🇩🇿 Algeria

10 best places in Algiers

Whitewashed Algiers tumbles down to the Mediterranean from the ancient Casbah to grand colonial boulevards, blending Arab, Ottoman and French layers into one dramatic skyline.

Sight

Casbah of Algiers

A UNESCO-listed maze of narrow stairways and whitewashed Ottoman-era houses with the city's finest bay views.

Sight

Notre-Dame d'Afrique

A Moorish-Byzantine basilica perched above the sea that has drawn Muslim and Christian visitors alike for over a century.

Sight

Maqam Echahid

A soaring martyrs' memorial shaped like three giant palm leaves, visible from almost anywhere in the city.

Park

Jardin d'Essai du Hamma

A 19th-century tropical botanical garden with century-old palm avenues once used as a Hollywood jungle backdrop.

Museum

National Bardo Museum

Prehistoric and ethnographic finds housed in an elegant 18th-century Moorish mansion.

Museum

National Museum of Fine Arts

Africa's largest painting collection, spanning Delacroix and Monet to 20th-century Algerian masters.

Sight

Grande Poste d'Alger

The city's landmark neo-Moorish post office building, a showpiece of colonial-era design.

District

Rue Didouche Mourad

The city's main boulevard, lined with cafés, bookshops and Haussmann-style facades.

Restaurant

Le Bardo

A warm restaurant on Rue Didouche Mourad pairing Algerian bastilla with Mediterranean dishes.

Café

Café Eddy

A beloved patisserie-café for strong coffee and sweets where locals meet all day long.

FAQ

Is it hard to get an Algeria visa?

Yes, Algeria is one of the least tourist-friendly destinations in North Africa. You apply in advance at a consulate, usually with a hotel booking and often a voucher from a local tour operator, and refusals happen. Requirements change, so buy flights only once the visa is decided.

Is Algiers safe for tourists?

The capital is generally calm by day with plenty of police around, and the main risks are pickpockets and pushy currency-exchange offers. Visit the Casbah with a local guide: it is a maze, easy to get lost in, and not everyone welcomes a camera. The far south and border regions are a different story and should only be done on an organised trip after checking current advice.

What language do they speak in Algiers?

Arabic and Tamazight are official and the street language is Algerian dialect, but French is understood almost everywhere, especially in the capital and in service jobs. English is limited outside hotels and younger people. A few phrases of French make daily life much easier.

When is the best time to visit Algiers?

The climate is Mediterranean, so April to June and September to October are the sweet spots: warm without being punishing. Summer is hot and beach-focused, winter mild and rainy. Keep Ramadan in mind too, as cafe and museum hours shift during it.