Best Tourist Places in Tamanrasset, Algeria, North Africa

Best Tourist Places in Tamanrasset, Algeria, North Africa

Tamanrasset is the capital city of the province of Tamanrasset in the southern part of Algeria. It is located at an elevation of 1,320 meters, at 22°47′6″ N 5°31′22″ E, around 1930 kilometers south of Algiers, the capital of Algeria. It has only few tourist attractions including Maison de la Culture and visitors can consider it as a starting point of the Algerian tour as it is located in the southern end of Algeria and serve by an international airport.

The Tuareg people form the majority of the Tamanrasset’s population. Although experiencing hot desert climate, the weather of Tamanrasset is supportive for the productions of citrus fruits, almonds, figs and dates.

History of Tamanrasset:

Tamanrasset originated as a military outpost to defend the trade routes of Trans-Saharan. During the French rule in Algeria, Tamanrasset was called Fort Laperrine which was named after General François-Henry Laperrine. Tamanrasset was the site of the crash of Air Algérie Flight 6289 in 2003.

Getting Tamanrasset:

Aguenar – Hadj Bey Akhamok Airport is the airport serving Tamanrasset with scheduled flights from Algiers, Constantine, Djanet, El Golea, Ghardaia, Illizi, In Salah, Oran, Ouargla and Paris, catered by Air Algérie.

The airport is located 7 kilometers away from the center of Tamanrasset which can be reached by bus or taxi.

Tamanrasset is also connected to the national capital Algiers by bus services through the National road A1.

Visitors can get around Tamanrasset with rental cars are accessible in addition of availing buses.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Tamanrasset:

Compared to other southern Algerian cities, Tamanrasset houses number of cultural sites, including Maison de la Culture and Musée du lOPNA.

Tamanrasset houses many modernized restaurants of which most accept credit cards for visitor’s convenience.

The famous food corners in Tamanrasset are as follows:

Restaurant Nina
Restaurant Tassili
Restaurant Chelia

Things to do in Tamanrasset:

Hiking
Shopping
Visiting museums

Places of interest in Tamanrasset:

The Museum of the Hoggar:

The Museum of the Hoggar in Tamanrasset is concentrated on showcasing the life and culture of the indigenous people Tuareg. It receives a large number of tourists year round.

Musée du Hoggar:

The Musée du Hoggar is a specialty museum as well as one of the tourist attractions of Tamanrasset housing a nice collection of objects showcasing the features of Hoggar Mountains. Another important museum in Tamanrasset is Musée du lOPNA. It is worth a visit.

Hoggar Mountains:

The Hoggar Mountains are a mountain region known for its highest peak, Mount Tahat (2,908 meters), the tomb of Tin Hinan, rock paintings dating back to 6000 BC and endangered fauna species, Lycaon pictus.

Tassili N’Ajjer National Park:

Situated around 700 kilometers away from Tamanrasset, the Tassili N’Ajjer National Park was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Its archaeological sites and prehistoric rock paintings are famous among visitors coming to the park year round.

List of other places of interest in and around Tamanrasset includes:

The city gate of In Salah
Municipal stadium
Notre Dame d’Afrique
La Rue Didouche Mourad
Memorial du Martyr
Mosque in In Salah
Le Jardin d’Essai du Hamma
Museum of Modern Art Algiers
Cathedrale du Sacre Coeur
La Grande Poste d’Alger
Musee National du Bardo
Tombeau de la chretienne
Le Musee National Des Beaux Arts
Musee des Antiquites
Le Port de Sidi Fredj

Best time to visit Tamanrasset:

Probably the best time to visit Tamanrasset is during the months of the winter season between November and March as its summer is very hot.

Accommodation options in Tamanrasset:

There are modernized hotels less in number in Tamanrasset city, so it is advised for visitors to find hotels in nearby cities for more comfort with a wide variety of facilities and services. The prominent tourist favor hotels in and around Tamanrasset are listed below: