The barren sands of Sudan have secrets to tell in voices worn weary by the passage of time. Known by the Greeks as Aithiopia (Ethiopia) and by the Egyptians as Kush, this desert region was a flourishing center of trade and culture for centuries, facilitated by the coursing of the mighty Nile River. From the confluence of the Blue and White Niles, to the mystical peaks of Jebel El Barkal, the source of kingship for ancient royalty, you will delve into the past. Stand in awe of the pyramids at Nepata and Meroe, wander the bones of a once great medieval city in the north, and take in the fierce power of the Nile from the walls of an Ottoman fort. Feel yourself stepping back in time with every footprint left in the Sudanese sand.
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Fly to Khartoum and transfer to your hotel. This evening, you will be treated to dinner with your fellow travelers as a welcome to Sudan. Next day, head out for a tour of Khartoum. Begin at the National Museum of Sudan, a wonderful repository of relics of the Kushite Kingdom as well as two complete temples built by Queen Hatshepsut and Pharaoh Thutmose III. Cross the confluence of the Blue and White Niles on your way to Omdurman, which was made the capital during the Mahdist War (1881-99), where you will have lunch. Afterward, visit Khalifa’s Wax Museum and the local souk (market). At sunset, you will be privileged to a ceremony performed by Whirling Dervishes near the tomb of Ahmed Al Nil. CORINTHIA HOTEL KHARTOUM.
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Head into the expanse of the Western Desert, a sprawling and stark 360° horizon that fully immerses travelers in an unchanged ancient landscape. You truly get the impression of being in an ancient landscape which hasn’t changed much since the beginning of time. Stop at an authentic chai house (tea house) for refreshment along the way, before arriving in Karima on the banks of the Nile in the late afternoon. NUBIAN REST HOUSE KARIMA.
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Today’s first stop is the archeological site of Old Dongola, the capital of the medieval Christian kingdom of Makuria. This city thrived in the medieval era and is full of ruins to explore, including Coptic churches and arabesque columns. Enjoy lunch with a local Nubian family in their home, where you can truly engage with locals in a way few tourists do. End your day in Tombos, with its ancient granite quarries and the remains of a statue of King Taharqa. Through the desert and to the river next morning, you will take in the sight of the legendary Third Cataract of the Nile from an Ottoman Fort atop a nearby hill. Then, explore the rock art site of Sebu, where hundreds of images, ranging from prehistoric to Egyptian times, remain immortalized in the rock. Further north is the Temple of Soleb, the most beautiful Egyptian temple of all Sudan, rich with hieroglyphic inscriptions, bas-relief figures, and elegant columns. RUSTIC PRESET CAMP IN TOMBOS.
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Journey back in time as you set foot in Kerma, home to an early civilization that flourished from around 2500 BCE to about 1500 BCE in Nubia, in Upper Egypt, and northern Sudan. This was the first capital of the Kingdom of Kush and home to seven remarkable statues of the Kushite Pharaohs. Time permitting, visit the mysterious Eastern Defuffa in the middle of the Necropolis. NUBIAN REST HOUSE KARIMA.
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Venture out to the foot of Jebal Barkal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, often referred to as “the Mount Olympus” of the Nubians. Alongside the remarkable ruins of the big temple at its foot, there are still several sculptured granite rams. After lunch, travel southwards to the village of El Kurru and the ancient city of Napata, to explore an excavated tomb beneath the pyramids. Tonight in Karima, enjoy traditional Sudanese music and dance over dinner. Spend some time wandering the Karima market the next morning before embarking on a pleasant cruise along the Nile. Enjoy a picnic lunch and arrive at the pyramids of Nuri, among the oldest in Sudan. This site features a cemetery for Nubian royalty with a pyramid field where 21 kings and 52 queens and princesses were interred. NUBIAN REST HOUSE KARIMA.
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Cross the Nile and enter the Bayuda Desert. This region of volcanic cone-shaped mountains of black basalt, occupies a pocket formed by a great bend in the Nile River. Drive past the simple huts of the nomadic Bisharin, pastoralists who tend camels and domesticated livestock. Take a pontin (ferry) and mingle with locals and their assemblage of goats, camels, and donkeys as you float across the world’s longest river. Your camp overlooks the Royal Necropolis of Meroe. The next day, enter the necropolis and the Royal City. The necropolis sits atop yellow dune capped hills which are punctuated by the piercing apexes of 40 incredibly well-preserved pyramids. This site is an archeological treasure trove as it marks a point in time where Nubians began to depart from Egyptian influences. As a result, many inscriptions are in Meroitic script and not hieroglyphics, yet to be deciphered today, and much of the site is still to be excavated. MEROE CAMP.
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Spend time at market in the town of Shendi and drive on to the first of two archeological sites in Naga and Mussawarat to see the temple dedicated to the Egyptian god Ammon and another to the Nubian lion-headed god Apedemak. At a small building called the kiosk, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman stylistic flourishes are present due to Meroe’s status as a center of trade in antiquity. Drive back to Khartoum and enjoy a farewell dinner. Next morning is at leisure for your last-minute shopping and exploring Khartoum on your own. Later, transfer to the airport for your overnight flights back to the U.S.
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Prices vary by season and package. Please inquire by phone at (800) 627-1244 or email info@classicescapes.com for more information and a pricing estimate.
YOUR JOURNEY INCLUDES:
- Internal flights on the Ethiopian extension.
- Superior and best available accommodations throughout as indicated or similar. The Meroe Camp is rustic with private facilities located outside the tent. The Tombos Camp is very rustic and is a pre-set temporary camp.
- All meals in Sudan; American breakfast in Addis Ababa and all meals during the rest of the trip in Ethiopia.
- Water in vehicles and during meals.
- English-speaking expert cultural guide throughout Sudan, and a separate guide throughout Ethiopia on the extension.
- Sightseeing by 4-wheel drive in Sudan and minibus or motor coach in Ethiopia.
- All applicable hotel and camp taxes and gratuities for baggage handling.
- Passport registration and entry fees.
- Complimentary passport wallet and luggage tags.
- Complimentary emergency evacuation insurance.
Morocco enjoys European climate and has the Atlas Mountains running through the country. Winters can be quite cold and snow is quite common in the Atlas Mountains, making it impossible to pass them. Summers can be hot and humid and at the desert quite hot. Ideal times to visit Morocco are April-May and September through mid-November.
