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Climb Mount Sinai by night with a Bedouin guide and watch the sunrise from the summit, then visit St. Catherine's Monastery. Most tours from Sharm El Sheikh run 12–18 hours with hotel pickup and drop-off included.
Free Cancellation Overnight bus trip from Sharm El Sheikh with a guided 2:00 am climb of Mount Sinai and a St Catherine monastery visit.
Free Cancellation Overnight coach tour from Sharm El-Sheikh: night climb up Mount Sinai for sunrise, then St. Catherine's Monastery.
Free Cancellation 17-hour trip from Sharm El Sheikh with a night climb up Mount Sinai, sunrise at the summit, and a 2-hour St. Catherine's Monastery visit.
Free Cancellation Overnight coach from Sharm with a guided night ascent of Mount Sinai, sunrise on the summit, and a St Catherine Monastery visit. Roughly 18 hours door to door.
Free Cancellation Hotel pickup in Sharm El Sheikh, a 3-hour drive, a 3-4 hour night trek up Mount Sinai for sunrise, then a visit to St. Catherine Monastery.
17-hour night trip from Sharm el Sheikh: climb Mount Sinai for sunrise, then visit St. Catherine's Monastery.
Overnight climb of Mount Sinai for sunrise, then St. Catherine's Monastery, with pickup from all Sharm hotels. 14 hours.
Free Cancellation Overnight bus tour from Sharm El Sheikh hotels: pre-dawn Mount Sinai climb with Bedouin guide, then St. Catherine Monastery.
Free Cancellation Overnight coach from Sharm El Sheikh, summit Mount Sinai for sunrise, then breakfast and Saint Catherine's Monastery.
Free Cancellation Overnight Mount Sinai hike from Sharm El Sheikh, with hotel pickup around 20:30, back by ~14:00.
Read what travelers share about their experience visiting Mount Sinai — from practical tips to personal highlights.
A Mount Sinai tour from Sharm el-Sheikh runs 14-17 hours door to door: pickup from your hotel between 7:00 and 8:30 PM, a 230 km coach ride into the Sinai interior, then a night climb with a Bedouin guide to the 2,285 m summit for sunrise near 6:00 AM. After descending, most tours spend an hour or two at Saint Catherine's Monastery before the drive back — you'll be at breakfast by 9 AM, having climbed a mountain in the dark.
You'll start walking between 1:00 and 2:00 AM, headlamp on, following the Camel Path's switchbacks under some of the clearest night skies in Egypt. Walking keeps you warm; the cold bites the moment you stop. Tea huts strung along the route sell mint tea, coffee, chocolate and instant noodles.
Dawn breaks near 6:00 AM over a sea of granite ridges, turning Mount Catherine (2,629 m) and the Sinai massif gold. The summit plateau holds a small chapel and a 12th-century mosque. Pilgrims have climbed for this view for some 1,700 years.
Camels stop at Elijah's Basin, leaving a steep stone stairway clamped between granite walls. You pass the Gate of Stephen and the Gate of the Law — two arches flanking the ancient Path of Moses — before the summit opens up. Allow 30-45 minutes for this last stretch.
At the mountain's foot sits a fortress monastery built by Emperor Justinian I between 548 and 565 CE, in continuous operation for over 1,400 years. Shoes come off at the basilica and the Burning Bush enclosure. The library holds some 3,500 manuscripts and 2,000 Byzantine icons — the Codex Sinaiticus was found here.
Every climb is led by a guide from the Jabaliya tribe, who have guarded the mountain for centuries. Camels carry riders or bags along the Camel Path to Elijah's Basin for about EGP 250 — the last 750 steps are on foot regardless. Blankets are for rent at the summit rest areas.
The 3-hour drive from Sharm passes through military checkpoints — one 2024 visitor counted twelve — where passports are checked every time. Keep yours in hand, not buried in your bag. The payoff is a landscape of bare granite mountains you won't see from any beach resort.
Book a licensed tour rather than going independently — the road to Saint Catherine runs through military checkpoints and unguided hiking isn't allowed on the mountain. Sort out these details before you pay.
All the Sharm tours are group minibus or coach trips built around the same overnight sunrise format. Prices run from $27 to $78 per person, with durations of 12 to 24 hours. Cheaper tours cover transport and a Bedouin guide; pricier ones add park fees, an Egyptologist guide, or breakfast.
Book 2-4 weeks ahead in peak months (March-May, October-November). Some operators only run on fixed days — Sunday, Wednesday and Friday with one — so check the departure schedule if your dates are tight. Weekdays are quieter on the trail than weekends.
Inclusions vary sharply between operators: some bundle St. Catherine National Park fees and bottled water, others list these as exclusions and you pay at the gate. Gratuities are almost never included. Read the exclusions list before comparing prices — a $27 tour with separate fees can cost more than a $55 one with everything bundled.
The free 15-day entry stamp issued at Sharm el-Sheikh airport covers only Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba — Saint Catherine lies outside that zone. You need a full Egyptian visa: US$30 on arrival in cash, or US$36 via the digital system. Without it you can be turned back at a checkpoint mid-route.
Carry your physical passport on the hike itself — it's checked at road checkpoints and again at the trailhead visitor centre, where bags are inspected. A photo copy won't do. Several operators state a valid passport is required on the day of travel.
No tour is wheelchair accessible, and most list the trip as unsuitable for pregnant travelers or anyone with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health. Some ask for a high fitness level, others moderate. The Camel Path is gentle and well-graded; fit seniors regularly finish it in 2.5-3 hours.
Most operators offer a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. Two tours on the current list — the $55 and $50 sunrise options — are strictly non-refundable. Check this before booking if your Sharm plans might shift.
The monastery opens Monday-Thursday and Saturday, 9:00 AM to noon only. In 2025 a land-ownership dispute closed its gates for months after the monks protested an Egyptian court ruling, and the legal settlement is still pending. Treat the monastery as a bonus, not the sole reason for the trip.
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| Budget Sunrise Group Tour | Classic Overnight Tour | All-Inclusive Tour | Express 12-Hour Tour | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | $27 per person | $30-50 per person | $70-78 per person | $35 per person |
| Duration | 17 hours | 14-17 hours | 16 hours | 12 hours |
| Best for | First-timers on a budget — rated 4.8/5 by 59 reviewers, includes Bedouin guide to the summit and hotel pickup | Travelers wanting sunrise and the monastery in one trip, with an English-speaking guide and A/C coach | Anyone who'd rather not pay gate fees on the spot — includes St. Catherine National Park fees and a qualified Egyptologist guide | Tight schedules — same climb and monastery visit, compressed timings, bottled water and snacks included |
| Cancellation | Full refund up to 24 hours before | Full refund on most; two operators are non-refundable — check before booking | Full refund up to 24 hours before | Full refund up to 24 hours before |
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The mountain is open around the clock for guided climbs. Sunrise ascents start walking between 1:00 and 2:00 AM, reach the summit by 4-5 AM, and watch dawn break near 6:00 AM. Sunset climbs are also offered.
Saint Catherine's Monastery is open Monday-Thursday and Saturday, roughly 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon (some sources say 9:00-11:30 AM). It closes on Fridays, Sundays and major Greek Orthodox feast days, and can shut at short notice.
From Sharm el-Sheikh it's 230 km and about 3 hours by coach — nearly everyone arrives this way, on an organized tour. The road passes through numerous military checkpoints with mandatory passport checks; one 2024 visitor counted twelve.
Other departure points:
Self-drivers get free 24-hour security parking at the visitor centre. Independent travel is discouraged given the checkpoint system — licensed tours are the safer option.
March-May and October-November are the sweet spots: days of 22-35°C, nights of 10-20°C, minimal rain and clear sunrise skies.
December-February also works — crisp 15-25°C days with the year's clearest skies — but summit temperatures sit at 0-5°C on night climbs, with occasional snow on the high peaks. Manageable with proper layers; miserable without.
The summit trails are not wheelchair accessible — both routes are steep stone paths and the final 750 steps must be climbed on foot. Standard tour operators list the excursion as not wheelchair accessible, and most exclude pregnant travelers and anyone with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health.
Older travelers: fit seniors regularly complete the climb via the gentle, well-graded Camel Path at 2.5-3 hours. A camel carries you most of the way to Elijah's Hollow, leaving only the final 750 steps (30-45 minutes). Travelers 65+ should see a doctor first and consider a private tour at their own pace.
Children: ages 8-10 can manage the night climb; kids as young as 6 can do daytime ascents with frequent breaks. Families with young children should book private tours to avoid crowded group departures.
Bedouin tea huts line the route, selling mint tea, coffee, chocolate and instant noodles at mountain prices, and renting blankets for the cold summit wait. Camels are available for about EGP 250 (some operators quote €20 each way) as far as Elijah's Basin.
At the visitor centre there's free parking with 24-hour security. Water and snacks from the kiosks cost inflated prices, so buy supplies in Sharm beforehand.
A locally licensed Bedouin guide from the Jabaliya tribe is compulsory — guides are checked at the visitor centre and unguided hiking is not permitted. Multi-day trekking permits, including the Sinai Trail, are suspended as of late 2024-2026.
At the monastery: shoulders and knees covered for everyone; long trousers or below-knee skirt and sleeved tops. Shoes come off at the basilica and the Burning Bush. Women should carry a headscarf.
Pickups run between 7:00 and 8:30 PM, depending on your hotel's location — most operators confirm the exact time 24 hours in advance, and some collect from the hotel's main gate rather than reception. From there it's roughly 3 hours to the mountain, with the climb starting between 1:00 and 2:00 AM. Be in your lobby 10-15 minutes early.
Most tours run 14-17 hours door to door, with some stretched to 24 hours when breakfast at the monastery is included. The round-trip hike itself takes 3-4 hours over 11.5 km with 700 m of ascent, plus 30-60 minutes on the summit waiting for sunrise. Expect to be back at your hotel around 8:00 AM the next morning.
Yes. The free 15-day entry stamp issued at Sharm airport covers only Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba — Saint Catherine sits outside that zone, and you can be turned back at a checkpoint without a full visa. Buy one on arrival (US$30 in cash) or use the digital system at US$36. Tours will ask for your passport and visa copy on the day.
The Camel Path is the standard route: gentle, well-graded switchbacks taking 2.5-3 hours up, suitable for anyone with moderate fitness. The final 750 stone steps from Elijah's Basin are the hard part — steep, clamped between granite walls, and rough on tired legs coming down. Most tours ask for at least moderate fitness, and a few for a high level.
Warm layers, a hat, gloves and a windproof jacket — the summit runs 0-5°C on winter nights, and the cold bites the moment you stop moving. Bring a headlamp or torch, since the path is unlit, and hiking poles help on the descent. If you forget gear, Bedouin vendors rent blankets at the summit and sell hot tea along the route, so carry small Egyptian notes.
It varies by operator. Some tours bundle St. Catherine National Park fees into the price, others list it as an exclusion you pay on arrival. Monastery entry is free according to most recent visitors, though some tours collect about €10 per person and a 2026 Egyptian fee list prices it at EGP 200 — budget up to €10 to be safe, and read the exclusions list before booking.
Yes — camels carry riders or bags along the Camel Path as far as Elijah's Basin for about EGP 250, with some operators quoting €20 each way. The final 750 stone steps to the summit are on foot only; camels aren't allowed on them. It's a good option for saving legs on the lower stretch, leaving about 30-45 minutes of climbing.
In May 2025 an Egyptian court ruled the monastery's land state property; the monks shut the gates in protest, and after Egypt-Greece negotiations the monastery reopened, though a final settlement is still pending. Normal hours are Monday-Thursday and Saturday, 9:00 AM to noon — closed Fridays, Sundays and Orthodox feast days. Check its status before you travel and treat the visit as a bonus rather than the whole point.
Yes, with a licensed tour. Southern Sinai sites including Saint Catherine sit outside the do-not-travel zone covering North Sinai, and the US State Department confirms its embassy staff are cleared to visit. Expect multiple routine military checkpoints with passport checks along the road — one visitor counted twelve — and don't photograph them. Independent travel to the area is discouraged.
Children around 8-10 can manage the night climb, and kids as young as 6 handle daytime ascents with frequent breaks. Camels can carry younger children along the Camel Path, but the final 750 steps demand close adult supervision. Several tours offer a child rate when sharing with two paying adults; families with young kids are better off with a private tour to set their own pace.
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A bus tour from Sharm El Sheikh, roughly 16 hours door to door, built around a night climb of Mount Sinai. Pickup is from your hotel in the late evening, followed by the drive out to the mountain. At 02:00 am you start the climb with a guide — about three hours up the 2,285 m peak, first on a long path, then 700 steps to the summit. Sunrise from the top is the payoff for the early start. Once you're back down, your guide meets you at the monastery gate for a visit to St Catherine. You'll see the Transfiguration Church, the Burning Bush, and the Well of Moses. The monastery stop runs about three hours in total on the site. Round-trip transport, hotel pickup and drop-off, St Catherine National Park fees, a climbing guide, and a qualified Egyptologist guide are all included; guides work in English or Russian. Gratuities are not. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Russian, English
This is a 14-hour overnight tour from Sharm El-Sheikh, built around climbing Mount Sinai in the dark and watching sunrise from the summit. Departure is at 20:00 from your hotel, followed by roughly 3 hours by air-conditioned coach to the mountain. The climb starts at night and takes around 4 hours and about 750 steps to the top. After sunrise you descend toward St. Catherine's Monastery, a 2-3 hour walk down, then spend about 2 hours touring the monastery before the drive back — you're at your hotel around 1 PM. Inside the monastery you'll see an 11th-century mosque and the Greek Orthodox church, which holds boxes containing the body of Saint Catherine. On the other side of the church lies the holy valley, the spot where God is said to have told Moses to take off his shoes because he stood on holy ground. A professional guide accompanies you (Arabic, Russian, English, or Italian), and entry permissions plus vehicle air conditioning are included. Gratuities are not. Pickup is from your hotel's main gate — not the reception gate — and the exact time depends on where your hotel is; the operator confirms your room number to avoid name mix-ups. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Arabic, Russian, English, Italian
This 17-hour trip starts with a late-evening pickup from your Sharm El Sheikh hotel and a coach transfer to Mount Sinai, where you climb at night with a Bedouin guide to reach the summit before dawn — about 750 steps on the ascent. You watch sunrise from the top, descend, then spend two hours at St. Catherine's Monastery, including the Holy Valley, before the drive back. Drop-off at your hotel is around 1:00 PM. Pickup and drop-off are included at no extra cost from any hotel or location within Sharm El Sheikh; you get the exact pickup time once you provide your hotel name. Included are a tour guide, the Bedouin guide for the climb, air-conditioned transport, and a bottle of water per person. The entrance fee to St. Catherine National Park is not covered. Guides work in Arabic, English, Russian, and Italian. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Arabic, Russian, English, Italian
This is the overnight version: pickup from your Sharm El Sheikh hotel at 8:30 PM, then a 4-hour coach ride to the base of Moses Mountain. The climb starts in the dark — around 750 steps with a Bedouin guide — and takes roughly 5 hours to the 2,285-metre summit, timed for sunrise. Descent is 2–3 hours on foot down to St. Catherine's Monastery, where you get about an hour inside: an eleventh-century mosque, the Greek Orthodox church holding Saint Catherine's remains, and the Holy Valley on the opposite side. The coach back gets you to your hotel around 2 PM the next day. A professional guide travels with the group, with commentary in Arabic, English, Russian, or Italian. Air-conditioned transport both ways is included, plus the Bedouin mountain guide. Gratuities are not, and a few extras are listed only as "other" — expect entry fees and food to be on you. Pickup is from your hotel's main gate, not the reception gate, and you'll need to confirm your room number at booking to avoid mix-ups. Bring your passport and a copy. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Arabic, Russian, English, Italian
This 16-hour tour runs overnight: pickup from your Sharm El Sheikh hotel, a roughly 3-hour drive (230 km) to Mount Sinai, and a nighttime ascent with a Bedouin guide. The climb takes about 3-4 hours, timed so you're at the summit for sunrise. Total time at the mountain, including the drive and trek, is about 8 hours. After descending, the tour stops for an hour at Saint Catherine Monastery, a Greek Orthodox monastery at the foot of the mountain, before the drive back to Sharm El Sheikh. Included are hotel pickup and drop-off and the Bedouin guide on the mountain. You'll need to confirm your exact pickup time with the operator (Deluxe Travel Egypt) in advance — email [email protected] or call +20 1221418581. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
This 17-hour tour starts at 19:00 in the evening with a 2–3 hour drive from Sharm el Sheikh toward the monastery and the mountain. At 01:00 the climb begins, with a Bedouin guide leading the way up in the dark — you'll wait near the summit for sunrise, about four hours after leaving the base. Afterward you descend and spend roughly two hours at St. Catherine's Monastery before the drive back, arriving in Sharm el Sheikh around noon. Included are an English-speaking guide, entrance fees to St. Catherine National Park, hotel pickup and return, and all transfers by air-conditioned vehicle. Guides are also available in German, Russian, and Italian. Bring a valid passport on the day of travel — it's required — and wear sturdy walking shoes for the climb. Hotel pickups happen before the 19:00 start, so contact the local provider to confirm your exact pickup time. Note the cancellation policy: all sales are final, with no refunds.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
German, Russian, English, Italian
This is a night tour: pickup from any Sharm el Sheikh hotel at 19:00, then a 2–3 hour drive to the mountain. The climb starts at 01:00 with a Bedouin guide, and you wait out the last hours in the dark before sunrise from the summit. Total time on the mountain is about three hours. After sunrise you descend and spend roughly an hour at St. Catherine's Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built around the Burning Bush. Around noon you're back in Sharm el Sheikh. The whole thing runs 14 hours. Included: hotel pickup and return, air-conditioned transfers, a Bedouin guide for the ascent, entrance fees to St. Catherine National Park, and bottled water. Guiding is available in English, German, Russian, and Italian. Note the terms — all sales are final, no refunds on cancellation.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
German, Russian, English, Italian
Hotel pickup across Sharm El Sheikh starts this 12-hour tour, followed by a roughly three-hour drive in an air-conditioned bus to St. Catherine. Be in your lobby 10–15 minutes before the confirmed pickup time, which is sent to you by email or phone 24 hours ahead. The climb up Moses Mountain begins before dawn with a Bedouin guide, timed to reach the top for sunrise over the Sinai desert. After the descent, a tour guide takes you through St. Catherine Monastery, founded in AD 565 and dedicated to Saint Catherine, who was tortured and killed for her faith under Alexander's rule. At the end you're transferred back to your accommodation in Sharm El Sheikh. A tour guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, the Bedouin mountain guide, one bottle of water with snacks, and air-conditioned transport are all included. Guides run in English or Italian. The national park fee is not included. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Italian
Pickup is at 7:00 PM from your Sharm El Sheikh hotel, followed by a 2-hour coach ride to the base of Mount Sinai. The climb itself takes about 7 hours, timed so you reach the summit for sunrise. After descending, you visit Saint Catherine's Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and have breakfast. Transfers run both ways by air-conditioned coach, with hotel pickup and drop-off in Sharm included. Breakfast and drinks are covered too, along with an English-speaking guide. The full tour runs about 24 hours, since the night is spent on the mountain. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
Departures run Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, with pickup from your hotel lobby in Sharm El Sheikh at about 20:30. The night timing is the whole point: you hike in the dark and reach the summit for sunrise, then come back down and head back toward Sharm. Expect roughly 17 hours door to door, with return around 14:00 the next day. A local guide accompanies the group throughout, and guided commentary is available in English, Russian or Italian. Pickup and drop-off, all entry fees and taxes, and air-conditioned transport are included, so there's nothing extra to pay on the day apart from personal items. Free cancellation applies if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. Bring warm layers — the summit is cold before dawn, even in summer.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Russian, English, Italian