Day 1 - Khartoum
Arrive in Khartoum and transfer to your hotel. Overnight Grand Holiday Villa Hotel or similar.
Days 2-3 - Western Desert - Wadi el Milk
We leave the city and head through the Western Desert, continuing to Wadi el Milk, characterised by its acacia trees, where we can often find Bisharin nomads. From here head north across sand dunes to the ruins of Abu Hamed fortress. Discovered less than ten years ago, this is dated to between 700-400BC and thought to be an ancient trading post for caravans crossing between the desert and Central Africa. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Day 4 - El Bab – Dongola – Temple of Soleb
Continue to the picturesque oasis of El Bab, then from here drive to the town of Dongola, the most important settlement in northern Sudan. Here we stock up on supplies before heading back into the desert, driving through an area with enormous boulders, until we reach the Temple of Soleb. Overnight local homestay. (BLD)
Day 5 - Sesibi – Wadi Sebu – Tombos
Explore the remarkably well preserved and beautiful Temple of Soleb, then visit the ruins of Sesibi. Cross the Nile by ferry and then reach the Third Cataract, a formidable obstacle in the navigation of the Nile. In Sebu we see ancient rock engravings, then continue to Tombos for the night. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Day 5 - Constantine
Spend today exploring the charming city of Constantine, perched dramatically on a steep gorge. We also visit the nearby Roman site of Tiddis. Overnight Protea Hotel or similar. (BD)
Day 6 - Kerma – Old Dongola – Karima
At Tombos we see ancient granite quarries, Egyptian stelae and remains dating back 2800 years. Drive to Kerma to visit the impressive Defuffa (mud-brick) monument and statues of the pharaohs, then enter the central region of Nubia, where we stop for lunch in a local Nubian house. Continue to the archaeological site of Old Dongola, home to old Christian Coptic churches and Nubian villages with traditional painted houses, and reach Karima in the evening. Overnight Nubian Rest House. (BLD)
Day 7 - Jebel Barkal – El Kurru
Explore 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. In the afternoon we take a boat ride on the Nile. Overnight Nubian Rest House. (BLD))
Day 8 - Nuri - Bayuda Desert – Atrun Crater
Cross the Nile and drive to Nuri to explore its ancient pyramids. We then enter the Bayuda Desert, located between the Fourth and Sixth Cataracts of the Nile and characterised by black basalt mountains. We may meet nomads in this region, living close to the few wells that exist. In the centre of the desert we reach the Atrun Crater, where nomads gather salt to take to markets along the Nile. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Day 9 - Meroe
Drive to Meroe to discover its numerous pyramids and the remains of the Royal City along the Nile. Overnight Meroe Camp. (BLD)
Days 10-12 - Eastern Desert
We spend three days driving through the little visited Eastern Desert. This is a region of ever changing landscapes, alternating between open valleys and the Red Sea Hills, and in recent years has attracted small scale gold miners. This part of the country is home to the nomadic Beja people of the Bisharin and Haddendowa tribes, who rarely see foreign visitors. Their lifestyle has changed little in the last millennia and they live with few modern accoutrements, making their huts from acacia branches and the women adorning themselves with gold jewellery. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Days 13-14 - Bir Nurayet
Drive to Bir Nurayet, a well close to the dramatic mountain of Jebel Magardi. Here we find several rock carvings, evidence of human presence dating pack thousands of years, as well as gigantic pre-Islamic burial tombs. Overnight camping. (BLD)
Day 15 - Port Sudan
Continue through the Red Sea Hills, with some peaks reaching 2000 metres, until we reach Port Sudan, on the Red Sea. Overnight Basiri Plaza Hotel or similar. (BLD)
Day 16 - Suakin - Meroe
From here we continue to the historic town of Suakin. Suakin was Sudan’s main port during the Ottoman period and many of its buildings date back to then, built from the surrounding coral. After some time here, we return west to Meroe for the night. Overnight Meroe Camp. (BLD)
Day 17 - Mussawarat – Naga - Khartoum
From here we continue to Mussawarat where we explore the ruins of its 1st century temple, then continue to the ruins of Naga, to discover beautifully decorated temples dedicated to the gods Apedemak and Amon. We then drive to Khartoum for the night. Overnight Grand Holiday Villa or similar. (BL)
Day 18 - Khartoum
Start the morning exploring Khartoum and neighbouring Omdurman, the former capital of Sudan. Visits include the Khalifa’s House, the Omdurman Market and National Museum, and this afternoon we see the ceremony of the whirling dervishes. Overnight Grand Holiday Villa or similar. (BL)
Day 19 - Khartoum
Transfer to the airport for departure. (B)
Please note that you must pay an additional €300 in archaeological fees and photography permits in cash when you arrive in Sudan, to our local representative.
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
