Country(ies): Sudan
Tour type: Small Group
Group size: Min: 2 | Max: 16
Accommodation:Hotel, deluxe tented camp & guesthouse or pre-set camp
Meals: Breakfasts - 9, Lunches - 8, Dinners - 6
Transport: A/C 4x4 vehicle & boat
Highlights:Capital city Khartoum, Sufi Whirling Dervishes, old souk of Omdurman, Naga & Mussawarat, Meroe Pyramids, Jebel Barkal, Nubian house in Karima, Nuri
This Sudan tour allows you to follow in the footsteps of ancient civilisations. This 10-day adventure through Sudan takes you to the Nile Valley to see some incredible ancient sites and experience the unique Nubian culture. We start this tour in the capital city of Khartoum home to many museums, tombs and markets. We then cross the Nubian Desert in search of the lost pyramids and temples of the Nile Valley, en route we visit various historical temples. The Meroe Pyramids are the most concentrated pyramid complex in the Nile valley. We get to experience a true desert camp with some creature comforts thrown in like private verandas that boast stunning views of the pyramids. We then head to Karima for more pyramids and Temples before driving back to Khartoum for our last evening. On most departures we include a visit to the popular weekly Nuba wrestling competition, a highlight of the week for many locals in Khartoum. The evening is then free time before your departure. Some departures will do the loop out of Khartoum starting with Meroe, and some starting with Karima. All the same sites are visited, just in the opposite order. Please see the dates & prices notes for details of the direction for your date.
This tour connects well with many of our Egypt tours.
If our scheduled departure dates don't work for you, or you would prefer not to travel with a group, then we can also run this tour privately for you. Please contact us for more information and prices.
Expand all
Upon arrival our staff will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in Khartoum where they'll help you settle in and introduce you to the local area. An optional city tour is available if you arrive this morning.
OVERNIGHT:
Khartoum hotel
MEALS:
None
EXTRAS:
Single Room Supplement (SUSGHT)
Extra day in Khartoum - pre-tour
We'll leave Khartoum this morning and head northwards to visit the animal market on the outskirts of Omdurman. The market here sells different types of cattle, sheep and camels which are brought here from various parts of Sudan. Our journey then continues across the flat Western Desert, before we cross Wadi Muqaddam with its many acacia trees. We'll make a short stop at a local tea house, in effect a very spartan roadside service station used by local truck drivers for a meal and some rest. On arrival in Merowe we'll cross the Nile and arrive in the small town of Karima where we spend the night.
OVERNIGHT:
Karima Nubian Rest House
MEALS:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
EXTRAS:
None
Our tours today start with one of tne Nubian desert landmarks, Jebel Barkal. These isolated red sandstone mountains have been considered holy since ancient times and can be seen from a far distance across the desert. Here we'll see a large temple dedicated to the Pharaohs of the New Reign and their patron Amon. Known as Amon's 'Pure Mountain', the equivalent of the Olympus of the Nubians, this was the heart of Nubian religion for more than 1,000 years. Along with the ruins of the main temple there we can see several sculptured granite rams that it is thought bordered a long avenue leading to a pier on the River Nile. The archaeological sites here are on the World Heritage list.
In the afternoon we will head south to the village of El Kurru to see one of the necropolisis of Napata, the ancient capital. The main tomb of interest here is excavated in the rock under some partially collapsed pyramids, and is decorated with images of the gods, Pharaohs and has various multicoloured hieroglyphic inscriptions. Our final visit today is to the fascinating site of an ancient forest with hundreds of petrified tree trunks. Sunset over the desert then rounds off the day.
OVERNIGHT:
Karima Nubian Rest House
MEALS:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
EXTRAS:
None
After breakfast, we visit the market in Karima where we can have a real experience of daily life of the local Sudanese people. We'll then take to the water and board a small motorboat for a pleasant trip along the Nile to see the contrasts between the sandy stretches and cultivated islands. The 4th Cataract on the Nile is a little further north from here, where rocky granite formations speeded the waters up and formed many rapids which also impeded navigation. However, since the Merowee Dam was built in 2008 these scenic rapids are no more. After a picnic lunch we'll visit the archaeological site of Nuri which is home to many pyrmaids, among them one for the great Pharaoh Taharqa, who was part of the 25th Dynasty of Egypt.
OVERNIGHT:
Karima Nubian Rest House
MEALS:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
EXTRAS:
None
We have a long day on the road today, but busy with various different and interesting visits and encounters. After an early start we'll visit a very local and traditional market, before following the Nile to the archaeological site of Old Dongola. The site here comprises Coptic Christian churches with marbles columns as well as other ruins situated on the bank of the Nile. We are in the heart of the Nubian region here, and the local population live in small villages and speak a different language to the Arabs in Sudan. Women are not required to cover their faces and speak readily with foreigners and tourists. Several houses in these villages are painted with patterns of flowers, but most are completely white. We'll have our picnic lunch in one of the village houses with tea and coffee preprated by our Nubian host family. In the afternoon we'll return to Karima.
OVERNIGHT:
Karima Nubian Rest House
MEALS:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
EXTRAS:
None
After crossing a bridge over the Nile this morning we enter the Bayuda Desert, an area bounded by the loop formed by the Nile between the 4th and the 6th Cataract. The desert here is characterised by sharp black basalt mountains, most of them volcanic and typically cone-shaped. En-route we will visit the Monastery of Ghazli. We're also likely to come across isolated groups of Bisharin Nomads. They live in small family groups with their caravans and herds of camels and donkeys close to isolated water wells in huts made of intertwined branches.
Later we'll cross the NIle again using a local ferry boat, or ponton. These ferry crossings can be great fun, with the boats busy with people, vehicles, camels, goats and donkeys. After crossing the river, all of a sudden we'll get our first view of over 40 pyramids, some perfectly preserved, located on the top of a hill. This is the Royal Necropolis of Meroe, which will be our focus tomorrow.
Note - the Wadi Abu Dom track is possible only if we have a minimum of 2 vehicles - if we have a very small group with only 1 vehicle we will take a different route on tar roads.
OVERNIGHT:
Meroe Pyramids permanent tented camp
MEALS:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
EXTRAS:
None
This morning is dedicated to a visit and tour of the Meroe pyramids. This will include the Royal Necropolis of Meroe, which sits on hills covered by yellow sand dunes around 3km from the Nile. Several of the pyramids stand out particularly, with their sharp shapes edged against the clear sky. Each pyramid has its own funerary chapel with bas-reliefs decorating the walls showing the King’s life and offerings to the gods. If it is open, we will also visit the Tarabil School which we support as part of our responsible tourism activities. After a coffee break at the local village of Kabushia we will visit the Sun Temple, the Western Necropolis and the Quarries of the Meroitic civilization. Finally we'll enjoy sunset at the Pyramids.
Note - we may not be able to visit the ruins of the Royal city, which was closed by UNESCO to evaluate damage caused by a flood of the Nile.
OVERNIGHT:
Meroe Pyramids permanent tented camp
MEALS:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
EXTRAS:
None
We'll leave the Meroe Pyramids this morning and head southwards back towards Khartoum. On the way we'll visit the site of Mussawarat which sits in a beautiful valley, surrounded by hills. The ruins of a large and important temple are visible here. The temple's main feature is its 'Great Enclosure' which is made up of many boundary walls and constructions surrounding a temple built in the 1st century A.D. Our next stop is then at Naga, one of two centres that developed and thrived during the Meroitic period. Here, amidst a typical Saharan rocky and sandy environment, we find a temple dedicated to Apademak from the 1st century A.D. This is a wonderful building which various bas-relief decorations depicting the Pharaoh, noblemen, the god with a lion's head, and several other ritual images. Close by is a small and rather odd construction, known as the 'kiosk' which has columns and arches, and where we can pick out Egyptian, Roman and Greek styles all in the same building. Our final visit is to a temple dedicated to Amon which has many statues of rams and beautiful gates decorated with more bas-reliefs. Finally we finish our loop through northern Sudan by returning to Khartoum.
After checking in, and before sunset, we will head to the tomb of the Sufi leader Ahmed al Nil to see the fascinating and impressive Dervishes Ceremony (note - this is only possible on Fridays and if we arrive back into Khartoum in time to leave the hotel by 3pm).
OVERNIGHT:
Khartoum hotel
MEALS:
Breakfast, Lunch
EXTRAS:
None
After a leisurely breakfast we start our sightseeing by crossing the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers near the Presidential Palace. In 1885 General Gordon was beheaded here by the Mahdi's troops. We'll then reach the old capital of Sudan, Omdurman, where we'll see the Mahdi's Tomb from the outside, the interesting Khalifa's House, home to a small museum about the Mahdyia (closed for refurbishment in 2022). We should have a little time to explore Omdurman's colourful souk before we take a pleasant boat ride to see the confluence of the Nile rivers. In the afternoon we'll visit the National Museum which hosts many important historical items and houses two beautiful temples in its gardens. These were rescued by UNESCO and moved here when Lake Nasser was flooded. (Note - the inner part of the museum was closed for refurbishment in 2022, but the temples in the garden should still be available to visit).
In the early evening we will hopefully enjoy a final highlight, the Nuba Wrestling competitions in Khartoum North. This is a fascinating sport, traditional in the Kordofan region of Sudan, and teakes place on Fridays, Saturdays and Wednesdays (Note - the event was paused during Covid times, but hopefully will resume).
The order of visits in Khartoum may change or be moved to a different day according to museum opening hours and other local factors.
OVERNIGHT:
Khartoum hotel
MEALS:
Breakfast, Lunch
EXTRAS:
Extra day in Khartoum - post-tour
We transfer you to the airport from your hotel around 3 hours before your flight departure time. If you have booked a full night's hotel accommodation then your day is free until we transfer you to the airport for your onward flight.
OVERNIGHT:
N/A
MEALS:
Breakfast
EXTRAS:
None
Expand all
The section of this tour out of Khartoum operates in two directions on different dates - either starting with Meroe, or starting with Karima. The same sites and overnight stops are maintained, just in the opposite order. Please see the Dates & Prices notes for the direction that applies to your tour.
From 1 Jan 2024 the tour will shorten by one day to 9 days, with Day 4 in Karima in effect removed. All the same sites will be visited however, with the tour of the Nuri Necropolis moved to Day 6. The Nile boat trip currently on Day 4 will no longer be included but may be available as an option to add locally.
If you are looking for a tour and not finding what you are looking for, have a look at our best other related tours to check out for your travel plans. At Encounters Travel, we offer a variety of tours to suit your needs. So sit back, relax, and let us help you plan the perfect getaway.
Group dates and prices are based on the tour running with a minimum of 4 travellers. We can still run the tour for lower numbers, but a supplement will be due. Private tours are also available on request.
Select the currency that works best for you by clicking one of the icons below. Whether you prefer US Dollars (USD), Euros (EUR), British Pounds (GBP), or any of our other supported currencies, simply tap the flag or symbol to instantly update all prices site-wide.
The hotels and accommodations listed below are the ones we most often use on this tour. From time to time we may exchange these for similar properties at the same level. In general, specific hotels cannot be guaranteed on our group tours, but you may select your preferred options if you are booking a tailor-made trip.
Our tours are designed to include all that you need to enjoy a really special time in the destination you're visiting. However, we do also offer some extra options to complement the tour and add some additional sightseeing or activities, or some extra time at either end of the tour.
All accommodation based options (e.g. Single supplements, extra nights, cruise upgrades) should be booked and paid for in advance so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. Other options may either be booked and paid for in advance or while you are on the tour, though we recommend booking in advance to ensure there are no issues with availability.
Many options are priced the same throughout the year, but some may incur single or high season supplements - full details are given on the tour reservation form or on request.
The detailed Tour Notes below have been written to give you some more detailed information about how the tour runs, what to expect, and how to prepare for your holiday. We recommend downloading an up to date copy of these shortly before you travel in case of any changes.
Expand all
Expand all
Need some travel inspiration or looking for some handy travel tips? Our blog provides excellent insight into our travel destinations - from tour updates to country guides, packing lists to little known things to do, you'll find it all in our travel blog.