The majestic landscapes of Tassili n’Ajjer in Algeria

Tassili n’Ajjer is a cultural park located in the extreme south-east of Algeria, in the heart of the Sahara. This mountain range, over 1,000 metres high, is a natural gem and a major site in African history. The park is best known for its thousands of rock engravings and paintings dating back over 8,000 years. These paintings trace the history of the region and provide an incredible insight into the beliefs and practices of the people of that time. The park has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982.

But Tassili n’Ajjer is also, above all, a unique area of North Africa. Rock formations, monoliths and cliffs emerge from the sand dunes like giants. The labyrinthine gorges are fascinating. Nature here is wild and unspoilt. For all these reasons, we have decided to offer photography courses focusing on landscape and portrait photography in Tassili n’Ajjer.

At Wildlife Photo Travel, we are passionate about extreme environments, and while we have previously offered photo tours in the Arctic, we now offer a trip to the opposite extreme, in the Sahara, where it only rains every two to three years!

The Sahara, a unique experience

It’s really hard to describe what it feels like to be in the Sahara, because it’s such a unique experience. Beyond photography, beyond the trip itself, the Sahara is above all the experience of a lifetime!

First, the silence that reigns in the desert is unsettling for those who are not used to it. No buildings, no trees, no streams disturb this tranquillity. You find yourself alone with yourself, facing your inner noise. And while the experience may be stressful at first, it quickly offers an incredible feeling of inner calm.

Then, time slows down. In this immensity of sand and rock, you gradually forget your watch, your phone, and indeed, the passing of time. The sun and moon become the metronome, the wind plays the desert’s score, and nature sings the oldest song in the world.

Finally, the absence of mobile network coverage, the slow pace of time, the silence, etc., make the Sahara the ideal place to take a step back, improve your perception of the world, and realise what is important and what is less so.

Life in the Sahara is unique, with a humidity level of only 15%. Plants, animals and insects have adapted to this environment, developing incredible survival techniques. During our photography tour, we love to share this love for the flora and fauna of the desert.

What awaits you in Tassili n’Ajjer

The landscapes of Tassili n’Ajjer

In 2025, NASA named a newly discovered region of Mars ‘Tassili n’Ajjer’. That pretty much sums up what awaits you in this unique cultural park: a trip to Mars!

Tassili n’Ajjer is a region of rugged landscapes. The scenery is as fascinating as it is dramatic. The mountains that dominate the Sahara are gateways to unexpected labyrinths where thousands of monoliths stand tall, like survivors from another era. It is a paradise for landscape photographers in search of curves, shapes, colours and textures.

The Sahara is vast, an endless territory. But what makes Tassili n’Ajjer unique is that walls of rock rise up like ramparts, cliffs plunging into an ocean of sand. The idea is fascinating, and we try to capture it in images during our photography workshop in the desert.

During our photo tour in the Sahara, we visit different areas of Tassili n’Ajjer. Each area has its own unique features: the red sand dunes of Tadrart, the canyons of the In Djaren wadi, the giant dunes of Tin Merzouga, the black rock that emerges from the sand and those that seem to be stranded in a sea of dunes. Each area is different, but they all share a sense of being timeless, out of this world.

Furthermore, although Tassili n’Ajjer seems to be one of the most arid places on earth, this has not prevented life from developing and surviving there. Water is never far away, the trick is knowing where to find it: at the bottom of a canyon, in a dark cave or in a valley with clay soil. It is not uncommon to encounter groups of wild donkeys or Barbary sheep. There are also many species of lizards. Finally, the discreet fennec fox and sand cat occupy territories where there is enough sand to dig their burrows.

Tassili n’Ajjer, an open-air museum

Travelling through Tassili n’Ajjer is like travelling back in time. Thousands of rock carvings and paintings tell the story of a jungle that became a savannah and then a desert. And in the midst of this climate change, humans survived, adapting their practices and beliefs and developing new techniques to survive.

The rock engravings of Tassili n’Ajjer are not just graffiti. They are true works of art that few people would be able to reproduce today. And these works were created with basic materials: animal hair, pigments from rocks and milk as glue (casein). They have survived the test of time, including desertification, allowing us to better understand the lives of our ancestors today.

The strongest feeling when standing in front of one of these works is knowing that a human being created them 6,000 or 8,000 years ago! We are always moved when we look at them, imagining ourselves in the distant past when someone stood there, in that cave, painting their thoughts and emotions. This feeling is amplified when we find tools from that period, such as arrowheads or pottery fragments.

Night in the desert

Deserts are known for their starry skies and clear atmosphere. They are pure and fascinating, inviting contemplation and dreams. We really want to share this aspect of the Sahara with you. Especially since we are at high altitude in Tassili n’Ajjer. This means we have less atmosphere than in other parts of the Sahara.

This photography trip to the Sahara was also created for astrophotography enthusiasts. The aim is to photograph the Milky Way in the best possible conditions. The mountainous environment provides a perfect foreground: strange rock formations, dunes that capture the light and whose curves and lines are an invitation to creativity, plants tortured by years of drought and wind… in short, a paradise for landscape photographers.

The Tuaregs, the Amazigh of the desert

The Amazigh, commonly known as Berbers in Europe and the US, are the native peoples of North Africa. They are found from Egypt to the Canary Islands and from northern Algeria to Burkina Faso. The Amazigh are divided into several ethnic groups. The best known are the Kabyles, the Chaouis, the Chleuhs, the Rifains, but above all the Tuaregs, the inhabitants of Tassili n’Ajjer.

The Tuaregs have always fascinated Europeans. They were nomads, entirely covered in indigo-coloured veils (they were nicknamed the blue men), and displayed unfailing wisdom. And although the Tuaregs are now largely sedentary, they have retained this ancestral desert culture.

For our photography workshops in Tassili n’Ajjer, our team includes Tuaregs from the Kel Ajjer ethnic group. This allows us to offer photographers who wish to do so a few portrait photography sessions with the stunning backdrop of the rock formations and dunes of Tassili n’Ajjer.

Our photography workshop in the Sahara

Since the main purpose of this trip is to take photographs, we adapt to the rhythm of beautiful light and nature. Sunrise is the starting point for each day. This is when the desert light is at its most beautiful, as the blue of night meets the warmth of morning.

Midday will be devoted to travelling, scouting locations, cultural visits and rest (a siesta is always necessary in the Sahara). We will set up in the area we are interested in for the sunset session about two hours before the end of the day.
Finally, in the evening, we will explore the sky and take photographs of night-time landscapes and the Milky Way.

During our photo tour, we cover all aspects of photography: from framing to composition, including light management and depth of field. The aim is both to help you improve your technical knowledge and to share with you our vision and passion for photography.

The question of security in Algeria

Obviously, given the history of this country, which experienced tragic events in the 1990s, it is legitimate to question the safety of this photo tour. But first, we would like to assure you that we never organise photo tours to dangerous places. We always carefully consider the social and geopolitical situations of our destinations.

Currently, the situation in Tassili n’Ajjer, around the town of Djanet, is stable and secure. The terrorist risk is very low, lower than in a large European capital city. The risks associated with crime are also very low. The area has been secured by the military and tourists have been returning for several years.
Members of our team are in constant contact with the authorities to report any changes in the region.

Finally, our team is made up of Algerians, French and Germans. And if we are organising this photography tour in Tassili n’Ajjer, it is because we are also confident about our own safety.

How can you join the adventure?

To join the adventure and take part in our next photo tour in the Sahara, simply fill in the booking form. We will then get back to you for an initial phone call. Our guides are on hand to answer any questions you may have. In the meantime, we will continue to share our adventures with you on this blog!