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Traveling with Atlas Obscura amid COVID-19 How We’re Adapting Our Trips Destination Requirements (via Embassy Pages)Join us as we make an epic overland journey to discover the ancient history and hidden gems of Sudan. Seldom visited and widely misunderstood, Sudan is home to some of the most spectacular historic artifacts and archaeological sites—whose numbers exceed those that can be found in all of Egypt. Following the Nile from Khartoum northward into the desert, we'll encounter the majestic pyramids at Meroe and Jebel Barkal. Together on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we'll unlock the secrets of the ancient Nubian Kingdom of Kush and the rule of the Black Pharaohs and Meroitic kings. And these will be just the beginning of our discoveries. This is a place that only reveals its stories and secrets to those willing to set out into its vast desert landscape.
Our journey begins in the capital city of Khartoum, located near the confluence of the Blue Nile from Ethiopia and the White Nile from Uganda. This fascinating and vibrant city began as an Egyptian army camp in the 1820s and struggled through several shifts in power before becoming the capital of the Republic of the Sudan in 1956. It is now a multicultural hub and important trading center for the region. Upon arrival you'll be met at the airport and transferred by private vehicle to your hotel.
Before sunset, we'll head to the tomb of Sheikh Hamad-al Nil to observe the weekly local Dervish ceremony. As this is not a performance but an actual ceremony, please note that the Dervishes do not always whirl! You'll only find them whirling if they feel called to in the moment.
Grand Holiday Villa Hotel, Khartoum
We will be leaving the hotel around 3:00 PM local time for our excursion to the Dervish ceremony. If you'd like to participate, please make sure your flight will get in you on time, or if you'd like to arrive a day early.
After breakfast at your hotel, we'll explore the city by driving to the outskirts of Omdurman to visit the camel market. Later in the day, we'll catch a traditional Nuba wrestling match that has a fascinating cultural significance and has become extremely popular in the city, even to those outside of the Nuba peoples.
Grand Holiday Villa Hotel, Khartoum
Breakfast, Dinner
In the morning we'll cross the confluence between the Blue and White Nile by boat near the Presidential Palace where, in 1885, General Gordon was beheaded by the Mahdi troops. In the old capital of Sudan, we'll see Mahdi's Tomb from the outside and walk through the Omdurman Market.
Grand Holiday Villa Hotel, Khartoum
Breakfast, Lunch
We’ll set out this morning traveling north from Khartoum, quickly entering the desert landscape of sand and rocky, granite hills. We’ll stop at Sabaloka Gorge at the Sixth Cataract of the Nile, gaining a closer view of the rapids on a short boat ride. After a picnic lunch, we’ll continue our drive to Meroe. Hold your breath as the spectacular pyramids of the Royal Necropolis of Meroe come into view, perched high on a hill and surrounded by dunes. The ruins of the ancient royal city now appear as a collection of small hills covered in red clay fragments, yet to be fully excavated by archaeologists. We’ll settle into our comfortable tented camp and enjoy the splendid view of the pyramids from our personal verandas.
Meroe Camp, Meroe
Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
Slowly being reclaimed by the sands of time, the pyramids of Meroe hold the fragile footprints of a mysterious and long-forgotten civilization. Meroe was an ancient city in the Kushite Kingdom around 270 BCE, and the sheer number of its still-standing pyramids indicate that it was a massive city, once bustling with traders and everyday inhabitants. Archaeologists have identified that the numerous pyramid structures are very clearly in the Nubian style. The structures’ sharp angles and relatively narrow footprints carry all the hallmarks of the former Kushite Kingdom, meaning Meroe was a pinnacle location in one of history’s greatest and least-understood civilizations. Today, several structures and pyramids still stand, rising from the sand. Each pyramid contains a funerary chapel and walls decorated with bas reliefs showing the life of the king and offerings to the gods. You'll also visit the local village of Kabushia for a coffee break. In the evening, we’ll have the option of traveling by camel to watch the sun set over the pyramids.
Meroe Camp, Meroe
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We’ll begin today’s excursion at Musawwarat es-Sufra, one of the most important archaeological heritage sites and the largest Meroitic temple complex in Sudan (300 BCE to 350 CE). Pause and take in the setting of this magnificent valley, surrounded by sandstone escarpments: the Wadi es-Sufra. The focal point of Musawwarat is the “Great Enclosure,” a huge complex of religious temples, corridors, and courtyards. The walls are carved with depictions of elephants, which must have once roamed this region. A short distance away is Naqa, where we’ll find two well-preserved, first-century Meroitic temples to explore. One is the Lion Temple, dedicated to the lion-headed warrior god Apedemak, and the other features statues of rams, gates, and decorative bas-reliefs dedicated to ancient Sudan’s most prominent god, Amon. After a full day of archaeological exploration, we’ll return for a final night at our camp.
Meroe Camp, Meroe
Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
Leaving Meroe early this morning, we’ll cross the Nile on a public ferry, sharing our passage with locals and their donkeys, camels, and goats. We enter the Bayuda Desert, an area bordered by the Nile River and punctuated by sharp, black, conical, basalt mountains interspersed with pebble plains and large, dry valleys. Isolated groups of Bisharin nomads call this area home; as we travel through, we might meet some of the familial groups gathered near one of the desert’s rare water wells in what is otherwise an inhospitable landscape. After a full day of traveling these desert roads, we’ll arrive at Jebel Barkal, the holy mountain of Egyptian and Nubian Pharaohs. At the mountain’s base is the small town of Karima, where the charming Nubian Rest House will provide welcome respite.
Nubian Rest House, Karima
Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
Weathered pyramids spike upward amid sweeping stretches of golden desert sand. They stand in the shadow of Jebel Barkal, a small butte that was considered sacred thousands of years ago. The Egyptians, then later the Kushites, transformed the 322-foot-tall sandstone monolith into a trove of architectural treasures (900 BCE to 350 CE). Roughly a dozen pyramids are scattered around the base of the mountain, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll also find ruins of tombs, pyramids, temples, burial mounds, chambers, palaces, statues, and hieroglyphics on both sides of the Nile. One of the temples we’ll encounter was dedicated to the god Amon, who was believed to live atop the butte. Amon was the Olympus of the Nubians and at the center of worship for over 1,000 years. In the afternoon, we visit the village of El Kurru where we find one of the necropolises of the ancient city of Napata. This was the Nubian capital from 800 to 400 BCE, and we’ll have the chance to observe an excavated tomb under the pyramid, featuring images of pharaohs, ancient gods, and hieroglyphic inscriptions. In the late afternoon, we’ll return to Karima through an ancient petrified forest.
Nubian Rest House, Karima
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Enjoy a leisurely morning, relaxing and taking breakfast on your own time. We’ll then gather to board a small motorboat for a gentle cruise along the Nile, providing views of the cultivated islands along the river. To the north once stood the beautiful granite formations of the Fourth Cataract, which disrupted the flow of the Nile and obstructed navigation. After a scenic picnic lunch on an island in the river, we’ll visit some of the oldest pyramids in Sudan (7th century BCE) at the Necropolis of Nuri, another UNESCO World Heritage Site and the burial site of King Taharqa. We’ll then return to the Nubian Rest House, where in the evening, we’ll have the chance to enjoy a performance of traditional Sudanese music and dance.
Nubian Rest House, Karima
Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast we’ll begin our journey back to Khartoum. For those heading back to Khartoum, we’ll head south on the tarmac road across the Western Desert, an area so dry and flat you can see from horizon to horizon in all directions. We’ll take a break for lunch at a simple roadside chai house, just as the local truck drivers do. After checking into the hotel back in Khartoum, you’ll have the evening at your leisure. Most international flights depart late in the evening or after midnight so whether you leave tonight or tomorrow; a private airport transfer will be arranged according to your flight schedule.
Grand Holiday Villa Hotel, Khartoum (or optional extension)
Breakfast, Picnic Lunch
After our unforgettable journey through some of the world’s most legendary lands, it’s time to bid farewell and head to the airport.
Breakfast
You’re in good company. Solo travelers typically make up about half of our small groups. With curiosity at the center of our experiences, there’s a natural camaraderie that develops over the course of a trip. We have two options for you:
Shared Room: You’ll be matched with another solo traveler of the same gender.
Private Room: Have your own room, subject to availability, for a supplemental cost of $975. After booking your trip, please request a private room when you fill out your traveler information form and we’ll add the option to your booking and final balance.
During this trip we’ll be staying at a variety of accommodations. The hotel in Khartoum is an international standard with Western-style private bathroom facilities. Outside Khartoum, however, the lodgings are basic. For our nights out in the desert, we’ll be in nice, pre-set tents (one might even call it “glamping”), but these camps do not have 24-hour electricity in the rooms, and each tent’s bathroom facility is a short walk behind the tent.
Travelers should feel comfortable walking up to three hours each day, with lots of time spent outdoors, moving around, and on your feet. You should be comfortable walking on both flat and uneven ground, as well as stairs, sand, and rocky terrain. During the day’s activities and in transit, toilet facilities may be limited to “bush toilets” or basic squat toilets of inconsistent cleanliness standards.
This is an overland journey that relies on long, rigorous drives in 4WD vehicles over rough, bumpy roads. On days when the distance to be covered is particularly long, we’ll make sure to stop regularly.
You’ll meet up with your guide and group in the hotel lobby around 3 p.m. on Day 1, please double-check that your flight will get you in on time if you'd like to participate in the Day 1 Dervish ceremony (which only occurs on Fridays).
Your participation in this trip will provide significant financial contributions to the communities we visit, directly supporting small businesses, schools, villages, and local families. In addition, this trip's focus on important archaeological sites will help to preserve and maintain them for future generations. With the help of Friends Of Sudan/Amici del Sudan (an Italian NGO founded by our trip partners) your trip is supporting a school near the Meroe, called Tarabil, and digging a well to allow some nomadic tribes to bring their herds of animals back to their ancestral lands.
Food options in Sudan are limited. While our team will attempt to accommodate most dietary restrictions, substitutions may not be an option. We encourage you to bring some travel snacks from home, such as energy bars, trail mix, dried fruit, and nuts. If you have a severe allergy, please contact us to find out if this is the right trip for you.
A visa is required for Sudan. Please check requirements for travel to Sudan and any countries passed through in transit. We will supply the letter of invitation required with your visa application. We recommend starting your visa application process 4 to 5 months prior to the departure. A passport is required for international travel. Your passport should have two full blank visa pages and an expiration date at least six months after your return home. A visa will be denied if you have an Israeli visa or entry stamp in your passport. You can check for requirements directly through the embassy or by using a third-party visa resource. *Please note that applications through a third-party resource may incur services charges in addition to any applicable visa fees.
The CDC recommends all travelers be up-to-date on all routine vaccines before every trip. Please check these recommendations and discuss them with your doctor. As of October 2021, Atlas Obscura requires that all travelers be vaccinated against COVID-19 to participate in our trips.