Day 1: Arrive Algiers — The White City
Arrive at Houari Boumediene Airport, Algiers. Afternoon: orientation walk through the Casbah of Algiers — a UNESCO World Heritage site, this 2,000-year-old medina is a labyrinth of whitewashed Ottoman-era houses, narrow staircases, and hidden courtyards cascading down to the Mediterranean. Visit the Ketchaoua Mosque and the Dar Aziza palace. Evening: dinner at a seafood restaurant on the Algiers waterfront. Overnight at Hotel El Djazair (4★, former British Embassy) or similar.
Day 2: Algiers — Martyrs & Memories
Morning: visit the Martyrs’ Memorial (Maqam Echahid) — a striking 92m concrete monument shaped like three palm fronds, commemorating Algeria’s war of independence. Then: the National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Art, housing exquisite Roman mosaics from Tipaza and Cherchell. Afternoon: Notre Dame d’Afrique — a 19th-century basilica perched on a cliff overlooking the Bay of Algiers, its inscription reads “Notre Dame d’Afrique, priez pour nous et pour les Musulmans” (pray for us and for the Muslims). Visit the Bardo National Museum in a restored Ottoman villa. Evening: free to explore Algiers’ French-colonial boulevards and cafe culture. Overnight Algiers.
Day 3: Algiers to Constantine — City of Bridges
Morning flight to Constantine (1 hour). Constantine, built on a dramatic plateau surrounded by the Rhumel Gorge — a 175m-deep ravine — is one of the world’s most spectacularly sited cities. Afternoon: walk across the Sidi M’Cid Bridge, a 164m suspension bridge spanning the gorge at 175m height (not for the faint-hearted). Visit the Ahmed Bey Palace (1826), a stunning example of Ottoman architecture with 266 columns, detailed tilework, and a harem wing. Explore the old town’s narrow streets and the Emir Abdelkader Mosque. Overnight Constantine.
Day 4: Timgad — The Pompeii of Africa
Full day excursion to Timgad (2 hours from Constantine). Founded by Emperor Trajan in 100 AD as a colony for retired Roman soldiers, Timgad is one of the best-preserved Roman cities anywhere. Its perfect orthogonal grid plan — every street crossing at right angles — illustrates Roman urban planning at its zenith. Walk the Cardo Maximus lined with colonnades, visit the 3,500-seat theater (still used for summer performances), the Capitoline Temple, the 14 public baths, the library (with its semicircular reading room), and the magnificent Trajan’s Arch, a triple-bay triumphal arch that still stands almost fully intact. The site is ringed by the Aurès Mountains — a majestic backdrop. Lunch at a local restaurant in Timgad village. Afternoon return to Constantine. Overnight Constantine.
Day 5: Djemila — Mosaics in the Mountains
Another full day of Roman exploration. Djemila (ancient Cuicul) sits at 900m elevation in a narrow mountain valley — a spectacular setting for one of North Africa’s finest Roman sites. Unlike Timgad’s rigid grid, Djemila adapted organically to the mountainous terrain. Highlights: the House of the Bacchus with its stunning intact mosaic floors (Dionysus riding a chariot pulled by tigers), the Grand Baths with 28 rooms, the 3,000-seat theater built into the hillside, the Temple of the Severan family, and the Christian quarter with a basilica and baptistery. The site museum houses some of the best Roman mosaics in Africa. Afternoon drive back to Constantine. Overnight Constantine.
Day 6: Constantine to Ghardaia — Enter the Sahara
Morning flight to Ghardaia (1.5 hours). Arrive in the M’Zab Valley — a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most fascinating cultural landscapes in the Sahara. The M’Zab is a pentapolis of five fortified oasis cities (ksour) built by the Ibadi Muslim Mozabite Berbers in the 11th century, each with its distinctive pyramid-like minaret acting as both watchtower and spiritual beacon. Afternoon: explore Ghardaia, the largest and most accessible of the five cities. Visit the central market square where Mozabite women, veiled in white haiks (revealing only one eye), trade goods. Walking tour through the old town’s covered alleys — designed to provide shade in the desert heat. Overnight Ghardaia.
Day 7: Beni Isguen & The M’Zab Pentapolis
Full day exploring the M’Zab Valley. Morning: visit Beni Isguen, the most conservative of the five cities — a perfectly preserved medieval citadel where photography of people requires permission, and the ancient rules of Ibadism still govern daily life. Visit the watchtower and the auction market where goods are still sold by descending-price auction (a tradition unique to the Mozabites). Afternoon: visit Melika and Bou Noura, each with its own distinct character and commanding views over the palm groves. Learn about the ingenious Mozabite water-sharing system that distributes scarce oasis water equally among families — a system that has sustained life here for a millennium. Sunset at the palm grove of Ghardaia — 10,000 date palms stretching across the valley floor. Overnight Ghardaia.
Day 8: Ghardaia to Algiers
Morning: visit El Atteuf, the oldest of the five ksour (founded 1012), with its atmospheric cemetery and the tomb of Sheikh Ammi Brahim, an 11th-century saint. Afternoon flight back to Algiers. Evening at leisure in Algiers — perhaps a drink at a cafe on Didouche Mourad Street, Algeria’s answer to the Champs-Élysées. Overnight Algiers.
Day 9: Tipaza & Cherchell — Roman Seaside
Morning excursion to Tipaza (70km west of Algiers) — a UNESCO World Heritage site with Roman ruins stretching along the Mediterranean coast. The setting is sublime: three basilicas, a forum, an amphitheater, and thermal baths all overlooking turquoise waters. The basilica of St. Salsa, built on a hilltop with sea views on all sides, is particularly atmospheric. Continue to Cherchell (ancient Caesarea), the former capital of Roman Mauretania, to visit its excellent archaeological museum housing statuary, mosaics, and objects recovered from the sea. Afternoon return to Algiers. Farewell dinner at a traditional Algerian restaurant — try couscous royale, mechoui (roast lamb), and makrout (date-filled semolina pastries). Overnight Algiers.
Day 10: Departure
Transfer to Algiers Airport. Depart.
