Day 1 - Khartoum
Arrive in Khartoum and transfer to your hotel. Overnight Grand Holiday Villa Hotel or similar.
Day 2 - Karima
Today we journey north through the Western Desert, crossing Wadi Muqaddam with its many acacia trees. Eventually we reach the small town of Karima, at the foot of Jebel Barkal, where we will stay tonight. Overnight Nubian Rest House. (BLD)
Day 3 - Jebel Barkal – El Kurru
Spend today exploring the holy mountain of Jebel Barkal and its ruins, including the Temple of Amun. After lunch we head south to the village of El Kurru to explore its tombs with their well-preserved wall paintings and hieroglyphic inscriptions. Return to Karima for the night. Overnight Nubian Rest House. (BLD)
Day 4 - Nuri
Experience local Sudanese life at Karima’s market before taking a scenic boat ride on the Nile. After lunch, we visit the archaeological site of Nuri and explore its ancient pyramids. Return to Karima for the evening. Overnight Nubian Rest House. (BLD)
Day 5 - Old Dongola
Visit the archaeological site of Old Dongola, home to old Christian Coptic churches and Nubian villages with traditional painted houses. We are welcomed into the home of a traditional Nubian family for lunch, before returning to Karima for the evening. Overnight Nubian Rest House. (BLD)
Day 6 - Bayuda Desert – Meroe
Today we cross the Nile and enter the Bayuda desert – an area characterised by sharp, cone-shaped black basalt mountains, most of them volcanic. We visit the Ghazali Monastery and may be lucky enough to encounter isolated Bisharin nomads who live in huts alongside their caravans and herds of camels. We then cross the Nile again by ferry and continue to Meroe where we will stay tonight. Overnight Meroe Camp. (BLD)
Day 7 - Meroe
Spend today discovering the Meroe pyramids and the remains of the Royal City along the Nile. Overnight Meroe Camp. (BLD)
Day 8 - Naqa – Mussawarat - Khartoum
Head south to Mussawarat where we explore the ruins of its 1st century temple. From here we continue to Naqa where we discover beautifully decorated temples dedicated to the gods Apedemak and Amon. We then head back to Khartoum and in the late afternoon visit the tomb of the sufi leader, Ahmed el Nil, to witness the ceremony of whirling dervishes. Overnight Ewa Hotel or similar. (BL)
Day 9 - Khartoum
Spend the day exploring Khartoum and neighbouring Omdurman, the former capital of Sudan. Visits include the Mahdi’s Tomb, Khalifa’s House, the Omdurman Market and National Museum. Later transfer to the airport for departure. (BL)
Please note that you must pay an additional €300 in archaeological fees and photography permits in cash when you arrive Sudan, to our local representative.
Also note that we sell this trip in conjunction with our local partner and therefore you should expect people of different nationalities and a maximum group size of 16 on this tour.
Some departure dates run in the reverse direction, visiting Meroe first instead of Karima – please contact us for details.
In 2024 this tour will be a day shorter (with the exception of the 26 January and 19 April departures) – please contact us for details
What's included:
Airport transfers - We include arrival and departure transfers regardless of whether you book flights yourself, or we book them for you. If you're booking them yourself, then please let us know the details so that we can arrange the transfers. Please note though that if you arrive earlier than Day 1 of the tour, and leave after the final day, we may need to make an additional charge for an airport transfer.
Accommodation - Accommodation as listed in the dossier. The nature of the destinations that we operate may sometimes mean that we need to change hotels, but we'll always endeavour to keep the same standards. Please be aware that as we operate in many countries where tourism is in its infancy, hotel standards may not be the same as you're used to elsewhere.
Guides - You will be accompanied by an English speaking guide.
Meals - As listed within the itinerary / dossier (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner). These will vary from trip to trip - in some areas it makes sense to include all meals while in others there is a good choice of restaurants and we feel people might like to 'do their own thing' now and again.
Entrance fees - Entrance fees are listed for those sites that we mention within the itinerary. If there are any other sites that you'd like to see, these would be at your own expense.
Not included:
- Visas
- Airport taxes
- International flights
- Travel Insurance
