The weekly ferry between Wadi Halfa and Aswan is one of the classic overland crossing points between Africa and the Arab world, used by travellers heading south into sub-Saharan Africa or north through Egypt. The journey takes roughly 18 to 24 hours and crosses Lake Nubia — the Sudanese section of the reservoir created by the Aswan High Dam — through a landscape of desert shores and occasional rock outcrops.
The ferry typically departs Wadi Halfa on Monday and runs on a schedule that can shift depending on cargo and passenger loads. Cabins are available but basic; most travellers spend the overnight crossing on deck. The spectacle of a Saharan night sky from the middle of the reservoir, with no light pollution in any direction, makes even the slower crossings worthwhile.