Things to Do in Agadez

Grand Mosque minaret climb

The mud-brick tower leans slightly, its wooden beams poking out like broken ribs. From the top the Tenere Desert unfurls in rippling gold while women below spread dyed cloth across flat roofs, indigo bleeding into the skyline. Taste the dust the kids kick up as they play football in the adjacent square.

Sultan's Palace courtyard

Inside the crumbling palace walls swallows nest in carved beams and the air smells of centuries-old incense trapped in mats. A palace guard in billowing boubou shows you the throne room where light filters through geometric shutters, striping the floor like zebra hide.

Thursday camel market

At dawn herders in turquoise turbans haggle over hump-backed beasts that grunt like rusty gates. The sand is still cool underfoot while strong Sahel coffee drifts from a nearby stall where a woman flips dough into oil, the sizzle loud against the camels' lowing.

Air Mountains sunset viewpoint

A short drive north granite fingers jut from the sand and you can hear the wind whistle through acacia thorns. The rock turns molten orange as the sun slips, and if you're lucky you'll spot a Barbary falcon riding the thermals, its cry echoing off the cliffs.

Artisan souk silver-smithing alley

Sparks dance like fireflies as craftsmen hammer Tuareg crosses from old coins. The metallic clang mingles with kora music from a tinny radio. The tang of brass mixes with cardamom tea served in shot-sized glasses sticky with sugar.

Vieux Quartier near the mosque - mud-walled guesthouses where rooftop mattresses let you sleep under Saharan stars

Plateau Administration area for mid-range hotels with generators that kick in during nightly power cuts

Taghiranet district, quieter at night, with family-run homestays serving millet porridge at dawn

Gare Routière fringe for shoestring cambered rooms convenient to early bush-taxi departures

Tchirozerine road junction if you're heading quickly into the desert and need a 4 am start

Sabon Gari, the newer quarter, offers concrete bungalows with sporadic hot-water heaters