Thursday 11th November – Cairo: Group A

• Arrive at your convenience into Cairo – the capital city of Egypt which is well connected from many countries within Africa, Europe and the rest of the world. If you are coming from our Socotra tour, you can use this day to rest at our centrally located hotel.
• If you arrive early and have plenty of energy saved up, you are free to explore Cairo, we’ll definitely head out for some optional exploring of Giza or the National Museum.
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 8:00pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
• Head out for dinner, drinks and explore the nightlife of Cairo
• Overnight in Cairo

Friday 12th November – Cairo Suburbs

Morning

• After a hearty breakfast, we depart our hotel to spend our day exploring the lesser seen suburbs of Cairo.
• Our first stop is the City of the Dead, an ancient necropolis made up of an Arabic cemetery where the less-fortunate of Egypt have settled. Tens of thousands of people live here within mausoleums and tombs. It creates a mixture of bustling living amongst monuments of death. We’ll walk through the neighbourhood as our guide introduce us to the settlers and shares more about the history.
• We then head to our next neighbourhood of Cairo, the Garbage city, or Manshiyat Nasser. With the City of the Dead, locals live amongst tombstones, inefficient rubbish collection in Manshiyat Nasser forces people to live amongst the waste. This creates a post-apocalyptic atmosphere and is truly an eye-opener into a different side of our planet.

Afternoon

• As we head out of the Garbage city we’ll have a lunch break and sample a traditional Egyptian meal
• You’ll then explore the lesser-known pyramids. Our first being the Bent Pyramid – which almost collapsed due to a mistake in its design.
• The second pyramid you’ll visit is the Red Pyramid – here we can expect zero tourists, in stark contrast to the most famous of the pyramids.
• Finally you’ll explore the Pyramid of Djoser – considered to be the world’s oldest intact pyramid.
• Head back into town to visit the citadel of Cairo which is also the location of the Egyptian Military Museum – the official museum of the Egyptian Army.
• Return to our hotel for dinner and well earnt rest.
• Overnight in Cairo

Saturday 13th November – Cairo – Black Desert – White Desert

Morning

• Begin our desert expedition and make our way to the White Desert in our 4X4s – the White Desert is located not too far from Cairo and is one of Egypt’s best kept secrets. The scenery here is like nowhere else with white chalk rock formations rising out from the sand formed through erosion by wind and sand.
• Stopping on the way at the Oasis of Bahariya – here you can stretch your legs and take in the scenery

Afternoon

• We’ll have a local lunch in a small village nearby Bahariya
• For us to arrive at the White Desert we must first make our way through the Black Desert – a region of volcano-shaped and widely spaced mounds reaching a height of 100 meters darkened by volcanic action during the Jurassic period 180 million years ago.
• Stop and explore Crystal Mountain – a uniquely shaped ridge standing alone in the middle of the desert made entirely of calcite crystal. A bizarre yet beautiful natural formation to gaze upon.
• Arrive at the White Desert – just in time for the stunning sunset.
• As the evening darkens you will then pick your own Bedouin encampment. The locals here are traditional goat and camel herders. We will feast under the starry sky of Egypt followed by a Bedouin music party.
• Overnight in the Bedouin camp

Sunday 14th November – White Desert –Bahariya – Cairo

Morning

• Wake up in the middle of the desert, and enjoy breakfast as you take in the scenery surrounding you.
• Begin exploring the impressive chalk formations of the White Desert with plenty of opportunities for walking and taking photos. There area covers over 300 km2 in total.

Afternoon

• Begin making our return to Cairo and stop for lunch at the Oasis of Bahariya.
• On arrival we’ll prepare for our farewell feast and enjoy the nightlife.
• Overnight in Cairo

Monday 15th November – Cairo: Group B

• Breakfast at hotel
• For those with time to spare it’s possible to explore the Street of Tentmakers.
• Group A members: tour concludes
• Group B members: Board our flight to Khartoum, Sudan – flight cost not included in tour
• Meet our local guide at the airport and be transferred to our hotel
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 8:00pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers joining the Sudanese part of the tour
• Dinner and night out in Khartoum.
• Overnight in Khartoum.

Tuesday 16th November – Khartoum & Omdurman

Morning

• Up early for breakfast at hotel before we start the day with a city tour of the Sudanese capital city.
• We’ll visit the national museum, which contains various objects dedicated to Nubian history. This Nubian area of the southern Nile was home of Africa’s earliest ancient civilization.
• We’ll also take in the beautiful temples saved by UNESCO from lake Nassir and rebuilt entirely inside the museum.
• Visit the Ethnographic museum. Sudan has 597 different ethnic groups that speak over 400 different languages and dialects, we’ll get a taste for the incredible diversity here.

Afternoon

• Cross the White Nile for a trip to technically Sudan’s second largest city – Omdurman. We’ll have a short stop at the Mahdi tomb and tour around the Khalifa house museum. The house served as the HQ of the Mahdist state. This was a short-lived religious and political movement that ruled Sudan until the British reconquered in 1898.
• Lunch stop in Omdurman.
• Visit Omdurman’s beautifully colourful market before making our way back to Khartoum.
• Dinner and overnight in Khartoum.

Wednesday 17th November –  Khartoum – Old Dongola – Kerma

Morning

• Breakfast at our hotel and begin our journey to Northern Sudan.
• We’ll travel 500km north of Khartoum. On the way we’ll stop at Old Dongola, the capital of the Christian kingdom of Makuria. Today its a deserted city with the population having moved downstream in the 19th century.

Afternoon

• We move onto the cemetery of the Sofi holy men and stopping for lunch on the way.
• Take the ferry across the Nile and drive for a further 40km arriving at Kerma, a 3800 B.C archaeological site.
• Overnight in a traditional Nubian house with a wonderful local feast.

Thursday 18th November – Tombus – Soleb 

Morning

• Early rise to visit the site of Tombus – here there are many Egyptian inscriptions and a huge granite statue dedicated the famous black Pharaoh – Taharqa.
• Continue 50km to the north where we stop to take in the amazing panoramic view of the rock art from the prehistoric period at Wadi Sebu.

Afternoon

• Stop for lunch at a local tea house
• Cross the Nile to the west bank and drive two hours up to Soleb – an ancient Nubian town home to a vast necropolis of which we can visit the tombs which haven’t been destroyed by colonial “archaeologists”
• Dinner and overnight at a traditional Nubian house.

Friday 19th November  Soleb – Karima

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and begin our journey back south driving for 320km before reaching the city of Karima, the location of ancient Napata.
• We visit the holy mountain of Jebel Barkal (Together with Napata, a UNESCO heritage site)  and the numerous temples at the foot of Jebel Barkal and lunch on the way

Afternoon

• We then visit the impressive Kurru, the royal necropolis of Napata. Here we go deep underneath the pyramid to see the amazing painted tomb of the black Pharaoh Tanutamani. You won’t find such vivid painting anywhere else!
• Dinner in a local restaurant.
• Overnight at Merowe Tourist Village hotel.

Saturday 20th November –  Nuri –Meroe 

Morning

• Early morning visit to the nearby Nuri pyramids. There are over 60 burial places here.

Afternoon

• We continue crossing though the Bayuda desert up to Meroe. We’ll pass through and stop at desert settlements such as Ad-Damer before reaching the famous Meroe pyramids. A perfect setting to witness the sun go down.
• Trip highlight – Dinner and overnight camping in tents near the Pyramids!

Sunday 21st November – Meroe – Khartoum

Morning

• Rise and shine for an early morning visit to the royal city of Meroe.
• Set off on an off-road/on-road adventure to visit Mussawart. This is a complex of temples dedicated the local god Apedamak – the lion god. This was the biggest construction in the history of Nubia.

Afternoon

• After a local lunch we continue up to Naqa 20km from Mussawart. This was once a vital trading post between the Mediterranean world and Africa. It houses a wonderful collection of buildings dated to the first century AD.
• Visit the Roman kiosk, which represents the intersection of various cultures both European and African.
• Visit the Among temple.
• We hit the road back to Khartoum 150km from Naqa.
• Dinner in Khartoum in none other than the Corinthian Hotel also known as the Gaddafi Egg. This hotel was financed by Libya and is one of the fanciest hotel of the city. They have a mean buffet!
• Overnight in Khartoum

Monday 22nd November – Khartoum: Group C

• Breakfast at hotel
• Group B members: tour concludes with airport drop-off arranged according to your flight details
• Group C members: Board our flight to Juba (not included in the price of the tour, you can either take the direct flight with a local airline or take the more reliable Ethiopian airlines red-eye flights from Khartoum to Addis to Juba).
• Our local partners will greet us once we are through immigration.
• Check into hotel and begin exploring Konyo Konyo – South Sudan’s largest market. It is an incredible place where the immense ethnic diversity of South Sudan mix.

Afternoon

• Lunch at the Da Vinci Lodge
• Visit the Presidential Palace – the residence of South Sudan’s leader, easily recognised with his distinctive cowboy hat, Salva Kiir Mayardit.
• Stop by the John Garang Mausoleum – John Garang lead the revolution as well as promoting the concept of Sudanism, an ideology that all Sudanese should go beyond the divisions of the people (Animists, Christianity, Islamic, Arabs, Blacks) and embrace all cultures of South Sudan and unify under one Sudanese.
• Explore Jubek Tomb – Jubek is one of the most important figure of the Bari people and his history is linked to lots of underlying tensions. Jubek is highly regarded in the country hence the capital being named after him.
• Visit Juba University – founded in 1975 in response to the need for higher education in southern areas of Sudan. Here is a great chance to meet South Sudan’s sharpest students.
• Finish up the day by exploring Juba’s Craft Market
• Dinner and drinks by the Nile at the AFEX camp
• Overnight at the Royal Palace Hotel

Tuesday 23rd November – Mundari Villages

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and early departure from hotel to Mundari camp – approx 4 hour drive
• On the way stopping at small villages or for photo opportunities

Afternoon

• Stopping for lunch at Naivasha Restaurant located within a Mundari settlement named Terekeka village. Terekeka is already a world apart from Juba, and we’ll go for a stroll around the local market. Locals are more open to photography here than compared to Juba.
• Continue onwards to a Mundari settlement where you will be introduced to the village chief so that he personally grant you further access to the local tribe.
• Trip highlight – By sunset, the herders will return to the village with their livestock in masses and start preparing them for the evening stay. The mist created by the smoke the Mundari prepare to repel mosquitoes will create a unique atmosphere.
• Dinner prepared by our very own cook
• Evening of games with the Mundari people
• Overnight camping

Wednesday 24th November – Mundari Cattle Camp 

Morning

• We recommend waking up early to see how the Mundari people wake their cattle up, truly living in symbiosis with the animals. For Mundari, cows are the most important possession as the cows provide meat and milk for the tribe but are also used as currency and as a status symbol amongst other members of the tribe.
• The milking process of the cow is rather unique as the Mundari technique involves adding pressure into the backend of the cow by blowing air into the cow’s… well, you’ll have to see it to believe it.

Afternoon

• Begin our drive to Nyikabor village to visit another Mundari tribe where we’ll have lunch prepared for us in a traditional South Sudanese way.
• We’ll spend this afternoon and evening being shown around by the Mundari people, introduced to their families, have local rituals and their traditions explained to us, and to get to know the villagers as their particular lifestyle could not be any different than what you are used to back home let alone nearby tribes. What makes this opportunity unique is that very few visitors have been introduced to this tribe. Photos are permitted by the tribespeople.
• Dinner by the campfire and overnight in tents at Nyikabor village

Thursday 25th November – Juba

Morning

• Breakfast by the campfire and the time has come to bid farewell to the Mundaris with whom we have spent the last two days with.
• Begin car journey back to Juba where we’ll expect to arrive around late afternoon

Afternoon

• Once arriving in Juba we’ll check into the Royal Palace Hotel so you may freshen up, use the WiFi, grab a cold one from the bar, or explore more of Juba.
• Dinner and drinks at Royal Palace Hotel
• Later in the evening we’ll further elore Juba’s nightlife by heading to Bedouin Lodge, a popular outdoor club for the locals
• Overnight at Royal Palace Hotel

Friday 26th November – Dinka Cattle Camps

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel and begin our journey to Dinka Cattle Camp along the eastern bank of the Nile (4 hours)
• Once arriving you’ll begin to notice the vast differences in culture and cattle husbandry between the Dinkas and the Mundaris. Once noticeable difference is the height of the Dinkas as they are known as the World’s tallest people.

Afternoon

• Lunch by the campfire
• Here we’ll have another special opportunity to be introduced and mingle with the tribespeople. Later in the afternoon the farmers will return with their cattle after grazing.
• Dinner at the camp alongside the Dinkas
• Overnight camping at the cattle camp.

Saturday 27th November – Juba

Morning

• Breakfast by the campfire
• Feel free to assist our new friends with any chores you see fit and learn more about their daily routines.
• Begin our drive back to Juba and stop by the village of Bangachorot – famous for its beauty and location.

Afternoon

• We’ll arrive in Mangalla and stop to eat our packed lunch
• Continue on and make a stop at Pan Wel to explore abandoned and ruined tanks for the civil war.
• Arrive in Juba and check back into the Royal Palace Hotel
• Dinner at the AFEX camp, absolutely the best restaurant in the country with stunning riverside views.
• Overnight at Royal Palace Hotel

Sunday 28th November – Juba – Torit: Group D

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel
• Group C members: tour concludes with airport drop-off arranged according to your flight details
• Group D members: depart east for Torit town on a 5 hour journey

Afternoon

• We’ll stop for a packed picnic lunch on the way
• Arrive in Torit and explore this rarely visited town
• Dinner, drinks and overnight at Torit Hotel

Monday 29th November –  Illieu village on Imatong Mountain

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and continue driving 3 hours to the Latuko village of Illieu which is strategically built on top of a hill.
• The villagers are Latuko-speaking people with a complex socio-political system based on age groups which will further be explained to you by our local guide. We’ll tour the village which the chef will have prepared our special arrival lunch.

Afternoon

• We’ll spend the afternoon interacting and learning more about the Latukos
• Dinner will be prepared for us and we’ll partake in traditional Latuko dances with their traditional music.
• Overnight camping

Tuesday 30th November – Camp 15

Morning

• Breakfast by the campfire and bid farewell to our new Latuko friends of Illeu village as we continue our journey onto Boya/Larim village at camp 15.
• The area is inhabited by the Boya/Larim tribe. Here you will be amazed by the architecture the Boya people are renowned for, consisting of grass thatched huts. While Mundaris are known for facial scarification, the Boya are renowned for an abundance of both body and facial scarification among others as well as the ornaments and attire worn uniquely by them.

Afternoon

• Lunch upon our arrival at Camp 15
• We take time this afternoon to meet the locals as they The afternoon will be spent in the village where locals will introduce us to their way of life.
• Dinner and overnight at Camp 15

Wednesday 1st December : Boya Hills – Kapoeta

Morning

• Breakfast by the campfire and head on to Boya Hills and onto our last stop – Kapoeta town. Located on a hilltop, Kapoeta is home to the Toposa tribe.
• One of the most common sights is seeing how the women of the tribe carry water from below the hill up to the village whilst balancing it on their heads.
• In our day dedicated to Kapoeta, will go for a full village and market tour.
• We’ll check in at the Mango Camp, which has WiFi and showers. A treat after all this camping!

Thursday 2nd December:  Kapoeta – Juba

Morning

• Wake up early to see the spectacular sunrise over the Toposa Villages
• Breakfast at Mango Camp and head to Kapoeta airstrip – not your average airport as we check into our flight in a tent to board our plane to Juba. Probably the easiest check-in and boarding process you’ll ever experience.

Afternoon

• Arrive into Juba and check back into our trust Royal Palace Hotel for hot showers and a cold drink.
• Lunch at La Corte Tuscana Hotel
• The afternoon is left free to visit sights in Juba related to everyone’s interest such as, for example, the Youth Culture Club, where young people take all kinds of  activities or Juba university to mingle with some fresh intellectuals.
• Dinner at Afex Camp
• Overnight at Royal Palace Hotel

Friday 3rd December

Morning

• Breakfast in Royal Palace Hotel
• Tour concludes with airport drop-off arranged according to your flight details – YPT is also able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for flights.

Read More