The Soul of Algeria
Starts & Ends
Algiers – Algiers
No. of people
max 10 guests
12 days
14-25 March, 2027
From US$3450
(flights excluded)
Trip summary
This is a unique group tour to Algeria, organised and led by award-winning travel journalist Belinda Jackson with adventure travel specialists Untamed Borders. Throughout the trip, Belinda will conduct travel-writing workshops on location – alongside UNESCO-listed Roman ruins, above Algiers’ labyrinthine Kasbah and amidst the stillness of the deep Sahara.
Trip highlights
Get lost in the maze of alleys that is Algiers’ Kasbah
Explore UNESCO-listed Roman ruins at Djemilla and Tipaza
Experience the vastness of the Sahara and the ancient cave paintings of the Tassil N’Ajjer
Join travel-writing workshops held in incredible locations
About Belinda Jackson
I’m a travel journalist and two times named Australian Travel Writer of the Year by the Australian Society of Travel Writers. Based in Melbourne, my second home is Cairo, Egypt, which indulges my obsession with scarves, carpets, tiles and deserts. I have reported from all continents and lived in three, as I unspool layers of history to find the connections that link us to our past and to one another.
You’ll find my travel features in Australia’s top publications including the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers, and I also have a weekly travel podcast, The World Awaits. You can learn more about my work here.
About the travel writing workshops
As we explore Algeria together, we’ll discuss the machinations of travel writing, about observing more deeply and how to bring others along on your journey with your words. I’ll encourage you to see the country from a writer’s perspective; to collect and memorise, to catch a scent or the wisp of song on an unfamiliar instrument.
Throughout the tour, I’ll conduct a series of workshops, and the settings promise to bring the drama – overlooking a kasbah, in the Sahara, at the feet of antiquity. On this journey, Algeria’s not the backdrop, it’s the main character, the hero and the keeper of stories. And if you’re here for Algeria alone, and the workshops aren’t your cup of (Tuareg) tea, that’s ok. There’s no school bell, no homework, and no reading aloud in front of the class (unless you really want to, and that’s fine, too).
Day 1 Sunday, 14 March Arrive Algiers
Arrive in Algiers. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Algiers at hotel.
Day 2 Monday, 15 March Algiers
A full-day walking tour of Algiers including the labyrinthine Kasbah and the colonial buildings of Algiers. Overnight in Algiers at hotel.
Day 3 Tuesday, 16 March Algiers – Tipaza – Cherchell – Oran
A full day’s drive west to the city of Oran via Algeria’s Roman past, at the ruins of Tipaza and Cherchell. Overnight in Oran at hotel.
Day 4 Wednesday, 17 March Oran – Tlemcen – Oran
Day trip from Oran to the city of Tlemcen, known for its Moorish architecture, including the Grand Mosque. Overnight in Oran at hotel.
Day 5 Thursday, 18 March Oran – Djanet
Full day walking tour of Oran. In the evening, fly to the oasis town of Djanet. Overnight in Djanet at hotel.
Day 6 Friday, 19 March Tassili N’Ajjer National Park
Depart for Tassili N’Ajjer NP and Tikoubaouine, a stone forest set out in sand with an incredible natural arch. Dinner and camp in the desert.
Day 7-8 Saturday, 20-21 March Tassili N’Ajjer National Park
Visit the serene Guelta of Essendilene, a desert pond once used by nomads, famous rock paintings of the region including the 7000-year-old carving “la vache qui pleure” (the crying cow), and a Tuareg tea ceremony. Dinner and camp in the desert.
Day 9 Monday, 22 March Djanet – Algiers
Fly from Djanet to Algiers. Free time in Algiers (no guiding). Overnight in Algiers at hotel.
Day 10 Tuesday, 23 March Algiers – Djemila Ruins – Constantine
Depart Algiers and drive to Djémila, one of the most spectacular sets of Roman remains in North Africa, then on to Constantine. A full day with over 400km of driving. Overnight in Constantine at hotel.
Day 11 Wednesday, 24 March Constantine – Algiers
A day tour of Constantine, a city set on a high plateau split by a dramatic ravine serviced by seven bridges. Return to Algiers by road. Overnight in Algiers at hotel.
Day 12 Thursday, 25 March Algiers Transfer to airport. End of trip.
Cost US$3450 per person
Single Supplement US$600pp
To reserve your place on this trip, we require a US$400 deposit per person
Inclusions & Exclusions
The trip includes:
All accommodation (3-4-star hotels)
Breakfast
All transport (4×4 when in the desert)
All food in Tassili N’Ajjer National Park
Local, English-speaking guide
Local security team (where necessary) & all of their fees/expenses
Drinking water
Entrance fees
Permits
2 x domestic flights (Oran – Djanet / Djanet – Algiers)
Visa support
The trip does not include:
International flights
Visas
Lunch and dinner (unless specified)
Travel insurance
Tips
Special Remarks
Please note, the itinerary is subject to change due to the internal flight schedule.
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