Pharaoh's Delight

Cairo to Khartoum

The Tour d'Afrique starts at the legendary Pyramids of Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. As one of the wonders of the world, the Pyramids are a perfect embarkation point for the intrepid journey ahead, and the Sphinx bows its head in respect as you cycle past and bid farewell to Africa’s largest city.

After riding to the Red Sea and down the coastal highway to Safaga, you climb inland and cross the rugged Eastern desert into Upper Egypt, joining the Nile River at Qena. In Luxor, the opportunity to explore the magnificent temple of Karnak and the Valleys of the Kings and Queens is one not to be missed. From there, the Route continues south along the banks of the mother Nile towards the Aswan Dam.

From Aswan you will travel overnight by boat down Lake Nasser and past the Abu Simbel monuments into Sudan, one of the world’s most remote and least visited countries. But as you will discover, the Sudanese are some of the world’s friendliest people. For many riders this is where the “real” Africa begins. With the Nile River as companion, you will spin past minarets and through palm grove villages that have hardly changed in hundreds of years. Change is however coming more rapidly now as the sandy tracks that the Tour used to traverse the Nubian desert on are replaced by smooth Chinese funded tarmac. This section ends with a convoy ride into the Sudanese capital city of Khartoum, which sits at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers. After the heat and dust of the desert, Khartoum seems to be part oasis and part mirage, especially when one enters the air-conditioned ABSA shopping center, where milk shakes, gourmet coffees, a supermarket and even bowling can be found.

The "Pharaoh's Delight" is for those who want to feel the desert wind on their face and experience the romance of biking along one of the great rivers of the world through the lands of the Pharaohs, the Nubians and the Cush. At times you will feel like you are one of the first travelers to come upon these forgotten lands. And on a bicycle, that’s pretty much the truth.