Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Algiers — The Casbah
Welcome to Algeria! Arrive at Algiers airport and transfer to your hotel. Afternoon exploration of the UNESCO-listed Casbah of Algiers — the historic Ottoman citadel with its maze of alleys, whitewashed houses, and hidden palaces. Visit the 17th-century Ketchaoua Mosque and the Palace of the Dey. The Casbah pulses with the history of Barbary corsairs, Ottoman governors, and Algeria’s revolutionary struggle for independence. Evening welcome dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Bay of Algiers. Overnight in Algiers. (D)
Day 2: Tipaza Roman Ruins & Cherchell Museum
Full-day excursion along the Mediterranean coast to Tipaza — a UNESCO World Heritage site where Roman forums, basilicas, and amphitheaters meet the turquoise sea. Founded by the Phoenicians and expanded under Emperor Claudius, Tipaza is one of the most dramatically situated Roman cities anywhere. Explore the forum, the 3,500-seat amphitheater, the Christian basilica complex with its mosaic floors, and the Cardo Maximus. Visit the on-site museum housing exquisite mosaics and sculptures. After lunch, drive to Cherchell (ancient Caesarea), the capital of King Juba II’s Mauretanian kingdom. The Cherchell Museum holds an extraordinary collection of Roman and Greek statues — including a magnificent Apollo, marble torsos of gods, and stunning mosaics — considered one of the finest archaeological museums in Africa. Return to Algiers. Overnight in Algiers. (B, L)
Day 3: Drive to Setif — Djemila Roman City
Morning drive east through the Tell Atlas mountains to the Setif high plains. Arrive at Djemila (ancient Cuicul), one of the world’s most perfectly preserved Roman cities and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Built on a mountain spur at 900 meters altitude, Djemila means “beautiful” in Arabic — and it truly is. The site features an extraordinary forum with the Temple of Septimius Severus, a 3,000-seat theater where the acoustics remain perfect, the Arch of Caracalla, the Christian quarter with its baptistery and basilicas, and a museum housing some of the most exquisite Roman mosaics ever discovered — vivid scenes of hunting, mythology, and daily life in colors that remain brilliant after 1,800 years. The mountain setting, surrounded by olive groves and cypress trees, makes Djemila one of the most picturesque Roman sites anywhere. Overnight in Setif. (B, L)
Day 4: Constantine — City of Bridges
Morning drive to Constantine, one of the world’s most spectacularly situated cities — built on a limestone plateau completely encircled by the 200-meter-deep Rhumel Gorge. The city’s bridges are its defining feature, and the most famous is the Sidi M’Cid Bridge, a 164-meter-long suspension bridge built in 1912 that soars 200 meters above the river below. Walk across (if you dare) for dizzying views down the gorge. Visit the Palace of Ahmed Bey, an exquisite Ottoman-era palace with 266 rooms, intricate tile work, painted ceilings, and the most beautiful hammam in North Africa. Continue to the Emir Abdelkader Mosque — one of Africa’s largest mosques — and the Monument aux Morts for panoramic city views. Afternoon: explore Constantine’s old medina (Souk El Aswar) with its covered markets, traditional crafts, and the pace of daily Algerian life. Overnight in Constantine. (B)
Day 5: Timgad — “Pompeii of Africa”
Full day at Timgad (ancient Thamugadi), arguably the most perfectly preserved Roman city in Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Built by Emperor Trajan in 100 AD as a colony for retired Roman soldiers, Timgad was laid out on a perfect orthogonal grid — the ultimate expression of Roman urban planning. The site is staggering: walk through the 12-meter-high Trajan’s Arch, explore the 3,500-seat theater (still used for performances today), the forum with its colonnades, the Capitoline Temple, the public library (one of the few known Roman libraries), and the 14 public baths. The Cardo Maximus and Decumanus Maximus — the two main streets — are flanked by the remains of shops, houses with intact mosaic floors, and public latrines. Unlike Pompeii, Timgad was never built over — it was simply abandoned to the desert sands, which preserved it for 1,300 years until French archaeologists began excavating in 1881. Return to Constantine. Overnight in Constantine. (B, L)
Day 6: Medracen Numidian Royal Mausoleum → 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 Romans, this 18-meter-high mausoleum features 60 Doric columns and a distinctive conical form that influenced Berber funerary architecture for centuries. It stands in stark contrast to the Roman monuments you’ve seen — a reminder of the rich pre-Roman civilization that flourished in North Africa. Afternoon drive back to Algiers through the Tell Atlas mountains, passing traditional Berber villages and fertile agricultural valleys. Evening arrival in Algiers. Overnight in Algiers. (B, L)
Day 7: Algiers — Jardin d’Essai, Grande Poste & Waterfront
A full day to discover Algiers beyond the Casbah. Morning visit to the Jardin d’Essai du Hamma — a magnificent 58-hectare botanical garden created in 1832, modeled after the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, with specimens from across the world’s tropical regions. Stroll the French colonial Boulevard, visiting the Grande Poste — a stunning neo-Moorish post office that is one of Algiers’ most photographed buildings. Afternoon walk along the Algiers waterfront and the Port of Algiers. Visit the Museum of Fine Arts with its collection of Algerian and French Orientalist paintings. Farewell dinner at a traditional restaurant featuring Algerian specialties — couscous, mechoui (slow-roasted lamb), and makroudh pastries. Overnight in Algiers. (B, D)
Day 8: Departure
After breakfast, transfer to Algiers airport for your onward flight. You leave with an appreciation for Algeria’s staggering Roman heritage — Timgad, Djemila, Tipaza, and Medracen — cities whose grandeur rivals anything in Italy or Greece, yet without the crowds. (B)
