Top Sights in Algiers and Where to Start

October 29, 2026

Travel advice, October 2026: The UK FCDO advises against all travel within 30 km of the Libya, Mauritania, Mali and Niger borders, and against travel to parts of the Tunisia border, with all but essential travel along the rest of it. It judges terrorist attacks likely, above all in the south and the Sahara. The border with Morocco is closed. The capital and the northern coast are outside the areas to avoid. Read the FCDO safety page and travel.state.gov before you book.

Algiers is called the White City, and its sights fall into three zones that are best seen in separate outings: the old hillside town, the French-era centre and the monuments on the heights. Few opening times and prices are officially published, so treat every time below as a guide and confirm it at the door or with your hotel.

Zone one: the old hillside town

The Casbah has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. It climbs from the sea to the old citadel through stepped lanes, and a good first visit takes a morning. Two palaces are the main interiors. Dar Mustapha Pacha, from 1799, holds a museum of miniatures, illumination and calligraphy, and the Palais des Raïs sits on the waterfront with cedar ceilings and tiled rooms from the 16th to 18th centuries. Hire a local guide if you can, since buildings are fragile and the lanes are unmarked.

At the foot of the hill lies Place des Martyrs, with the Ketchaoua Mosque. It was built in the early 17th century, turned into a cathedral in 1838 and restored to Muslim worship in 1962. It is an active mosque, and whether non-Muslims may enter is unconfirmed, so plan on admiring the outside.

Also in the Casbah, the house at 5 Rue des Abdérames is a small memorial to the Battle of Algiers. About 17 neighbouring civilians died when it was destroyed on 8 October 1957. Visit quietly, dress modestly and leave the camera for the lanes outside.

Zone two: the French-era centre

The Grande Poste, finished in 1910, is a Neo-Moorish landmark with horseshoe arches, carved plaster and small towers, standing beside a metro station. The boulevards around it, including Didouche Mourad and Larbi Ben M’hidi, show off iron balconies and pastry shops.

Two museums lie further east. The National Fine Arts Museum in El Hamma holds Algerian and European painting, and published listings put its opening on Friday afternoons, with Sunday closed. The Bardo museum, in an Ottoman villa on Rue Franklin Roosevelt, displays the burial finds of Queen Tin Hinan, a Tuareg figure of the 4th century. Expect a modest entry fee at both.

Zone three: the heights

The Great Mosque, Djamaa El Djazair, in Mohammadia has the tallest minaret in the world at 265 m and ranks third among mosques by size. Prayer halls are reported closed to non-Muslims, while the minaret deck, library and museum are reported open to everyone, under a strict dress code. Hours reported run from about 10:00 after the morning prayer to shortly after the evening prayer.

Notre-Dame d’Afrique in Bologhine is a working Catholic basilica 124 m above the water, built from 1858 to 1872. The apse inscription asks for prayers for Muslims as well as Christians. Check visiting times locally and behave as in any parish church.

The Martyrs’ Memorial, Maqam Echahid, is three concrete palm fronds about 92 m high, honouring the war of independence. A military guard is posted. Keep voices low and skip picnics, music and posed photos.

Getting between zones

Metro Line 1 links Grande Poste, Jardin d’Essai and further east, and Yassir is the main taxi app. Bring dinars, because cards rarely work. Pictures of police, military or government buildings are off limits, and a drone cannot be flown without prior authorisation.

For a guided option, see Algiers sightseeing tours . The heritage office at ogebc.dz lists protected sites.