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Mount Sinai itself has no entrance fee and is open around the clock for guided climbs — but you can't set foot on the trail without a licensed Bedouin guide (about EGP 800 flat per group), and Saint Catherine's Monastery at the base admits visitors only Monday-Thursday and Saturday, roughly 9 AM to noon.
The mountain itself never closes: guided climbs run around the clock, with sunrise ascents starting between 1:00 and 2:00 AM to catch dawn near 6:00 AM. Saint Catherine's Monastery at the base keeps far shorter hours — Monday to Thursday and Saturday, roughly 9:00 AM to noon. Fridays and Sundays it's shut.
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| Day | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Thursday | Mountain: 24 hours (guided climbs); Monastery: 09:00–12:00 | Monastery hours are sometimes quoted as 09:00–11:30, so arrive at 9:00 sharp. Most sunrise hikers descend by 8–9 AM and walk straight in. |
| Friday | Mountain: 24 hours (guided climbs); Monastery: Closed | The climb runs as normal — only the monastery shuts. |
| Saturday | Mountain: 24 hours (guided climbs); Monastery: 09:00–12:00 | A monastery open day, but weekends draw bigger crowds than weekdays. |
| Sunday | Mountain: 24 hours (guided climbs); Monastery: Closed | Plan the weekend trip for Saturday if the monastery matters to you. |
The monastery closes on major Greek Orthodox feast days, and it can shut at short notice — amid the unresolved land-dispute litigation that began in May 2025, the monks kept the gates locked for months before reopening to visitors. Check the current opening status before you travel and treat the monastery as a bonus rather than the sole reason for the trip. Egyptian public holidays are a separate problem: crowds surge on the mountain, so avoid those dates if you can.
The mountain itself charges nothing — there's no summit ticket. What you'll actually pay for is the compulsory Bedouin guide, around EGP 800 (~US$16) flat per group at the trailhead, plus roughly EGP 250 for a camel as far as Elijah's Basin. Monastery entry is free per most recent reports, though some operators collect €10 and a 2026 fee list prices it at EGP 200, so carry extra.
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| Category | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Sinai climb (mountain access) | Free | No ticket for the mountain itself; access is only permitted with a licensed guide |
| Mandatory Bedouin guide | EGP 800 (~US$16) | Flat fee per group, hired at the entrance; 2025 rate. Unguided hiking is not permitted |
| Camel ride (to Elijah's Basin) | EGP 250 (some operators quote €20 each way) | Camels stop at Elijah's Basin; the final 750 steps to the summit must be walked |
| Saint Catherine's Monastery entry | Free (most recent reports); some tours collect €10 per person; 2026 Egyptian fee list prices it at EGP 200 (~US$4) | Budget up to €10/EGP 500 per person to be safe; open Mon-Thu and Sat, ~9:00 AM-noon |
| Icon Gallery (monastery museum) | Small separate admission (historically charged) | Exact current price not published; no photography or recording inside |
| Organized sunrise tour from Sharm el-Sheikh or Dahab | €24-60 per person | Usually bundles transport, Bedouin guide and monastery visit; Sharm pickups run 8:00-8:30 PM |
| Shared taxi from Dahab | €15-20 per person | Minibuses typically leave Dahab around 11 PM for the night climb |
No regular free entry days — the mountain is open around the clock with no ticket, but the monastery closes Fridays, Sundays and major Greek Orthodox feast days.
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View All ToursVisit between March and May or October and November, when daytime temperatures sit at 22–35°C, nights drop to a comfortable 10–20°C, and clear skies make the 6:00 AM sunrise worth the 1:00–2:00 AM start. Weekdays draw thinner crowds than weekends, and December–February works too — just pack for 0–5°C summit nights. Book tours 2–4 weeks ahead in peak months.
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| Period | Crowd Level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Night (01:00–02:00 trailhead start) | High | The classic sunrise ascent — you'll share the Camel Path with most of the mountain's visitors, so book ahead and accept the company in exchange for dawn from the 2,285 m summit. |
| Pre-dawn summit (04:00–06:00) | High | Everyone who started at 1–2 AM converges here, wrapped in rented blankets and waiting up to two hours in the cold — arrive early for a spot near the chapel and mosque. |
| Morning (09:00–12:00) | Moderate | Descending hikers funnel straight into Saint Catherine's Monastery, which opens Monday–Thursday and Saturday until noon — ideal if you want the Burning Bush and basilica without a separate trip. |
| Afternoon (12:00–18:00) | Low | The mountain empties as tour groups leave for Sharm el-Sheikh and Dahab; suits independent travellers overnighting in Saint Catherine town who want a quiet meal or rest before a night climb. |
| Evening (20:00–23:00) | Low | Sharm tours pick up at 8:00–8:30 PM and Dahab minibuses leave around 11 PM, so the town's cafés stay quiet — a good window to grab dinner and warm layers before the drive. |
Plan on 4–6 hours on site: 3–4 hours for the round-trip hike to the 2,285 m summit and another 1–1.5 hours for Saint Catherine's Monastery at the base, which only admits visitors until noon. Sunrise climbs start between 1:00 and 2:00 AM, so most people do the mountain as one leg of a 14–16 hour excursion from Sharm el-Sheikh or a roughly 12-hour trip from Dahab. Independent travellers usually sleep a night in Saint Catherine town instead.
Start walking between 1:00 and 2:00 AM, reach the summit by 4-5, and you'll watch sunrise break near 6:00 AM over the granite ridges. Tours from Sharm el-Sheikh pick up around 8:00-8:30 PM; Dahab minibuses leave around 11 PM, so you can sleep on the drive. Daytime climbs are usually too hot anyway.
Saint Catherine's Monastery opens only Monday-Thursday and Saturday, roughly 9:00 AM to noon, and it shuts on Fridays, Sundays and Greek Orthodox feast days. Plan the climb so you're down by 8-9 AM and can walk straight in. Check opening status before you travel — the monks closed the gates for months during the 2025 land dispute.
The free 15-day entry stamp at Sharm el-Sheikh airport covers only Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba — Saint Catherine sits outside that zone. Buy a full Egyptian visa before you leave the airport: US$30 in cash on arrival, or US$36 through the digital system in Cairo. Without it you risk being turned back at the checkpoints.
There's no ticket for the mountain itself, but the compulsory Bedouin guide costs about EGP 800 flat per group (hired at the entrance) and a camel to Elijah's Basin runs EGP 250. Monastery entry is free per most recent reports, though some sources quote up to €10/EGP 200, so carry a buffer in cash. Cards are increasingly required for official tickets — bring both.
March-May and October-November are the sweet spots: 22-35°C days, mild nights, clear sunrise skies. December-February works too, but summit temperatures sit at 0-5°C on night climbs, so bring hat, gloves and a windproof layer — or rent a blanket from the Bedouin vendors at the top. Book 2-4 weeks ahead in peak months and avoid Egyptian public holidays, when crowds surge.
There's no entrance ticket for the mountain itself, but a licensed Bedouin guide from the Jabaliya tribe is compulsory — about EGP 800 (US$16) as a flat fee per group, hired at the entrance at the 2025 rate. A camel as far as Elijah's Basin adds roughly EGP 250, and organized sunrise tours from Sharm el-Sheikh or Dahab run €24-60 per person, usually bundling transport, guide and monastery visit. Bring small Egyptian notes; the tea huts on the route take cash only.
Most recent visitors report free entry, but the picture is messy: some tours collect about €10 per person at the Saint Catherine visitor area, and a 2026 Egyptian fee list prices admission at EGP 200 (US$4). The Icon Gallery museum has historically charged a separate small fee. Budget up to €10 per person in cash and you're covered either way.
The monastery admits visitors Monday-Thursday and Saturday, roughly 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon, and it closes on Fridays, Sundays and major Greek Orthodox feast days. Time your climb so you're down by 8-9 AM and you can walk straight in. It can also shut at short notice — during the 2025 land dispute the monks closed the gates for months — so check before you travel and treat the visit as a bonus, not the sole purpose of the trip.
Hikers leave the trailhead between 1:00 and 2:00 AM, reach the 2,285 m summit by 4-5 AM, and watch the sun come up near 6:00 AM. Tours from Sharm el-Sheikh pick up around 8:00-8:30 PM for the roughly 3-hour drive; minibuses from Dahab leave around 11 PM. Sunset climbs are also offered if a 1 AM start doesn't appeal.
The ascent runs 1.5-3 hours depending on route — the gentle Camel Path takes 2.5-3 hours, the 3,750 Steps of Repentance about 2 — and the full round trip is 3-4 hours over 11.5 km with 700 m of elevation gain. Add 30-60 minutes on the summit waiting for sunrise, and another 1-1.5 hours if you visit the monastery afterwards. Camels stop at Elijah's Basin, so the final 750 steps are always on foot.
Yes, you do. 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 refused at the checkpoints en route. Buy a full Egyptian visa: US$30 in cash on arrival, or US$36 through the digital system in Cairo from 1 August 2026. Carry your physical passport on the hike itself; it's checked at the trailhead and a copy won't do.
March-May and October-November are the sweet spots, with daytime temperatures of 22-35°C, nights around 10-20°C and clear skies for sunrise. December-February works too — crisp 15-25°C days and the year's clearest skies — but summit temperatures hover at 0-5°C on night climbs, so pack hat, gloves and layers. Skip June-August, when the base hits 37-45°C and climbs require 10 PM starts, and avoid Egyptian public holidays, when crowds surge.
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