Land of the ancient kingdom of Kush, with more pyramids than all of Egypt, Sudan holds one of the most astonishing and least visited heritages in Africa: the pyramids of Meroe outlined against the dunes, the temples of Naqa and Musawwarat, the sacred mountain of Jebel Barkal and the confluence of the Blue Nile and the White Nile in Khartoum. But it has to be said from the very first line and as clearly as possible: since April 2023 Sudan has been going through a devastating civil war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, and almost every foreign ministry advises people NOT TO TRAVEL under any circumstances. This is an informational and cultural guide to get to know and respect the country; tourism is effectively suspended. Before making any plans, the only valid reference is your own country's official advisories.
Sudan is a vast country in northeast Africa, crossed from south to north by the Nile and spread across the Sahara desert, the Sahel savannah and the Red Sea coast. It was the cradle of one of the continent's great civilisations: the kingdom of Kush, with its successive capitals at Kerma, Napata and Meroe, which rivalled pharaonic Egypt, conquered it and gave it the dynasty of the 'black pharaohs'. From that greatness remain two UNESCO World Heritage sites —Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region, and the Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe (with the pyramids of Meroe, Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra)— and a string of more than two hundred pyramids that has barely seen any international tourism.
The heart of the country is Khartoum, the triple city (Khartoum, Khartoum North and Omdurman) that grows around the confluence of the Blue Nile and the White Nile. Downriver and to the north stretches Sudanese Nubia: Meroe and its pyramids on the dunes, the sacred mountain of Jebel Barkal next to Karima, the necropolises of Nuri and El-Kurru, ancient Kerma and medieval Old Dongola, the Christian capital of Makuria. To the east lie the Red Sea with Port Sudan and the coral ruins of Suakin, and the granite Taka mountains above colourful Kassala. It is a heritage of the first order, almost secret.
That said, it has to be put plainly and as soberly as possible: since 15 April 2023, Sudan has been plunged into a brutal civil war between the Sudanese army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group. The violence devastated Khartoum, fell with particular cruelty on Darfur —where UN investigators have described 'the hallmarks of genocide'— and has spread to Kordofan and other regions. According to the United Nations, it is the largest and fastest-growing displacement and hunger crisis in the world, with tens of millions of people in need of aid. That is why this guide is not an invitation to travel —today it is not possible, and practically every foreign ministry advises firmly against it— but an honest window onto a country of extraordinary historical richness, so you can get to know it, respect it and keep a close eye on the suffering of its people.
The currency is the Sudanese pound (SDG, also written جنيه سوداني). Its value today is a moving target: the war since 2023, the destruction of the economy and very high inflation have made it lose value rapidly, and several exchange rates coexist. There is an official rate set by the Central Bank of Sudan and a parallel (black) market rate that is usually quite a bit higher; in mid-2024, for example, the official rate was around 1.850 SDG per dollar and the parallel rate was above 2.100 SDG per dollar, and since then the pound has kept weakening (verified July 2026). Some online converters show lower, outdated official figures, so don't rely on a single source: the gap between the official rate and the real one is wide and changes week by week. Sudan is an almost entirely CASH economy, made worse by international sanctions and the collapse of the banking system: foreign Visa/Mastercard cards don't work and ATMs don't accept international cards, so historically you had to arrive with ALL your money in cash (dollars or euros) and change it inside the country; street money changers gave a better rate than the banks. With the war, even that logistics became unworkable across much of the country. Tipping is not a strong custom, but rounding up is appreciated. In practice, there is no normal tourist circuit today where any of this would apply.
Full converter for SDG →Before the war you reached Sudan with a stopover: from Latin America, the usual routes went through Cairo (EgyptAir), Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), Doha (Qatar Airways), Dubai (Emirates/flydubai) or Addis Ababa (Ethiopian, which connects Buenos Aires and São Paulo with Africa), landing at Khartoum International Airport (KRT). Today the situation is radically different: Khartoum airport was out of service and in a combat zone for much of the war, and international air traffic shifted to Port Sudan (PZU), on the Red Sea, where the seat of government has effectively moved. Overland entry from Egypt (via Wadi Halfa/Argeen) or from Ethiopia existed for adventure travellers, but the borders and internal routes are affected by the conflict. As for the visa, Sudan does NOT issue visas on arrival for most passports: you apply in advance (e-visa or at a Sudanese embassy/consulate), presenting a passport valid for at least 6 months, forms and sometimes a letter of invitation from a local operator; the process can be slow and bureaucratic (verified July 2026). A yellow fever vaccination certificate is mandatory if you are coming from a country with risk. Essential warning: moving around Sudan today is dangerous and unpredictable, with front lines, armed checkpoints and closed roads; almost every foreign ministry advises against all travel to the country.
In purely climatic terms, the best time to visit Sudan would be the dry and somewhat cooler season, from November to February, when desert temperatures are more bearable and the tracks to the archaeological sites are passable. Summer, from April to September, is relentless: in the north and centre the thermometer easily goes above 40 °C, and Sudan ranks among the hottest countries on the planet. Between June and September the monsoon rains reach the south and the Sahel (the Kassala area and towards Ethiopia), while the Nubian north stays dry almost all year round. In high summer 'haboobs' are common: spectacular and dangerous sandstorms that swallow the horizon.
That said, the 'best time' for Sudan today depends entirely on security, not on the weather. Since April 2023 the country has been at war, with active front lines, and there is no 'safe' season to travel: the deciding factor is not the heat or the rain, but an armed conflict that has caused the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. That is why the only valid compass for thinking about any date is your country's official travel advisories, which at present advise against all travel to Sudan.
Sudanese cooking is simple, tasty and very hospitable, with Arab, Egyptian and Sahelian influences. Wheat bread and, above all, 'kisra' —a thin crêpe of fermented sorghum— and 'gurasa' go with almost everything. The everyday dish is 'ful medames', a stew of cooked fava beans with oil, cumin, white cheese and sometimes egg, eaten mostly at breakfast by dipping bread into it. Also very typical are 'shorba' (a lamb and barley soup), 'agashe' (spiced meat skewers with peanuts), 'gurasa bil-dama' (a kind of stew with bread) and 'mullah', a range of thick sauces —of dried meat ('sharmout'), okra ('waika'), spinach ('robe')— served over kisra. Along the Nile there is plenty of fried fish, especially Nile perch ('ijil').
As for drinks, the absolute stars are sweet tea and coffee: Sudanese coffee ('jabana') is made the traditional way, roasted and spiced with ginger or cardamom and served in small cups by the women who sell it on street corners, a real social ritual. Also typical are 'karkade' (a red hibiscus-flower infusion, cold or hot), 'aradeb' (tamarind juice) and 'abre' (a sorghum drink). Sudan is a Muslim-majority country under Islamic law: alcohol is banned, so don't expect beer or wine. For dessert or something sweet, look for Nubian dates, among the best in the world, and pastries with sesame and peanuts. In any case, daily life and supplies are seriously disrupted by the war today.
We have to be blunt and honest, and this is the most important part of the whole guide: Sudan is at WAR and is NOT a tourist destination right now. Since 15 April 2023, the Sudanese army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been waging a devastating armed conflict that devastated Khartoum, fell with atrocious cruelty on Darfur —where UN investigators have described 'the hallmarks of genocide'— and has spread to Kordofan and other regions, with bombings, drones, massacres, sexual violence and widespread looting. The United Nations describes it as the largest humanitarian and displacement crisis in the world, with tens of millions of people in need of aid and regions on the brink of, or already in, famine. The vast majority of foreign ministries (the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Spain, among others) keep their highest advisory level —'DO NOT TRAVEL' to the entire country— and several have withdrawn their diplomatic staff since April 2023, so consular assistance is almost non-existent. On top of the risks of combat come terrorism, kidnapping, landmines and unexploded ordnance, arbitrary detention and the collapse of healthcare and basic services. The practical conclusion is clear-cut: you do not travel to Sudan today; always check your country's official advisories and bear in mind that no travel insurance covers areas under a 'do not travel' recommendation.
On the health side, and thinking of a future scenario of peace, Sudan requires the international yellow fever vaccination certificate if you arrive from a country with risk of transmission, and it is best to get the jab at least 10 days beforehand. There is a risk of malaria, especially in the centre and south and during the rainy season, so it is recommended to consult a travel doctor about prophylaxis and to use repellent and a mosquito net. Vaccines for hepatitis A and B and typhoid are also advised, and especially meningococcal meningitis, since Sudan is part of the Sahel's 'meningitis belt'; routine vaccinations should be up to date. Don't drink tap water (use bottled or purified water) and be very careful with food. All this, we stress, is general information: in practice, the war has destroyed much of the country's health infrastructure and a medical evacuation would be extremely difficult, another strong reason not to travel today.
Under normal conditions, Sudan was a cheap adventure destination once you were inside: street food cost very little, simple accommodation was inexpensive and admission to the archaeological sites was modest. A backpacker could get by on around 30–50 USD a day, while anyone booking a guided 4x4 circuit through the Nubian north (the usual way to see Meroe, Karima and Kerma) spent quite a bit more because of desert logistics. Flights from South America, with one or two stopovers, cost around 1.200–2.200 USD return. A key point: because of the sanctions and the cash economy, you had to arrive with your ENTIRE budget in dollar or euro notes, because international cards and ATMs did not work.
That said, these figures are purely indicative and historical: today there is NO tourist circuit in Sudan. The war since 2023 brought tourism to a complete halt, many operators closed or relocated, the currency collapsed and inflation sent the prices of what little there is soaring, with a huge gap between the official and parallel exchange rates. Any figure you read about 'how much it costs to travel to Sudan' belongs to a country that, for now, cannot be travelled. The real 'cost' of Sudan today is not financial but one of security and human lives: if peace one day makes it possible, we will update real prices here; in the meantime, the only sensible investment is to stay informed through official sources and, if you want to help, to support the humanitarian organisations working with the Sudanese people.
The official languages are Arabic and English. Arabic (in its Sudanese variety) is the everyday lingua franca; English is understood in urban, educated and tourist settings, while Spanish is hardly used at all, so a few words of Arabic —'salam aleikum' (peace be upon you), 'shukran' (thank you)— open a lot of doors. Sudan is a huge mosaic of peoples: Sudanese Arabs, Nubians in the north, Beja by the Red Sea, Fur and others in Darfur, Nuba in the Kordofan mountains, and dozens more groups, with hundreds of local languages. It is a Muslim-majority country under Islamic law (alcohol is not sold), but with a thoroughly deserved reputation for hospitality: anyone who travelled through Sudan in times of peace tends to remember the generosity of its people above any monument. Dress modestly, especially women, ask permission before photographing people and respect prayer times and Ramadan.
On the practical side, and always with a future peaceful scenario in mind: plugs are type C and D (and sometimes others), with 230V current, and power cuts were frequent even before the war and are widespread today. Connectivity relied on operators such as Zain, MTN and Sudani, with cheap SIM cards; during the conflict, telecommunications have suffered prolonged blackouts. Traffic drives on the right. A very important note: photographing bridges, military installations, government buildings or even certain urban areas could cause serious trouble with the authorities even in peacetime, and today, with the country at war, doing so is downright dangerous. Above all, the best way to honour Sudan today is to learn about its ancient history and culture with respect, follow the situation of its people closely and not romanticise a trip that, for now, is neither possible nor responsible.
There was a time when Egypt had black pharaohs. It is neither a metaphor nor a legend: between the 8th and 7th centuries BC, kings who came from the south —from Napata, at the foot of a sacred mountain that now lies in Sudan— ruled the entire Nile valley, restored temples at Karnak and had themselves buried beneath steep-sided pyramids. That is Sudan: the country with more pyramids than Egypt that almost nobody has visited, the land where Kerma was born, one of Africa's first urban states, where Meroe smelted iron for half a continent and wrote in an alphabet of its own that we still haven't fully translated, and where three Christian kingdoms held out for a thousand years surrounded by Islam thanks to a trade pact that lasted six centuries.
It is also a country split by its own recent history: the Turco-Egyptian conquest of 1821, the Mahdist revolt that wiped Khartoum off the map in 1885, the Anglo-Egyptian condominium, independence in 1956, two civil wars between north and south that ended up giving birth to a new country in 2011, the war in Darfur, thirty years of Omar al-Bashir, the revolution that toppled him in 2019 and the war that broke out on 15 April 2023 and that today keeps every door into the country shut. This is the full history of Sudan: the long one and the one happening right now, told with attributed dates, names and figures.
Read the full history of Sudan →Pick a region and open each destination to see what to do, prices and how to get there.
These are the sources we cite most across this country's guides, with how many times each appears. Hard data —tickets, opening hours, requirements, transport— comes from the official source and carries the date we checked it. Restaurant and hotel picks come from guides and reviews, and we say so on each page.
