Algeria is cautiously opening its doors to tourism, with the Sahara emerging as a central focus of efforts to attract more visitors. A nine-day trip with UK-based operator Explore Worldwide offered a close-up look at the desert around Djanet, where dramatic landscapes, ancient rock art and long stretches without mobile reception defined the journey.
The country has traditionally received far fewer tourists than other North African destinations, with oil and gas driving much of its economy. The government has since set out a tourism plan intended to quadruple visitor numbers by 2030, and has introduced visas on arrival for travelers spending most of their time in the Sahara. The article reports that nearly 39,000 visitors have used the scheme since 2023. The writer paid $150 for a 10-day visa at Algiers airport.
The tour began in the capital with visits to the Hamma Botanical Garden and the UNESCO-listed Casbah, as well as the National Museum of the Mujahid, which is dedicated to Algeria’s 1954–1962 war of independence from France. The group then flew to Djanet, a town in the country’s southeast and a gateway to the desert.
Security procedures were prominent on arrival. Passports were collected and checked against a list, while local guide Aissa Khirani explained that guides must submit travel plans, guest and staff identities, and vehicle registration details to the military. Over five days in the desert, the group encountered just six other vehicles.
The route across the Tassili n’Ajjer plateau passed rocky plains, sandy canyons, towering formations and broad fields of dunes. Caves and rock shelters in the region preserve at least 15,000 examples of rock art, some believed to be around 10,000 years old. The images include people, animals and objects thought to reflect how the environment changed as the area became drier.
After two nights at a more comfortable camp with standing-height tents and charging facilities, the travelers spent three nights in basic camps among the dunes and rock formations. Days followed a simple rhythm: breakfast, walks or drives, lunch and a midday rest, followed by an evening campfire meal. The writer describes meals including couscous, vegetable stews and mint tea prepared over the embers.
Khirani said he hopes tourism can grow without changing the desert’s sense of remoteness. The writer also recalls moments of quiet, including watching the dunes at sunrise, alongside the hospitality and humor of the local team.
Explore Worldwide’s nine-day Algeria’s Sahara Desert Adventure starts and ends in Algiers, with prices from $2,410, excluding international flights. The package includes accommodation, most meals and activities, including five nights of Sahara camping. Tour operators can provide the authorization letter required for a visa on arrival; travelers can also apply through an Algerian embassy. The article advises bringing dollars to exchange for dinars, noting that ATMs can be unreliable and cards are not widely accepted. Carrying binoculars and drones into Algeria is illegal.
Sources: Condé Nast Traveler.