Sunday 10th November – Khartoum

• Arrive at your convenience into Khartoum – the capital city of Sudan which is well connected from many countries within Africa and the Middle East.
• No matter what time your flight arrives we will have someone there to pick you up, before transferring to the lovely Plaza Hotel
• Once everyone has arrived, we will meet in the lobby around 7 pm before heading next door to the wonderful Syrian Castle Restaurant, for dinner and the pre-tour meeting
• Overnight in Khartoum.

Monday 11th November – Khartoum – Omdurman

Morning

• Up early for breakfast at hotel before we start the day with a city tour of the Sudanese capital city.
• We’ll visit the national museum, which contains various objects dedicated to Nubian history. This Nubian area of the southern Nile was home of Africa’s earliest ancient civilisation.
• We’ll also take in the beautiful temples saved by UNESCO from lake Nassir and rebuilt entirely inside the museum.
• Visit the Ethnographic Museum. Sudan has 597 different ethnic groups that speak over 400 different languages and dialects, we’ll get a taste for the incredible diversity here.

Afternoon

• Cross the White Nile for a trip to technically Sudan’s second largest city – Omdurman. We’ll have a short stop at the Mahdi tomb and tour around the Khalifa house museum. The house served as the HQ of the Mahdist state. This was a short-lived religious and political movement that ruled Sudan until the British reconquered in 1898.
• Lunch stop in Omdurman.
• Visit Omdurman’s beautifully colourful market – this truly is a highlight, with there noy only being very type of spice available, but also the obligatory fridge magnets, old money and even pictures of Lenin!
• On arrival back into Khartoum we take a very special boat ride along the confluence of the River Nile before seeing how the other half live at the Corinthia Hotel/Gaddafi Egg
• Dinner and overnight in Khartoum.

Tuesday 12th November – Khartoum – Old Dongola – Kerma

Morning

• Breakfast at our hotel and begin our journey to Northern Sudan.
• We’ll travel 500km north of Khartoum. On the way we’ll stop at Old Dongola, the capital of the Christian kingdom of Makuria. Today its a deserted city with the population having moved downstream in the 19th century.

Afternoon

• We move onto the cemetery of the Sofi holy men and stopping for lunch on the way.
• Take the ferry across the Nile and drive for a further 40km arriving at Kerma, a 3800 B.C archaeological site.
• Tonight we stay at one of the best traditional Nubian Houses we know. The place is very big, with everyone getting a nice and if space provides their own room.
• Dinner and drinks in the large communal area – optional nighttime star gazing walk
• Overnight in Nubian House

Wednesday 13th November – Tombus – Soleb

Morning

• Traditional breakfast in the Nubian House
• Early rise to visit the site of Tombus – here there are many Egyptian inscriptions and a huge granite statue dedicated the famous black Pharaoh – Taharqa.
• Continue 50km to the north where we stop to take in the amazing panoramic view of the rock art from the prehistoric period at Wadi Sebu.

Afternoon

• Stop for lunch at a local tea house
• You then take the ferry across the Nile, a treat itself, with great views, as well as tea and street food as you wait for your ride!
• Cross the Nile to the west bank and drive two hours up to Soleb – an ancient Nubian town home to a vast necropolis of which we can visit the tombs which haven’t been destroyed by colonial “archaeologists”
• Enjoy sunset at the site, before checking into our Next Nubian house
• Dinner and optional night walk to the archaeological site
• Overnight at traditional Nubian house.

Thursday 14th November – Soleb – Karima

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and begin our journey back south driving for 320km before reaching the city of Karima, the location of ancient Napata.
• We visit the holy mountain of Jebel Barkal (Together with Napata, a UNESCO heritage site)  and the numerous temples at the foot of Jebel Barkal and lunch on the way

Afternoon

• We then visit the impressive Kurru, the royal necropolis of Napata. Here we go deep underneath the pyramid to see the amazing painted tomb of the black Pharaoh Tanutamani. You won’t find such vivid painting anywhere else – bar Egypt, but literally without ant other tourists.
• Dinner in a local restaurant.
• Overnight at Merowe Tourist Village hotel.

Friday 15th November – Nuri – Meroe

Morning

• Breakfast arranged by our expert chef on site, before we head out for the next adventure
• Early morning visit to the nearby Nuri pyramids. While very different to the ones in Egypt, they truly show you how the culture started here, with there being over 60 to view.
• Lots of time to take photos and take in the atmosphere of the place

Afternoon

• We continue crossing though the Bayuda desert up to Meroe. We’ll pass through and stop at desert settlements such as Ad-Damer before reaching the famous Meroe pyramids. A perfect setting to witness the sun go down.
• After sunset we head to the newly built Meroe Hotel, which offers Wi-Fi, toilets and great place for our chefs to cook
• Trip highlight – We literally camp right next to the Pyramids of Meroe, in complete safety and offering some of the best views of the sky you will ever see in your life! There may even be a night time stroll around said Pyramids….

Saturday 16th November – Meroe – Khartoum

Morning

• For those inclined you get up super early to watch the sun rise around the Pyramids, again a true wonder for you to see
• We head to the hotel for a hot cooked breakfast before again heading off for further adventure!
• Set off on an off-road/on-road adventure to visit Mussawart. This is a complex of temples dedicated the local god Apedamak – the lion god. This was the biggest construction in the history of Nubia.

Afternoon

• After a local lunch, we continue up to Naqa 20km from Mussawart. This was once a vital trading post between the Mediterranean world and Africa. It houses a wonderful collection of buildings dating to the first century AD.
• Visit the Roman kiosk, which represents the intersection of various cultures both European and African.
• Visit the Among temple.
• Group A hits the road for Khartoum 150km from Naqa.
• Check into the Plaza hotel followed, by a local farewell dinner.
• Group B spends the night again camping in Meroe, with the option to upgrade to a hotel room should you desire. We will also do a pre-tour prep for the next part of the journey!

Sunday 17th November – Khartoum

Morning

• Group A members: conclude tour – YPT will arrange your airport transfer for you
• Group B members: depart early for the long trip to Abu Hamad, the end of the road in Sudan!

Afternoon

• The town of Abu Hamad is one of the last stops on the train, and name after a sheikh who was buried here. Our guide will introduce us to the legends about him.
• We sample the nightlife of Abu Hamad, which while not exactly eclectic has some tea-rooms, an old train station we can check out, and a very bustling market
• Dinner and overnight at literally the only hotel in the city!

Monday 18th November – Bir Tawil

Morning

• Today, our expert guides drive us across the desert, where there is no road but the traces of the previous travellers’ cars.
• We are in the deepest depths of the desert and shall stop for many photo opportunities.

Afternoon

• Lunch today is a picnic in the desert.
• We reach Bir Tawil in the evening!
• Enjoy our camp meal outside of any country!
• It wouldn’t be a YPT trip without a party — the first party, probably ever, in that part of the world!
• Overnight in tents, in Bir Tawil!

Tuesday 19th November – Bir Tawil

Morning

• Today, our day will be dedicated to the in-depth exploration of Bir Tawil.
• Now is the time for your photo op in Bir Tawil! By all means have a photo with a flag, but do not try to claim the nation as your own, the local tribe are quite protective of the area!
• Lunch by our camp.

Afternoon

• The afternoon is spent exploring Bir Tawil some more. Chances are we’ll be scoring many firsts in that part of the world.
• Dinner and overnight by our camp (the first foreign settlement?) in Bir Tawil.

Wednesday 20th November – Abu Hamad

Morning

• As always, all good things must come to an end and we start making our way down towards Khartoum but this time as proper trailblazers; fathers and mothers of a nation.

Afternoon

• Lunch on the way.
• Arrive in Abu Hamad by the beginning of the evening. We’re back in civilization! Kind of…
• Overnight camping by Abu Hamad

Thursday 21st November – Khartoum

Morning

• After a good breakfast, we’re back on the road!

Afternoon

• We arrive in Khartoum in the early evening.
• We go for an evening stroll around Khartoum.
• Dinner in Khartoum and our last night party, remembering the time when we were kings and queens of our own land!

Friday 22nd November – Khartoum

• Tour concludes – airport drop-offs for you will be arranged according to your flight details – YPT is also able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for flights. For those taking part in our South Sudan tour we will help arrange your ongoing direct flight to Juba for the next part of the tour.

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