Algeria travel guide

Getting there

Most visitors fly into Algiers Houari Boumediene Airport, with further international flights to Oran and Constantine. Ferries link Algiers and Oran with ports in France and Spain; the land border with Morocco has long been closed.

Best time to visit: Mar–May and Sep–Nov for the north; Nov–Mar for Saharan trips.

Tougher months: June-August for the Sahara – extreme heat makes desert travel very hard, though the coast is busy with beach holidays.

Weather by month in Algiers

• 17°J●●
• 17°F●●
• 19°M●
• 21°A●
• 24°M●
• 28°J
• 31°J
• 32°A
• 29°S●
• 26°O●
• 21°N●●
• 18°D●●

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Africa/Algiers. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 7 of 198 other passports can enter Algeria without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 0 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 191 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Algeria (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-08-25). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Algeria travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Algeria are based around Algiers, Oran or Constantine. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$30–50 for a backpacker and US$70–130 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Algeria page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: C, F. Voltage: 230 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +213.

Mobile data: read the travel eSIM setup guide before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Algiers (Capital · Mediterranean coast): A grand bay of French-era boulevards, the historic Casbah and the hilltop Notre-Dame d'Afrique basilica.
• Oran (Northwest · coast & raï music): A lively port city with Spanish forts, sea views and the birthplace of raï music.
• Constantine (Northeast · gorge city): Perched on a rocky plateau split by a deep gorge, it is one of the most dramatic cities in North Africa.
• Timgad & Batna (Aurès · Roman ruins): Timgad is a vast, superbly preserved Roman town; the Aurès mountains around it hide Amazigh villages.
• Tipasa (Coast · Roman seaside ruins): Ruins scattered among pines right on the shore make this an easy, beautiful day trip from Algiers.
• Ghardaïa (M'zab valley · desert towns): A UNESCO-listed group of oasis towns with a unique, centuries-old way of life and architecture.
• Djanet & Tassili n'Ajjer (Deep south · desert & rock art): Gateway to one of the world's greatest open-air galleries of prehistoric art amid surreal rock landscapes.
• Tamanrasset & the Hoggar (Deep south · mountains): Base for the volcanic Hoggar (Ahaggar) range and Tuareg culture, including the Assekrem hermitage.

Things to do

• Wander the Casbah of Algiers. Lose yourself in the steep, whitewashed alleys of this UNESCO-listed Ottoman-era citadel above the bay.
• Walk the streets of Timgad. Stroll a near-complete Roman grid town with its triumphal arch, theatre and colonnaded avenues on a high plateau.
• Trek the Tassili n'Ajjer. Hike among sandstone forests and prehistoric paintings of cattle, giraffes and dancers in the deep Sahara.
• Explore the M'zab valley. Visit Ghardaïa's five fortified hilltop towns, whose clean geometric architecture has inspired modern architects.
• Watch sunset at Assekrem. Climb to the Hoggar mountains' famous viewpoint for a sunrise or sunset over a sea of volcanic peaks.
• Cross Constantine's bridges. Walk the suspension bridges strung across the dizzying Rhumel gorge in the 'City of Bridges'.
• Picnic among Djemila's ruins. Enjoy mountain views from a Roman town draped over a ridge, complete with mosaics in its small museum.
• Swim on the Kabylie coast. Find coves, cliffs and pine-backed beaches around Béjaïa and Tigzirt.

Source: full Algeria guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Couscous – steamed semolina with vegetables and meat
• Chakhchoukha – torn flatbread in a spicy tomato stew
• Mhadjeb – thin folded pancakes stuffed with tomato and onion
• Chorba frik – lamb and cracked green wheat soup

Source: RoamSun Algeria guide

Money and safety

Currency: Algerian dinar (DZD). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: Not expected; rounding up or about 10% in restaurants is appreciated.

Emergency numbers: 17 police · 14 fire & ambulance.

• Algeria is largely a cash economy; bring euros or US dollars and exchange at banks or authorised offices.
• International cards work only in some big hotels and ATMs are unreliable for foreign cards, so don't depend on them.
• Northern cities and main sights are generally calm for visitors, but check your government's latest travel advice, especially for remote border areas.
• Travel to parts of the far south and border regions may be restricted or require escorts and permits arranged through an agency.

Source: RoamSun Algeria facts