Tassili Plateau, discovering lost cities

Highlights

• A stage with varied and captivating landscapes
• A trekking and hiking experience
• Discovering a remote area
• Sefar, the largest troglodyte city in the world
• Splendid rock paintings and engravings
• Fascinating and mysterious archaeological discoveries

Program

Djanet – Daq al-Aqba

Departure from Europe or Algiers. We are welcomed at Djanet airport very late in the evening by our local team. We camp in the Aqba region, the starting point of our excursion.

Day 1 · Tamrit

We begin our journey by ascending Akba Tafilalet, passing through a canyon with impressive walls. We reach the plateau, offering a panoramic view of giant granite rocks, and in the distance, we catch sight of the magnificent dunes of Erg Admer. Our path continues towards Tamrit, amidst a forest of ancient cypress trees (the oldest estimated to be 4,700 years old), and we observe our first rock paintings.

Day 2 · Tin Tazarift

We reach the beautiful shelter of Tan-Zoumaïtak and admire numerous paintings from the «round heads» period. The quality and preservation of the paintings are excellent. We continue our hike towards Tin Tazarift, an archaeological site, through a labyrinth of pinnacles sculpted by erosion. We admire the natural wonders of the plateau: peaks, domes, arches, and sandstone cathedrals.

Days 3 and 4 · Sefar

After traversing this rock labyrinth, we discover Sefar, an extraordinary natural city. Nicknamed the «city of stones,» Sefar has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988. Considered the largest troglodyte city in the world and one of the largest open-air museums of prehistoric art, the site houses tens of thousands of drawings, engravings, and rock paintings representing the testament of life. It also features mysterious creatures with strange shapes, the most famous of which are «The Great God» and «The Martians.» As this place is uninhabited, it serves as a privileged environment for several rare animals such as deer and mouflons.

Days 5 and 6 · Jabbaren

At dawn, we continue our journey for about 30 kilometers of walking to reach the Jabbaren region. Two days are dedicated to exploring this extraordinary site. After an 800-meter ascent, a vast plateau stretches before us, with black and pink rocks shaped like houses.

Day 7 · Djanet

We begin our descent to the valley, approximately a two hours walk. We return to Djanet, where we visit the old town, the local market, and have the opportunity to
take a shower. We set up our final camp in the dunes before heading to the airport around midnight.

For unforeseeable reasons (traffic, flight, case of force majeure, climate, etc.) and for the good progress of your trip, our guide may be required to adapt the program.