Field Guide: the Algerian Sahara

19 Dec

The Tassili N’Ajjer National Park: the most accessible way to visit the Sahara Desert

Many people dream of gazing at the vast sand seas, palm fringed oasis, and otherworldly rock forests of the Sahara Desert, but access to this awe-scape has been difficult due to visa restrictions and uncertainty.

But this is changing.

Algeria, host to a large swathe of the Sahara Desert, is now encouraging tourism, and providing a visa-on-arrival program for travellers on organised Sahara tours.

Algeria is now the safest, and most accessible way to experience the wonders of the world’s largest dry desert: The Sahara.

Why now is the time to experience the wonders of the Tassili N’Ajjeer national park

This guide concentrates on the Tassili N’Ajjer National Park, one of the most spectacular landscapes on earth and the largest national park in Africa. Providing a mix of natural grandeur and ancient history

Unesco, which inscribed the park as a World Heritage Site, describes it as ‘resembling a strange lunar landscape.’ With its surreal sculpted outcrops and deep pink dunes, it’s easy to see how people compare it to Mars.

There are some compelling reasons to consider visiting the Tassili N’Ajjer National Park now.

(Note: Visitors with more time might combine Tassili with the Ahaggar National Park, an extraordinary mountain range accessible from Tamanrasset, a 45-minute flight west from Djanet.)

But this is changing.

Algeria, host to a large swathe of the Sahara Desert, is now encouraging tourism, and providing a visa-on-arrival program for travellers on organised Sahara tours.

Algeria is now the safest, and most accessible way to experience the wonders of the world’s largest dry desert: The Sahara.

There are some compelling reasons to consider visiting the Tassili N’Ajjer National Park now.

(Note: Visitors with more time might combine Tassili with the Ahaggar National Park, an extraordinary mountain range accessible from Tamanrasset, a 45-minute flight west from Djanet.)

Five Reasons to visit the Tassili n'Ajjer National Park

A SPECTACULAR, YET LITTLE VISITED Landscape

The Tassili n'Ajjer National Park is one of the planet’s most spectacular yet little-visited landscapes: renowned for its gigantic dunes and dramatic sandstone monuments. The Algerian government is now encouraging tourism, and there will be an upswing in tourist numbers. Now is a great time to go.

View my slideshow - Wide eyed in wonder on a tour of the Sahara with the Tuareg

SEE ‘the greatest museum of prehistoric art in the world’

The Tassili n'Ajjer National Park has over 15,000 words of rock art, dating from the time when the Sahara was green and supported human and animal life. The park has been called ‘the greatest museum of prehistoric art in the world’, and is inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Read more: Deep in Algeria: Prehistoric Art from when the Sahara was Green

SUNRISES, SILENCE, SUNSETS, aND STARGAZING

Sunrises and sunsets in the Sahara bathe the landscape in a surreal and palettes of colour. The Sahara is one of the quietest and least light-polluted places on earth. The ‘Saharan silence’ is all around and can feel profound.

EXPERIENCE Tuareg Culture

You will experience the hospitality of the Tuareg people firsthand. Tuareg men wear the legendary blue veil, turn tea-making into an art from, and the play mesmerising Desert Blues around the campfire at night.

NO mass tourism

Algeria has gone to great lengths not to dilute its culture through tourism – visitors to southern Algeria get a rich experience, without a Starbucks in sight.

Improved Accessibility

easier visaS

After years of difficulty, there is now a visa-on-arrival program (up to 30 days) for tourists on organized Sahara tours.

Direct Flights

Air Algerie now flies between Paris and Algiers, where you can connect with an internal flight to Djanet, the gateway to the Tassili N’Ajjer.

Djanet and the Tassili n'Ajjer National Park lie deep in Southern Algeria: a 2.15 hour flight from Algiers.

Five Wonders of the Tassili n'Ajjer National Park

Tassili N’Ajjer is a vast UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned for its dramatic sandstone landscapes and archaeological value. The park is vast and full of many wondrous sights. Here are a few five well-known highlights that you can experience on a tour.

THE HEDGEHOG (TAMRIT)

The Hedgehog is one of Tassili’s most surreal rock formations: a freestanding sandstone monolith that has been eroded by wind and sand into a distinctly spiky, rounded shape.

Located near Tamrit, this site provides a powerful perspective on the scale and erosive force of the desert elements.

The Rock Gardens (Stone Forests)

On the Tassili plateau are areas where wind and water have sculpted the sandstone into complex, intricate formations. These ‘stone forests’ are characterised by high, thin spires, arches, and eroded mushroom-like rocks. These areas feel genuinely otherworldly, and feel like an endless, natural exhibition of abstract art.

Tin Merzouga: The Red DuneS

Located deep within the Tadrart Rouge, Tin Merzouga is the name given to a spectacular expanse of towering, fiery-red dunes. This vibrant hue is caused by a high concentration of iron oxides in the sand.

Climbing one of these monumental crescent-shaped dunes is a challenge, (some are up to 200m high) but the reward is a panoramic view of the red sand sea that is especially beautiful at sunrise and sunset, when the dunes glow with their most saturated, intense colour.

Essendilène Canyon

A deep, narrow gorge carved into the plateau that provides an intimate, shaded exploration of the desert's hidden life. The canyon walls offer shade and capture precious water, creating one of the few natural sanctuaries where plant life can survive in the region.

The trek through the canyon is cool and sheltered, leading to gueltas (natural pools). These essential water sources sustain local wildlife and offer a refreshing break from the arid heat of the plateau.

The Crying CowS (Aghram)

The “Crying Cows,” are a series of Neolithic engravings on rock face located south of Djanet. The way the teardrops appear to roll down the faces of the animals is thought to represent the despair of a herder as he watched his cows die when the “African Humid Period” ended and the Sahara became desert.

Practicalities & travel essentials

Logistics & Safety

How to Go: A guided tour is the only way to experience the Sahara unless you have your own 4x4 vehicle or camel 🐪

Safety: It is essential to travel with an experienced guide, a crew, and a back-up 4x4 vehicle. Guides have operated here for years without incident, and there is a strong military presence near the Libyan border.

Insurance: Algeria is usually covered on a worldwide travel insurance policy. But do check with your insurance provider.

When to Go: November to March. Guides will not take you into the parks during summer as it is dangerously hot.

Language: French is widely spoken; English is less useful.

How long to go for: Allow 7-10 days for the Tassili n'Ajjer National Park and 4-8 days for the Ahaggar National Park.

Getting There

International: Fly to Algiers (2.15 hrs)

Internal: Fly Algiers to Djanet (2.15 hrs) (for Tassili N'Ajjer).

Extension: Tamanrasset (for Ahaggar) is a further 45-minute flight from Djanet.

Visas

Option A (Recommended): Visa on Arrival. Available for up to 30 days if organized by your tour operator for travel in the South.

Option B: Consulate Application. Apply via the Algerian Consulate in your home country. Note: This requires patience. Approvals can be slow, sometimes arriving just days/weeks before travel.

Money & Shopping

Currency: Algerian Dinar. Only available in-country.

Cash: Bring Euros (€) to exchange.

Card: In Southern Algeria, the use of credit cards and payment machines is extremely limited. Bring enough cash for your entire time in Algeria.

Costs: On guided tour most of your expenses (food/accomodation/transport) are covered by the cost of the tour. Tours are very reasonably priced for what is on offer (approximately £1000 - £1500 for a tour 0f 7-10 days from a local Tuareg operator. I took cash and paid after the tour was over (I found the Tuareg to be very honourable and honest).

Costs outside of the tour:

- Budget Hotels: Start from around €30+ per night, often including breakfast.

- Mid-Range and higher: €200+, as hotels are pricey due to low mass tourism.

- Inexpensive Meal: Around €2-€5.

- Mid-Range Restaurant (3-course meal for 2): Around €20.

- Local Transport: Very cheap, often just a few euros.

Shopping: Look for Tuareg silver jewellery or a ‘Tagelmust’ (Tuareg headscarf) in the market in Djanet.

Tech & Packing

Phone: Buy a local SIM at Algiers Airport. Or use the Saily eSIM.
Coverage is patchy in the South; some hotels have Wi-Fi.

Pack: A hat with good coverage from the sun, Sunglasses, water bottle, sunscreen walking boots/shoes. Many Tuareg like a bar of chocolate as a gift.

Soundtrack: Get in the mood before you travel. [Listen: Tuareg Desert Blues–a Spotify playlist]

READING

Read my post: Six Favourite Books: The Sahara Desert

Contacts & Operators

Personal Recommendation: Tito Khellaoui (@titokhellaoui on Instagram). Tito speaks French. Pióra Klinger (@algerian_sahara_lover on Instagram). English-speaking support, organises non-profit trips via Instagram).

I have traveled with Tito and Pióra and can firmly recommend them.
(I paid full price for my trip and get no financial reward for recommending)

Algerian Operators: Tinariwen Tours and Duneya Tours.
These are well-known Tuareg owned operators, I have no experience with them but provide as a resource.

International Operators: Wild Frontiers UK-based, offers "Algeria: Saharan Desert Adventure" and Native Eye offer ‘Algerian Odyssey’.

These are well-known UK Travel operators, I have no experience with them but provide as a resource.

Independent Research
Chris Scott’s website Sahara Overland
A goldmine of information for everything Sahara related.