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Sudan 🇸🇩

backpacking Africa Sudan 🇸🇩Empty Nubian pyramids and desert temples along the Nile.

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Backpacking Sudan in 2027

A complete guide including when and where to go, costs, transport, itineraries, and practical travel advice.
Traveling in Sudan: what to expect

Backpacking Sudan
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 25, 2026

In Sudan, access costs you comfort, and right now it also costs you safety. Since war broke out between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in April 2023, much of Khartoum has been wrecked, and most Western governments advise against all travel to the country. Go only with trusted local contacts and recent ground information. A plan built from an old blog post is useless here.

Where you can still go, the payoff is history without crowds: Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt, plus the sacred mountain of Jebel Barkal and Nubian villages strung along the Nile. I sat against a pyramid at Begrawiya with sand pouring out of my shoes, hot karkade scalding my fingers through a thin glass, and not another visitor in sight. The problems are blunt. Foreign bank cards don’t work, so bring every dollar you need in cash. Permits and police registration trip up the unprepared, so arrange them through a local fixer before you arrive.

Compared with Egypt, Sudan’s temples come with almost no crowds or touts. Ethiopia is easier for a first African trip. Sudan suits seasoned, flexible travelers with slack in their schedule. Skip it if you need fixed itineraries or reliable electricity.

👉 Get the 📖 Travel Guide of Sudan

Red Sea Coast (Port Sudan, Suakin, Sanganeb)

Almost every trip into Sudan now starts in Port Sudan, a port city packed with ministries, aid agencies and displaced families, so rooms are scarce and overpriced for what you get. Don’t linger. Suakin’s crumbling coral-stone town sits about an hour south by minibus, and the best reason to come is offshore: Sanganeb atoll and the Umbria wreck, reached by day boat or liveaboard. Divers should build their trip around this coast.

Meroe and the Butana (Meroe Pyramids, Naqa, Musawwarat es-Sufra)

Dozens of steep-sided royal pyramids stand in orange dunes at Meroe, about 3.5 hours north of Khartoum on the Atbara road by hired car. Naqa and Musawwarat lie well off the tarmac in the Butana, and without a 4x4 and a driver who knows the tracks you lose half a day stuck in sand. Go at sunrise; from April to June midday tops 40°C. Carry your photography permit, because guards ask. History lovers, this is your priority.

Nubia and the Northern Nile (Karima, Jebel Barkal, Old Dongola)

Karima sits under flat-topped Jebel Barkal and its Temple of Amun, with the Nuri pyramids across the river, roughly 6 to 7 hours from Khartoum over the Bayuda desert road. Nubian villages have painted gates and mud-brick guesthouses where evenings are quiet and slow. Old Dongola’s Christian-era ruins are a few hours further. Don’t cram Meroe and Karima into one day, and refuel whenever a station has fuel. Suits unhurried travelers.

Kassala and the East (Kassala, Taka Mountains, Khatmiyya Mosque)

Kassala crouches beneath the bald granite domes of the Taka Mountains, with the Khatmiyya Mosque at their foot and a market full of Beja and Rashaida traders. Buses from Port Sudan take about 8 to 9 hours. The town has absorbed many displaced people, so book a bed before arriving. Stay well clear of the Eritrean border roads and expect checkpoints. Pick it for everyday town life rather than monuments.

Khartoum and Omdurman (Khartoum, Omdurman, Hamed el-Nil Tomb)

The government is back in Khartoum and the airport runs a few flights, but the 2023 fighting gutted whole districts and the National Museum was looted. It isn’t worth sightseeing time yet; use it for permits and onward connections, about 12 hours by road from Port Sudan. Darfur and Kordofan remain war zones, with no reason to go.
Safety warning

The current risk level for Sudan is high. Check the advice before going.
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Why go?Why Sudan is worth visiting

People

Strangers in Sudan will pay for your tea before you can reach for your wallet, invite you to lunch within … read more 👉
Strangers in Sudan will pay for your tea before you can reach for your wallet, invite you to lunch within minutes, and then argue with each other over who gets to host you. The welcome comes without an agenda, and haggling or hustling around ancient sites is rare. Humor is dry and teasing, especially about Egyptians. Accepting hospitality matters; refusing a third time is fine, refusing once is not. I would skip the café scene and spend an afternoon on a Nubian guesthouse’s courtyard bench, where neighbors drift in and conversation happens on its own.

Uniqueness

Visiting Sudan means standing at a royal pyramid field with nobody selling postcards, no ticket queue … read more 👉
Visiting Sudan means standing at a royal pyramid field with nobody selling postcards, no ticket queue and often no other foreigner within a hundred kilometers. That emptiness is the whole point, and it is why the slow, sandy detours to sites like Naqa beat another day in a transit town. The war has made the country even more isolated, so the few travelers who come are treated as curiosities and guests. Do not bother chasing lists of every site; pick one region along the Nile and stay longer, because repeat visits to the same village tea stall open doors that a rushed tour never will.

Architecture

Sudan packs several civilizations into one riverbank, and you can study them without barriers. Kushite … read more 👉
Sudan packs several civilizations into one riverbank, and you can study them without barriers. Kushite pyramids are steeper and smaller than Egypt’s, built over a burial chamber cut into the rock beneath. Kerma’s Western Deffufa is a mud-brick temple mound well over 3,000 years old, and Old Dongola holds medieval Nubian churches and a mosque converted from a royal throne hall. Suakin’s coral houses add a Red Sea Ottoman layer. Skip modern Port Sudan for buildings; there is little to see. Visit pyramid fields early in the morning, when low light brings out the relief carvings in the chapels.

Low cost

Backpacking in Sudan outside Port Sudan typically runs around US$25 to 50 a day, covering a simple guesthouse … read more 👉
Backpacking in Sudan outside Port Sudan typically runs around US$25 to 50 a day, covering a simple guesthouse room, local meals and shared transport, all paid in Sudanese pounds. Food is the cheapest part: a bowl of ful (stewed fava beans) with bread at a roadside stall costs very little, and hosts often refuse payment for tea entirely. What pushes budgets up is private 4x4 hire to remote sites and Port Sudan’s inflated rooms. Split car hire with other travelers or a local family heading the same way, and spend fewer nights on the coast.

Scenery

Sudan’s landscapes work on contrast. The Nile runs as a narrow green ribbon of palms and wheat fields, … read more 👉
Sudan’s landscapes work on contrast. The Nile runs as a narrow green ribbon of palms and wheat fields, and a few steps beyond the last irrigation ditch the Sahara takes over in bare rock and sand. The Bayuda Desert, inside the great bend of the river, is black volcanic gravel scattered with craters. On the coast, the Red Sea reefs offer some of the clearest water anywhere, while Kassala’s Taka mountains rise as smooth granite domes. Skip midday sightseeing; the light is flat and the heat brutal. Climb a dune or Jebel Barkal for sunset instead.

⭐ HighlightsHighlights of Sudan

  • Meroe Pyramids (Begrawiya): Dozens of steep, narrow pyramids march along a ridge of orange dunes, many with their tops sheared off by a 19th-century treasure hunter. Wind hisses through the sand, and inside the small chapels you can still trace carved royal faces with your eyes.
  • Jebel Barkal and Nuri: A flat-topped sandstone mesa rising above Karima, worshipped by Kushite kings as the home of Amun. Climb it at sunset and the Nile turns to a strip of copper below, while the pyramids of Napata sit at your feet. Across the river, Nuri’s weathered pyramids hold the tomb of Taharqa, a Kushite pharaoh who ruled Egypt.
  • Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra: Temples dropped in open scrubland, far from any town. At Naqa, the Lion Temple shows a lion-headed god with a snake’s body, and herders water camels at the well nearby, the animals groaning as the buckets come up. Musawwarat’s Great Enclosure is a maze of ramps and walls covered in carved elephants.
  • Suakin: An Ottoman-era port built of coral blocks, now
… read more 👉
  • Meroe Pyramids (Begrawiya): Dozens of steep, narrow pyramids march along a ridge of orange dunes, many with their tops sheared off by a 19th-century treasure hunter. Wind hisses through the sand, and inside the small chapels you can still trace carved royal faces with your eyes.
  • Jebel Barkal and Nuri: A flat-topped sandstone mesa rising above Karima, worshipped by Kushite kings as the home of Amun. Climb it at sunset and the Nile turns to a strip of copper below, while the pyramids of Napata sit at your feet. Across the river, Nuri’s weathered pyramids hold the tomb of Taharqa, a Kushite pharaoh who ruled Egypt.
  • Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra: Temples dropped in open scrubland, far from any town. At Naqa, the Lion Temple shows a lion-headed god with a snake’s body, and herders water camels at the well nearby, the animals groaning as the buckets come up. Musawwarat’s Great Enclosure is a maze of ramps and walls covered in carved elephants.
  • Suakin: An Ottoman-era port built of coral blocks, now mostly collapsed into pale rubble. Goats pick through doorways, the air smells of salt and drying fish, and a handful of restored buildings hint at the merchant houses that once stood here.
  • Sanganeb Reef: An atoll northeast of Port Sudan with a lighthouse, vertical walls and grey reef sharks patrolling the drop-off. The water is exceptionally clear, hammerheads patrol the deeper plateau in some seasons, and you will likely share the reef with no other boat.
Further off the map lie the Egyptian-built temple of Soleb, the walled town of Sesibi and the island of Sai, and Soleb, with its columns standing alone by the Nile, is the one I would pick first.
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🧭 RoutesSuggested travel routes through Sudan

The 5-Day Red Sea Coast Route

Five unhurried days based on Sudan’s Red Sea shore, mixing coral reefs with crumbling Ottoman stone and cool hill country. It suits divers, snorkelers and anyone wanting a soft landing in the country.
  • Seafront evenings in Port Sudan
  • A boat day out to the Sanganeb reef and lighthouse
  • The coral-stone ruins of Suakin
  • A drive up into the Red Sea Mountains

👉 explore this 5-day route

The 10-Day Nile and Pyramids Route

A journey inland from the coast into the heartland of the ancient Kushite kingdoms, with desert camps and sacred mountains. The pace allows long sunrises at the ruins and a desert crossing to finish in the capital.
  • Sunrise among the Meroë Pyramids
  • The sacred mountain of Jebel Barkal
  • A crossing of the Bayuda Desert
  • The spice and perfume lanes of Omdurman

👉 explore this 10-day route

The 15-Day Overland Grand Route

A full sweep from the Egyptian border down the Nile, east to the granite domes near Eritrea and out to the Red Sea. It is the deepest way to see the … read more 👉

The 5-Day Red Sea Coast Route

Five unhurried days based on Sudan’s Red Sea shore, mixing coral reefs with crumbling Ottoman stone and cool hill country. It suits divers, snorkelers and anyone wanting a soft landing in the country.
  • Seafront evenings in Port Sudan
  • A boat day out to the Sanganeb reef and lighthouse
  • The coral-stone ruins of Suakin
  • A drive up into the Red Sea Mountains

👉 explore this 5-day route

The 10-Day Nile and Pyramids Route

A journey inland from the coast into the heartland of the ancient Kushite kingdoms, with desert camps and sacred mountains. The pace allows long sunrises at the ruins and a desert crossing to finish in the capital.
  • Sunrise among the Meroë Pyramids
  • The sacred mountain of Jebel Barkal
  • A crossing of the Bayuda Desert
  • The spice and perfume lanes of Omdurman

👉 explore this 10-day route

The 15-Day Overland Grand Route

A full sweep from the Egyptian border down the Nile, east to the granite domes near Eritrea and out to the Red Sea. It is the deepest way to see the north and east, with Nubian villages, cataract walks and reef diving in a single trip.
  • The lonely Temple of Soleb
  • The Sixth Cataract at Sabaloka Gorge
  • Hiking the Kassala Hills and Taka Mountains
  • A finale on the reefs of Sanganeb

👉 explore this 15-day route

🌤️ When to go?Weather, seasons, and timing

The best time for backpacking Sudan is November to February, when Khartoum’s daytime highs drop to around 30 to 33°C, nights turn pleasant and the Nubian Desert sites around Meroe and Karima become comfortable to explore on foot. The north is almost rainless all year, so heat is your main concern there, while the center, south and Darfur get real summer rains, and the Red Sea coast follows its own pattern with mild winter showers.
  • Cool dry season (November to February): Warm days, nights of 10 to 18°C in the desert, clear skies. This is when the few tour groups come, and the handful of desert camps and Nile-side guesthouses fill first. Diving off Port Sudan is good. Late December into early January is the one stretch where beds near the pyramids can sell out.
  • Hot season (March to June): Temperatures climb from the high 30s to 42 to 45°C. Dust storms called haboobs roll into Khartoum from May. Visitors are scarce, and some camps close by late spring.
  • Rainy season (July to September): Short, heavy storms in the center and south, muddy roads in Darfur and around Kassala, and the Nile at its flood peak. Still scorching in the north.
  • Transition (October): Rains fade, heat lingers near 40°C, and tourist services start reopening.
I would pack a fleece and a sleeping bag liner even in winter, because desert nights outside Karima get properly cold.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: excellent for travelingFEBFebruary: excellent for travelingMARMarch: highly recommended for travelingAPRApril: fair for travelingMAYMay: below average for travelingJUNJune: below average for travelingJULJuly: below average for travelingAUGAugust: below average for travelingSEPSeptember: fair for travelingOCTOctober: good for travelingNOVNovember: highly recommended for travelingDECDecember: excellent for traveling
!2017-11-04 13.12.30a50

💰 Costs (as of 2026)Typical budget expectations

Plan on US$25 to 50 a day for budget travel in Sudan. That figure assumes you pay in Sudanese pounds (SDG) for everything, carry every dollar in cash, and accept that war has pushed some prices well past pre-2023 levels. International bank cards and ATMs do not work for foreigners because of the country’s long banking isolation, so bring clean, recent US$ notes. Change them at a licensed exchange bureau or through your hotel; the rate has moved a lot during the conflict. Before you count your budget, check the rate on the day you arrive.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$5 to 35 per nightSudan has no backpacker hostels. The closest thing to a dorm is a lokanda, a basic lodging house where you rent one bed in a shared room for about US$5 to 10 in towns like Atbara or Karima, with shared bucket-style washrooms. In Port Sudan, displaced families and aid agencies have filled the hotels, and a plain private room runs US$30 to 60. In Cairo, a hostel bed costs US$8 to 12, so this is the one area where Sudan costs more than its neighbors.
MealsUS$5 to 10 per dayFul medames (stewed fava beans) with bread costs about US$1 to 2 at a street stall. Ta’amiya sandwiches go for under
… read more 👉
Plan on US$25 to 50 a day for budget travel in Sudan. That figure assumes you pay in Sudanese pounds (SDG) for everything, carry every dollar in cash, and accept that war has pushed some prices well past pre-2023 levels. International bank cards and ATMs do not work for foreigners because of the country’s long banking isolation, so bring clean, recent US$ notes. Change them at a licensed exchange bureau or through your hotel; the rate has moved a lot during the conflict. Before you count your budget, check the rate on the day you arrive.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$5 to 35 per nightSudan has no backpacker hostels. The closest thing to a dorm is a lokanda, a basic lodging house where you rent one bed in a shared room for about US$5 to 10 in towns like Atbara or Karima, with shared bucket-style washrooms. In Port Sudan, displaced families and aid agencies have filled the hotels, and a plain private room runs US$30 to 60. In Cairo, a hostel bed costs US$8 to 12, so this is the one area where Sudan costs more than its neighbors.
MealsUS$5 to 10 per dayFul medames (stewed fava beans) with bread costs about US$1 to 2 at a street stall. Ta’amiya sandwiches go for under US$1. Glasses of shai or spiced coffee from a tea lady cost around US$0.20 to 0.50. Supermarkets in Port Sudan sell mostly imported goods at higher prices than in Egypt, so cooking for yourself saves less than eating street food.
Local transportUS$3 to 20 per dayLong-distance buses are the cheapest way to cover ground. Port Sudan to Atbara costs about US$10 to 20, and shorter hops like Atbara to Shendi cost US$3 to 6. Rickshaws (raksha) and shared minibuses inside towns cost under US$1 a ride. Fuel shortages can make fares jump overnight.
ActivitiesUS$10 to 150 per dayTicketed sites like the Meroe pyramids or Jebel Barkal are cheap, usually US$10 to 20 for foreigners. Your real costs are a private car with a driver at US$80 to 150 a day, since public transport rarely reaches the sites, and the travel and photography permits. Split a car with other travelers if you can; that is where I would spend, because the northern sites are almost impossible to reach otherwise.
MiscellaneousUS$2 to 6 per dayA Zain or Sudani SIM with data costs US$2 to 5. A 1.5-liter bottle of water costs around US$0.50 to 1. Alien registration fees at police offices also add up, along with copies of your passport and permits that checkpoints keep asking for.
Total Daily BudgetUS$25 to 50If you sleep in lokandas and eat street food, US$25 a day covers you, which is close to Ethiopia but rough by Egyptian standards. The higher end covers a Port Sudan hotel or a share of a hired car. If you hire a car alone, a day can pass US$100.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutSudan Travel Guide

An offline-friendly backpacking guide with optimized travel routes, ranked highlights, transport advice, and the best areas to stay.
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The digital guide (268 pages) contains:
✅ 62 highlights, ranked by travel appeal
✅ Optimized 5, 10 & 15-day travel routes
✅ Cities, national parks, landmarks, beaches
✅ How to get around
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✅ Month by month travel advice
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🗺️ Go to the right places, skip the overrated ones
✅ Honest pros & cons of destinations
✅ Top hikes, parks & viewpoints
✅ Lesser-known places most travelers miss
✅ Clear “worth it vs skip it” guidance

🛏️ Travel smoothly without rookie mistakes
✅ Best areas to stay
✅ Transport systems explained simply
✅ Common scams & safety advice
✅ SIM cards, money & practical tips

🌍 Understand the country, not just visit it
✅ Culture & traditions
✅ 52 Essential phrases & customs
✅ Festivals worth planning around
✅ Traveler-friendly historical context
✅ Insights that make places more meaningful

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✅ Fully downloadable PDF
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🛏️ Where to stay?Accommodation types and options

There are no real backpacker hostels in Sudan, so budget travel here runs on simple hotels and lokandas (basic guesthouses with shared rooms and shared bathrooms), usually around US$10 to 30 a night, paid in Sudanese pounds. Port Sudan has the widest choice, with most cheap rooms around the central market and harbor area, close to bus offices and the Red Sea waterfront, though high demand keeps prices up and good rooms fill fast. In Khartoum, the area around Souq Al Arabi downtown has the cheapest beds near the minibus hubs but is noisy and dusty, while Amarat costs more and is quieter, sits closer … read more 👉
There are no real backpacker hostels in Sudan, so budget travel here runs on simple hotels and lokandas (basic guesthouses with shared rooms and shared bathrooms), usually around US$10 to 30 a night, paid in Sudanese pounds. Port Sudan has the widest choice, with most cheap rooms around the central market and harbor area, close to bus offices and the Red Sea waterfront, though high demand keeps prices up and good rooms fill fast. In Khartoum, the area around Souq Al Arabi downtown has the cheapest beds near the minibus hubs but is noisy and dusty, while Amarat costs more and is quieter, sits closer to the airport and has better-kept streets; neither has any nightlife, since alcohol is banned nationwide.

If you enjoy meeting fellow travelers, consider choosing hostels with high ratings for atmosphere. On the other hand, if you prefer having your own space, a hotel might be a better option.

Best hostels in Sudan


Best quality hotels in Sudan

🚌 Getting aroundPublic transport and other ways to get around

Backpacking Sudan right now means long-distance buses out of Port Sudan, because the war that began in April 2023 halted most rail service and Khartoum’s airport handles only a few flights. Buses are cheap and run on most open highways in the east and north. They are also the only realistic way to cover ground without paying for a private driver.
  • Intercity coaches: Port Sudan to Kassala takes 8 to 10 hours, and Port Sudan to Atbara takes 7 to 9 hours. Expect roughly US$10 to 25, paid in Sudanese
… read more 👉
Backpacking Sudan right now means long-distance buses out of Port Sudan, because the war that began in April 2023 halted most rail service and Khartoum’s airport handles only a few flights. Buses are cheap and run on most open highways in the east and north. They are also the only realistic way to cover ground without paying for a private driver.
  • Intercity coaches: Port Sudan to Kassala takes 8 to 10 hours, and Port Sudan to Atbara takes 7 to 9 hours. Expect roughly US$10 to 25, paid in Sudanese pounds at the bus station ticket windows. Buy the day before, because the good seats on morning departures (5 to 7 a.m.) sell out. Military checkpoints add 1 to 3 hours on a bad day. Keep 10 or more photocopies of your passport, visa and registration to hand over, so you aren’t stuck while an officer phones a superior.
  • Shared minibuses (hafla): these cover hops of 1 to 3 hours between towns for about US$1 to 5. They leave when full, so a half-empty van at noon can sit for two hours. Arrive early, when they fill fastest.
  • Rickshaws (raksha) and amjad minivans: these are for in-town trips at US$0.50 to 2. Agree the fare before you get in. Foreigners who skip this step routinely pay double.
  • Hired car or 4WD with driver: this is the only sensible option for remote Nubian sites and desert stretches, at roughly US$80 to 150 a day plus fuel. Fuel shortages are common, so confirm the driver has jerrycans before leaving. Book through your hotel or a contact you trust, and pay in cash.
  • Domestic flights: a handful of routes operate from Port Sudan, typically for US$100 to 250, bought in cash at airline offices. Schedules change at short notice, so don’t build a tight itinerary around one. A bus gets you most places for a tenth of the price.
Friday mornings bring thin bus schedules, and changing money at the bus station costs you 10 to 20 percent. I would change a week’s worth of cash in town before every long leg and never travel on a Friday.
Khartoum International Airport (KRT) in Sudan sits inside the city, about 4 km (2.5 miles) from downtown, and the cheapest reliable option is a shared minibus from Africa Street just outside the airport gate.
  • Shared minibus (hafla) (15 to 30 minutes, around 500 to 1,000 SDG, roughly US$0.20 to 0.40): walk out to Africa Street and flag one heading toward Souq Al Arabi, paying the conductor in small Sudanese pound notes; service thins out after dark.
  • Raksha (auto-rickshaw) (15 to 25 minutes, around 3,000 to 6,000 SDG, roughly US$1 to 2.50): rakshas wait on the main road rather than at the terminal, so agree the fare in cash before you climb in.
  • Taxi (10 to 20 minutes, around 10,000 to 25,000 SDG, roughly US$4 to 10): drivers wait outside arrivals, there are no meters, and you should settle the price in pounds before loading your bags.
  • Ride-hailing app (Tirhal) (10 to 20 minutes, around 8,000 to 20,000 SDG, roughly US$3 to 8): book through the app with a local SIM and mobile data, then pay the driver in cash, although car availability near the airport is patchy.
If you land late at night, ask your hotel to send a driver to meet you, because minibuses stop and taxis outside the terminal become scarce and pricier after dark.
⚠️ Prices and routes can change, so take this as a rough guide and ask for local advice when you arrive.
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🔒 Safety (risk Level: high)Is Sudan safe to visit?

Safety for solo travelers, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals
Sudan is not currently safe for tourists of any kind: a civil war has raged since April 2023, and most governments advise against all travel to the country. In the government-held east, around Port Sudan and Kassala, daily life continues, and Sudanese hospitality toward foreigners remains warm, but drone strikes, checkpoints and sudden road closures make independent travel risky. Solo women generally face less street harassment than in some neighboring countries, though conservative dress and avoiding being out alone after dark are expected. Same-sex relations are criminalized in Sudan with prison sentences, so LGBTQ+ travelers should not disclose their identity or show affection in public.


Full official government travel advisory (live updates)
View details 👉
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source: www.gov.uk

✈️ VisaDo you need a visa to visit?

Yes, almost all nationalities need a visa to visit Sudan, and it must be arranged in advance through a Sudanese embassy or consulate, usually with a sponsor or approval letter from a hotel, tour operator or local contact. Visas on arrival are not reliably available, so confirm requirements with your nearest Sudanese embassy before booking. Foreign visitors must also register with the Aliens Department or local police within three days of arrival.
⚠️ Visa requirements can change over time, so always check the latest visa requirements with the official embassy or government website before you travel.

🎒 What to pack?What you'll need while traveling

Sudan is hot and dry for most of the year, with daytime highs above 40°C (104°F) from April to June and dust storms (haboobs) that coat everything in fine sand, so pack light, breathable clothing and something to cover your face and protect your electronics. Loose, long trousers and sleeves for everyone, plus a headscarf for women, match local expectations and also keep the sun off. Desert nights in winter can drop surprisingly low, so pack a warm layer. Power cuts are frequent and international cards don’t work, so plan around carrying cash securely and keeping your phone charged off-grid.

Apart from this country specific advice, I have also crafted a general packing list that should help on any trip. authorOver the years, I've learned the importance of packing minimally. It's so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you're headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.

View the full list 👉

🙋 FAQFrequently asked questions

Trip Planning

Planning a backpacking route through Sudan can be tricky — you need to balance must-see places, travel times, budget, and how long to stay in each destination. Our free personalized Sudan itinerary planner creates a route based on your travel style, trip duration, and interests, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.



Personal tip: I normally search on good rating for atmosphere (for meeting people) and location (for easy exploring). Cleanliness as a bonus.


Travel Essentials

For Sudan, make sure routine vaccines (MMR, tetanus-diphtheria, polio) are current, and get hepatitis A and typhoid shots. A yellow fever certificate is required if you arrive from a yellow fever country and is recommended for travel south of the Sahara desert regions. Meningococcal vaccination is advised because Sudan lies in the African meningitis belt, and rabies, hepatitis B and oral cholera vaccines are worth discussing given recent cholera outbreaks. Malaria is present across the country, so ask a travel clinic about antimalarial tablets.


vaccination requirements
When I first started traveling, I often spent part of my first day in a new country hunting for a local SIM card. While this can still be slightly cheaper, it also takes time and planning.

These days, it's much simpler to install an eSIM before leaving home. Once you arrive in Sudan, you can activate it immediately and have mobile data from the moment you land — which is especially useful for ordering transport or navigating away from busy airports.

There are many providers nowadays, and price differences are usually small. I personally go with Holafly, as it offers excellent network coverage throughout the country and strong global coverage, so you can manage multiple countries from a single app.


HolaFly eSim

Culture & Customs

Sudan is a conservative Muslim country, so dress modestly: long trousers for men, and loose clothing covering arms and legs for women, with a headscarf handy for mosques and rural areas. Eat, pass items and shake hands with your right hand, and accept tea or coffee when offered, since hospitality is a point of pride and refusing outright can offend. Alcohol is illegal, and during Ramadan you should not eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight. Photography requires a permit, and you must never photograph military sites, bridges, government buildings, checkpoints or people without asking. Men should wait for a woman to offer her hand before shaking it, and women travelers will often be seated with other women at gatherings. Public displays of affection are frowned upon for everyone, and same-sex relationships are illegal, so discretion is essential.
Trying traditional food is always a great way to experience the culture. Here are some must-try dishes for Sudan.
  1. Ful medames: slow-stewed fava beans mashed with oil, cumin, salt and sometimes feta, tomato or egg, scooped up with bread. It is the national breakfast, eaten from shared bowls at roadside stalls before work, and it costs very little.
  2. Kisra with mullah: a thin, slightly sour sorghum crepe served with a stew (mullah) of meat, okra or dried vegetables. Kisra is the everyday staple of northern and central Sudan and appears at almost every home meal.
  3. Asida: a firm porridge of sorghum or millet flour shaped into a dome and topped with a stew such as mullah waika (dried okra). It is the communal dish of family gatherings and Ramadan evenings.
  4. Gurasa: a thick, pancake-like wheat bread, eaten with stews or with sugar and butter. It is the comfort food of central Sudan and features at celebrations.
  5. Tamia: Sudan’s falafel, often made with chickpeas and spiced generously, stuffed into bread with salad and peanut sauce. It is the cheapest filling lunch on the street.
  6. Shaiya: grilled or pan-fried lamb pieces with onion and chili, a favorite for Eid and weekend feasts, best eaten fresh from the butcher-grill shops.
  7. Salata aswad: a smoky eggplant salad with peanut butter and lime, a common side dish that shows the peanut’s big role in Sudanese cooking.
Tap water in Sudan comes largely from the Nile and is not safe for travelers to drink. Locals do drink it, often from clay jars called zeer that cool the water, but outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne illnesses are common, especially since the war damaged treatment plants. Drink sealed bottled water, which is sold everywhere, or use a filter bottle with purification tablets.
The main language in Sudan is Arabic. Backpacking is way more rewarding if you know a bit of the local language, so I'd suggest brushing up on the basics just in case your Arabic skills have become a bit rusty.

Want to understand locals better?
The complete Travel Guide for Sudan includes 52 essential words and phrases — greetings, thank-yous, ordering food, transport, numbers, and common local expressions you'll actually hear.

Get your local basic phrases 👉

Get the Travel Guide -


English in Sudan is mostly limited to educated urban people: doctors, engineers, university students and some hotel staff in Port Sudan and other larger towns. Younger Sudanese often know some English from school and are eager to practice it. In rural areas and small markets, you will rarely find any. Sudanese Arabic is the language that matters, and downloading Google Translate’s offline Arabic pack plus learning numbers and “bikam” (how much) will cover most daily exchanges.

Money & Payments

The local currency of Sudan is SDG (س.ج).
Sudan is a cash-only country for foreigners: international Visa and Mastercard cards do not work at ATMs, shops or hotels, so you must bring all the money you need for your trip. Local ATMs only serve Sudanese bank accounts, and the cards issued here cannot be used by visitors. Bring US dollars in clean, undamaged bills printed after 2013, preferably US$50 and US$100 notes, which get better rates than small notes. Euros are accepted by some exchange offices but at worse rates. Change money at licensed exchange bureaus or through your hotel, where the rate is close to the market rate, and avoid street changers, who are illegal and can be risky. Locals pay for much of daily life through the Bankak mobile app, so some vendors may offer to accept a transfer via a Sudanese friend, but plan around cash.
Tipping in Sudan is not expected, and restaurants do not add service charges. Rounding up a taxi or rickshaw fare, or leaving 5 to 10 percent at a sit-down restaurant, is appreciated. Drivers and guides on multi-day trips usually receive a tip of around US$5 to 10 a day, paid in Sudanese pounds.

🧩 Nearby countriesNearby backpacking alternatives

📸 PhotosTravel photos from Sudan

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Photographed by: Johan Kruseman

Observations and takeaways

Scrolling through my friends on Facebook to find somebody in Sudan to enter the country

Scrolling through my friends on Facebook to find somebody in Sudan to enter the country

Sudan | WOW, I got him. Some are harder to conquer than others, but this one played extremely hard to get. My journey started about 4 months ago.... Visiting the website of the Sudanese Embassy in The Hague was my start. It seemed to me that this website should cater, a.o., for Dutch people wanting to travel to Sudan. The entire website however was in Ara...
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We 💚 feedbackThe bottom line on traveling here

Sudan is hard work wrapped in astonishing kindness. The best surprise is how alone you are at monuments that would be fenced and packed anywhere else. The small warning: things change week to week, so get fresh local information before every move. I would bring a headscarf or long sleeves, a good power bank and twice the time you think you need. This country is best for patient, experienced travelers chasing history and human contact. It is not for first-timers, tight schedules or anyone who needs certainty.

✈️ When did I visit Sudan?
Sudan I visited back in October 2017. I combined the trip with a visit to Ethiopia. While my visit dates back, this guide is continuously refined using feedback from locals and current backpackers (last update: 25 October 2026)

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Sudan, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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👋 Meet the founderWho’s Behind Take Your Backpack?

Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

The goal is to provide realistic, experience-driven guidance — not generic itineraries — so you can explore destinations with better context, clearer expectations, and more confidence.

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