaching 50°C. The ideal seasons to visit it are autumn, spring and winter.
Getting there. No direct flights. You will have to make a connection in Algiers and take an internal flight to fly to one of the main airports in the Sahara (Béchar, Tindouf, Tamanrasset...). Count on average 500 € for the two AR flights. A tourist visa is required.
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Useful. To prepare your trip as well as possible.
NATIONAL ALGERIAN TOURISM OFFICE - More information on the website
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