Red Tadrart or Essendilène: which Djanet tour should you choose?

Planning a trip to the Algerian Sahara and torn between the Red Tadrart and the Djanet: Essendilène tour? Both Assouf Voyages programmes combine rock formations, canyons and dunes. The difference lies in the stages, the planned nights and the departure dates.

The Red Tadrart leads all the way to Tin Merzouga, with four nights in bivouac along the route. The Djanet: Essendilène tour follows Timghas, the Imouroudene and Essendilène canyons and the Erg Admer. Here is what you need to choose the programme that suits the trip you have in mind.

Both tours at a glance

Both tours are tailor-made trips, on your dates. The final price, flights and times are set out in your quotation.

The Red Tadrart: all the way to the dunes of Tin Merzouga

If Tin Merzouga, the arches and the canyons are at the heart of your plans, start with the Djanet Red Tadrart tour.

The programme begins with arrival in Djanet and El Berdj. It then goes through Tamezguida and Moul N’Aga, followed by In Djaren and Tin Merzouga. Oued Bohediane and the canyons come before the return via Tagharghart and Djanet, ahead of the departure to Algiers.

Four nights in bivouac are planned along this route. Keep this in mind from the moment you choose your tour: sleeping arrangements and camp comfort are as much part of the trip as the day’s stages. We specify accommodation, meals, transport and bivouac conditions in your proposal.

This tailor-made trip lasts six days, arranged on your dates, from €850 per person. The final price, flights and times are set out in your quotation, as a small group or a private version.

Djanet: Essendilène, rock paintings and the Erg Admer

The Djanet: Essendilène tour combines several stages around Djanet and in the Tassili.

Day 1: departure from Algiers to Djanet. On arrival, the team welcomes you and the first night is planned in Tigherghart. Day 2: discovery of Timghas. Day 3: the Imouroudene canyon, rock paintings, Tilleline and Tikoubaouine. Day 4: the Essendilène canyon and the Erg Admer.

Day 5: return to Djanet, with a visit to the Crying Cow site and the souk. Day 6: airport transfer and return flight to Algiers; times are confirmed in your quotation.

Accommodation is offered in bivouac and guesthouse, or in a hotel depending on the chosen option. To choose, ask for the exact breakdown of nights for your option: the general description is not enough to know the accommodation at each stage.

This tailor-made trip lasts six days, arranged on your dates, from €700 per person. The final price is set in your quotation according to your dates and chosen services.

What do the prices include?

Both tour pages include return flights from Algiers, accommodation, meals and 4×4 transport.

For the Essendilène tour, the listed services specify full board, traditional evenings, guides and assistance throughout the trip. The quotation details the accommodation option selected.

If you are travelling from another city or from abroad, state your starting point in your request. The flights listed on these pages depart from Algiers; your journey to Algiers needs to be looked at separately. When comparing two proposals, always check that they cover the same flights, nights, meals and transport.

Bivouac, pace and guidance

All bivouac equipment is provided, except sleeping bags. For hygiene reasons, each traveller brings their own sleeping bag.

The level and pace of the tour are adapted on request. Tell us about your walking habits, any mobility constraints and the time you would like to spend at each stage; the team will specify a suitable route in your proposal.

We travel in small groups, usually 10 to 12 people maximum; group size is adapted to your plans. Guidance is available in French and English.

Questions to ask before choosing

The sites visited give you a first direction. Your comfort needs and pace then help refine the choice. Before asking for a quotation, tell the team:

• your available dates, taking arrival and return times into account;
• whether you prefer a small group or a private version;
• the number of travellers and each person’s specific needs;
• your expectations for sleeping arrangements and sanitary facilities;
• the amount of walking that suits you and any mobility constraints.

Also ask about the walking time planned at each stage, access conditions to the sites and the equipment to bring. 4×4 transport alone does not tell you how physically demanding a tour is.

Which programme suits your plans?

Start with the Tadrart if you want to follow the route to Tin Merzouga and are planning four nights in bivouac. Look at the Essendilène tour if your priorities are Timghas, the Imouroudene rock paintings, Essendilène, the Erg Admer and a stop in Djanet with the souk.

For other dates or a private arrangement, both tour pages let you request a tailor-made version. Give us your dates, group size and desired comfort level, and we can study a suitable proposal.