Algiers in Three Days: Casbah to Tipasa

October 29, 2026

Travel advice, as of October 2026: the UK FCDO advises against all travel within 30 km of Algeria’s borders with Libya, Mauritania, Mali and Niger and against travel to parts of the Tunisian border, with all but essential travel advised along the rest. It considers terrorist attacks likely, with higher risk in the south and the Sahara. The land border with Morocco is closed. This plan stays in Algiers and on the coast to the west, outside those zones. Check the FCDO entry requirements and travel.state.gov before you book.

Three days covers Algiers well: one day for the Ottoman old town, one for gardens, museums and viewpoints, and one for the Roman coast. Add a fourth day if you want a slower pace or the Great Mosque. Most visitors need a visa from an Algerian consulate before arriving, and the visa on arrival is limited to southern Sahara itineraries booked through an accredited agency. Declare cash over EUR 5,000. Bring dinars or euros in cash, as the official rate is about 150 DZD per euro and cards are rarely accepted.

Day 1: Casbah and the waterfront

Start at the Citadel at the top of the Casbah and walk downhill with a local guide, which is advisable but not required. Allow about three hours for the stepped lanes, the palace of Dar Mustapha Pacha and the exterior of the Ali Bitchin mosque. The house at 5 Rue des Abdérames is a solemn memorial to the Battle of Algiers, so visit it quietly. Finish at Place des Martyrs and the waterfront palace of the Palais des Raïs. Opening hours and prices for all of these are unconfirmed, so ask locally. For lunch, look for bourek and garantita, a chickpea flan, in the Bab El Oued area.

Day 2: Gardens, museums and views

Take Metro Line 1 to Jardin d’Essai and spend the morning in the botanical garden, then cross to the National Fine Arts Museum, reported open on Friday afternoons and closed on Sunday. In the afternoon, see the Bardo museum and its Queen Tin Hinan display, or ride a cable car if it is running. The Maqam Echahid memorial and its museum deserve a quiet, respectful visit, not a casual stop. The Notre-Dame d’Afrique basilica in Bologhine is an active Catholic church with a clifftop terrace, and visiting hours should be checked locally. The Great Mosque, Djamaa El Djazair, has a 265 m minaret. Prayer halls are reported closed to non-Muslims, but the minaret viewing deck, library and museum are reported open with a strict dress code, so confirm times.

Day 3: Roman coast

Hire a driver or book a Yassir car for a day west. Stop first at the Tombeau de la Chrétienne, the large royal mausoleum near Sidi Rached, about 100 DZD to enter by one report. Continue about 70 km from Algiers to the Tipasa archaeological park, a UNESCO site, then another 30 km to Cherchell and its museum of Roman sculpture. Return in the late afternoon, and take a seafront walk along the Sablettes promenade at Hussein Dey if there is time.

Where to stay

Choose a base near Metro Line 1, such as the centre around Grande Poste, so you can move without a car. Browse options through Algiers hotels on Booking.com . Alcohol is only available at licensed hotels, restaurants and bars.

Practical tips

Friday and Saturday are the weekend, and Friday mornings are quiet. Dress with shoulders and knees covered. Do not photograph police, military or government sites, and drones need prior authorisation. Use ONT for official tourism information.