🧭 Every country, and the places worth the trip NEW 26,489 places written across 243 countries 🎮 Guess the country As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases
Meridiela.

Wadi Halfa

A town on Lake Nubia at the Egyptian border, rebuilt after the old one was drowned.

Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map

Typetown
WhereNorthern
Nearest cityWadi Halfa
Best seasonNovember to February
Time to allowA day
Getting thereAt the Egyptian border on Lake Nubia; road from Dongola, ferry to Aswan
EntryFree

The original Wadi Halfa lies under the water of Lake Nubia, drowned when the Aswan High Dam filled in the 1960s along with dozens of Nubian villages, and the town was rebuilt on higher ground nearby while much of its population was resettled hundreds of kilometres away. It is the Sudanese end of the ferry across the lake to Egypt and the border crossing, and the lake stretches north from it into Egyptian waters.

What you actually see

  • Lake Nubia - the reservoir covering the old town and the drowned villages.
  • The rebuilt town - the settlement moved to higher ground in the 1960s.
  • The ferry terminal - the Sudanese end of the crossing to Aswan.
  • The border position - the northern limit of Sudan on the river.

When to go

November to February is the cool season. March to May is extremely hot. Ferry schedules are irregular.

Honest expectations

The town is a transit point with very limited facilities. Ferry and border procedures are slow and unpredictable. Travel in Sudan requires arrangements made well in advance.

Nearby

Lake Nubia stretches north, and Abri is south.

What to pack for Wadi Halfa

Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.

All packing kits →

Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

← More museums & culture in Sudan

One postcard a week.

A short Friday email: one place worth knowing about, the story behind it, and what is in season right now. No noise - leave whenever you like.