10-Day Sahara and Oasis Tour in Algeria with Ghardaia and Algiers

• Reception and assistance at Houari Boumediene International Airport (Algiers).
• Transit on foot to the domestic airport (3-5 minutes' walk).
• Fly to Bechar.
• Upon arrival at Bechar airport (Boudghene Ben Ali Lotfi), take transport to the hotel in Taghit (85 kms).

Spend the first overnight at the hotel.

• Begin the day with breakfast. Explore the famous small oasis on the Grand Erg Occidental, known as the Western Sand Sea.
• Visit the town, including Old Ksar, Ksour Valley, and Berrebi Oasis.
• Note the use of red mud or brick in house architecture, a common feature in the region's oases.
• End the day with a sunset view during dinner.
• Optional sand skiing activity.

Return to our traditional residence or similar.

• Depart from Taghit to Beni-Abbes (150 kms) after breakfast.
• Arrive at Beni Abbes, the White Oasis, in about half an hour.
• Visit the town, Charles De Foucauld's Chapel, and the priest's first hermitage (1901-1903).
• Have lunch in the chapel's garden or another location. Explore the Old Castle in the palm grove and the Beni Abbes Museum, featuring desert fauna, fossils, and Algerian arts and crafts.
• Return to the residence for an overnight stay at the end of the day.

• Early morning drive to the Red Oasis, Timimoun, after breakfast.
• Transit through the oases of El-Ouata, Kerzaz, Timoudi, Ouled Khdir, and Charouine.
• Cover the 342 km journey to Timimoun in 4 hours.
• Upon arrival, lunch at a guest house or hotel.
• After a rest, enjoy an afternoon stroll in the town and its covered market filled with bio local produce.
• Witness the sunset on the outskirts of the oasis.
• Conclude the day with dinner and traditional Gnawa music using Qraqeb and a hand-made drum.

Return to the guest house or similar.

• Shortly after breakfast, visit Timimoun's old castle, Ouled Haroun castle, and the Fougaras (hydraulic heritage) of Ouled Said and Hadj Guelmane.
• Explore the less populated towns covered by desert sand dunes and palm groves, while enjoying a traditional lunch.
• In the afternoon, continue exploring open museums, including the cave and cliffs of Ighzer and the dunes of the oasis.

Overnight at the residence or hotel.

• Early morning breakfast, then drive to the oasis of El-Meniaa (formerly El-Goléa).
• Cover a distance of 362 km by road in 4 hours to reach this gateway to Southern Algeria, situated at the center of the country.
• The oasis is renowned for mineral water and agricultural products, including a palm grove with about 180,000 palm trees.
• Rest at M'Guiden's Café on the way to El-Goléa.
• Lunch at the hotel or guest house upon arrival.
• After a short rest, visit the church of Bel-Bachir and the tomb of Catholic priest Charles De Foucault.
• Enjoy the sunset on the dunes during dinner.

Return to the hotel.

• Depart from the residence to visit the 9th-century Citadel, known as Vieux Ksar, situated on a 75 m high hill.
• Explore the old castle, a refuge for ancestors, with ruins of houses and a well used for water.
• Visit the Sahara Museum in the town center, which houses collections gathered by René Le Clerc.
• Embark on an excursion to the dunes of the Grand Erg Occidental for the afternoon.
• Dine in the dunes and return to the residence.

• Early morning departure to Ghardaia (M'Zab Valley), covering 270 kms in 3 hours.
• Arrival in Ghardaia around 11 a.m., followed by lunch at the hotel.
• Explore one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, Beni Izghen, formed by five villages.
• Continue the journey to Boulila Tower.
• Conclude the day with a visit to the town center and its ancient rectangular market.

Overnight stay at the residence.

• Have breakfast, then visit Mélika and Bounoura.
• After lunch, transfer the group to Moufdi Zakaria (Noumérat) domestic airport, located 15 kms away.
• Fly to the capital, Algiers.
• Transfer to the hotel for an overnight stay.

• On the last day, explore the UNESCO World Heritage site, Casbah of Algiers, for 2 hours.
• Drive to the Church of Notre-Dame d'Afrique, located 4 kms from the Casbah.
• Conclude the visit with a trip to Jardin d'Essai in Hamma, a unique garden dating back to the 1900s.
• Transfer visitors to Houari Boumediene International Airport for departure.
• Provide assistance until boarding.