Port Sudan December Tour

Tuesday 15th December – Port Sudan, Sudan

Morning

• Meet your YPT guide at the boarding gate of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET348 departing Addis Abba at 9:30am and arriving into Port Sudan International Airport at 10:45am. This flight connects well with our South Sudan tour, though an overnight layover in Addis.
• Meet our local guide after passing through immigration and baggage claim.
• You’ll receive a welcome briefing and an introduction to Sudanese customs, current conditions, and the region’s fascinating history.
• Depart the airport and head toward Port Sudan City. This drive offers a first look at the city’s layout and Red Sea coastline, passing port infrastructure, markets, and mid-century architecture.
• Stop for a traditional Sudanese lunch en route, featuring dishes such as grilled lamb or chicken, okra stew, lentils, fresh bread, and local drinks like hibiscus tea (karkadé) or baobab juice (tabaldi).

Afternoon

• Leave the city behind and begin a two-hour drive through the Red Sea desert landscape to reach Arous Beach, a remote coastal outpost known for its coral reefs and secretive past.
• Arrive at the former Red Sea Diving Resort – the now-infamous location used in the 1980s by the Israeli Mossad as a cover for a covert humanitarian mission. Disguised as a leisure facility, the site played a crucial role in secretly evacuating thousands of Ethiopian Jews from Sudan. Though the operation remained unknown to most for decades, the site has since become a place of intrigue and historical significance.
• Explore the abandoned structures, walk along the pristine beach, and learn more about the operation that took place here through guide-led storytelling.
• Swim or relax on the beach, or take part in an optional snorkelling excursion over nearby coral reefs. The Red Sea here is warm, exceptionally clear, and filled with colourful fish and soft coral formations. Snorkelling equipment is available for rent on site.
• As the sun dips behind the desert hills, gather around a beach campfire with your group. Local staff and guides will share Sudanese music, folk tales, and personal reflections, offering an intimate cultural encounter under a wide, starlit sky.
• Enjoy dinner prepared on site, with a choice of freshly caught fish, grilled meats, pasta, or simple pizza. Vegetarian options are also available. Meals are freshly made and served with local sides and tea.
• Overnight at Arous Camp. Accommodation includes pre-set tents equipped with mattresses and blankets, or shared rooms inside the old facility for those who prefer four walls. The setting is peaceful and remote, offering the rare experience of sleeping beside the Red Sea.

Wednesday 16th December – Port Sudan – Suakin Island – Port Sudan

Morning

• Enjoy a relaxed breakfast at camp. Meals typically include eggs, flatbread, fuul (fava beans), fruit, and strong Sudanese coffee or tea.
• Spend the morning at leisure. You may choose to swim again, photograph the site in early light, or take part in another optional snorkelling or diving session (gear rental available).
• Check out of the camp and begin the return drive to Port Sudan. Along the way, take in the contrasting landscapes of desert, sea, and small coastal villages.
• Arrive back in Port Sudan and begin a guided walking and driving tour of the city’s main points of interest.

Afternoon

• We will also take this opportunity to stop for lunch and a coffee at a rather special place, the Mapina Hotel, which, back in the day, was the Port Sudan Hilton.
• Visit the bustling Port Sudan Market, where traders sell everything from woven fabrics and incense to dried fish, spices, and traditional medicine. It’s a colorful, noisy environment and a great place to observe daily life.
• Continue to the Ports Museum and the Red Sea Museum. These institutions house important exhibits on Sudanese maritime heritage, coral reef conservation, and the ethnic diversity of the Red Sea region. See ancient navigation tools, pearl-diving equipment, and local artifacts from the Beja people and other groups.
• Stroll along the city’s Corniche – a scenic stretch of promenade where locals gather to socialize, fish, and enjoy the sea breeze. It’s an ideal spot to experience Port Sudan’s daily rhythm and photograph the Red Sea coast.
• Drive approximately 1.5 hours south along the coast to reach Suakin Island, a haunting and atmospheric site that was once a vital Ottoman port and Islamic pilgrimage hub.
• Walk among the ruins of coral-stone buildings, mosques, and merchant houses, learning how Suakin once hosted ships bound for Mecca and served as a major point in Red Sea trade routes. Though abandoned and partially crumbled, the island’s architecture and ambiance offer a moving connection to the past.
• Suakin is also a stunning spot for sunset photography, with golden light illuminating the weathered ruins and tranquil water.
• Return to Port Sudan and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant, featuring grilled seafood, flatbreads, seasonal vegetables, and chilled juices.
• Overnight at a hotel in Port Sudan. Rooms include modern amenities and air- conditioning.

Thursday 17th December – Port Sudan

Morning

• Enjoy breakfast at your hotel in Port Sudan, with a final chance to reflect on your journey through Sudan’s desert coast and layered history.
• Transfer to Port Sudan Airport with your guide, who will assist with check-in procedures and departure logistics.
• Depart at 6:00pm on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET349 to Addis Ababa arriving at 9:15pm
• Tour concludes