What if you welcomed the new year with open desert, a campfire and a sky full of stars? A New Year journey in the Algerian Sahara offers a different rhythm from the usual celebrations, with time for landscapes and shared experiences.
Spending New Year in the Sahara brings a pause from everyday routines, encounters with Tuareg hosts and guides, and a memorable way to begin 2027.
Why choose the Algerian Sahara for New Year?
1. Time away from the crowds
The Sahara offers space and quiet. Away from the rush of seasonal celebrations and with limited connectivity, there is room to slow down and pay attention to the landscape around you.
2. Tuareg hospitality and desert life
A desert New Year is also a shared human experience. Around camp, you may taste taguella, the traditional bread baked beneath embers and sand, share tea and listen to Saharan music beneath the stars, according to the programme.
3. Help with entry formalities
Eligible organised tours in southern Algeria may use the facilitated visa-on-arrival procedure. Prior authorisation through a licensed agency is required. Riwaya Travel explains the steps for your booking; consult the relevant Algerian embassy or consulate for official guidance.
Three journeys for New Year 2027
The Sefar and Tadrart Rouge group departures run from 27 December 2026 to 4 January 2027: nine days and eight nights from Algiers, with up to 15 travellers per group. Hoggar and Assekrem trips have their own departure calendar.
| Destination | Trip highlights | New Year experience |
|---|---|---|
| The Tadrart Rouge | Tin Merzouga’s ochre dunes, sculpted canyons and sandstone arches | Dinner and a night at camp in the Tin Merzouga area, beneath the red dunes |
| The rock formations of Sefar | Trekking in UNESCO-listed Tassili n’Ajjer and viewing prehistoric rock art | New Year at camp with the Tuareg team in the Tin Tazarift area |
| The Hoggar and Assekrem | Volcanic landscapes around Tamanrasset and Charles de Foucauld’s hermitage | Sunrise from Assekrem, according to the confirmed departure programme and conditions |
1. Tadrart Rouge: dunes and sculpted rock
The Tadrart Rouge combines the rock formations of Moul n’Aga with the great dunes of Tin Merzouga. Its changing colours and open landscapes make it a striking choice for travellers drawn to the desert.
2. Sefar trek: walking through prehistoric landscapes
Within UNESCO-listed Tassili n’Ajjer, Sefar is known for its sandstone formations and important prehistoric rock art. Welcoming a new year in a landscape marked by such a long human history offers a distinctive perspective.
3. The Hoggar and Assekrem: volcanic desert scenery
Starting from Tamanrasset, a Hoggar journey explores dark volcanic formations and mountain landscapes. Depending on the confirmed programme and conditions, time at Assekrem can include sunrise over the surrounding peaks. Check the specific departure dates and itinerary for this trip.
Planning New Year in the Sahara with Riwaya Travel
Coordinated travel arrangements
The programme specifies the services included, which may cover:
- assistance with the visa-on-arrival application; check whether the visa fee is included;
- domestic transport. For Sefar and Tadrart Rouge, the group travels by coach from Algiers to Constantine, then flies to Djanet, returning by the reverse route. The Hoggar itinerary travels through Tamanrasset;
- full-board meals prepared by a local cook;
- camping equipment, including single or shared tents, mattresses, duvets and pillows as described in the programme;
- guiding and driving by experienced Tuareg teams.
Arriving from France or elsewhere in Europe
For Sefar and Tadrart Rouge, arrive in Algiers before the coach leaves at 09:00 on 27 December. The planned return flight from Djanet reaches Constantine at 02:05 on 4 January, followed by around five hours by coach to Algiers airport. Flight times can change: ask your adviser to confirm a suitable international connection before booking it.
Book your New Year 2027 departure
Holiday demand and limited domestic flight capacity can affect availability. Check places and transport arrangements with the team before confirming your international flights.
- Sefar and Tadrart Rouge · 27 December 2026 to 4 January 2027 · Nine days and eight nights.
- Group size: up to 15 travellers per itinerary.
Explore the Sefar trek, Tadrart Rouge tour or Assekrem journey, and speak with a Riwaya adviser to coordinate your arrival and departure.
