{"id":1310599,"date":"2026-10-22T13:57:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T13:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/?page_id=1310599"},"modified":"2026-10-23T09:51:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T09:51:39","slug":"algeria","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/africa\/algeria\/","title":{"rendered":"Algeria"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":200,"featured_media":0,"parent":1302039,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"hw-hub-country","meta":{"footnotes":"","hw_hub_hero_eyebrow":"","hw_hub_hero_h1":"","hw_hub_hero_intro":"","hw_hub_hero_image":"","hw_hub_hero_overlay":"","hw_hub_hero_cta":"","hw_hub_why_title":"","hw_hub_why_body":"","hw_hub_why_link_label":"","hw_hub_why_link_url":"","hw_hub_why_cards":"","hw_hub_stats":"","hw_hub_countries_title":"","hw_hub_countries_intro":"","hw_hub_featured":"","hw_hub_regions":"","hw_hub_hostels_title":"","hw_hub_hostels_intro":"","hw_hub_hostels_cta_label":"","hw_hub_hostels_cta_url":"","hw_hub_hostels_source":"","hw_hub_hostels_location_type":"","hw_hub_hostels_location_id":"","hw_hub_hostels_currency":"","hw_hub_hostels_count":"","hw_hub_hostels_cache":"","hw_hub_hostels":"","hw_hub_when_title":"","hw_hub_when_intro":"","hw_hub_seasons":"","hw_hub_costs_title":"","hw_hub_costs_body":"","hw_hub_cost_rows":"","hw_hub_cost_note":"","hw_hub_money_reads":"","hw_hub_rail_title":"","hw_hub_rail_body":"","hw_hub_rail_link_label":"","hw_hub_rail_link_url":"","hw_hub_rail_image":"","hw_hub_routes":"","hw_hub_events_title":"","hw_hub_events_intro":"","hw_hub_events_source":"","hw_hub_events_continent":"","hw_hub_events_count":"","hw_hub_events_cache":"","hw_hub_events_cta_label":"","hw_hub_events_cta_url":"","hw_hub_events":"","hw_hub_events_pills":"","hw_hub_reads_intro":"","hw_hub_article_rows":"","hw_hub_show_read_time":"","hw_hub_all_title":"","hw_hub_all_body":"","hw_hub_all_cta":"","hw_hub_trips_title":"","hw_hub_trips_note":"","hw_hub_trips":"","hw_hub_faq_title":"","hw_hub_faq_note":"","hw_hub_faqs":"","hw_hub_cta_title":"","hw_hub_cta_body":"","hw_hub_cta_buttons":"","hw_hub_newsletter_title":"","hw_hub_newsletter_body":"","hw_hub_newsletter_shortcode":"","hw_hub_hub_term":"","hw_hub_scope_rows":"","hw_hub_country_hero_eyebrow":"Algeria country guide","hw_hub_country_hero_h1":"Algeria Travel Guide","hw_hub_country_hero_intro":"Algeria is Africa's largest country and one of its least visited: a Mediterranean coast of white cities, the best-preserved Roman ruins in North Africa and a Sahara of rock art, red dunes and oasis towns. Visas take planning and tourism is still small, which is exactly why it rewards those who go. Give it two weeks.","hw_hub_country_hero_image":"1310600","hw_hub_country_hero_overlay":"medium","hw_hub_country_hero_cta":"Where to go | #cities\r\nWhat it costs | #budget","hw_hub_country_stats":"7 | UNESCO World Heritage sites\r\n\u20ac30\u201350 | A typical day at informal rates\r\n2h15 | Flight from London to Algiers\r\nOct\u2013Apr | Best months for the Sahara","hw_hub_country_intro_title":"What travelling Algeria is actually like","hw_hub_country_intro_body":"Algeria is huge, about four times the size of France, and more than four-fifths of it is Sahara. Most people live along the Mediterranean coast, in cities like Algiers, Oran, Constantine and Annaba, while the south is dotted with oases and the extraordinary landscapes of the Tassili n'Ajjer and the Hoggar mountains.\r\n\r\nFor decades, very few tourists came. A long civil war in the 1990s, strict visa rules and a lack of tourist infrastructure kept visitors away, and even today you will rarely meet other travellers. That is changing slowly: Algeria introduced a visa on arrival for Saharan tourism in 2024, and more agencies now run desert trips.\r\n\r\nThe rewards are big. Algeria has seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Casbah of Algiers, the Roman cities of Timgad, Dj\u00e9mila and Tipasa, the M'zab Valley's fortified towns around Gharda\u00efa, and the rock art of the Tassili n'Ajjer. Algerians are often curious and welcoming to the few foreigners they meet.\r\n\r\nTravel here needs more planning than in Morocco or Tunisia. You need a visa arranged in advance or an agency booking for the visa on arrival, police may take an interest in your movements, hotels are more expensive than food and transport, and money works differently, with a large gap between the official and informal exchange rates.\r\n\r\nHostelworld lists only a couple of places in Algeria, so you will mostly use hotels, which you will need to book in advance for the consular visa anyway.","hw_hub_country_facts":"Capital | Algiers\r\nCurrency | Algerian dinar (DZD): about 151 to \u20ac1 officially (Oct 2026); far more on the informal market\r\nLanguages | Arabic and Tamazight are official; French is widely spoken; little English\r\nVisa | Required: consular visa in advance, or visa on arrival with an approved Sahara agency\r\nPassport | Valid at least 6 months after arrival\r\nTime zone | CET (UTC+1) all year, no daylight saving\r\nPlugs and voltage | Type C and F (European two-pin), 230 V\r\nTap water | Drink bottled water\r\nSIM and eSIM | Mobilis, Djezzy and Ooredoo; SIMs sold at the airport\r\nRide-hailing | Yassir in big cities; otherwise hotel-called taxis\r\nAlcohol | In licensed hotels and bars; drinking in public is illegal\r\nBorders | Morocco closed; UK advises against travel near the Libyan, Malian, Nigerien and Mauritanian borders\r\nBest time to go | Spring and autumn in the north; October to April in the Sahara","hw_hub_country_cities_title":"Where to go in Algeria","hw_hub_country_cities_intro":"Most trips combine the northern cities and Roman ruins with a desert trip in the south, linked by domestic flights. These are the stops that earn their place.","hw_hub_country_cities_live":"1","hw_hub_country_cities":"Algiers | White city on a bay: the UNESCO Casbah, Notre-Dame d'Afrique, the Martyrs' Memorial and French-era boulevards. |  | 1310625 |  | \nOran | Lively Mediterranean city in the west, birthplace of ra\u00ef, with a Spanish fort and beaches nearby. |  | 1310684 |  | \nConstantine | City of bridges, built on cliffs above a deep gorge in the east. |  | 1313891 |  | \nTlemcen | Western city of fine Islamic architecture, mosques and the ruins of Mansourah. |  | 1313894 |  | \nGharda\u00efa | Five fortified Mozabite towns from the 11th century, a UNESCO site. Visit the old towns with a local guide. |  | 1310639 |  | ","hw_hub_country_trips_title":"Pick your kind of Algeria trip","hw_hub_country_trips_intro":"Algeria is too big to see in one trip. Choose one or two of these, and remember that most Sahara trips need an agency.","hw_hub_country_trip_types":"Deep Sahara | sunset | sun | Fly to Djanet or Tamanrasset and explore the Tassili n'Ajjer and the Hoggar with an agency, sleeping under the stars. | Tassili rock art;Camping in the dunes;Assekrem sunrise;4x4 desert trips;Tuareg culture | Tassili n'Ajjer;Tadrart Rouge;Assekrem;Hoggar |  | desert\nRoman North Africa | purple | camera | Walk through some of the best-preserved Roman cities anywhere, often with no one else around. | Timgad;Dj\u00e9mila;Tipasa;Hippo Regius;Cherchell museum | Timgad;Dj\u00e9mila;Tipasa;Hippo Regius | Constantine | culture\nOases of the north Sahara | orange | food | Explore the fortified towns of the M'zab, the red ksour of Timimoun and the dunes of Taghit. | M'zab Valley guided walks;Timimoun ksar;Taghit dunes;Date palm groves;Desert markets | Gharda\u00efa;Beni Isguen;Timimoun;Taghit | Gharda\u00efa | desert\nCoastal cities | blue | beach | Combine Algiers, Oran and Annaba with Mediterranean beaches, French-era architecture and seafront promenades. | Casbah walk;Notre-Dame d'Afrique;Oran seafront;Beaches;Ra\u00ef music | Casbah of Algiers;Santa Cruz fort;Annaba;B\u00e9ja\u00efa | Algiers;Oran | beaches\nMountains and gorges | green | mountain | Head into the Kabylie mountains, the gorges of Constantine and the national parks of the north. | Constantine bridges;Djurdjura hikes;Ghoufi canyon;Gouraya National Park | Constantine;Djurdjura;Ghoufi;Gouraya | Constantine | hiking\nRail and road loop | teal | train | Ride the trains along the north between Oran, Algiers and Constantine, then fly south to the desert. | Algiers\u2013Oran train;Coastal roads;Domestic flights;Algiers metro and cable cars | Algiers station;Oran station;Constantine | Algiers;Oran;Constantine | road-trips","hw_hub_country_do_title":"The Casbah, Roman cities and the deep Sahara","hw_hub_country_do_body":"Start in Algiers, built on hills above a wide bay. Its Casbah, a UNESCO-listed old town of steep lanes, Ottoman palaces and mosques, is best seen with a local guide, as the lanes are confusing and some parts are crumbling. Below it, the French-era city has grand boulevards, the Grand Post Office and the Notre-Dame d'Afrique basilica on a cliff. The Martyrs' Memorial towers over the bay.\r\n\r\nAlgeria's Roman ruins are among the best anywhere. Tipasa, an hour west of Algiers, sits on the sea among pine trees. Dj\u00e9mila, in the mountains near S\u00e9tif, is a whole Roman town on a ridge, and Timgad, near Batna, is a vast grid of streets, a theatre and Trajan's Arch. You will often have them almost to yourself.\r\n\r\nConstantine, built on cliffs above a deep gorge, is spectacular, with bridges strung across the ravine. Oran, in the west, is lively and Mediterranean, the birthplace of ra\u00ef music. Tlemcen, near the Moroccan border, has fine Islamic architecture.\r\n\r\nIn the north of the Sahara, the M'zab Valley around Gharda\u00efa has five fortified towns built by the Mozabite community from the 11th century, a UNESCO site whose architecture inspired modernist architects. Visits to the old towns are only with a local guide. Further south-west, Timimoun's red mud-brick town and Taghit's dunes are beautiful.\r\n\r\nThe deep Sahara is the highlight. From Djanet, agency trips explore the Tassili n'Ajjer, a UNESCO site with thousands of prehistoric rock paintings, sandstone forests and dunes. From Tamanrasset, tours climb to Assekrem in the Hoggar for one of the great sunrises on earth.","hw_hub_country_do_points":"Casbah of Algiers | UNESCO old town; go with a local guide\r\nTimgad and Dj\u00e9mila | Two of North Africa's best Roman cities\r\nTipasa | Roman ruins by the sea, an hour from Algiers\r\nM'zab Valley | Fortified towns; guided visits only\r\nTassili n'Ajjer | Rock art and dunes from Djanet, with an agency\r\nAssekrem | Sunrise over the Hoggar from Tamanrasset","hw_hub_country_do_tag":"things-to-do","hw_hub_country_do_more":"All things to do guides for Algeria","hw_hub_country_food_title":"Couscous, chakhchoukha and Oran street food","hw_hub_country_food_body":"Algerian food shares a lot with Tunisian and Moroccan cooking, with its own regional specialities. Couscous is the national dish, traditionally eaten on Fridays, with lamb, chicken or vegetables. Chorba frik, a soup of cracked green wheat and lamb, is eaten every evening during Ramadan.\r\n\r\nEach region has its dishes. Constantine and the east are known for chakhchoukha, torn flatbread in a spicy stew, and Algiers for rechta, thin noodles in a white chicken sauce. In Oran and the west, the street snack is karantika, a chickpea flan sold in sandwiches. Mhajeb, square flatbreads stuffed with spicy tomatoes and onions, are sold everywhere.\r\n\r\nBread is excellent, from French baguettes to traditional flatbreads, and pastries such as makroud (semolina and dates) and baklava are sold in every town. The dates of Biskra and the south are some of the best in the world.\r\n\r\nFood is cheap: snacks and street food cost very little, and a meal in a local restaurant a few euros. Coffee culture is strong, and mint tea is served in the south.\r\n\r\nAlgeria produces wine, and alcohol is sold in licensed hotels, bars and shops, but drinking in public, or being drunk in public, is illegal.","hw_hub_country_food_points":"Couscous | The national dish, traditionally on Fridays\r\nChakhchoukha | Torn flatbread in spicy stew, from the east\r\nKarantika | Chickpea flan sandwich, from Oran\r\nMhajeb | Stuffed square flatbreads\r\nDates | Deglet nour from Biskra and the south\r\nAlcohol | Licensed venues only; not in public","hw_hub_country_food_tag":"food","hw_hub_country_food_more":"All food guides for Algeria","hw_hub_country_nightlife_title":"Caf\u00e9s, ra\u00ef and quiet nights","hw_hub_country_nightlife_body":"Algerian nightlife is low-key. Evenings revolve around caf\u00e9s, where men gather for coffee and dominoes, and family promenades along the seafronts of Algiers and Oran in summer.\r\n\r\nOran is the liveliest city at night, the home of ra\u00ef music, with bars, cabarets and beach venues, especially in summer.\r\n\r\nIn Algiers, bars are mostly inside hotels and some restaurants, and there are a few clubs. Elsewhere, alcohol is harder to find.\r\n\r\nDuring Ramadan, which next starts in February 2027, cities come alive after sunset, with caf\u00e9s and pastry shops open late into the night.\r\n\r\nTaxis are scarce after dark, so arrange a return pickup in advance. The UK advises avoiding unfamiliar areas, especially suburbs, after dark.","hw_hub_country_nightlife_points":"Caf\u00e9s | Coffee and dominoes until late\r\nOran | Ra\u00ef, bars and summer beach venues\r\nAlgiers | Hotel bars and a few clubs\r\nRamadan nights | Caf\u00e9s and pastry shops open late\r\nGetting home | Arrange a taxi in advance","hw_hub_country_nightlife_tag":"nightlife","hw_hub_country_nightlife_more":"All nightlife guides for Algeria","hw_hub_country_transport_title":"Trains, buses and flights to the Sahara","hw_hub_country_transport_body":"Algeria is enormous, and distances in the south are measured in days by road, so most travellers combine trains and buses in the north with domestic flights to the Sahara.\r\n\r\nIn the north, SNTF trains link Algiers with Oran and other cities, and are comfortable and cheap. Buses and minibuses run between most towns, and shared taxis cover shorter routes.\r\n\r\nAir Alg\u00e9rie's domestic flights are good value and connect Algiers with Djanet, Tamanrasset, Gharda\u00efa, Timimoun and other desert towns. Most routes go through Algiers, and schedules are often published only a few months ahead. Foreign cards don't always work on Air Alg\u00e9rie's website, so you may need to book through another site or an agency.\r\n\r\nIn Algiers, the metro and tram are clean and cheap, and the funiculars and cable cars climb the hills. Ride-hailing apps, such as Yassir, operate in big cities. Ask your hotel to call a reputable taxi, especially at night.\r\n\r\nFerries sail to Algiers and Oran from Marseille and Spanish ports, including Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Almer\u00eda, a good way to arrive from Europe.\r\n\r\nThe land border with Morocco is closed, and the borders with Mali, Niger and Libya are closed or unsafe. The border with Tunisia is open, but the UK advises against travel close to it.","hw_hub_country_transport_points":"Trains | SNTF between Algiers, Oran and other cities\r\nDomestic flights | Air Alg\u00e9rie to Djanet, Tamanrasset, Gharda\u00efa\r\nBuses | Between most towns; days to the far south\r\nAlgiers | Metro, tram, funiculars and cable cars\r\nFerries | From Marseille and Spain to Algiers and Oran\r\nBorders | Morocco closed; Tunisia open","hw_hub_country_transport_tag":"transport","hw_hub_country_transport_more":"All transport guides for Algeria","hw_hub_country_money_title":"What Algeria costs in 2026","hw_hub_country_money_body":"Algeria uses the Algerian dinar (DZD). In October 2026, the official rate is about 151 dinars to \u20ac1. On the informal market, which most travellers use, you can get far more: a 2026 guide reports rates of up to 250 dinars to the euro. Changers gather around Square Port Sa\u00efd in Algiers and approach visitors at airports and hotels. It is widespread but unofficial, so compare rates, count every note, and remember you can't change dinars back without an official receipt.\r\n\r\nBring euros, which are preferred over US dollars. Cards work in some hotels and smarter restaurants, but are charged at the official rate.\r\n\r\nAt informal rates, Algeria is cheap for food and transport. Street food and local meals cost a few euros, trains and buses are cheap, and domestic flights are good value.\r\n\r\nHotels are the main cost, and many are mid-range rather than budget. Hostelworld lists only a couple of places in the country.\r\n\r\nThe other big costs are the visa and the desert. A consular visa costs about \u20ac65 at some consulates, while visas on arrival cost from \u20ac35 for two days up to \u20ac340 for 30 days, and require an agency booking. Sahara trips from Djanet or Tamanrasset are run by agencies and priced per day.\r\n\r\nYou may only bring in or take out dinars if you have residency, and you must declare cash over \u20ac5,000.","hw_hub_country_money_points":"Official rate | About 151 dinars to \u20ac1 (October 2026)\r\nInformal rate | Up to about 250 dinars to \u20ac1 (2026 reports)\r\nCurrency to bring | Euros\r\nStreet food | Very cheap at informal rates\r\nVisa on arrival | \u20ac35 (2 days) to \u20ac340 (30 days)\r\nChanging back | Only with an official receipt","hw_hub_country_money_tag":"budget","hw_hub_country_money_more":"All budget guides for Algeria","hw_hub_country_safety_title":"Staying safe in Algeria","hw_hub_country_safety_body":"Algeria is safer than its reputation suggests, and most visitors have no problems, but it needs care. The UK says terrorist attacks are likely, with a higher risk near the southern, Libyan and Tunisian borders, in rural and mountainous areas of the north and in the Sahara. It advises against all travel within 30 km of the borders with Libya, Mauritania, Mali and Niger, and in parts of the Tunisian border area, and against all but essential travel near the rest of the Tunisian border.\r\n\r\nAlgerian authorities take the safety of foreign visitors seriously. You may notice police interest in your movements, checkpoints and, in some areas, escorts. Be patient, carry your passport and keep copies of your passport and visa separately.\r\n\r\nIn the cities, pickpocketing and petty theft happen. Carry little cash, avoid unfamiliar suburbs after dark and use hotel-recommended taxis.\r\n\r\nKnow the laws. Drinking in public is illegal. Drug penalties are severe and can include the death penalty. Same-sex sexual acts are illegal. Drones, binoculars and some photography equipment need authorisation. Avoid political gatherings and demonstrations.\r\n\r\nDuring Ramadan, don't eat, drink or smoke in public during the day. Dress modestly, especially outside the big cities.\r\n\r\nIn the Sahara, travel with a licensed agency and an experienced driver, carry water and fuel, and expect patchy or no mobile signal. Algeria also has a very high road accident rate, so take care on the roads.","hw_hub_country_safety_points":"Borders | UK: no travel within 30 km of Libya, Mali, Niger, Mauritania\r\nTerrorism | Likely, especially in border areas and the Sahara\r\nPolice interest | Checkpoints and escorts; carry your passport\r\nLaws | No public drinking; severe drug penalties; same-sex acts illegal\r\nEquipment | Drones and binoculars need authorisation\r\nSahara | Licensed agency; carry water and fuel","hw_hub_country_safety_tag":"safety","hw_hub_country_safety_more":"All safety guides for Algeria","hw_hub_country_entry_title":"Visas, invitations and paperwork","hw_hub_country_entry_body":"Everyone in the Hostelworld audience needs a visa for Algeria, and there are two ways to get one.\r\n\r\nThe standard route is a consular tourist visa, applied for at an Algerian consulate before you travel. It allows fully independent travel. Expect to provide a flight itinerary, hotel bookings for your whole stay and a photo; one 2026 account gives the fee as \u20ac65 at a Spanish consulate, with a turnaround of about a week, though it can take much longer elsewhere and applications can be refused.\r\n\r\nThe second route is the visa on arrival, introduced for Saharan tourism. You need a booking with an agency approved by the Ministry of Tourism, which registers you and gives you a QR-code authorisation; the trip must include at least one of the listed southern and high-plateau provinces. The visa is issued on arrival for up to 30 days. A January 2026 report lists fees of \u20ac35 for up to 2 days, \u20ac70 for 3\u20137 days, \u20ac135 for 8\u201310 days, \u20ac170 for 11\u201315 days and \u20ac340 for 16\u201330 days. Check the exact rules with your agency, as they change from season to season.\r\n\r\nYour passport must be valid for at least six months after you arrive. Overstaying can lead to detention at the airport, prosecution and up to three months in prison.\r\n\r\nDeclare cash over \u20ac5,000 on arrival and departure. You need a yellow fever certificate only if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk.","hw_hub_country_entry_points":"Consular visa | Apply in advance; hotel bookings needed\r\nVisa on arrival | With an approved agency and QR authorisation\r\nArrival visa fees | \u20ac35 (2 days) to \u20ac340 (30 days), Jan 2026\r\nPassport | At least 6 months' validity\r\nOverstay | Detention and up to 3 months in prison\r\nCash | Declare over \u20ac5,000","hw_hub_country_entry_tag":"travel-tips","hw_hub_country_entry_more":"All travel tips guides for Algeria","hw_hub_country_season_title":"When to go to Algeria","hw_hub_country_season_intro":"Spring and autumn are best for the north, with warm days for the cities and ruins. The Sahara is best from October to April, when days are warm and nights cold; summer in the south is dangerously hot. The coast is lovely from June to September.","hw_hub_country_season_note":"Temperatures are average daily highs in Algiers (weather2travel climate data: 16\u00b0C in January and December, 32\u00b0C in August); other months are rounded between those. The Sahara is far hotter in summer and much colder at night in winter. Crowd levels are our own rough estimate.","hw_hub_country_season_rows":"January | 16 | 2 | Cool and wet; Yennayer on 12 Jan\r\nFebruary | 17 | 3 | Ramadan expected from about 8 Feb 2027\r\nMarch | 19 | 3 | Eid al-Fitr about 9\u201310 Mar 2027\r\nApril | 21 | 3 | Spring; great for ruins\r\nMay | 24 | 3 | Warm; Sahara getting hot\r\nJune | 28 | 3 | Beach season starts\r\nJuly | 31 | 4 | Independence Day, 5 July\r\nAugust | 32 | 4 | Hottest; coast busy\r\nSeptember | 29 | 3 | Warm sea\r\nOctober | 26 | 3 | Sahara season starts\r\nNovember | 21 | 3 | Revolution Day, 1 Nov\r\nDecember | 16 | 3 | Sahara at its best; cold nights","hw_hub_country_budget_title":"How much a day in Algeria costs","hw_hub_country_budget_intro":"Pick a travel style and the number of nights to see a rough total. Figures are per person per day in euros, at informal exchange rates, based on budget hotels, local food, trains and buses, and some entry fees.","hw_hub_country_budget_note":"Rough figures for 2026, assuming informal rates of around 220\u2013250 dinars to \u20ac1; at the official rate (about 151) everything costs much more. Visas, domestic flights and Sahara agency trips are extra.","hw_hub_country_budget_rows":"Shoestring | 18 | 6 | 4 | 4\r\nMiddle of the road | 35 | 12 | 8 | 8\r\nComfortable | 70 | 25 | 20 | 15","hw_hub_country_budget_currency":"\u20ac","hw_hub_country_events_title":"Festivals and events in Algeria","hw_hub_country_events_intro":"National days, Amazigh New Year and the desert festivals of the south shape the Algerian calendar. Ramadan and the Eids move about 11 days earlier each year.","hw_hub_country_events_source":"api","hw_hub_country_events_country":"algeria","hw_hub_country_events_count":"8","hw_hub_country_events_cache":"24","hw_hub_country_events_cta_label":"All events in Algeria","hw_hub_country_events_cta_url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/events\/africa\/algeria\/","hw_hub_country_events":"Yennayer | 12 January | Nationwide | Amazigh New Year, a public holiday since 2018, with family feasts. |  | \nRamadan | About 8 February to 9 March 2027 | Nationwide | Month of daytime fasting and lively nights after iftar. |  | \nSbeiba | Ashura (about May 2027) | Djanet | Tuareg festival of drums, song and dance, listed by UNESCO as intangible heritage. |  | \nIndependence Day | 5 July | Nationwide | Public holiday marking independence from France in 1962. |  | \nRevolution Day | 1 November | Nationwide | Anniversary of the start of the war of independence in 1954. |  | \nSboue | Mawlid week (about August 2027) | Timimoun | Week-long pilgrimage and celebration in the Gourara oases, a UNESCO-listed tradition. |  | ","hw_hub_country_hostels_title":"Top-rated hostels in Algeria","hw_hub_country_hostels_intro":"Algeria has very few hostels. Hostelworld lists a couple, in Constantine and Ouargla, with live prices below.","hw_hub_country_hostels_cta_label":"All hostels in Algeria","hw_hub_country_hostels_cta_url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/hostels\/africa\/algeria\/","hw_hub_country_hostels_source":"api","hw_hub_country_hostels_location_type":"country","hw_hub_country_hostels_location_id":"196","hw_hub_country_hostels_currency":"EUR","hw_hub_country_hostels_count":"12","hw_hub_country_hostels_cache":"12","hw_hub_country_hostels":"","hw_hub_country_team_title":"","hw_hub_country_team_intro":"","hw_hub_country_team":"","hw_hub_country_faq_title":"Algeria travel FAQs","hw_hub_country_faq_note":"Visa, price and safety details were checked in October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with official sources before you travel.","hw_hub_country_faqs":"Is Algeria safe to visit? | Most visitors have no problems, and Algerian authorities take tourists' safety seriously. The UK advises against all travel within 30 km of the borders with Libya, Mali, Niger and Mauritania and near parts of the Tunisian border, and says terrorist attacks are likely, especially in border areas and the Sahara. Travel in the deep south with a licensed agency.\r\nDo I need a visa for Algeria? | Yes. Either apply for a consular tourist visa before you travel, with hotel bookings and a flight itinerary, or book a trip with an approved Sahara agency to get a visa on arrival. A January 2026 report lists arrival fees from \u20ac35 for two days to \u20ac340 for 30 days.\r\nCan I travel independently in Algeria? | Yes, with a consular visa you can travel independently in the north. Some areas, especially the M'zab old towns and the deep Sahara, need local guides or agencies, and police may take an interest in your movements.\r\nHow should I change money in Algeria? | Most travellers bring euros and change them on the informal market, where 2026 reports give up to about 250 dinars to the euro, against about 151 at banks. It is widespread but unofficial. Count your money, and remember dinars can't be changed back without an official receipt.\r\nHow many days do I need in Algeria? | Two weeks covers Algiers, Tipasa, Constantine, Dj\u00e9mila or Timgad and a desert trip to Djanet or Gharda\u00efa. With a week, choose either the north or a Sahara trip.\r\nWhat is the best time to visit Algeria? | Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) for the north. October to April for the Sahara, when the days are warm and the nights cold. Summer is very hot in the south.\r\nAre there hostels in Algeria? | Very few. Hostelworld lists a couple, in Constantine and Ouargla. Most travellers stay in hotels, which you'll need to book in advance for the consular visa anyway.\r\nCan I drink alcohol in Algeria? | Yes, in licensed hotels, bars and restaurants, and Algeria makes its own wine. But drinking in public, or being drunk in public, is illegal.\r\nCan I cross from Algeria to Morocco? | No, the land border is closed. You need to fly between the two countries. The border with Tunisia is open, though the UK advises against travel close to it.\r\nHow do I get to the Sahara in Algeria? | Fly with Air Alg\u00e9rie from Algiers to Djanet, Tamanrasset, Gharda\u00efa or Timimoun, then join an agency trip. Buses to the far south take days.","hw_hub_country_cta_title":"Say yes to hostels, meet the world","hw_hub_country_cta_body":"Compare Algeria hostels: live prices, real reviews and free cancellation on most bookings. 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