Frequent Asked Questions
Here are some helpful information about Sudan in general and our style of tours.
Do not hesitate to contact us for further information and specific requests.
UPDATED 15/06: On 15th of April 2023 the general of the Sudanese Army and the head of the RSF paramilitary forces started a civil war in the country and this led to the evacuation of all foreigners and the closure of the international airport of Khartoum. At the moment it is not possible or safe to travel to Sudan. We will update you as soon as the situation will change.
The area where we operate is the Northern part of the country: from Khartoum to the Egyptian border, where you can find the highest concentration of archaeological sites. The safety of our guests is one of our priorities.
Mainly our trips are led by local cultural guides and drivers that know the country very well, even all its hidden beautiful corners. Furthermore, for some desert expedition, our cars are equipped with satellite phones and GPS in case of any emergency.
Our staff is first aid trained as well, all the cars are equipped with a first aid kit that contains medicinal useful for wounds and simple traumas. Then, of course, we kindly recommend our guests to bring all their personal or generic medicines for any specific and personal needs.
For more information and suggestions, please follow the regulations issued by your country of residency or contact us.
No vaccinations are required, including covid-19, although it is advisable the malaria prophylaxis. During the winter (November to February) there are very few mosquitoes and the risk is very low, but we recommend contacting your local Health Centre to ask for advice.
Yellow fever certificate is required only for those travellers coming from countries where there’s the yellow fever, otherwise it’s not necessary to have the certificate.
A first aid kit is available while on tour in our vehicles, but it is advisable to carry your own personal medicines in the hand baggage.
To enter in Sudan it is necessary to have an entry visa prior arrival, obtainable through the competent Sudanese Embassy (the passport must not have Israel Visa or stamp).
You will also need passport registrations (for this you need to bring 1 passport size photograph) and the Archaeological Entrance fees. We take care of all these services and much more for our guests.
Yes, all nationalities* must have a valid tourist visa to enter Sudan. As we are not a visa agency and for a matter of responsibility we support/sponsor tourist visas ONLY to those passengers who are booked on our tours or have one of our representative with them throughout their stay in Sudan.
Please note that it is NOT allowed to bring/drink alcoholic beverages in the country because of the Islamic law. It is also strictly forbidden to take out of the country fossils, stones and any possible archaeological item. An accurate screening of your luggage will be done at the airport before departure. Fines may apply in case they find something suspicious.
We remind you that it is NOT allowed to take photographs of military items, airports, bridges and official buildings. While for local markets and people, it would be always nice to ask before taking photos. In case of any doubt, please always refer to your tour leader. You will take amazing photos in Sudan following the rules.
A special permit is required for filming the archaeological sites. If you carry a traditional/professional video camera it might be that it will be required to pay an extra tax for filming professionally, which varies according to the number of sites included. This procedure can take a while to be organized therefore we require the clients to let us know well in advance.
There can be problems in introducing professional binocular lenses and drones in Sudan. Custom might not allow this item to enter the country, if so they will keep it at the airport and issue a receipt in order to have it back when leaving the country. OR they may ask to pay a deposit to be retrieved when leaving the country proving that the binocular or drones are exiting Sudan. Most telescopes might not be allowed in the country. If the custom confiscate them they will issue a receipt for the item and return it when leaving the country.
The official language is Arabic; in the Nubian region it is also used a local dialect different from Arabic. Some people also speak English.
After 17 years Sudan has decided to adopt once again the Daylight Saving Time. This means that the official time is GMT +2.
Please double check your flight schedule in order to inform us promptly of any changes. Please also note that our tours will start and end with daylight, for safety reasons we do not drive in the dark.
The Northern Sudan regions have a desert climate, with high thermal range between day and night. For a trip the best periods are the winter months, from October to the end of April, with a dry and sunny climate.
The ranges of temperatures are:
– October/November and March/April: 30°- 38° C during the day, 12°-18° in the night
– December/January/February: 25°- 30° C during the day, 5°-10° C in the night
The humidity fluctuations are between 20%-40%. No clouds or rains in these months. Khartoum may be more humid than the other areas where our tours travel in.
[From February to end of April (and occasionally even earlier) there may be lots of “nimitti” which are small, harmless, but extremely annoying flies in the north (Tombos, Soleb area) – these flies are the ones that make the pollination of the palms. We will provide fly nets to wear over the face, and the tour leader will recommend to wear long sleeves top.]
The currency in Sudan is the New Sudanese Pound. There is a Money exchange bureau either for Euros or USD at the airport (recommended), in Khartoum city centre or at the hotel in Khartoum. Please note that only new USD are accepted in Sudan.
Please note that credit cards and debit cards are still NOT accepted in Sudan, but this might change shortly. (get in touch for further details).
Please note that it is NOT possible to exchange Sudanese Pounds back into foreign currency, so please change money wisely.
Type C,G and D plugs; 240 V; 50 Hz
Electricity availability:
- At our Nubian Rest-House in Karima is 24 hours available
- At our Meroe Camp electricity is supplied by a generator working from sunset till 11:00 pm (Type C plugs, with two pins, 240 V)
- Preset and Wild Camps: there isn’t electricity so please remember to bring an adaptor for car lighter and a portable recharger for batteries (like mobile phones) to charge directly from the car while travelling.
The coverage for Mobile Phones is constantly improving in Sudan. In the major centres and when on main tar roads there is mobile coverage.
Internet and WIFI is available in all the Khartoum hotels – outside Khartoum there are some Internet cafe – If you wish to have connection outside Khartoum please let us know while booking your trip.
At our properties please check at this link for the Nubian Rest House in Karima and for the Meroe Camp.
We suggest light clothes for the day and some warm items for the winter nights. No shorts for both men and women – No sleeveless tops for the ladies.
Sudan is a not an extremist Muslim country, there is no need to cover the women hair (but the hat for the hot sun is recommended) however it is nice practice not to show the legs (long trousers or long skirts are recommended) or wearing clothes which are too tight.
Remember the following items: hat, sunglasses, electric torch with spare batteries, wet tissues, sun screen lotion and any extra staff you need.