What are the best things to do in Algiers? Start with the Casbah, the hillside old town that UNESCO lists as a World Heritage Site, then add the basilica of Notre-Dame d’Afrique, the Martyrs’ Memorial, the Jardin d’Essai botanical garden, the city’s museums and the colonial boulevards along the bay. Algiers, called “El Bahdja,” the joyful one, is Algeria’s capital and its main international gateway. Two or three days is enough for the highlights, and the Roman ruins of Tipaza make an easy day trip. This guide lists the top sights, how to get around and where to go next.
Planning a trip? Start with our complete Algeria travel guide, our Algeria visa guide and is Algeria safe?
Algiers at a glance
| Where | On the Mediterranean coast in north-central Algeria, around a wide bay |
|---|---|
| Known for | The Casbah, Ottoman palaces, white French-era boulevards and views over the bay |
| UNESCO | The Kasbah of Algiers, World Heritage Site since 1992 |
| Time needed | Two to three days, plus a day trip to Tipaza |
| Getting there | Houari Boumediene Airport, the country’s main international airport |
| Getting around | Metro, tram, cable cars, taxis and walking |
Explore the Casbah
The Casbah is the heart of old Algiers and the city’s essential sight. It is a steep maze of stairways, alleys and houses built around inner courtyards, climbing from the sea to a hilltop citadel. UNESCO describes it as a unique kind of medina, with mosques and Ottoman-era palaces surviving inside a traditional urban fabric. It was also a center of the resistance during Algeria’s war of independence.
- Ketchaoua Mosque: an Ottoman-era mosque at the foot of the Casbah that was turned into a cathedral under French rule and became a mosque again after independence.
- Dar Mustapha Pacha and other Ottoman houses, with tiled courtyards and carved wood.
- Palais des Raïs (Bastion 23): a group of restored Ottoman palaces and fishermen’s houses by the sea, now a cultural center.
- The Citadel (Dar al-Sultan) at the top of the hill, the last palace of the deys of Algiers.
Go with a local guide. The lanes are confusing, some houses are fragile or under restoration, and a guide from the area opens doors and tells the stories behind them.
Top things to do in Algiers
The top things to do in Algiers, after the Casbah, are its basilica, its independence memorial, its botanical garden, its museums and its waterfront.
- Notre-Dame d’Afrique: a 19th-century basilica on a cliff above the western districts, with a view over the bay. Its inscription asks Our Lady of Africa to pray for Christians and Muslims alike.
- Maqam Echahid (Martyrs’ Memorial): the giant concrete monument of three palm leaves, opened in 1982 for the 20th anniversary of independence, with a museum of the independence war below it.
- Jardin d’Essai du Hamma: a large botanical garden laid out in the 1830s, with avenues of palms, ficus and dragon trees. You can walk up from it to the Martyrs’ Memorial.
- Djamaa el Djazair (Great Mosque of Algiers): the huge mosque on the bay, inaugurated in 2024, with a minaret reported at 265 meters, the tallest in the world. Its museum and cultural areas are open to visitors; check what is open before you go.
- The Bardo Museum: prehistory and ethnography in a former Ottoman-era villa, including finds from the Sahara.
- National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Arts: mosaics, Roman statues and Islamic art, close to the Bardo.
- The Grande Poste and the downtown boulevards: the neo-Moorish main post office, Rue Didouche Mourad and the arcades along the waterfront.
- The waterfront and the bay at sunset: walk the seafront promenade, or take a cable car up the hills for the view.
Day trips from Algiers
The best day trip from Algiers is Tipaza and its Roman ruins by the sea, and there are several more within a couple of hours.
- Tipaza: Roman ruins on the seashore, about an hour and a half west. See our guide to Roman ruins in Algeria.
- The Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania: a huge round royal tomb on a hill on the way to Tipaza, part of the same UNESCO site.
- Cherchell: a coastal town west of Tipaza with a museum of Roman sculpture.
- Kabylie: the Djurdjura mountains and Tizi Ouzou to the east, for hill villages and Amazigh culture.
How to get around Algiers
The easiest way to get around Algiers is by metro, tram, cable car and taxi, combined with walking in the center.
- Metro: Algiers has had a metro since 2011, running from the center toward the southern and eastern suburbs.
- Tram: a tram line runs along the eastern side of the bay.
- Cable cars: short urban cable cars link the waterfront with hillside districts, including near Notre-Dame d’Afrique and the Martyrs’ Memorial.
- Taxis: plentiful; agree on the fare or use a ride-hailing app that works locally.
- Trains: from Algiers, trains run to Oran, Constantine and other cities.
Algiers in two days
Two days in Algiers is enough for the Casbah, the main monuments and a sunset over the bay.
| Day | Morning | Afternoon and evening |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | The Casbah with a local guide: Ketchaoua Mosque, Ottoman houses, the Citadel | Palais des Raïs, the Grande Poste, downtown boulevards and the seafront |
| Day 2 | Jardin d’Essai, then up to the Martyrs’ Memorial | The Bardo Museum, then Notre-Dame d’Afrique for sunset over the bay |
Tips for visiting Algiers
- Bring cash. Cards work only in some hotels and shops.
- Wear good shoes. The Casbah is all steps and slopes.
- Dress modestly in the old town and when visiting mosques.
- Do not photograph police or official buildings, and ask before photographing people.
- Check opening days. Many museums close one day a week, and Friday is the weekly holiday.
Travel with a local guide
Simsem’s Algeria host, Freedom Travel Algeria, runs tours that start in Algiers:
Discovering Algiers & Tipaza
Three days in Algiers and the Roman ruins of Tipaza on the sea.
Algeria Heritage Express: Algiers, Constantine & Roman Treasures – 5 Days Cultural Journey
Five days with Freedom Travel Algeria: Algiers and its Casbah, Constantine’s bridges and the Roman cities of Timgad and Djemila.
Journey Algiers, Oran & Tlemcen Heritage Escape
Six days in Algiers, Oran and Tlemcen, the cities of Algeria’s west.
See all Algeria experiences on Simsem.
FAQ
What is Algiers famous for?
Its Casbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its white colonial buildings around the bay, Notre-Dame d’Afrique and the Martyrs’ Memorial.
How many days do you need in Algiers?
Two to three days covers the main sights, plus one more for a day trip to Tipaza.
Is the Casbah of Algiers safe?
Visitors explore it regularly. The easiest and safest way is with a local guide, who knows the lanes and the houses open to visitors.
Can tourists visit the Great Mosque of Algiers?
Visitors can see parts of Djamaa el Djazair, including cultural areas and the museum. Prayer halls are for worshippers. Check current visiting hours before you go.
How far is Tipaza from Algiers?
About 70 km west, roughly an hour and a half by road.
Does Algiers have a metro?
Yes. The Algiers metro opened in 2011, and the city also has a tram line and several urban cable cars.
