Sudan
Sudan – Hidden Treasures of Sudan – a 6 day Budget Small Group Tour.
The Sudan – Hidden Treasures of Sudan is a short six day tour that covers the main highlights of the country. It is perfect for those who want to get a feel for the country but do not have the time to commit to one of our longer holidays. Although short, the tour still takes in many of the areas that any tour of Sudan should cover including Meroe, Khartoum and desert travel.
If you have ever wanted to experience travelling in Sudan then this tour is a great introduction. Although the price may be low, the quality is not compromised.
Travel to Sudan and explore the stunning Royal Necropolis at Meroe and the impressive sites of Naqa and Musawwarat. This short tour also takes in travel in the Bayuda Desert, Nubian villages and the capital of Sudan, Khartoum.
Travelling in small groups with an English speaking guide, our tour in Sudan starts and ends in Khartoum, looping out of the city to explore many of the best preserved ancient sites. For millennium, the pyramids of Sudan have been a virtual unknown in the West. This tour begins to open the lid on the mysteries and historic significance of the pyramids and the people and cultures that built them.
As well as focusing on the history of Sudan, the Hidden Treasures of Sudan tour includes excursions to see the famous Whirling Dervishes and a visit to view Nubian Wrestling.
This may be a short tour but it is feature packed and an intensive introduction to Sudan.
- Fitness
- Off the beaten track
- Culture
- History
- Wildlife
Tour pace
Busy
Tour style
Traveller
Relaxed Pace
Relaxed tours are easy paced with plenty of leisure time built in. The tour will in all probability still be off the beaten track, with the occasional early start and there may still be occasional long drives. In general on a relaxed pace tour you can enjoy easy-going activities and experiences with opportunities to absorb the sights and immerse yourself in the local surroundings.
Moderate Pace
Moderate pace tours are ideal if you want a tour experience that combines activities and experiences with some time to relax. Typically you will be active and busy for part of the day but then also have time to rest and recharge your batteries. In general on a moderate paced tour there may be some long journeys involved but the tour is not an expedition or a road trip. On a moderate paced tour it will be necessary to have some early starts.
Busy Pace
A busy paced tour means that you can expect to be doing, seeing or experiencing something new almost every day, and moving on from place to place to pack in as much as possible. There may be early starts, long journeys and tiring days along the way, but you’ll return home feeling you’ve really experienced as much as you possibly could.
Pioneer Class Tours
On our Pioneer tours, you will be amongst an elite group of intrepid travellers and some of the first to explore a country that few have been privileged enough to discover. Of course, exploring such areas of the world will come with its challenges; it may mean several nights camping, long journeys by 4WD and the need to maintain a degree of flexibility for when carefully laid plans change. These are challenging tours in countries and areas that may have poor infrastructure, high levels of poverty and illiteracy. This can translate in to low standards in hotels, bad roads and poor driving standards among other issues. We try and smooth out as much of these issues as we can but you should be prepared to experience the bad with the good.
Traveller Class Tours
Our Traveller itineraries are at the core of our programme. These journeys are designed for travellers who still want to discover a land away from the tourist crowds but expect minimum standards. Accommodation will be primarily hotel based, although you could still find yourself camping, or the guest of a local family. Depending on the destination and itinerary, you’ll likely be travelling in a private vehicle, with occasional use of public transport. This is adventure travel with some of the rough edges smoothed out.
Itinerary.
Day 1 – (Tuesday) Arrive Khartoum
We begin this short tour of Sudan when your flight arrives in Khartoum. On arrival, and having cleared customs and immigration, you will be met be one of our representatives and transferred to the hotel. Overnight at the Acropole Hotel, Khartoum. No meals are included today.
**Depending on the time of your flight arrival you may arrive very early on the morning of Day 2 and the room will be available for you at the hotel**
Day 2 – (Wednesday) Khartoum - Necropolis of El Kurru - Nuri Necropolis - Karima
This morning we leave the hotel and head north out of the city. The drive will take us about six hours as we cross the Western Desert. As we travel, you will be able to view Jebel Barkal (Jebel is the Arabic word for mountain) an imposing landmark in this desert. We break our journey with a stop at the ancient village of El Kurru. Here you will find one of the royal cemeteries used by the Nubian royal family of Kush. We visit one tomb decorated with images of the Pharaoh, of the gods and with multicoloured hieroglyphic inscriptions. Our drive continues and later in the day we reach the stunning site of Nuri. You will have the chance to walk amongst the 20 ancient pyramids belonging to Nubian kings and queens which are still standing here at Nuri. Dinner and overnight at the Karima Nubian Rest House (BL*D) *Picnic lunch included
(Distance travelled today is 450km)
Day 3 – (Thursday) Karima - Atbara - Meroe
An early start means that we can get to see the sunrise from the top of Jebel Barkal. A perfect start to the day. After returning for breakfast, the tour continues as we enter the Bayuda Desert, an area characterised by black volcanic mountains. If we are lucky, during our time travelling here we may well meet groups of the Bisharin nomads. They live in small huts constructed of intertwined branches and located close to water wells, with their herds of camels and donkeys. Our next point on the route to Meroe is the town of Atbara. It is here that we cross the Nile and start the journey south travelling through the acacia trees. As we travel, suddenly you the view changes and we see in the distance on top of a hill, more than 40 pyramids. This is the Royal Necropolis of Meroe. Dinner and overnight at Meroe Camp (BL*D) *Picnic lunch included
(Distance travelled today is 360km)
Day 4 – (Friday) Meroe Camp - Mussawarat Es Sufra – Naga – Khartoum
We have an early start to view sunrise amongst the pyramids before we then continue to Naga and Mussawarat. In a beautiful valley crowned by hills we find the site of Mussawarat. Having travelled south from our overnight stopover, the first thing that we notice is the ruins of the huge temple. Constructed in sandstone, the main features of the site include the Great Enclosure, the Lion Temple of Apedemak and the Great Reservoir. The site’s main monuments are picturesquely scattered in the wide basin of Wadi es-Sufra, bordered by sandstone escarpments which rise up to 60 m above the valley floor.
Continuing our tour, we arrive late afternoon in time to see the Dervish ceremony (Fridays only) in the Ahmed al Nil cemetery. The famous ‘whirling dervishes’ are possibly one of the Sudan’s biggest tourist attractions. It will be after sunset that we arrive back in to Khartoum and check in to the hotel.
Overnight at the Acropole Hotel (BL*) *Picnic lunch included
Day 5 – (Saturday) Khartoum
Today we will explore the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. To begin with we travel to Omdurman the old capital of Sudan, by crossing the confluence between the Blue and the White Nile. We explore on foot, walking through the market, viewing the Mahdi’s Tomb and entering the Khalifa’s House which holds a small museum about the Mahdyia. Next is a relaxing boat trip along the Nile before our tour takes us to the National Museum*. As the sun begins to set, we head to the north of Khartoum to view a traditional Nubian Wrestling tournament. As this is our last night in Sudan, we have a farewell dinner in a local restaurant.
Overnight at the Acropole Hotel (BD)
*The National Museum is currently closed for renovation but will reopen in 2021. In 2020 we will visit the gardens but not enter the museum.
Day 6 – (Sunday) Depart Sudan
Your short tout of Sudan ends today. Depending on the time of your flight, we will transfer to the airport today.
Dates & Price.
Tour Notes
Single Supplement
Single Supplement from £275
Flights
Return flights from London to Khartoum start at £455. Contact us for a quotation.
Transfers
Transfers are included on the tour arrival and departure dates shown. Outside of these dates, airport transfers can be included from an extra £30 per person (based on 2 people travelling together) if you are booking pre and/or post tour accommodation at the hotel mentioned in our tour dossier.
Extra Accommodation
Extra night accommodation pre and/or post tour in Khartoum costs from £50 per person per night sharing a twin/double room and £75 per person in a solo occupancy room.
Please note that the prices quoted above are for the category of accommodation and hotel used for this particular tour. Depending on the hotel eventually confirmed there may be some difference in the rate advertised by the hotel, and the prices available through Undiscovered Destinations. It should be noted we will not apply a surcharge should more expensive accommodation be used. At the same time in the event that a lower rate is available for the confirmed hotel we are unable to offer a refund.
Download PDF.
Download the full tour dossier for this trip here.
For expert advice get in touch now with our passionate,
well-travelled team.
+44(0) 191 296 2674 from THE UK
1-800-614-2967 from THE US & CANADA
1-300-956-415 from AUSTRALIA
Tour inclusions.
- Arrival and departure transfers
- All accommodation
- Services of English speaking guide / tour leader
- Meals as listed (B – Breakfast, L – Lunch, D – Dinner)
- Entrance fees for sites listed as part of the itinerary
- Visa support documents (letter of invitation)
Tour exclusions.
- Compulsory Archaeological fees, permits, passport registration – currently EUR 200 payable locally in cash
- International flights
- Travel Insurance
- Visa
- Drinks
- Items of a personal nature
- Tips (discretionary)
- Video camera fees
Read more about Sudan and our other African tours
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