No, up till now there are no direct flights available from the United Kingdom to Khartoum from any airport in the country. The most preferred route out to Khartoum is by getting a ticket of a Middle Eastern airline, and get to the capital of Sudan via Dubai, Doha or Istanbul.
Khartoum International Airport (KRT) is surrounded by the city of Khartoum, which has grown exponentially during the years. This gives easier access to the passengers landing at Khartoum since the old city centre is merely minutes away from the airport. The airport currently deals about two million passengers every year. A new airport is under construction with two four kilometre runways and a grand hotel, but when the airport will be open for passengers is not yet clear..
It is understandable to come to Khartoum in winters since the sub-Saharan country regularly hits the 40°C mark in June. The best time, therefore, to visit the city is in December and January. This is also the busiest time of the year to visit Khartoum as the temperatures are pleasant during these months and there is no rain or excess humidity. The mercury of the thermometer slides between 22°C and 30°C, welcoming more travellers to the city. The high season in Khartoum brings about slightly costlier hotel fares and air tickets, so plan your travels ahead in time to get the best and cheapest flights to Khartoum.
For the penny pinchers, Khartoum is most affordable in June, in the middle of the summer. During this time the temperatures reach beyond 40°C which can be uncomfortable for most. This is the cheapest time to arrive in Khartoum as the hotel prices and the airfares hit to their annual lowest point. However, if the passenger wants to avoid the heat but still get a bargain, coming to Khartoum in September can significantly lower your travel budget as well. Khartoum encounters a light rainy spell in August. By Septembers the rains are almost gone, the city is dry enough to explore and cool enough to enjoy the outdoors. Though September is not as inexpensive as the hot June in Khartoum for a tourist, it indeed is more pleasurable and affordable at the same time.
Khartoum is part of a tripartite metropolitan conurbation; the two other cities are North Khartoum and Omdurman. Khartoum resides at the confluence of the Blue and the White Nile. The city has been inhabited for thousands of years, since the time of the Nubian Pharaohs.
- The National Museum of Sudan has perhaps the most extensive collection of Nubian archaeology in the entire world. The museum contains artefacts from prehistory to the Islamic period of Sudan, collected from every corner of the country. The giant statue of Pharaoh Taharqo faces the tourist upon entering the building. Different items and excavated pots and tools, all thousands of years old, fascinate the visitor. The crowning jewel of the museum is the museum garden that contains entire sections of walls with pictograms from the temple of Aksha and Buhen.
- Tuti Island is surrounded by the waters of the Blue and White Nile Rivers. The Island has a strategic location. Just across the river on the West is Omdurman which the largest city in Sudan and Khartoum resides on the South East. Despite having such a central location the Tuti Island was never greatly developed commercially, and most of it is still farmland. The soil is fertile, and the water is plentiful. The fields on Tuti Island attract traveller from across town, like an oasis and also produce food for all the townships surrounding the island.
Most residents living in Khartoum follow the Islamic faith. Islam follows the lunar calendar which cannot be mapped directly on the Western calendar most people use these days. However, around May, Muslims celebrate Ramadan, the month of fasting, at the end of which they celebrate the Eid ul Fitr festival. Three months later another Eid festival is celebrated, but this time there is a lot of roasted beef and cured meats on the table. Khartoumians also celebrate the Eid Milad un Nabi, which is the birth date of the Prophet Muhammad in the lunar month of Rabi ul Awal. Apart from these events, different festivals are always put together that promote the culture and the folklore of the area.
The best way to move about in Khartoum is by waving down a taxi. There are three types of taxis available in Khartoum: yellow cabs, minivans and metered air-conditioned cab. The drivers charge thirty to forty Sudanese Pounds to get you from the airport to your hotel in central Khartoum. Please choose the more comfortable and safer Airport Taxis that are available at any time of the day to take you from the airport to the hotel and back. Minibuses are the cheapest means of travel in Khartoum. Usually, they charge only two to three pounds to get between the three townships. These buses are packed to the brim and have complicated routes.
The five-star hotels in Khartoum spoil guests and travellers with all the amenities and services their heart's desire. Search through the hotels listed below for an amazing luxury experience in Khartoum.
- Al Salam Rotana Hotel
- Corinthia Hotel Khartoum
- Coral Khartoum Hotel
- Kanon Hotel Suites
- Grand Holiday Villa Hotel & Suites Khartoum
020 3137 2316
