Getting in and out
Algeria has many direct flights to destinations across Africa, the Middle East and of course Europe. The busiest and easiest airport to fly directly into is Algiers International named after former President Houari Boumédiène.
Cheap flights are available to Algiers from a few cities in Europe, namely Paris, Marseille and London. This is due to the large Algerian diaspora living in France and the UK.
For Land borders the only one that is reasonable for foreigners to attempt is that with Tunisia, however this will involve police escorts while traveling by land to other destinations in Algeria after you have crossed.
Land borders are closed with both Libya and Morocco. The borders to the south are not recommended for foreigners because of the unstable nature of those countries.
See and do
Algeria is a huge country with endless sites to see. These are some of our highlights that we think people should see on a visit to this epic country.
Timgad
These are the largest Roman ruins in the country located about a 2 hour drive from Constantine. This is a huge site and a true highlight to any visit in Algeria. This is one of the bigger sites of Roman ruins in the world rivalling that of any other sites on the Mediterranean except there will probably be no people at this one.
Tipaza
The Roman ruins at Tipaza are something special with its amazing location right on the coast. This site has some amazing mosaics that are still in their original setting. The scenery here of the crystal clear water and the pine trees with the ruins is super special.
Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania
Located not far from Tipaza is the Royal mausoleum. This is said to be the resting place of Cleopatra Selene II otherwise known as the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. This huge pyramid-shaped building is truly unique for Roman ruins.
Ahaggar National Park
This national park located just next to Tamanrasset is an amazing place to see some epic Sahara scenery. Ahaggar boasts large mountains with sheer rock faces that make the journey to the heart of the Sahara absolutely worth it.
Djanet
Located in the south of Algeria this oasis town also boasts some stunning scenery and is very off the beaten track. The desert around Djanet showcases some amazing rock formations which have been worn down by thousands of years of erosion. Djanet is located in next to the Tassili n’Ajjer National Park, which is the largest national park in all of Africa with an area of 72,000 square kilometres.
Constantine
The city of Constantine located in northern Algeria is a true wonder in itself. With seven bridges spanning different time periods crossing the gorge that splits the city, this city offers some amazing views.
Atlas mountains
When people think of Africa or North Africa they probably don’t realise that there are big mountains here that regularly get snow! Algeria’s Atlas Mountains are a great place to see a different side of this region. If you’re here in winter then why not try skiing?
Algiers old town
Algiers has been controlled by, Romans, Ottomans, French and many others, all of which are evident in the architecture, style and stories of everyone living in the Kasbah in the old town of Algiers.
Dress code
There isn’t a specific dress code in Algeria such as Iran or Afghanistan. Nevertheless, Algeria is a conservative Muslim country and so dressing modest is advised. For women a headscarf is not needed unless visiting a religious place. For everyone, a shirt and jeans will be fine. In warmer months, you can also wear shorts, however locals probably won’t be wearing them so people may stare at you.
If you are travelling in the colder months it is definitely advisable to bring some warm clothes, especially when heading into the Sahara or the ruins at Timgad as the climate in these areas can be very cold, particularly at night.
Topics of discussion
When in Algeria feel free to ask your guides questions about anything. However, when in public it is advisable to not openly discuss, politics, religion or homosexuality. These are touchy subjects in Algeria and if you speak about them out loud it might arouse suspicions from locals.
Religion
The main religion of Algeria is Islam, with roughly 99% of the population following the state religion. The overwhelming majority are Sunni Muslims with small pockets of Ibadi Islam existing in the Sahara in places such as Ghardaia.
There are also small communities of religious minorities such as Christians and Jews, however these numbers are very small, with Christians only numbering between 70-200 thousand and jews with less than 200 in total.
Islam is central to the people of Algeria and has had a huge influence on the independence movement of the country against the French. When the French colonised the country they undermined Islamic practices and so it became a central theme to claiming back Algerian identity while fighting back against the French.
Overall Algerians, especially those in Algiers and young people are more relaxed towards religion. This means it is ok for men and women to interact with each other and a dress code for either men or women is not strictly enforced by law or society.
If you go south though, people are much more conservative and adhere to much stricter Islamic practices. Shops will close at prayer times and stricter dress codes are advised. This is especially true in places such as Ghardaia.
Ethnicity
The ethnic make-up of Algeria is difficult to accurately determine as there is a lot of overlap between Arab and Berber cultures after hundreds of years or mixing. Current estimates put the people of Algeria as 99% as Arabs or Berbers, with roughly 75-85% being Arab and 15-25% as Berber. Read more about the Berbers here.
The Arab population is located mostly in the Northern populated part of the country. The southern region including the Sahara is where you will find the Berbers. Berber peoples do of course also have large populations in the north, especially in some of the mountainous areas.
There is also a minority population of Europeans which make up less than 1% of Algeria’s population.
Photography
There are very few restrictions on photography in Algeria. The general rules apply which are no photos of the military or checkpoints. Also, photos of some government buildings are off-limits, however, these are usually well-sign-posted and are also not too different from most countries.
When is the best time to visit?
In summer, temperatures in Algeria can reach into the 40s and 50s, with the average temperature along the coast still being over 30 degrees celsius. In Spring and Autumn is starts to become a lot more bareable.
Lots of the famous sights of Algeria are located in the desert with very little cloud cover so it's best to visit the country in the cooler months such as November through to March.
