Arrival in Khartoum expected in the late afternoon. Transfer to the hotel, dinner free and overnight stay.

Morning to visit the town and the Archaeological Museum that, besides many beautiful objects, contains two full temples rescued by the UNESCO and moved from the Lake Nasser area, when was flooded by the water.

After we drive to Omdurman where we visit the Khalifa House and the Mahdi’s Tomb. The expedition departs late morning heading North. After 3 hours drive, through a desert of strange rocky hills, we arrive at the ancient site of Naga, where we can see the temple of Apedemak (1°st century a.D.) a beautiful sandstone building with engraved walls with the images of the Meroitic kings and gods. Nearby, another temple in Greek/Roman style called "Kiosk" and another one dedicated to Amon with many statues of rams and beautiful temple entrance door decorated with bas-reliefs.

One hour drive from Naga we reach Musawwarat El Sufra, where it is possible to visit the Elephant Temple, much bigger but less well preserved than those at Naga, and the Lion Temple. At this site archaeologists of the Humbolt Institute of Berlin have been doing research for the last few years.

Then we reach the small town of Shendi, on the Nile where we stop for supplies of water and fresh food. After a hour drive the pyramids of the royal necropolis of Meroe become visible on top of a rise among yellow sand dunes. Here there are tens of pyramids, some very well preserved just in front of them there are some small funerary temples with the walls fully decorated with bas-reliefs that show the King’s life and the gods.

This morning we move along the Nile to visit the ruins of the Royal city. The excavations confirm that it used to be on a large area with a central one surrounded by suburbs and a boundary wall. Most of the area where the city is located, that is formed by many small hills covered by red clay fragments, has still to be excavated by the archaeologists.

After the visit, we continue northward and we reach Atbara at the junction with the Atbara river with the Nile. We cross the Nile and we enter in the Bayuda desert, area bounded by the loop formed by the Nile between the 4th and the 6th Cataract and characterised by sharp black basalt mountains, most of them volcanic and typically cone-shaped. They alternate with level pebble stretches and large valleys with dry wadis going through where there is little vegetation. We might meet isolated groups, camel and donkey caravans of the Bisharin nomads, who live in familiar groups in small huts made of intertwined branches covered with large camel wool blankets, near the rare water wells in the area. Just in the centre of the Bayuda Desert we reach the Atrun Crater, where nomads gather salt from the edge of a green coloured pool. They will then sell it to markets of the towns outside the desert.
 

We complete the desert crossing and we reach the Nile. Here we can visit the pyramids of Nuri, one of the necropolis of the ancient capital of Napata. We cross the river in the town of Meroe and we arrive in the small town of Karima at the foot of the holy mountains Jebel Barkal.

Today we drive 20 km south to visit the site of El Kurru, where there is another necropolis of the ancient capital Napata. Here we can visit two tombs which are excavated in the rock under the pyramids - partially collapsed - and they are totally decorated with images of the Pharaoh, of the gods and multicolour hieroglyphic inscriptions.

Not far from here there is an interesting site of petrified wood with hundreds of huge trunks. Landmark in the Nubian desert, Jebel Barkal can be seen from a few dozens of kilometres whilst still in the open desert. At the foot of this wonderful isolated red sandstone mountain with cliffs and considered holy since the ancient times there is the big temple dedicated to the God Amon which was built and enlarged by different Pharaohs dynasties. The Amon's ancient "Pure Mountain", the Olympus of the Nubians, was the religious Nubian heart for more than 1500 years.

Besides the ruins of the big temple there are still several sculptured granite rams that were supposed to border a long avenue that probably led to the pier on the Nile. In the mountain walls there are 2 hypogeum rooms decorated with bas-relief. After the visit to the archaeological sites we drive northwards going into the Nubian desert with its level evenness, its sand stretches and its soft undulation. It is an almost sterile area where no vegetation survives. We then reach the beautiful granite rocky formations of the 4th Cataract, which prevent the Nile from flowing slowly but form many rapids that obstruct the navigation. Here we can walk amongst the granite boulders and enjoy a very nice landscape. In 2009 this area will be flooded creating a new artificial lake and a dam.

This morning we drive north across the desert to the amazing village of El Kab. The village develops on the Nile river banks between 2 Turkish forts built on the top of the hills. In fact all the area is characterized by big pillars of rocks and beautiful palm trees; a real oasis in the desert.

We leave the Nile and we start crossing the Nubian desert which is flat, sandy in areas with isolated rocky hills, to reach the Railway Line which connects Wadi Halfa to Khartoum. We follow the railway line stopping at the interesting Station n. 6 which still have the typical atmosphere of the British style railway stations.

We drive east following an old railway track to look for the Umm Nabari Gold Mine at the base of the Mountain Umm Nabari which stands out on the white sand plain that surrounds it. Stone grinders of the old miners are still found in the area as well as the steel carriages and more mining tools. After the visit we drive north to the boarder town of Wadi Halfa where we will need to stock up for the next few days. We camp in the desert not far from the Nasser Lake that the locals call Nuba Lake.

We follow the Nile south on the eastern side crossing interesting Nubian villages where not many travellers normally go. We cross the Nile to reach the Isle of Sai, here there are the ruins of Egyptian temples and Turkish forts. After the visit we set camp on the eastern side of the Nile. 

We stop in the little village of Wawa and we cross the Nile with a small boat to visit thetemple of Soleb. This is the most beautiful Egyptian temple of all Sudan, testimony of the New Kingdom in Nubia, with full walls rich in hieroglyphic inscriptions, bas-relief figures and many columns.

We reach the granite boulders of the Third Cataract, where, among the rocks near the village of Tombos, we can find a statue of the black Pharaohs Taharqa, left in the old quarries since 3000 years. In the small town of Kerma we can visit the archaeological site where there are remains of the “Defuffa”, old building made by row bricks, probably a sacred area for the Kerma civilisation.

As day 10.

The Nubian desert has some sand dunes, flat sandy plains and red rocky boulders eroded by the wind. We keep on following the Nile. This area is the central part of the Nubian region. Here the population speaks a different language from the Arabs, and also the Islamic religion is not as "strict" as in other regions. The women don't cover their faces and readily speak to foreigners.

The villages are beautiful, between sand dunes and palm trees; some houses are painted and decorated with patterns and flowers. Enthusiastic hospitality abounds, people will often invite foreigners to visit their home and share a meal or a cup of spiced tea. near the site of Old Dongola a Christian Coptic temple with marble columns as well as several churches are situated on the bank of the Nile.

As day 12.

From the Nile we drive west in the western desert. Another kind of desert will appear to the eyes of the passengers: rounded “stony dunes”, covered by small round stones, probably an ancient Nile bed.

We follow the tarmac road today across the western desert. We stop for lunch in a simple chaihouse (a roadhouse where the local truck drivers stop for food and rest), then we reach Omdurman, the old capital of Sudan. After a visit to the big market, we arrive at the Hotel in Khartoum where rooms are available in day use. Dinner free. Late in the evening transfer to the airport