Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Algiers — Casbah Exploration
Welcome to Algeria! Arrive at Houari Boumediene International Airport in Algiers, where your guide greets you. Transfer to your hotel in the city center. Afternoon deep exploration of the UNESCO-listed Casbah of Algiers — the historic citadel quarter that was the heart of the Ottoman regency and later the epicenter of Algeria’s revolutionary struggle for independence. Walk through the narrow winding alleys where every corner reveals a hidden courtyard, a centuries-old mosque, or a traditional house with ornate wooden balconies. Visit the Ketchaoua Mosque (17th century), the Dar Aziza palace with its exquisite ceramic tile work and carved stucco, and the Dar Mustapha Pacha, one of the best-preserved Ottoman residences. Climb to the upper Casbah for panoramic views over the Bay of Algiers — the “White City” living up to its name as the whitewashed houses cascade down to the Mediterranean. Evening welcome dinner at a restaurant in the Casbah, featuring traditional Algerian dishes — chakhchoukha (hand-rolled pasta with spicy lamb stew), rechta (thin noodles with chicken), and sweet makroudh pastries. Overnight in Algiers. (D)
Day 2: Tipaza Roman Ruins, Cherchell & Bardo Museum
Full-day excursion along the Mediterranean coast. Morning drive to Tipaza, a UNESCO World Heritage site where Roman ruins meet the sea in one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful archaeological settings. Founded by the Phoenicians and expanded into a full Roman colony, Tipaza features a remarkably intact forum, a 3,500-seat amphitheater with the Mediterranean as its backdrop, a Christian basilica complex with vibrant mosaic floors, thermal baths, and the Cardo Maximus lined with columns. The view of the turquoise sea from the forum is unforgettable. Continue to Cherchell (ancient Caesarea), where the archaeological museum houses one of Africa’s greatest collections of classical sculpture — marble Apollo, Venus, Mercury, stunning mosaics of the Muses, and a colossal head of Juba II, the scholar-king who married Cleopatra Selene. Afternoon return to Algiers for a visit to the Bardo National Museum of Prehistory and Ethnography, housing North Africa’s finest collection of prehistoric artifacts and an ethnographic collection of Berber and Tuareg material culture. Evening at leisure to explore central Algiers. Overnight in Algiers. (B, L)
Day 3: Drive to Setif — Djemila Roman City
Morning drive east through the fertile agricultural lands of the Tell Atlas — Algeria’s breadbasket with fields of wheat, olive groves, and traditional Berber villages. Arrive at the high plains of Setif and continue to Djemila (ancient Cuicul), a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most beautiful Roman cities in the world. Perched on a mountain spur at 900 meters elevation, Djemila combines extraordinary preservation with a sublime natural setting. Walk through the forum with the Temple of Septimius Severus at its head, the beautifully preserved theater where a whisper on stage can be heard in the top row, the Arch of Caracalla, the Christian quarter with its basilica and circular baptistery, and the House of Bacchus with the god of wine’s face immortalized in mosaic. The on-site museum is a revelation — room after room of Roman mosaics, their colors still vivid, depicting hunting scenes from the arena, mythological tales, geometric patterns, and scenes of daily life: farmers, fishermen, and merchants frozen in tesserae for 1,800 years. Overnight in Setif. (B, L)
Day 4: Constantine — City of Bridges
Morning drive to Constantine, built on a limestone plateau entirely surrounded by the 200-meter-deep Rhumel Gorge. This is one of the world’s most dramatically situated cities — its very existence seems impossible. The city’s bridges are its defining feature: the Sidi M’Cid Bridge, a 164-meter suspension span soaring 200 meters above the river, is one of Africa’s most spectacular man-made structures. Walk across for dizzying views down the sheer gorge walls. Visit the Palace of Ahmed Bey, the last Ottoman governor’s residence and the finest example of Ottoman palace architecture in North Africa — 266 rooms, walls covered in ceramic tiles, elaborately painted wooden ceilings depicting gardens, ships, and geometric patterns, and the magnificent hammam. Afternoon: explore the Emir Abdelkader Mosque, one of Africa’s largest mosques with twin 107-meter minarets, and the old medina (Souk El Aswar) with its covered market streets selling traditional crafts, spices, perfumes, and Constantine’s famous copperware. Sunset from the Monument aux Morts — a photogenic memorial perched on the very edge of the gorge with spectacular views. Overnight in Constantine. (B)
Day 5: Timgad — “Pompeii of Africa”
The Roman highlight of the tour. Full-day excursion to Timgad (ancient Thamugadi), a UNESCO World Heritage site and the most perfectly preserved Roman colonial city in Africa. Built by Emperor Trajan in 100 AD, Timgad was designed as a perfect Roman grid — the ultimate expression of Roman urban planning principles. Walk through the 12-meter-high Trajan’s Arch, which marks the intersection of the Cardo Maximus (north-south) and Decumanus Maximus (east-west). Explore the 3,500-seat theater, still used for summer performances, where the acoustics are flawless. Visit the Capitoline Temple, the extensive forum with its colonnade, and the remarkably preserved public library — one of only a few known public libraries from the Roman world. Private houses lining the streets still have intact mosaic floors. The 14 public baths, the market of Sertius with its stone counters, and the public latrines all testify to the sophistication of Roman colonial life. Buried by Saharan sands for 1,300 years after its abandonment, Timgad emerged as a perfectly frozen moment in Roman urban life — earning its nickname the “Pompeii of Africa.” Return to Constantine. Overnight in Constantine. (B, L)
Day 6: Medracen Numidian Tomb → Return to Algiers
Morning visit to Medracen, the Royal Mausoleum of Numidia — a massive circular stone tomb dating to the 3rd century BC, built for the Numidian kings who ruled this land before the Roman conquest. Standing 18 meters high with 60 Doric half-columns around its base and a distinctive conical stone roof, Medracen represents the fusion of Hellenistic and indigenous Berber architectural traditions. It is one of the most impressive pre-Roman monuments in North Africa and a direct link to the kingdom that produced Jugurtha, Masinissa, and Juba II — rulers who challenged Rome and created a sophisticated North African civilization. Afternoon drive back to Algiers through the scenic Tell Atlas mountains, passing traditional Berber villages, cork oak forests, and agricultural valleys. Evening arrival in Algiers. Farewell dinner at one of the city’s finest restaurants — a celebration of the week’s journey through Algeria’s cultural treasures. Overnight in Algiers. (B, L, D)
Day 7: Departure
After a final Algerian breakfast — fresh baguette, honey, olive oil, dates, and strong coffee — transfer to Algiers airport for your onward flight. In just seven days you’ve experienced: the Ottoman Casbah of Algiers, the seaside Roman ruins of Tipaza, the mountain-top splendor of Djemila, the breathtaking Sidi M’Cid Bridge of Constantine, the Pompeii-like perfection of Timgad, and the ancient Numidian mausoleum of Medracen. This is Algeria — North Africa’s best-kept cultural secret. (B)
