Khartoum: an honest guide to the city of the two Niles

What official advice says first

Before anything else: the UK, US, Canadian and Australian governments advise against all travel to Sudan because of the armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces that began in April 2023. Embassies have reduced or suspended services, consular help is extremely limited, and most travel insurance will not cover you. Read your own government's advice before you plan anything.

The city before and after the war

Fighting began in Khartoum in April 2023 and lasted for nearly two years. Large parts of the city centre, the airport, the National Museum, government buildings, hospitals and markets were damaged or looted, and millions of residents fled to other states or abroad. The army regained control of the capital in 2025, and some families have begun returning, but power, water, health care and security remain fragile, and unexploded ordnance is a real hazard. Treat everything below as a description of what the city offers, and check what is safe and open now with people on the ground.

The meeting of the Niles

The defining sight of Khartoum is Al Mogran, the point where the darker Blue Nile from Ethiopia meets the paler White Nile from the south. For a stretch you can see the two colours flowing side by side before they merge. The best views were from the Tuti Bridge and the Mogran area. Tuti Island, sitting right in the confluence, is a farming village of lanes, palms and vegetable plots that feels a world away from the city around it.

Omdurman: souq, tombs and Sufi drums

Across the White Nile, Omdurman is the older, more traditional city. Souq Omdurman is one of the biggest markets in the country, a maze of silversmiths, spice sellers, leather workers, perfume blenders and wedding suppliers. Nearby stands the silver domed Tomb of the Mahdi, who drove out the Turco Egyptian administration in the 1880s, and the Khalifa House Museum, the mud brick home of his successor.

The great weekly event is the Friday dhikr at the Tomb of Hamed al-Nil, on Omdurman's western edge. In the late afternoon, members of the Qadiriyya Sufi order gather in patched green and red robes, drummers set the rhythm, and the circle chants and whirls until sunset. Visitors were always welcome to watch respectfully. Ask locally whether it is being held and whether it is wise to go.

Riverside life

Khartoum's soul was always on the river. Along Nile Street, women known as sitt al-shai, the tea ladies, set out low stools and charcoal stoves and brew spiced tea and coffee for anyone who sits down. Families picnicked at the Sunt Forest on the White Nile, at Jebel Aulia dam further south, and by the Mawrada fish market in Omdurman, where Nile perch is fried to order. These simple pleasures are what returning residents talk about most.

Where visitors stay

Before the war, visitors chose the Corinthia tower at the confluence, international chains in the centre and Amarat, or the historic Acropole Hotel, loved by archaeologists. Many hotels were damaged or closed in the fighting. Most people visiting today stay with family. If you need a hotel, ask trusted contacts which are open, secure and have reliable power and water.

Getting there and around

Khartoum International Airport was badly damaged in 2023. Most people now fly into Port Sudan and travel overland or on domestic flights, which is a long journey through checkpoints. Check the current status of flights and roads before planning. In the city, rely on drivers arranged by family or trusted hosts, and do not walk around after dark.

Before you go

Register with your embassy's online service if it offers one, carry copies of your passport, visa and registration, and keep cash in clean US dollars or euros. Ask family about checkpoints, curfews and areas to avoid. Use the free trip planner to think through timings, and read the wider Sudan destinations page for the rest of the country.