Best time to visit Sudan
There is no need for a weather forecast in Sudan, really as it’s just always hot. Especially in the North, where most holidays take place.
The best time to visit Sudan is when it deigns to cool just a tad, the lowest temperatures being in Jan, averaging 30°C. However, temperatures can halve at night during Dec-Feb, making travel a lot more bearable. In the desert itself, temperatures can dip a lot, with cold winds whipping your fleeces and down jackets out of your bag in an instant. Rain falls between May-Sept, and the Nile can start to fill its floodplains during that time, but tour companies tend to avoid these times, as transport can become very difficult.
Sudan Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
15
31
0
FEB
16
33
0
MAR
20
37
0
APR
23
40
0
MAY
26
42
3
JUN
27
41
6
JUL
26
38
46
AUG
25
37
68
SEP
26
39
22
OCT
25
39
3
NOV
20
35
0
DEC
17
32
0
Our Sudan Holidays
Sudan holiday, Desert Explorer
Explore Sudan, one of the most underrated countries in the World
From
£3499 to £3599
13 days
inc UK flights
Sudan tour, Nile Valley and Western Desert
Explore some of Sudan’s little known ancient monuments
From
£3295
15 days
ex flights
Sudan cultural holiday
Wild desert camping and spectacular archaeological sites
From
£2595 to £2695
8 days
ex flights
Egypt and Northern Sudan cultural tour
Fascinating cultural tour through Egypt and Sudan
From
£4315
13 days
ex flights
Cairo to Cape Town overland tour
Safaris, beaches, pyramids and rafting
From
£3695
16 weeks
ex flights
Cairo to Nairobi overland safari truck tour
Overland through the Sahara and the Ethiopian Highlands
From
£5120 to £5170
72 days
ex flights
Cairo to Nairobi overland tour
Overland travel in Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya.
From
£2475
9 weeks
ex flights
Cairo to Cape Town overland truck tour, the Nile route
Explore the length of Africa on this epic overland journey
From
£9240 to £9380
142 days
ex flights
Nairobi to Cairo overland tour
An expedition through the heart of Africa
From
£2475
9 weeks
ex flights
Sudan tour, Nubian Desert and the Red Sea
Discover the Nubian Desert and the Red Sea
From
£3499
14 days
ex flights
Sudan holiday, small group tour
Follow in the footsteps of ancient civilisations
From
£2096 to £2294
10 days
ex flights
Addis Ababa to Cairo Ethiopia, Sudan & Egypt tour
Ethiopian highlands, deserts and coral reefs
From
£1575
38 days
ex flights
Things to do in Sudan
Things to do...
Things not to do in Sudan…
Our top Sudan Holiday
Sudan holiday
Visit pyramids & meet desert nomads
From
£2299 to £2675
9 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2018: 6 Dec, 28 Dec
2019: 4 Jan, 18 Jan, 31 Jan, 7 Feb, 8 Mar, 22 Mar, 5 Apr, 11 Apr, 19 Apr, 11 Oct, 18 Oct, 24 Oct, 29 Nov, 13 Dec, 26 Dec
2020: 10 Jan, 31 Jan, 6 Feb, 21 Feb, 6 Mar, 20 Mar, 9 Apr
2018: 6 Dec, 28 Dec
2019: 4 Jan, 18 Jan, 31 Jan, 7 Feb, 8 Mar, 22 Mar, 5 Apr, 11 Apr, 19 Apr, 11 Oct, 18 Oct, 24 Oct, 29 Nov, 13 Dec, 26 Dec
2020: 10 Jan, 31 Jan, 6 Feb, 21 Feb, 6 Mar, 20 Mar, 9 Apr
Helpdesk
Hello. If you'd like to chat about Sudan or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help. Rosy & team.
Sudan travel advice
Weather advice
Weather advice
Ralph Foulds, Director at our leading Sudan supplier, Encounters Travel
"We don’t run trips to Sudan between May and September. It is too hot and there are dust storms. The start of the season, mid-October, is cheapest."
"We don’t run trips to Sudan between May and September. It is too hot and there are dust storms. The start of the season, mid-October, is cheapest."
Food & drink advice
Food & drink advice
“There are lots of fresh fruit and veg on offer. And for veggies, there are plenty of different beans, such as ‘Ful medames’, which are fava beans, falafel and so on. There is no booze, although there is alcohol free ‘Bavaria’ beer, which is OK if you are desperate.”
Photography advice
Photography advice
“Don’t take photos in public places, although security staff are generally friendly and aren’t going to rip your camera off you. However, expect other people to want to take their pictures of you when you take photos of them – this can be great fun.”
Packing tips
Packing tips
“Don’t take your best clothes. It will be dusty everywhere – you’re in the desert, it can’t be avoided. Take a wide brimmed hat – it will be bright.”
Shopping tips
Shopping tips
“Sudan is NOT a touristy place. You’ll hardly see any other tourists around and frequently will be the only people at the sites you’re visiting. This is great, as you can wander around at leisure, without getting hassled. There aren’t any souvenir hawkers hassling you which does mean that not many souvenirs are available. So, if you want to bring things home, then local sweets, snacks, nuts & seeds – things you’ll have eaten and seen in the local shops, are good options.”
What to see
What to see
Katherine Tory from our supplier, Exodus Travels, shares her Sudan travel tips:
“For me nothing can beat spending a few days exploring the Western desert by 4WD; it is tough these days to travel to somewhere really remote – no phone signal, no light pollution, fabulous night sky’s, exploring huge sand dunes. Perfect!”
“For me nothing can beat spending a few days exploring the Western desert by 4WD; it is tough these days to travel to somewhere really remote – no phone signal, no light pollution, fabulous night sky’s, exploring huge sand dunes. Perfect!”
Cultural tips
Cultural tips
“I believe it’s important to be respectful of the culture no matter where you travel to, and this certainly goes for Sudan. Women should wear long skirts/trousers and have their shoulders covered. If entering mosques women will also be expected to cover their head. Men can wear knee-length shorts but may prefer to wear long trousers.”
Tips from our holiday reviews...
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful Sudan travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday.
We have selected some of the most useful Sudan travel tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday.
...The most memorable part of my journey in Sudan was the Sudanese people, I have never experienced just a warm welcome in my life
– Cathal Murphy
"You don`t need loo rolls or torches if you are on the 8 day trip as all accommodation has it all with no squat loos. Take a fly whisk as there are many flies in the countryside especially by the Nile. If you are into history and archaeology and don`t mind piles of stone ruins, you will appreciate all the other sites, which are fantastic. Don`t expect to see fossils, because there are not fossils other than fossilized trees… when you stay in the Nubian rest house, you are in for a treat. Beautiful and peaceful and if you have a chance, then climb the big rock opposite at sunset. It is worth the effort for the view and history at your feet" - Geoffrey Hermsen
"Just book it, don't ponder about it and worry about safety, I never felt as safe and for me it was a trip of a lifetime……The most memorable part of my journey in Sudan was the Sudanese people, I have never experienced just a warm welcome in my life, it will forever stay with me." - Cathal Murphy
"Just book it, don't ponder about it and worry about safety, I never felt as safe and for me it was a trip of a lifetime……The most memorable part of my journey in Sudan was the Sudanese people, I have never experienced just a warm welcome in my life, it will forever stay with me." - Cathal Murphy
More about Sudan
Now that Myanmar has reopened for tourism and Cuba's no longer shying away from capitalism, where does the intrepid traveller go to get their kicks? Sudan, that's where - a nation that's not likely to become mainstream any time soon - although it's not lacking in either natural or manmade attractions.
Why book with Responsible Travel
Photo credits: [Page banner: Oxfam East Africa] [Temp top box: Motaz Altahir]
[Things to do: Christopher Michel]
[Weather: Christopher Michel]
[food advice: Usamah Mohammed]
[Photography: Joshua Ganderson]
[Packing: Valerian Guillot]
[Shopping: Paulien Osse]
[What to see: Cathal Murphy]
[Culture: Christopher Michel]
[Tip Intro: Christopher Michel]
[Tip1: David Stanley]
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