Agadez rewards slow travel. The old city — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013 — is a labyrinth of mud-brick houses, narrow alleys, and small courtyards that changes little in appearance from one century to the next. The Grande Mosquée minaret is the city's defining landmark and worth climbing for the views. The Sultan's Palace, though not publicly accessible inside, is worth visiting for the audience with the Sultan and the setting at the heart of the old city.
The camel market (marché aux chameaux) operates early in the morning, on the north edge of town. Get there by 9am. It is genuinely working trade, not a tourist show — salt, livestock, and goods moving between the desert and the city. The central market is the commercial heart of the new town, lively every day, and the best place to buy silver jewellery: the Croix d'Agadez (Agadez Cross), a geometric pendant unique to the city, is the most famous Saharan silver ornament. Authentic pieces come from the silversmith workshops in the old city, not the market stalls.
For anyone with time and the right permits, the surrounding desert and mountains are the real draw. See the Tours section for information on trips to the Air Mountains and the Tenere desert.