Compare Kingdom of the Black Pharaohs by Voyages Jules Verne
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 8 days |
| Price From | $ 3,530 |
| Price Per Day | $ 441 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | |
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Airfare included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included | N/A |
| Description |
Long hidden from the world, Sudan is best known for the story of Gordon of Khartoum who was overwhelmed by the hordes of Mahdi. Less often told is the story of Sudan's ancient past. The Kingdom of the Kush dealt with Pharaohs of Egypt and the Emperors of Rome and these Nubian rulers, known as the Black Pharaohs, left behind an array of archaeological sites dotted along the Nile. Ruined temples can be visited without a tourist bus for miles and the country has more pyramids than Egypt. This exciting arrangement makes an arid region of extraordinary archaeological interest and beauty accessible even to those reluctant to sacrifice their comforts. |
Day 1 Fly from your chosen airport via Istanbul to Khartoum.
Day 2 Early morning transfer to the centrally located 4-star Grand Holiday Villa for one night. Visit the Archaeological Museum housing two entire temples rescued by UNESCO from Lake Nasser. Visit the Khalfa's House Museum and view Mahadi's Tomb from the outside. Later, visit the colourful Omdurman souk. Whirling Dervish performance (B, L)
Day 3 Head northwards across the Western Desert to Old Dongola (5 hrs). Visit the archaeological site of Old Dongola and a Nubian village. Continue to the 3-star Nubian Rest House in Karima for a three-night stay at the foot of Jebel Barkal. (B, L, D)
Day 4 Visit Jebel Barkal and the temple built by the Pharaohs of the New Reign and dedicated to their patron Amon. Visit Karima market and El Kurru, where the Royal Necropolis of the ancient city of Napata had a large number of pyramids. Visit an excavated tomb carved from the rock below the pyramid. Later, visit the Pyramids of Nuri. (B, L, D)
Day 5 Drive across the Nubian Desert (3 hrs) to the village of Tombos and visit the stelae on the shore of the Nile. Continue to the town of Kerma and visit the 'Western Defuffa' monument of this ancient civilisation and the Kerma Museum. Evening of local music and traditional dancing. (B, L, D)
Day 6 Enter the Bayuda Desert, an area bounded by the 4th and 6th Cataract of the Nile. Isolated camel and donkey caravans roam the area. Cross the Nile at Atbara, visit the Railway Museum and then travel south to Meroe. The 40 pyramids of the Royal Necropolis can be seen from the 3-star tented camp of Meroe. Stay two nights. (B, L, D)
Day 7 Visit the Royal Necropolis of Meroe before continuing to the ruins of the royal city, most of which has still to be excavated. (B, L, D)
Day 8 Visit the 1st-century Apedemak temple at Naga with its bas-relief images, the "kiosk" containing Egyptian, Roman and Greek styles of art and a temple to Amon. Picnic in the Musawwarat area and return to Khartoum (3 hrs) where day rooms will be available until the late evening transfer to the airport. (B, L)
Day 9 Early morning flight via Istanbul arriving later the same day.
