Algeria’s Shifting Sands
Luxury Group Travel | 16 Days | Limited to 12 Guests
- Five off-the-radar UNESCO Sites: Roman ruins of Djémela, Casbah of Algiers, Timgad, M’Zab Valley, and Tipasa
- Travel Algeria’s Mediterranean coast, through the high Tell Atlas Mountains, and into the heart of the vast Sahara Desert
- Insider Algeria tour experiences, including a Tuareg cooking demonstration and a conversation with an Imam in Constantine
- Stunning architecture styled by a colorful history of Roman, French, Moorish, Spanish, and Islamic influences
- Optional extension to explore the cultures, landscapes, and traditional villages of Tunisia
Algerian novelist Assia Djebar called her country “a dream of sand.” The sweeping Sahara Desert dominates the broad North African nation, but conceptually it is just a small piece of all that can be discovered here. With a turbulent past of conflict and colonialism, a crossroads of cultures is experienced on this exploratory Algeria trip.
The whitewashed walls and winding streets of the Casbah of Algiers introduce Algeria’s capital city, while Phoenician, Roman, and Byzantine ruins in Tipasa unravel bits of the complicated past. Travel along the Mediterranean coast to Spanish-influenced Oran. Head into the mountains to visit Berber villages, delve into Roman archaeology, and roam the ancient cliffside town of Constantine. Desert oases like El Oued skirt the edge of the Sahara, and between dunes the isolated Mzabite people practice a way of life nearly unchanged since the 11th century. In the heart of the Sahara, meet a camel herder and dine in a desert grove of date palms at Timimoun. Return to Algiers with a more complete picture of the ways Algeria has changed throughout the centuries.
Trip Overview
1 – 2
Arrive into Algiers and stroll the cobbled streets of the Casbah of Algiers.
3 – 4
Dive into Phoenician, Roman, and Byzantine history at UNESCO-listed Tipasa Travel along the Mediterranean to explore Spanish-influenced architecture at Oran and visit the newly restored family home and museum dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent.
5
Fly back to Algiers and drive into the mountainous Kabylia region Sample Berber olive oils and enjoy breathtaking scenery.
6 – 8
Head south to UNESCO-acclaimed Djémila, a beautifully laid out Roman city Explore the town of Constantine, on the edges of a dramatic gorge, and chat with the Imam of the Great Mosque More archaeological wonders are revealed at Timgad and Medracen.
9 – 10
Arrive at the edge of the Sahara, marked by a spectacular canyon at Ghoufi and oasis springs in Biskra Admire the domed houses and desert sunset at Oued Souf.
11 – 12
Enter the remote M’Zab Valley, where you’ll be welcomed into the fortified village of Ghardaïa and observe local traditions, largely unchanged since the 11th century.
13 – 14
Journey further into the Sahara, following the paths of the old desert caravans, meeting a camel herder, exploring the souk, and watching the ochre walls of Timimoun blaze at sunset.
15 – 16
Fly to Algiers for your final evening with a farewell dinner and depart.
Optional Post-Trip Extension
Tunisia
Extend your trip to neighboring Tunisia with an nine-day journey from coast to desert. Uncover unique Sahara Desert geology, cultures and cave dwellings of the Berber people, oasis waterfalls, and early Islamic architecture. Visit five UNESCO World Heritage sites and two Star Wars set locations. View the extension here.
Meet Our Leaders
Bill Jones
A British-born, Paris-based explorer, raconteur, and widely respected guide, Bill Jones has led countless tours across the globe over the past four decades. He is deeply knowledgeable, experienced, caring, informative, and fun.
Meet Our Leaders
Sarah Timewell
Working with GeoEx since 1989 and one of our most popular leaders, Sarah leads trips throughout Asia and the Middle East. She is also a freelance writer and published photographer.
Meet Our Leaders
Tese Wintz Neighbor
Tese began guiding in the early 1980s and has since led more than 50 trips. As the Global Classroom Senior Director of the World Affairs Council, she organized teacher training around an international King Tut exhibit and hosts college students and professionals from the Middle East and North Africa at her home in Seattle.
Dates & Prices
Dates
04/13/25 – 04/28/25 Travel Tuesday departure; Led by Bill Jones
10/12/25 – 10/27/25 Led by Sarah Timewell
Pricing
Travel Tuesday Price: 10,750 per person*
(Originally $11,750 per person)
*See special Travel Tuesday terms and conditions
Optional Tunisia Extension (9 days): From $5,425 per person
based on double occupancy
Inclusions
- Expertise of GeoEx’s travel specialists
- Services of GeoEx’s in-house air reservations team
- All accommodations
- All ground transportation and airport transfers
- Sightseeing, events, visits, and entrance fees
- Most meals
- Bottled or filtered water at included meals and while sightseeing
- Services of GeoEx trip leader, local guides, drivers, and other staff
- Some gratuities
- Emergency evacuation services and secondary medical expense insurance
A Journey Built Just For You
Take customization to the next level on a journey fully tailored to you. GeoEx's destination specialists will gladly tailor this existing itinerary—or build one completely from scratch—to suit your style, interests, and time frame. Contact us to see what's possible.
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