Raïs Palace Tickets and Tours

10 Day Algeria Group Tour to the Sahara

10-day trip to Algeria

We were three middle-aged/elderly couples from the UK, Spain, Finland and Greece and participated together in the 10-day tour organized by Cozy Vibes Travel, covering Algiers, Ghardaia, Constantine and Djanet. The programme was well-balanced, covering many of the most important sites to visit in Algeria. Without going into description of what we saw and experienced, we will concentrate on reviewing the experience with Cozy Vibes Travel. On the positive side, there is lots to say. We started with a delightful session cooking with Djalil’s wife and mother-in-law at his home. Everything in the travel plan was implemented as promised in advance. Djalil and his team of guides were extremely helpful, knowledgeable and made their best to make us feel comfortable and welcome. They were punctual and remained with us even at odd hours when needed. All our guides, Murat and Abir in Algiers, Yusuf in Ghardaia, Wahil in Constantine and Ibrahim in Djanet, were excellent. We were particularly impressed by the broad level of knowledge about the history of antiquity, and erudition and skills in English language of our guide Wahil in Constantine. The drivers were courteous, responsive to our requests and reliable. We were surprised to see such a wealth of antiquities from the Roman period; the historic parts of Algiers and Constantine were all truly awsome. The Ottoman palaces in Algiers and Constantine were a particular delight. The night in the desert was a unique experience. Overall, we were impressed by the friendliness and kindness of the Algerians we met during the trip. The Algerian food was tasty and of very good quality. Furthermore, we felt completely immune to any suggestion of threat or violence during the whole trip, in contrast to the warnings of multiple travel advisories. No doubt, this is a credit to Djalil and his team. On the negative side, there is some little to say. A complaint is the poorly managed hotel in Constantine. Djalil agreed with us about this and will not use their services in the future. The multiple night-flights were an inconvenience but apparently unavoidable. If you want to see a lot in a large country within a short time range, you have to be prepared for inconvenient travel schedules. Day-time travel would have limited the time for sight-seeing. In summary, we were highly satisfied with our trip. We would like to compliment Djalil and his team for the excellent job they did. We can highly recommend Cozy Vibes Travel for those planning to visit Algeria. Ilpo, Maria, George, Esther, Vania and Takis

"Best of Algiers city" by Fancyellow

Highly recommended intense walking tour of Algiers and the Casbah!

My day tour in June 2024 was absolutely outstanding, and just what I was looking for. First, the team at FancyYellow were impeccably courteous, quick, and thorough about drafting a letter to the embassy in Washington, DC for me to get my visa to Algeria processed. Without their help, I am not sure I would have been able to travel to the country. I am grateful for their immediate help in answering my unsolicited email, and working with me to get my paperwork correctly completed. My tour was excellent. It was a day long walking tour, starting at about 9am and ending a little after 5pm. All the admissions, food, and intermediate transportation was included in the tour. My guide was a kind, knowledgeable, and an excellent English speaker, though he gave me the opportunity to speak in French or Arabic if I wished. The tour consisted of in depth trek through the Casbah, including visiting the old residences and important buildings from the Ottoman times, such as that of the Bey. The tour included the Martyrs Memorial, the national gardens or Jardin d’Essais (where ‘Tarzan’s tree’ is located), and building around Place des Martyrs. The tour guide was able to take me to several art, history, and craftwork museums, demonstrating the highlights. Maybe the best experience was the ability to actually eat local street food, and dine with regular residents of Algiers who were able to explain their experiences during and since the War of Independence. We also tasted local coffee at the restaurant where De Gaulle used to dine. I should mention that this is not an easy walking tour. We about traversed 7 miles (11 km) during the day, and much of that was up steep hills and the many, many stairs of Algiers. There are tight corners in many of the homes and eateries in the Casbah, which will be difficult for anyone with mobility issues. This is not a tour for those who experience chronic or acute pain while walking, as in the Casbah, walking is the only option for getting around. Besides walking, some transport required riding the local metro, taxis, and a funicular. The tour also reflects the as-lived in history of Algiers and the people of Algeria, so there will be tragic and sometimes graphic exhibits, particularly at the museum under the Martyrs Monument—these images and exhibits will be emotional for everyone, but could also be jarring for those with small children or those with past trauma. Lastly, the tour can be hot on days where the breezes come from the south (not during my experience), so lots of hydration and stopping for snacks is imperative. Overall, I would highly recommend this tour for those who want to see the major sites of the city, while also experiencing the daily life of many of those in Algiers. The tour was intense and exhausting at times, but extremely rewarding. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the different architectures, food traditions, and cultures of all who have lived in or occupied Algiers and was able to show the minute details of how these influenced the construction and livelihood of the entire city. Without this tour, I would have missed so much of what Algiers has to offer.