Sudan Tour

HIGHLIGHTS

Explore an undiscovered region, with temple ruins, pyramids, camel caravans, and desert tribal cultures
Visit Sudan’s pyramids and ancient city of Meroe
Connect with local people in desert markets and small, isolated villages
Enjoy fantastic diverse landscapes such as groves of dates, palms and guava, the Northern U-bend of the Nile and a vast desert of moving sands

Travel to Sudan on an adventurous journey visiting ancient historical sites, nomadic tribal cultures, the vast Sahara Desert, and the timeless Nile River. We will visit significant archaeological sites such as the temple of Amun, Kerma civilization, Nuri Prymids, royal city of Meroe and the important Meroetic site Nagaa.

Once we leave Khartoum, accommodations are a mix of tented camps (4 nights) and traditional Nubian houses. On our February departure, there is no camping, only best available hotels and Nubian houses. Nubian houses, built from mud, are distinctive in their painting and decoration, clean and well designed. They generally have three rooms with verandas, a bathroom with a local-style bucket shower, a toilet, and electricity. A change from the atmosphere of camps, staying in a local house offers a chance to shower, charge camera batteries, and most of all an opportunity to observe and interact with local people in an authentic setting. No western toilets or showers are available outside Khartoum.

Meroe Pyramids

ITINERARY

Read Full Itinerary Nov (PDF) Read Full Itinerary Feb (PDF )

Day 1-2: Arrival in Khartoum
In Omdurman visit Khalifa’s house, Mahdi Tomb and the old market. View Nile boat making and visit the blue Nile sailing club to see the Kitchner gunboat. Evening, attend Daraweesh ceremony with drums, chanting and dervish dancing near the tomb of Shaikh Hamad Al-Niel.

Day 3-5: Dongola - Soleb - Sadenga
Drive through Bayoda desert. Part of the road crosses the historic route known as Darb El-Arbeen (the Forty Days Road), famous for the camel caravans that go from Western Sudan to Egypt. Visit the Temple of Amun in Soleb and Sadenga, pre-Napatan and Meroetic remains that date back to the dynasties of Egypt.

Day 6-7: Sai Island - Messaida - Tombus - Kerma
Visit the Pharoanic and Ottoman castles, Kerma tombs, the ancient church of Messaida. Along the way there are many Nubian villages and the route passes along the Nile and then crosses into the desert mountains. Enjoy spectacular scenery of Tombus.

Day 8-9 : Kawa - Old Dongola - Karima
Visit the Kawa sites including the Amon temple of Taharka. See Christian relics of the Makoria Kingdom, including the Throning Palace, the Column Church and the main palace in Old Dongola. Continue through the Nubian desert, to Karima, known for its dates, mangoes and citrus crops. Visit the Royal Cemetery where tombs of some Napatan Kings, such as Pianky Tanutamany, are located. This is the only place where you can see pyramids from inside, with very clear paintings and inscriptions in two of the tombs.

Day 10 : Jebel Barkal - Nuri - Ghazali
An optional easy climb up Jebel, a massive, sacred mountain. At the top there is a magnificent view of the main Temple of Amun lying at the foot of the mountain. We visit the Christian monastery site at El-Ghazali, one of the few relics still remaining of historically Christian Sudan.

Day 11-12 : Meroe Pyramid - Royal City
A stop in Dammer, an old town that was a cradle of traditional religious education for centuries prior to modern schooling. It is also one of the largest desert markets for camels and other livestock. We will see nomadic tribes, often on camel caravans, enroute. We visit the sites of ancient Meroe including a sunset viewing of the pyramids, perched on a sandy hill that glitters like gold. We also see the royal city that holds the relics of the royal palace. Onward to the next Meroetic site, the Mussawarat Assufra.

Day 13-14 : Khartoum - Home
Enjoy visits to Naga temples, drop by a farm, and then a one hour Nile ferry ride across the cataract. We drive back to Khartoum via an open sand plain interspersed with valleys. Visit the National Museum.