Getting Around Khartoum North
Khartoum North — also called Khartoum Bahri, or simply Bahri — sits on the north bank of the Blue Nile and the east bank of the Nile, just across the water from Khartoum proper and linked to Omdurman to the west. For a visitor, the practical reality is that Bahri is part of one continuous urban area with Khartoum and Omdurman, and most of your movement will be by road: shared taxis, private taxis, app-based cars, and buses. There is no metro or tram system to rely on, and the rail network is oriented toward intercity travel rather than everyday city trips.
Rail, Metro and Tram
Sudan has no metro or tram network, so you should not expect one in Khartoum North or anywhere in the capital. The railway that does exist is a national, intercity system. It is generally described as efficient and inexpensive for long-distance journeys, with an extensive network. The main line runs between Wadi Halfa in the north and Khartoum, a trip of about two days with several refreshment stops along the way. Other lines include Nyala–Er-Rahad and Khartoum–Port Sudan.
If you do take a train, you can choose between first class, which is comfortable, sleeper carriages, and second or third class, which are more rustic. Khartoum North's historical role as a railroad centre is worth knowing, but for getting around the city day to day, plan on road transport instead.
Buses and Other Public Transport
Sudan's road network was historically limited and mostly unpaved, but it has grown significantly, making bus and coach travel viable between cities. Intercity routes include Khartoum–Wadi Halfa, services to the Ethiopian border, and services to Port Sudan. A few private bus companies run reliable services; in more remote areas, rustic trucks sometimes carry passengers between regions, which is less comfortable than a large coach.
For intercity departures you generally go to a dedicated terminal rather than flagging a bus on the street. From Khartoum, buses to Shendi and Atbara (useful for visiting Meroe) leave from a terminal north-east of the city — a large dirt lot with many buses and company booths. The bus to Atbara passes through Shendi. Buses to Kassala leave from the south terminal, known as the Land Terminal, which is gated with multiple entry points and charges a small fee to enter the building where the bus company booths are. Recommended companies on that route include Al Sharif and Rodeena, which make fewer stops; choosing a poor company can turn a six-hour route into a ten-hour one. In Kassala, the bus company offices are near the hospital close to the souq.
Within the city, the shared-taxi minibuses known as bakassis fill much of the role that a municipal bus network would elsewhere. They have no fixed stops and pick up and drop off passengers on request.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis come in two main forms. Standard taxis run point-to-point with a single passenger, while bakassis are minibus shared taxis that pick up and drop off passengers on request with no fixed stops. Neither type is metered, so you must agree on the fare before departure. Fares are generally inexpensive, and both types can be flagged down from the roadside.
App-based ride-hailing is available through Tirhal, an Uber-like service. Fares are quoted in the app but paid in cash, so keep Sudanese pounds on hand. A useful trick is to use the Tirhal quote as a price guide when negotiating with a street taxi — sometimes hailing a street taxi directly is faster than waiting for an app car.
Tuk-tuks also operate in the capital, but they are reportedly not much cheaper than taxis and are dustier and noisier, so they are rarely the best value for a visitor.
Car rental is available at Sudan's airports and in major city centres, but it is unpopular because of high rental fees and the risk of road travel in many areas. Four-wheel drive is recommended, since roads outside cities are often undeveloped and difficult, and roads outside centres such as Khartoum are often unsafe. If you plan to travel to remote areas, it is advisable to use a guide or a local driver rather than self-driving.
Walkability
The source material does not describe Khartoum North as a walkable city, and the practical picture that emerges is of a large, spread-out urban area where day-to-day movement depends on vehicles. Bahri is made up of many distinct neighbourhoods — among them Alamlaak, Kober, Kafouri, the Bahri Industrial Area, Al Haj Yousif, Al Sababi, Al Dnagla North and South, Hilat Hamad, Hilat Khojali, Hilat Koko, Alshabia North and South, Almazad, Almugtaribin, Almerghania, Alsafia, Shambat, Khoglab, Alqadisia and Al-Durushab — and these are spread across a wide area rather than clustered tightly enough to cover comfortably on foot. Treat walking as something you do within a neighbourhood or between nearby stops, and plan to use taxis, bakassis or ride-hailing for anything longer.
Getting In from the Airport
Khartoum International Airport serves the capital, and car rental is available at Sudan's airports. The most practical way into the city is by taxi or app-based car. If you use a street taxi, agree the fare before you set off, since taxis are not metered; if you use Tirhal, the fare is quoted in the app and paid in cash.
One administrative point worth handling at the airport: police registration is required for stays of more than three days, and this can be done at the Khartoum airport station. Note also that ATMs have been unusable because of US sanctions, so travellers should bring hard currency — US dollars or euros — and exchange it with locals rather than relying on cards.
Crossing the River
Khartoum North is connected to Khartoum to the south by several bridges over the Blue Nile: Mac Nimir Bridge, the Blue Nile Road and Railway Bridge, Cooper Bridge and Al Mansheiya Bridge. The Shambat Bridge once crossed the Nile to link the Shambat neighbourhood with Omdurman to the west, but it was destroyed in 2023. If your plans involve moving between Bahri, Khartoum and Omdurman, these river crossings are the routes you will depend on, and it is worth confirming current conditions locally before you travel, given the conflict that has affected the city in recent years.