HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
Tipaza and its archaeological site
listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Kasbah of Algiers, a place steeped in history
Fort Santa Cruz in Oran
- Tipaza and its archaeological site
listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site - The Kasbah of Algiers, a place steeped in history
- Fort Santa Cruz in Oran
- Tlemcen National Park
DISCOVERY
8 TO 22 Participants
After troubled times, Algeria has found a certain calm and is happy to open its doors to you.
It reveals its heritage treasures, too often overlooked, as well as its charming cities, which give the country a truly unique character. Discover its magnificent archaeological sites along the coast, which serve as a reminder of the importance of maritime trade in the Mediterranean during Antiquity. Savor the Arab, Berber, Andalusian, and Ottoman heritage, which tells the long history of Algeria; without forgetting the traces of colonization that deeply marked the country.
Depending on the flight schedule, the discovery of white Algiers begins: wide avenues, large squares, alleyways, gardens, and hundreds of staircases allow you to explore this multifaceted city, studded with monuments from different eras.
Departure for Cherchell. Visit the archaeological park (amphitheater, ancient theater, forum, thermal baths, etc.) and the museum, home to one of the finest collections of ancient sculptures and beautiful mosaics. Continue to Tipaza. Explore the archaeological site by the sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: temples, theater, forum, nymphaeum, thermal baths, and basilica, the remains of which are those of the largest Christian building. A little further, along the seafront, stretches over 1,000 square meters. Visit the museum. Drive to Algiers and stop at the royal mausoleum, also known as the "Tomb of the Christian Woman."
Departure for the Tibéhirine Monastery, also known as the Abbey of Our Lady of the Atlas. There is no longer a monastic community. Visit the monks' place of prayer, the gardens, and the springs. Continue to Medea: explore the city and visit its National Public Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions. Return to Algiers via the Chiffa Gorges.
Visit the Bardo National Museum (prehistoric collection) and explore the Notre-Dame d'Afrique Cathedral.
Discover the Kasbah of Algiers, a UNESCO World Heritage Site:
Visit the Regency Palace, the citadel of Algiers;
stroll through its winding streets; discover
the Ketchaoua Mosque (etc.).
Cooking workshop at a local's home: meat boureks
accompanied by chorba or harira. Then, visit the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions. Housed in a former Turkish palace, it houses collections dedicated to daily life and Algerian crafts (carpets, ceramics, copperware, etc.).
Finally, stroll through Martyrs' Square.
Stroll through the popular and lively Bab el Oued district and discover Bastion 23, the former Palace of the Raïs. Then, visit the Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Arts and its historical and archaeological collections. Continue with a visit to the National Museum of Fine Arts, which presents a collection of European paintings from the 14th to the 20th century (Fantin-Latour, Pissarro, Gauguin, Corot, Monet, etc.); and sculptures, including works by Rodin, Maillol, Bourdelle, and Belmondo. Three rooms are dedicated to Orientalism (works by Delacroix, Dehodencq, Chassériau, etc.). Finally, stroll through the luxurious Jardin d'Essai du Hamma, which extends into an amphitheater.
Finally, stroll through the luxurious Jardin d’Essai du Hamma, which stretches out into an amphitheater.
In the morning, depart for Oran, which descends amphitheatrically to the sea. It was said to have been founded in 902 AD by the Muslims of Andalusia and occupied shortly thereafter by the Almohads and the Zianids, to whom it owes its famous Sidi El Houari mosque. The city's Spanish historical remains are famous: the Santa Cruz fort, the Spanish garrison, the Kasbah walls, and more. Also, visit the Sacred Heart Cathedral, now transformed into a library, and the Moorish-style railway station.
Departure in the morning for Tlemcen, a city that blends Berber, Arab, Andalusian, Ottoman, and French influences. Visit the El Mechouar Palace, a royal palace complex built in the Middle Ages by the Zianid sultans. On Emir Abdelkader Square, glimpse the Great Mosque, built at the end of the 11th century under the reign of the Almoravids. It retains many remarkable architectural elements.
decoration, as well as a minaret that is among the oldest in the region. The visits continue to the national park, where we find important archaeological remains and natural sites such as the ruins of Mansourah, the Sidi Boumediene mosque, the El Ourit caves with their cliffs and natural waterfalls. Return to Oran.
Drive to Mostaganem, a Phoenician and later Roman port. The Almoravid Youssef Ben Tachfine (11th century) built the Bordj El Mahel there. The city owed its development to the establishment of a strong Andalusian colony. City tour: Bendehiba Benaid Avenue, November 1st Square and its beautiful sea view, a view of the 14th-century Marinid mosque, and the Bordj El Mahel citadel, restored by the Ottomans in the 18th century and now converted into a public garden. Then, visit an equestrian center and a winery with a tasting. Return to Oran.
A day dedicated to visiting the city and its neighborhoods: the Bey's Palace; Place Kléber; Place d'Armes; the town hall and its immense staircase with its two superb lions; the theater; the old quarter of Sidi El Houari… Then, a visit (outside) to the Ibn Salem Mosque. Finally, a visit to the Zabana National Museum (various works ranging from prehistory to contemporary art).
