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Travel and Tourism in Algeria
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Algeria.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
- Time Difference
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
- Currency
- 108.9
- Climate
- In Algeria, the climate varies. Coastal areas, including Algiers, are hot in summer and chilly and rainy for several months in winter. Inland mountain regions between the coast and the desert have cooler weather; temperatures are below freezing for long periods of winter. Spring and fall in the "Tell" (a part of northern Algeria in which the average annual rainfall is 16 inches or more, making it usable for agriculture), are mild and enjoyable. The Tell and the Sahara have climate extremes, although in different ways. The Tell is very cold in winter and very hot in summer. The Sahara's extremes are between daytime (warm in winter; hot in late spring, summer, early fall) and nighttime (cold year-round). Algiers has four distinct seasons, with temperature variations ranging normally between 40-110°F. It tends to be extremely hot during the month of August, and some winters can be cold and rainy. In general, however, the weather is quite pleasant, but mold and mildew can be a real problem. Despite its warm summer, Algiers has what is often described as a "cold climate with a hot sun." Winter temperatures rarely fall below freezing. Cool-weather generally begins in November and lasts into March. The rainy season spans about five months.
- Language(s) Spoken
- Arabic (official), French (lingua franca), Tamazight (official) (dialects include Kabyle (Taqbaylit), Shawiya (Tacawit), Mzab, Tuareg (Tamahaq))
- Ethnic Groups
- Arab-Amazigh 99%, European less than 1%
- National Holiday
- Independence Day, 5 July (1962); Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)
- Geographic Coordinates
- 28 00 N, 3 00 E
- Location
- Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
- Airports
- 137
Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Hospitals and clinics in Algeria are available and improving in the large urban centers but are still not up to Western standards. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for services. Most medical practitioners speak French; English is not widely used. Prescription medicines are not always readily available. Some pharmacies may at times be out-of-stock.