Casbah tour in Algiers: Mosques, palaces & artisans

Five centuries of narrow streets, five mosques, and the craftspeople still working inside them

A guided tour of Algiers' Casbah starting with hotel pickup at 8:30am, visiting mosques, Ottoman palaces, working artisans' workshops and fountains, with traditional lunch at a house in the quarter and return by 3pm. The guide is a trained archaeologist or historian who speaks English, French, German or Arabic. Museum entry and lunch are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Casbah tour with historical visits

• Pick up at 8:30 from hotel
• Visit new mosque
• Visit old mosque
• Visit katchuoa mosque
• Visit sidi ramdhan mosque
• Visit sidi mohamed cherif mosque
• Visit ibn fares mosque
• Visit moseulem of sidi abd rahman
• Visit mustapha bacha palace
• Visit aziza palace
• Visit the blind khadoudj palace
• Visit traditional house
• See carpenter artisan
• See pottery maker artisan
• See copper smith artisan
• See leather maker artisan
• Visit fountains
• Visit market
• Lunch break at traditional house
• Visit place of martyrs
• Visit ruins of mosque of the lady
• Return to hotel at 3pm

The experience

The Casbah is a maze of connected courtyards, narrow passages and hidden doorways built over five centuries, and walking it alone means missing what is actually there. A guide who trained as an archaeologist or historian knows which doors open, which palaces are still lived in, and what each fountain or carved lintel means. The tour moves through the New Mosque, Old Mosque, Katchuoa Mosque, Sidi Ramdhan Mosque, Sidi Mohamed Cherif Mosque, Ibn Fares Mosque and the Mausoleum of Sidi Abd Rahman: each one a different period and style. You also see three Ottoman palaces: Mustapha Bacha, Aziza and the Blind Khadoudj, plus a traditional house that still functions as a home.

The artisans' quarter is where the tour shifts from monuments to people. You watch carpenters, pottery makers, copper smiths and leather workers in their workshops, doing the same craft their families have done for generations. The market comes next, then a lunch break at noon in a traditional house within the Casbah itself, not a restaurant outside it. After eating, the guide takes you to the Place of Martyrs and the ruins of the Mosque of the Lady before heading back to your hotel by 3pm. Hotel pickup starts at 8:30am, so the whole day is three hours on foot and in the quarter.

The walk is steady and involves climbing stairs inside palaces and navigating the Casbah's uneven stone passages. Wear shoes with grip and bring water. The guide speaks English, French, German or Arabic depending on which option you book at checkout.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup at 8:30am and return by 3pm.
• museum entry to all seven mosques and three palaces.
• traditional lunch served in a house within the Casbah.
• a guide trained as an archaeologist or historian.
• parking fees.

Options for this experience

2 options

Casbah tourGuide in 4 languages · No fixed timeLasts 3 hours, includes a traditional lunch and museum tickets, and pickup is included

Casbah, Tipaza tourGuide in English, French or Arabic · 09:00Pickup is included for Tipaza

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (13 to 90 years) · Youth (5 to 12 years) · Child (under 5)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French, German and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 23

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Algerian maze

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you have a morning free and want to move through the Casbah with someone who knows which doors open and what each space means, rather than walking the streets on your own. The three-hour window fits a first morning in Algiers or a half-day between other plans.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

In English, French and Arabic, at 09:00. In German.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 12 years); Child (under 5).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What mosques will I actually enter on the Casbah tour?

The tour visits seven mosques: the New Mosque, Old Mosque, Katchuoa Mosque, Sidi Ramdhan Mosque, Sidi Mohamed Cherif Mosque, Ibn Fares Mosque and the Mausoleum of Sidi Abd Rahman. Your guide, who is trained as an archaeologist or historian, explains the architecture and history of each one as you move through them.

Is lunch included, and where do we eat?

Yes, traditional lunch is included and served at a house inside the Casbah at noon. It is part of the tour itself, not a separate stop outside the quarter, so you stay immersed in the neighborhood while you eat.

How much walking and climbing should I expect?

The tour involves steady walking through the Casbah's narrow passages and climbing stairs inside the palaces you visit. The route is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health, and you should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness. Wear shoes with good grip and bring water.

What time does the tour start and end?

Hotel pickup begins at 8:30am and you return to your hotel by 3pm. The tour itself lasts three hours inside the Casbah, with lunch included during that time.

Can I see the artisans actually working?

Yes, the tour includes the artisans' quarter where you watch carpenters, pottery makers, copper smiths and leather workers in their active workshops. This is not a museum display but working craftspeople in their own spaces.