Sahara Adventure in Algeria: Tadrart Rouge

07 Days - 06 Nights

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Description
Itinerary
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Description

Start your trip in Algiers, a city by the sea full of stories and views. Walk the old Casbah streets, see the big war monument, and enjoy local food before flying to Djanet, a desert town in the far south. There, a 4×4 team and Tuareg guide will take you deep into the Tadrart Rouge, a place of tall red dunes, strange rocks, and ancient wall art.

Each day is a new desert view — canyons, caves, rock shapes like camels and elephants, and carvings made thousands of years ago. Camp under stars, drink tea by the fire, and feel the peace of the Sahara. You’ll see black dunes, climb high ridges, and meet local people before heading back to Djanet for a short town visit and then returning to Algiers. This tour is perfect for those who love quiet lands, deep skies, and old stories written in stone.

Explore Destinations

Algiers, Djanet

INCLUDED

Airport transfers (in Algiers & Djanet)	Domestic flight: Algiers → Djanet → Algiers
4×4 transport with Tuareg driver/team	Professional English-speaking guide throughout
Local cultural experiences in Djanet and the Tadrart Rouge	Accommodation in 4★ hotel (Algiers), desert guesthouses, and Sahara camping

NOT INCLUDED

International flights to/from Algeria

Visa fees and travel insurance

Any meals not listed

Personal tips, drinks, souvenirs or extras

Optional activities not in the program

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Algiers – City Tour & Landmarks

Arrive in Algiers in the morning. Your driver meets you at Houari Boumediene Airport and transfers you (≈30 min) to the El Aurassi Hotel (4★). This hilltop luxury hotel offers panoramic bay views, on-site restaurants and even a free airport shuttle. Unpack and relax in your room or enjoy the hotel terrace overlooking the city.
Afternoon: Explore Algiers on foot. Wander the narrow alleys of the Casbah of Algiers, the old Ottoman citadel (UNESCO World Heritage Site), admiring restored palaces and mosques. Next, visit the dramatic Monument of the Martyrs (Maqam Echahid) – a 92 m concrete memorial inaugurated in 1982 to honor the independence struggle. From its hilltop esplanade you’ll get sweeping views over Algiers and the Mediterranean.
Meals: Lunch at a classic Algerian café in the city center (try local couscous or tajine). Dinner on your own at the hotel or a nearby restaurant. Overnight at El Aurassi Hotel (4★) in Algiers.

Day 2: Algiers Sightseeing & Flight to Djanet

Morning: After breakfast at the hotel, continue your Algiers tour. You may visit the Bardo National Museum (archaeology) or Notre-Dame d’Afrique basilica for its city panorama, and stroll past the Grand Post Office and Place des Martyrs. Enjoy a leisurely lunch at a French-Algerian bistro in town.
Afternoon: Transfer to Algiers airport and board the Air Algerie flight to Djanet (2h15 flight). This domestic flight typically departs mid-afternoon. Land at Tiska Djanet Airport (DJG), about 30 km south of the town. Your Tuareg guide and 4×4 team will meet you at arrivals and drive you into Djanet village (≈1 h). Check in to a comfortable desert guesthouse (e.g. Saharian Village or Ténéré Village).
Meals: Breakfast at the hotel; lunch in Algiers or on the flight; dinner at the Djanet guesthouse (try a hearty taguella bread or couscous dish).
Note: Domestic flights to Djanet are infrequent – Air Algérie operates roughly 3 flights per week on this route. Schedules can change, so we plan the best available flight.

Day 3: Into the Tadrart Rouge – Tigharghart & Canyon Driving

Embark on your 4×4 desert adventure. After breakfast, your convoy heads south from Djanet into the Tadrart Rouge (part of Tassili n’Ajjer National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage “lunar” landscape). Tadrart Rouge is celebrated as “among Tassili’s most beautiful areas”, with eroded sandstone forests, natural arches and dunes that blaze orange-red at sunset. Drive through narrow canyons and rocky labyrinths, crossing golden sand seas. Midday, stop at the prehistoric rock art site of Tigharghart to see the famous “Crying Cow” engraving. Enjoy a picnic lunch of salads and fresh tea in the shade of desert rocks.
Continue by 4×4 to Wadi El Birge, spotting the wind-sculpted “Stone Elephant” natural arch along the way. Late afternoon, arrive at your first desert camp on a ridge of red dunes.
Dinner & Overnight: Savor a traditional camp meal (couscous or taguella flatbread with stews) cooked by your Tuareg team. Sit around the fire under a canopy of stars. Sleep in an igloo-style desert tent or basic bivouac by the dunes.

Day 4: Wadi El Birge to Moul Naga – Rock Art & Golden Dunes

Break your fast with tea and bread at camp. Morning trek along Wadi El Birge: hike among tower-shaped sandstone peaks and discover more Bovidian-period rock carvings (animals and cattle) etched on canyon walls. By noon you’ll reach Wadi Markawend, where a picnic lunch (salad, bread and mint tea) is prepared riverside.
In the afternoon, continue over soft dunes to the famous Moul Naga area (Sea Serpent’s Nose). This is where the golden dunes meet ochre sandstone: admire the “Stone Camel” arch and vast sand amphitheaters. Climb a high dune for a breathtaking sunset view as the sands turn deep orange and red.
Dinner & Overnight: Relax at your dune-edge camp. Dinner is a hearty couscous or pasta dish. Another clear Sahara night awaits for star-gazing by the fire.

Day 5: Moul Naga to Tin Merzouga – Arches and Red Sands

Enjoy sunrise in the desert with your morning tea. After packing camp, set out across undulating dunes. Visit the “Arch of Africa”, a wind-carved sandstone arch, and the nearby hedgehogshaped Ekenesseiet Rock along your route. Continue on to the amphitheater of Tin Merzouga – an enormous cirque ringed by towering red dunes. Stop for lunch at camp here (couscous or rice with vegetables).
Spend the afternoon at leisure on the dunes: walk or climb the highest dune of Tin Merzouga. As the sun lowers, the sands truly glow with a spectrum of reds and purples – an unforgettable sight.
Dinner & Overnight: Share a warm meal around the campfire. Tonight’s camp is under the Tin Merzouga stars, listening to Tuareg guitar and tales.

Day 6: Tin Merzouga to Djalati – Rock Structures and Black Dunes

Wake to the dawn sky and breakfast, then drive westward deeper into the Tadrart. Your route today features impressive geological monuments: see the Tamisguida “Cathedral” arches (natural rock monuments) and explore the narrow Inahre Canyon with its ancient engravings. Around midday, stop for lunch under the date palms of the Tissataka oasis – a welcome lush respite in the Sahara.
In the afternoon, head on to Ouanokssem, where dramatic black sand dunes rise among the orange sands. En route, admire a coastal limestone butte covered in fossilized shells – evidence that this Sahara was once under the sea. Finish the day at the black dunes of Djalati (a stunning contrast to the usual red sand). Climb a dune for sunset photos over the two-tone desert.
Dinner & Overnight: Camp next to the black dunes at Djalati. Enjoy a simple hot dinner (perhaps taguella and stewed vegetables) prepared by the camp cook. Overnight in tents once more, with a final Sahara night sky above.

Day 7: Return to Djanet – Village Tour & Departure

After breakfast at camp, drive the last stretch back toward Djanet. If time allows, detour to Tinersou Cave to view its well-preserved rock paintings before returning to the road. Around midday, pause for a picnic at the Tin Amali dunes (about 30 km from Djanet). Arrive in Djanet by early afternoon. Freshen up with a hot shower or traditional hammam at a guesthouse.
Afternoon: Take a short guided tour of Djanet. See the old ksar (fortified town) of Inedbirene and browse the local market and small museum for Tuareg crafts (embroidery, silver, leather). Enjoy some mint tea with locals if you wish.
Evening: Transfer to Djanet airport for the return flight to Algiers. Board Air Algerie (≈2h15) and relax on the flight back. From Algiers you will connect with your outbound departure (or stay overnight in town if needed). Dinner: Light meal on board or in the airport lounge.
Sources: Detailed flight times and schedules, hotel and tour information, and cultural highlights were used to plan this itinerary. (Itinerary sequence may be adjusted for flight/road conditions.)

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Tours

Sahara Adventure in Algeria: Tadrart Rouge

Description

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Algiers – City Tour & Landmarks

Day 2: Algiers Sightseeing & Flight to Djanet

Day 3: Into the Tadrart Rouge – Tigharghart & Canyon Driving

Day 4: Wadi El Birge to Moul Naga – Rock Art & Golden Dunes

Day 5: Moul Naga to Tin Merzouga – Arches and Red Sands

Day 6: Tin Merzouga to Djalati – Rock Structures and Black Dunes

Day 7: Return to Djanet – Village Tour & Departure

Reviews (0)

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Tours

Sahara Adventure in Algeria: Tadrart Rouge

Description

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Algiers – City Tour & Landmarks

Day 2: Algiers Sightseeing & Flight to Djanet

Day 3: Into the Tadrart Rouge – Tigharghart & Canyon Driving

Day 4: Wadi El Birge to Moul Naga – Rock Art & Golden Dunes

Day 5: Moul Naga to Tin Merzouga – Arches and Red Sands

Day 6: Tin Merzouga to Djalati – Rock Structures and Black Dunes

Day 7: Return to Djanet – Village Tour & Departure

Reviews (0)

Reviews

Related Tours

Algeria: Saharan Desert Adventure

Algeria: Crossroads Of The Maghreb

Cultural & Sahara Journey Across Algeria

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Izelwan Travel

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