Algeria

Safety notice for this Algeria travel guide (checked November 2026). The US Department of State rates Algeria Level 2, “exercise increased caution,” because of terrorism and kidnapping. Its advisory, renewed on 25 August 2026, says not to travel to areas near the eastern and southern borders, Bordj Badji Mokhtar, Illizi, In Guezzam, In Salah, Tamanrasset, the mountainous areas of Tébessa Province, or Tindouf, or to remote parts of the Sahara without an organized tour group. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to parts of Algeria, including areas within 30 km of the borders with Libya, Mauritania, Mali and Niger. Read the US advisory and the UK travel advice again before you book.

Where Is Algeria Located?

Algeria is a country in North Africa, on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital, Algiers, sits on the northern coast. At about 2.38 million square kilometres, Algeria is the largest country in Africa, and it shares borders with Tunisia, Libya, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Western Sahara and Morocco.

Last checked: November 2026

The Mediterranean coastline runs for roughly 1,600 kilometres. Behind it, the Tell Atlas and Saharan Atlas ranges stretch from west to east, and the Aurès Mountains rise in the north-east. South of the mountains, the Sahara covers about four-fifths of the country, and the Hoggar massif stands in the far south.

Algeria uses Central European Time (UTC+1) all year. Distances are larger than most maps suggest: Algiers to Tamanrasset is about 1,500 kilometres in a straight line, farther than Algiers to Rome. Many travelers therefore choose two or three regions instead of the whole country. Our guide to getting around Algeria covers trains, buses and domestic flights, and the flights to Algeria guide covers the international airports.

Algeria Travel Guide: An Introduction to the Country

Algeria is a republic in North Africa with an elected president. Its capital is Algiers, its currency is the Algerian dinar (DZD), and Arabic and Tamazight are the official languages. About 48 million people live in the country as of 2026, according to a United Nations estimate, and most of them live in the north.

The 48 million figure covers the whole country. A figure for Algiers or another city refers to that city or its province only, so don’t compare the two directly. Abdelmadjid Tebboune has been president since December 2019 and won a second term in September 2024. Parliament has two chambers, the People’s National Assembly and the Council of the Nation.

Algeria is best known for seven sites on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO): the Kasbah of Algiers, Tipasa, Djémila, Timgad, the M’Zab Valley, Tassili n’Ajjer and Al Qal’a of Beni Hammad. They were listed between 1980 and 1992, and you can check each entry on the UNESCO page for Algeria. Our best places to visit in Algeria guide groups the main sights by type.

A common misunderstanding is that Algeria is only desert. The north has beaches, cedar and pine forests, snow-covered mountains in winter and wheat plains, while the Sahara itself includes rocky plateaus and mountain ranges as well as dunes. That variety gives the country several climates, which the best time to visit Algeria guide explains month by month.

Entry rules are covered in the Algeria visa guide. For route ideas, see the Algeria itineraries, and for accommodation, read where to stay in Algeria.

History of Algeria: From Early Settlement to Today

People have lived in what is now Algeria for a very long time, and the Sahara once held rivers and grassland. Later came Phoenician traders, Berber kingdoms, Roman rule, Arab and Islamic dynasties, the Ottoman regency of Algiers, French colonization from 1830 and independence in 1962. Each period left buildings that visitors can still see today.

Ancient Algeria and Roman Rule

Stone tools found at Ain Boucherit, in the Sétif area, are estimated at about 1.9 million years old. Thousands of years ago, the Sahara was greener, and artists left more than 15,000 paintings and engravings at Tassili n’Ajjer. Phoenician and Carthaginian traders later set up coastal trading posts, and one of them grew into Algiers.

Berber kings ruled Numidia, and Massinissa united much of it around 202 BC from his capital at Cirta, now Constantine. Rome took control in stages, starting with the defeat of Numidia in 46 BC. Roman cities followed, including Tipasa, Djémila and Timgad, which Emperor Trajan founded in about AD 100. Emperor Constantine the Great renamed Cirta in AD 313, which gave the city its modern name. The Vandals arrived in 429, and Byzantine forces returned in the 530s.

Islamic Dynasties and the Ottoman Period

Arab armies reached the region in the late 7th century, and Islam spread over the following centuries as many Amazigh communities adopted the faith. Regional dynasties ruled from cities such as Tahert, where the Rustamids governed from 776 to 909. The Hammadids founded Al Qal’a of Beni Hammad in 1007.

In 1516, the brothers Aruj and Hayreddin Barbarossa took Algiers, and the city soon joined the Ottoman Empire. It became a regency, a largely self-governing province, that lasted until 1830. Ottoman governors left mosques, palaces and the layered lanes of the Kasbah.

French Rule and Independence

France captured Algiers in 1830 and spent decades extending control across the north and then the Sahara. Large areas of farmland passed to European settlers, and Algerians had far fewer political rights. The National Liberation Front launched an armed struggle on 1 November 1954. The Evian Accords ended the war in March 1962, and Algeria became independent on 5 July 1962.

Algeria Since 1962

Algeria adopted a multiparty system in 1989. A civil conflict through the 1990s continued into the early 2000s, and a national reconciliation process followed. In 2019, mass protests known as the Hirak led to the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who had held office since 1999. Voters approved a new constitution in a referendum in November 2020.

Culture of Algeria: Language, Religion and Everyday Life

Algerian culture combines Amazigh (Berber), Arab, Ottoman and French influences. Arabic and Tamazight are the official languages, French is widely used in business and education, and Islam is the state religion. Family, hospitality and shared meals shape daily life, and guests are often offered tea or coffee before anything else.

Language

Most Algerians speak Algerian Arabic, called Darija, at home. Tamazight has several varieties, including Kabyle, Chaoui, Mozabite and Tuareg, and it became an official language in 2016. In city shops and offices, people often switch between Arabic and French in one conversation. English is less common, so a few French or Arabic phrases help.

Religion

The large majority of Algerians are Sunni Muslims. A smaller Ibadi community lives in the M’Zab Valley, where the five fortified towns were built from the 10th century. The weekend falls on Friday and Saturday, and many businesses close for part of Friday. Mosques are active places of worship, so rules for visitors vary from one to the next.

Festivals and Public Holidays

Ramadan and the two Eids follow the Islamic lunar calendar, so each moves about 11 days earlier every year. Yennayer, the Amazigh new year, falls around 12 January and is a public holiday. Independence Day on 5 July and Revolution Day on 1 November mark the end and the start of the war of independence.

Music and Arts

Raï, a popular style from the western city of Oran, was added to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list in 2022. Chaabi grew out of the old streets of Algiers, Andalusi classical music is tied to Tlemcen and Algiers, and Kabyle and Tuareg songs carry Amazigh traditions. Craft traditions include Kabyle silver jewellery, handwoven carpets and pottery.

Clothing and Etiquette

In cities, many people wear modern clothes, and traditional pieces such as the gandoura, the burnous cloak and the colorful Kabyle dress appear at weddings and festivals. A few habits help visitors:

• Greet people first, and shake hands with someone of the opposite gender only if they offer a hand.
• Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, especially at religious sites and in smaller towns.
• Accept tea or coffee when it is offered, and remove your shoes in a home if your host does.
• Ask before you photograph people, and avoid photographing police, military sites, airports and government buildings.

Food in Algeria: Staples, Signature Dishes and Drinks

Algerian food is built on semolina, olive oil, lamb, vegetables and spices such as cumin, coriander and paprika. Couscous is the national staple, and dishes change between the Mediterranean coast, the highlands and the Sahara. Most food is halal, and many families cook couscous for the main meal on Friday.

Staples

Semolina appears as couscous, flatbread and hand-rolled pasta, and bread (khobz) goes with almost every meal. Chickpeas, lentils, olives, dates and fresh vegetables fill the rest of the table, while harissa adds heat on the side. In 2020, UNESCO listed couscous knowledge and practices as intangible heritage for Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia together.

Signature Dishes

• Couscous: steamed semolina served with vegetables and lamb, chicken or fish.
• Chorba frik: a tomato-based soup with crushed green wheat and lamb, common during Ramadan.
• Chakhchoukha: torn flatbread in a spicy sauce with meat, popular in the east.
• Rechta: hand-cut noodles in a chicken and turnip sauce with chickpeas.
• Mhadjeb: a griddled semolina pancake filled with onion and tomato.
• Bourek: thin pastry rolls filled with minced meat, cheese or tuna.
• Tajine zitoune: a chicken stew with green olives in a light sauce.
• Mechoui: lamb roasted slowly over coals or in an oven.
• Dolma: vegetables stuffed with spiced meat and rice.
• Merguez: spicy grilled sausage, often served in bread.

Street Food

Karantika, also called garantita, is a baked chickpea flan served in bread with harissa, and it is a classic snack in Oran and Algiers. Bourek and mhadjeb are sold hot at stalls, and grilled brochettes and merguez sandwiches are common in the evenings.

Drinks and Desserts

Mint tea and strong coffee are the standard social drinks, and lben, a fermented milk drink, is popular in summer. Hamoud Boualem, an Algerian soft-drink brand founded in 1878, is sold nationwide. Alcohol is available only in licensed venues.

For dessert, expect makroudh, a semolina pastry filled with dates, and qalb el louz, an almond-semolina cake soaked in syrup. Baklawa is also common, and zlabia, fried spirals of batter dipped in syrup, appears during Ramadan.

Regional Differences

Coastal cities such as Algiers, Oran and Annaba use more fish and seafood. The Kabyle highlands lean on olive oil, figs and wheat, and the east favors spicier stews. In the far south, dates are a staple, and Tuareg communities bake bread in hot sand.