Where to stay in Algiers: the best areas, district by district

Where should you stay in Algiers? The honest answer is that it depends on why you are coming. Algiers is a long city wrapped around a bay, built on steep hills, and its traffic is heavy at rush hour: a hotel that looks central on a map can be a slow drive from where you actually need to be. This guide goes through the city area by area, says who each one suits, and names a few hotels you can book on Nreservi. We mainly sell accommodation, but also experiences such as a guided tour of the Casbah, and package trips: see our experiences. Here, the only question is where to sleep.

Algiers Centre: best for a first visit

Alger-Centre is the white, arcaded city most people picture: the Grande Poste, Rue Didouche Mourad, the seafront boulevard and its cafés. Almost everything a visitor wants is within walking distance, and the metro serves the district, so you can leave the car out of your plans.

It suits first-time visitors, short stays, administrative trips and anyone who likes to walk out of the hotel straight into the city. The trade-off: streets are busy and steep, parking is scarce and rooms in older buildings can be smaller than in the newer hotels on the outskirts.

On the heights just above the centre, El Aurassi looks over the whole bay. For every address, see hotels in Algiers; if price is the main criterion, read cheap hotels in Algiers.

The lower Casbah: sleeping next to the old town

The Casbah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, climbs the hill just west of the centre. Staying at its foot puts you a few minutes' walk from the Ketchaoua Mosque, the Place des Martyrs and the alleys of the old town. Two hotels there have their own page on our site: Afric Hotel Casbah and Marhaba Hotel Casbah.

It suits travellers who come for heritage and do not mind a lively, working neighbourhood. The Casbah itself is best explored in the morning with a local guide; our Casbah guide explains how.

Hydra, El Biar, Ben Aknoun and El Mouradia: the quiet heights

Above the bay, these residential districts are greener and calmer. Many embassies and company offices are based here, along with restaurants and shops, notably around Sidi Yahia in Hydra. Examples: Hotel Hydra Sidi Yahia, and in El Mouradia the historic Hôtel El Djazaïr, formerly the Saint-George.

Hamma and Hussein Dey: garden, museums and metro

East of the centre, along the bay, the Hamma district is home to the Jardin d'Essai botanical garden, with the Martyrs' Memorial on the hill above. The metro runs through this part of the city, which makes it a practical compromise between the centre and the east. The Sofitel Algiers Hamma Garden stands beside the garden.

Bab Ezzouar and Dar El Beïda: airport and business

Houari Boumediene airport is in Dar El Beïda, about 20 km east of the centre. The neighbouring district of Bab Ezzouar has business towers, shopping centres and a cluster of recent hotels. Choose it for a late arrival, an early departure, a trade fair or meetings in the east of the city. It is not the place for evening strolls in old streets.

See hotels near Algiers airport and our practical page on Algiers airport.

Staouéli, Sidi Fredj and Zéralda: the west coast

West of the city, the coast road leads to the seaside hotels and large resorts: the marina of Sidi Fredj, Palm Beach in Staouéli, the beaches of Zéralda. This is where you will find pools, private beaches and family rooms, for example the Sheraton Club des Pins in Staouéli or Les Sables d'Or in Zéralda.

It suits summer holidays with children and anyone combining a family visit with a few days by the sea. The trade-off is distance: sightseeing in the centre means a drive each way, so plan it outside rush hour. More ideas: hotels in Algiers with a pool and beaches in Algeria.

If you are visiting family

Many readers from the UK, Canada and the United States come to see relatives and book a hotel for part of the stay, for a wedding, or to give everyone some space. In that case, choose by travel time to the family home, not by distance to the monuments. Ask your relatives which side of the city they would rather not cross at 6 pm: that single answer usually settles the question.

Before you book

• Entry rules and travel advice. Visa requirements depend on your passport and can change: check with the Algerian embassy or consulate in your country, and read your own government's travel advice (FCDO in the UK, Global Affairs Canada, the US State Department). Our pages on the Algeria visa and on travel advice for Algeria point to those sources.

Quick answers

What is the best area to stay in Algiers for tourists? Algiers Centre for a first visit, because the main sights are within walking distance and the metro is close.

Where to stay elsewhere in Algeria? See our city pages for Oran, Constantine and the other cities on Travel to Algeria from abroad.

Book and pay

On Nreservi you pick your dates, compare hotels in Algiers and book online. From abroad you pay by bank card; a relative in Algeria can also pay in Algerian dinars (BaridiMob, bank transfer or cash at our Telemly agency). Your voucher arrives by email or WhatsApp. NIA, our assistant on WhatsApp, answers in English, French and Arabic. More detail in Booking a hotel in Algeria from abroad.

Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (Kasbah of Algiers); Wikipedia, "Algiers" (metro, airport); Nreservi hotel pages for hotel locations.

Nreservi, online travel agency — 1st floor, 116 boulevard Colonel Krim Belkacem (Telemly), Algiers Centre — +213 540 28 40 40.