Biskra and Bou Saada, Gateways to the Sahara
From Biskra to Bou Saada’s lanes and craft workshops.
Overview
At the gateway to the Sahara.
Quality partner-hotel accommodation, guided visits, comfortable transport, full board and a bilingual guide. Discover Biskra’s hot springs, taste local datesand explore landscapes between desert and oasis.
- Duration
- 5 days / 4 nights
- Departure & return
- Biskra → Bou Saada
- Availability
- Availability : Contact us
- Minimum age
- 4 years
Read the full overview
Biskra is a gateway to the Ziban oases and a region renowned for its dates. Discover the celebrated Deglet Nour variety, an essential part of local food culture.
Biskra’s heritage reflects ancient and Islamic influences. Visit Sidi Okba Mosque and explore the old market, a lively place to discover local crafts and everyday life.
In Bou Saada, explore the old streets and regional food, including zviti, a semolina-based speciality. Discover the Étienne Dinet Museum and the painter’s portrayals of local people and landscapes, then enjoy the town’s welcoming atmosphere.
Discover Bou Saada’s historic buildings and the stories they hold. End the day with mint tea on a café terrace as the light changes over the surrounding landscape.
Biskra and Bou Saada combine oasis scenery, regional food and cultural heritage. The journey offers a welcoming introduction to life at the edge of the Algerian Sahara.
Itinerary
Your journey day by day.
Day 1Arrival in Biskra
Our French-speaking team welcomes you at Biskra’s Mohamed Khider Airport. Settle into your hotel, then explore the old market and discover local dates, spices and produce. Confirm English-guiding requirements with your adviser before booking.
Visit the Mosque of Okba ibn Nafi, an important site in the region’s Islamic heritage. In the evening, enjoy a traditional dinner featuring regional specialities such as zviti or doubara.
Day 2Explore Biskra
Begin the day in Biskra’s old market, browsing colourful stalls of spices and local produce.
In the afternoon, explore historic remains in and around Biskra and visit the local museum to learn about the region’s history.
Relax in a local café over mint tea before a traditional dinner featuring regional dishes.
Day 3From Biskra to Bou Saada
After breakfast, travel towards Bou Saada. Stop at El Kantara to admire its historic bridge and the views over the gorge and surrounding valley.
Continue to the red village, where earthen houses blend into the desert landscape. Explore the settlement, meet local residents and discover traditional crafts.
On arrival in Bou Saada, walk through the old town’s narrow lanes, coloured houses and artisan workshops.
Day 4Bou Saada
Discover Bou Saada’s craft traditions, including the workshops where its well-known knives are made using skills passed between generations.
Visit the tomb associated with Emir Abdelkader’s family, then continue to the Étienne Dinet Museum to discover works inspired by Bou Saada and its people.
Explore the lively streets and taste dishes prepared with local market produce. Later, enjoy mint tea in a café and conversation about daily life in the town.
At sunset, enjoy tea on the dunes and take in the wide desert horizon.
Day 5Return to Algiers
Spend your final morning at a relaxed pace in Bou Saada. Depending on departure time, make a few last purchases or explore another part of the town.
Transfer to Algiers for your return flight, bringing your journey through the region’s landscapes, food and local encounters to a close.
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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
Mohamed Khider Airport, Biskra