Trek to Assekrem in the Hoggar
Walk from camp to camp through the Hoggar.
Overview
In the mountains of the Hoggar.
Return domestic flights to Tamanrasset, guided visits, full board with a Tuareg cook and a bilingual Riwaya tour leader included. Assistance with visa-on-arrival arrangements where eligible. Depart from Algiers and explore theAtakor with its magnificent mountain panoramas in the heart of the Hoggar.
- Duration
- 7 days / 6 nights
- Departure & return
- Algiers → Tamanrasset
- Availability
- Availability : Plusieurs séjours
- Minimum age
- 10 years
Read the full overview
Discover Tamanrasset and the Hoggar, a region closely associated with Tuareg culture. Once known as Fort Laperrine during the French colonial period, Tamanrasset remains a meeting point in the Sahara, shaped by trade and movement between northern Algeria and the wider African continent.
The Hoggar is a highlight for travellers drawn to dramatic landscapes. At Assekrem, sunrise reveals silhouettes of mountain peaks and changing shades of red across the rocky landscape.
Explore the Hoggar’s high mountain landscapes, where rock and sand form striking contrasts. Signs of life persist in this arid environment, and an acacia’s shade offers a welcome place to pause for tea.
Assekrem is closely associated with Charles de Foucauld and his search for a life of simplicity and spiritual reflection. Visiting the Hoggar brings together powerful landscapes, silence and an insight into this part of the region’s history.
The Sahara is also a place of stories, traditions and human history. A journey to Assekrem and the Hoggar offers more than scenery: it introduces a distinctive cultural landscape.
Itinerary
Your journey day by day.
Day 1ALGIERS – TAMANRASSET
Evening departure from Algiers to Tamanrasset, a gateway to the Algerian Sahara.
Our Tuareg team welcomes you at the airport and accompanies you from the beginning of your Saharan journey.
Day 2TAMANRASSET – AFILAL
Arrive in Tamanrasset at night. Our Tuareg team meets you at the airport and transfers you to the Caravansérail for a short rest. After breakfast, leave by 4x4 for the Afilal valley, whose wetlands are recognised under the Ramsar Convention.
Meet the camel-handling team who will accompany your trek and enjoy lunch together. In the afternoon, the camels carry your luggage towards Wadi In Ameri, your first campsite. Walk for around an hour and a half to reach camp.
Settle into camp and spend the night beneath the stars in the Algerian Sahara.
Transport : 4×4
Transfer time : around 2 hours
Accommodation : desert camp, in a tent or under the stars
Day 3AMAZAROUG – ASSEKREM
At daybreak, leave In Amari towards Mount Amazaroug, known for its prehistoric rock art. Discover a landscape that combines natural beauty with traces of the region’s ancient history.
Enjoy a picnic at the foot of the mountain. In the afternoon, continue walking towards Assekrem, known for Charles de Foucauld’s high-altitude hermitage.
Watch the sun set over the Hoggar mountains before spending the night camping in the Segaika area.
Transport : walking
Journey time : around 6 hours of walking
Accommodation : camp under the stars
Day 4WADI TANESMEGUAGHT
Descend in the morning towards Titourtourene, crossing rocky plateaux and dry riverbeds in the heart of the Hoggar.
After a picnic lunch, continue towards Wadi Tanesmeguaght. Set up camp in the late afternoon for another night beneath the stars in the quiet desert landscape.
Transport : trekking / walking
Walking time : around 6 hours
Accommodation : desert camp in the wadi
Day 5EDIKEL CIRQUE – TIN ZEZERE – ADRAR HEGRINE
Begin the final full day of trekking with a morning walk through Wadi Tanesmeguaght, then enter the natural cirque of Edikel, surrounded by mountains.
Continue towards Tin Zezere and Wadi Bersou before reaching the foot of Adrar Hegrine. This striking volcanic landscape is the setting for your final desert camp.
Transport : trekking / walking
Walking time : around 6 hours
Accommodation : camp at the foot of Adrar Hegrine
Day 6TAESSA N’AGUENNA VOLCANIC PLATEAU – AHANANNER – TAMANRASSET
Explore the volcanic plateau of Taessa n’Aguenna on foot, discovering the Hoggar’s sculpted mineral landscapes during the last stage of your trek.
After around two hours of walking, meet your vehicles at Ahananner and return by 4x4 to Tamanrasset. Settle into the Caravansérail lodge.
In the late afternoon, visit Tamanrasset’s African market to discover crafts, spices and textiles and meet local people. Enjoy dinner and rest in a comfortable room before your return flight.
Transport : trekking and 4x4
Transfer time : 2 hours walking and 1 hour driving
Accommodation : guesthouse – Caravansérail Tamanrasset
Day 7TAMANRASSET – ALGIERS – EUROPE
Transfer to the airport during the night for the domestic flight from Tamanrasset to Algiers, taking around two hours.
Your journey in Algeria ends with an onward flight to Europe, carrying memories of the Sahara, its mountains and Tuareg hospitality.
Transport : 4x4 transfer and domestic flight
Transfer time : 20 minutes driving / 2-hour flight
Final destination : return to Europe via Algiers
View location map
Responsible travel
Riwaya’s commitments.
Transport, water and waste management, local teams and heritage protection: discover the criteria Riwaya uses to assess its journeys.
Discover our approachPractical information
Before you travel.
Departure & return
Houari Boumediene Airport
Departure time
Three hours before departure
Price includes
- Camping accommodation: single or double tents with orthopaedic mattress, duvet and pillow.
Price excludes
FAQ
How do I reach the Hoggar from Algeria’s main cities?
Domestic flights are the quickest way to reach Tamanrasset, with connections from Algiers subject to airline schedules. From Tamanrasset, private 4x4 vehicles with drivers provide access to the wider Hoggar region. Your adviser can help coordinate the route and available connections.
Riwaya Travel also organises walking itineraries with experienced Tuareg teams. These journeys combine local cultural encounters, the landscapes of the Atakor, bilingual guiding and full-board arrangements as specified in your itinerary.
What are the challenges of protecting the Hoggar’s natural and cultural heritage?
The Hoggar’s natural and cultural heritage is fragile. Protecting desert-adapted wildlife and vegetation, managing scarce water and caring for remarkable geological landscapes are important challenges in this arid region.
Local communities also face changes affecting traditional crafts, music and ways of life. Riwaya’s responsible-travel approach aims to limit visitor impacts and support the people who live and work in the region.
Working with local guides and artisans, choosing suitable accommodation and respecting the landscape can help support the Hoggar’s cultural and natural heritage for future generations.
What volcanic and geological formations can I see in the Hoggar?
The Hoggar, in the heart of the Sahara, is renowned for its dramatic geological and volcanic formations.
Mount Tahat, Algeria’s highest peak, is one of the region’s best-known landmarks, rising above spectacular surrounding landscapes.
Assekrem offers remarkable panoramas, especially at sunrise and sunset, when the changing light transforms the rocky peaks.
Ilamane is another striking landmark, with distinctive rock formations revealing the region’s volcanic history.
Erosion has shaped the Hoggar’s canyons, plateaux and natural formations over time. Exploring these landscapes with a local team offers an insight into the forces behind this remarkable mountain desert.
What is the climate like in the Hoggar, and when should I visit?
The Hoggar has strong temperature contrasts between day and night. Summer can be intensely hot, while winter days are often milder. Winter nights at altitude may fall to freezing or below, so warm clothing is essential.
Journeys are generally planned between October and May, with the best dates depending on the route and altitude. Ask your adviser about conditions for walking, camping and early-morning visits to Assekrem.
What is the history of the Hoggar and its connection with Tuareg culture?
The Hoggar is closely linked to Tuareg culture and the former caravan routes across the Sahara. Crafts, music and knowledge of desert life remain important parts of its heritage. Tamanrasset has long been a meeting place for people and cultures from across the region.
Charles de Foucauld’s association with Assekrem adds another chapter to the region’s history. Rock art and archaeological sites also reveal a much older human presence, making the Hoggar a cultural landscape as well as a natural wonder.