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Climb Mount Sinai by night with a Bedouin guide and reach the 2,285-meter summit in time for sunrise over the Sinai desert, then visit the UNESCO-listed St. Catherine's Monastery. Tours run from Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab, with prices starting at $27.
Free Cancellation Late-night pickup from any Sharm El Sheikh hotel, guided night climb of Mount Sinai for sunrise, then 2 hours at St. Catherine's Monastery.
Free Cancellation Overnight bus trip from Sharm el Sheikh: hike Mount Sinai for sunrise, then visit St Catherine Monastery. 15 hours.
Overnight climb of Mount Sinai for sunrise, then St. Catherine's Monastery, with hotel pickup in Dahab. 12 hours.
Overnight bus from Sharm el Sheikh, climb Mt. Sinai at 01:00 for sunrise, then tour St. Catherine's Monastery. 17 hours total.
Free Cancellation Two-day guided trip from Sharm El-Sheikh: overnight Mount Sinai hike for sunrise, plus St. Catherine's Monastery tour.
Free Cancellation Overnight Mount Sinai sunrise hike from Sharm El Sheikh with a Bedouin guide, followed by a 2-hour St Catherine's Monastery visit.
Free Cancellation Overnight trip from Sharm El Sheikh: guided Mount Sinai sunrise hike plus a visit to St Catherine's Monastery.
Read what travelers share about their experience visiting Mount Sinai — from practical tips to personal highlights.
You'll get picked up from your hotel in the late evening, drive 2-3 hours through the Sinai desert, and start walking between 1:00 and 2:00 AM behind a Bedouin guide from the Jabaliya tribe. The climb takes 2-3 hours up the Camel Path, the last 750 steps on foot, and ends with sunrise near 6:00 AM from a 2,285-metre granite summit. After descending, most tours finish at Saint Catherine's Monastery, a working monastery founded under Emperor Justinian I between 548 and 565 CE.
The path is unlit, so you'll wear a headlamp and follow your Bedouin guide's pace through the switchbacks. Tea huts glow along the route, selling mint tea, coffee, chocolate and instant noodles. Bring cash for them and for blanket rentals once you stop moving and the cold sets in.
You'll reach the top by 4-5 AM and wait in the dark for dawn near 6:00, when the light turns Mount Catherine and the surrounding ridges gold. The summit plateau holds both a small chapel and a 12th-century mosque. Stay quiet during sunrise prayers.
Camels stop at Elijah's Basin, so everyone climbs the last stretch on a steep stone stairway clamped between granite walls. You'll pass the Gate of Stephen and the Gate of the Law, two arches flanking the ancient Path of Moses. Tired legs make the descent the hardest part.
After descending, tours walk 15 minutes to a 6th-century fortress monastery that has operated continuously for over 1,400 years. Entry covers the basilica (shoes off) and the Burning Bush enclosure. It holds roughly 3,500 manuscripts and 2,000 Byzantine icons, and the Codex Sinaiticus was found here.
Every climb is led by a licensed guide from the Jabaliya tribe, who have guarded the mountain for centuries. Camels carry riders or bags along the Camel Path as far as Elijah's Basin for about EGP 250, some operators quoting €20 each way. Cash only.
From the top you'll look across at Mount Catherine (2,629 m), Egypt's highest peak, with at least ten summits higher than the one you're standing on. The panorama, not the altitude, is the payoff. Winter mornings can drop to 0-5°C, so pack gloves and a windproof jacket even in shoulder season.
Almost every Mount Sinai sunrise tour is an overnight group trip from Sharm el-Sheikh (14-17 hours, from US$27) or Dahab (about 12 hours, from US$50), bundling hotel pickup, transfer, Bedouin guide and monastery visit. A few things in the fine print change the real cost and comfort.
Group minibus tours are the standard product: late-evening hotel pickup, night climb, sunrise, monastery, return. A 48-hour variant from Sharm (US$41.78) spreads the trip over two days, and private tours suit families who want to set their own pace. Language options on the main tours include English, German, Russian, Italian, French and Spanish.
Book 2-4 weeks ahead in the peak months of March-May and October-November. Avoid Egyptian public holidays, when crowds surge and the summit plateau gets packed. Weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends.
Several Sharm tours exclude the St. Catherine National Park fee, quoted at about €10 per person, and one Dahab operator includes it — check the exclusions list before paying. The monastery itself is free per most recent visitor reports, though a 2026 Egyptian fee list prices it at EGP 200 (US$4). Carry up to €10/EGP 500 per person in cash to cover all versions.
Your physical passport gets checked at multiple military checkpoints on the road — one 2024 visitor counted twelve — and again at the trailhead. The free 15-day Sharm airport stamp does not cover Saint Catherine; you need a full Egyptian visa (US$30 cash on arrival). A photo copy will not do, even though one tour operator asks for a passport photo for monastery security.
The round trip covers 11.5 km with 700 m of ascent, and most operators ask for a moderate fitness level; one Sharm tour demands a high level. Children around 8-10 manage the night climb, and kids as young as 6 do daytime ascents with breaks. Travellers 65+ should see a doctor first and consider a private, slower tour.
No tour is wheelchair accessible: both routes are steep stone paths and the final 750 steps must be walked. At the monastery, security staff will usually let wheelchair-accessible vehicles drive close to the entrance if asked. Camels can carry older or tired walkers most of the way to Elijah's Basin.
Policies split sharply: most Sharm tours offer a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead, but the Dahab trip (US$50) and one 17-hour Sharm trip (US$55) are final sale with no refund. Read the policy before booking if your plans might shift.
The monastery opens Monday-Thursday and Saturday, roughly 9:00 AM to noon, and closes Fridays, Sundays and Orthodox feast days — so a weekend climb may include no monastery visit at all. After the 2025 land dispute it shut for months and a final settlement is still pending. Treat it as a bonus, not the point of the trip.
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| Overnight Group Tour from Sharm el-Sheikh | Overnight Tour from Dahab | Two-Day Trip from Sharm el-Sheikh | Budget Sunrise Tour from Sharm el-Sheikh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 15-17 hours (hotel pickup ~7:30-8:30 PM) | 12 hours (23:00 pickup) | 48 hours | 16 hours (7:30 PM pickup) |
| Price from | US$27-35 | US$50 | US$41.78 | US$29 |
| Rating | 4.6-4.8 (59 reviews on the top seller) | 4.0 (30 reviews) | 4.5 (4 reviews) | New listing, no reviews yet |
| Best for | First-timers staying in Sharm — pickup from any hotel, coach transfer, Bedouin guide, monastery after sunrise | Backpackers based in Dahab — shortest drive, about 2 hours, and park entrance fees included | Travellers who want the climb and monastery without the 3 AM bus-ride home; guides in five languages | Price-sensitive travellers — but national park fees are excluded, so add ~€10 per person |
| Cancellation | Full refund up to 24 hours before departure | All sales final, no refund | Full refund up to 24 hours before departure | Full refund up to 24 hours before departure |
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The mountain itself is open around the clock for guided climbs — there is no gate or closing time, only a checkpoint where guides are verified. Standard sunrise ascents start hiking between 1:00 and 2:00 AM to summit by 4-5 AM, with sunrise near 6:00 AM. Sunset climbs are also offered.
Saint Catherine's Monastery is open Monday-Thursday and Saturday, about 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 — check the current status before you travel.
Most visitors arrive on an organized tour minibus from Sharm el-Sheikh (230 km, ~3 hours) or Dahab (130 km, ~2 hours) — given the checkpoint system, a licensed tour is the safest and simplest option, and independent travel to Saint Catherine is discouraged.
Self-drivers get free 24-hour secured parking at the visitor centre. Expect multiple military passport checkpoints en route — carry your physical passport, not a copy.
March-May and October-November are the sweet spots: daytime 22-35°C, nights of 10-20°C, minimal rain and clear sunrise skies. Book 2-4 weeks ahead in these months.
December-February also works — crisp 15-25°C days and the year's clearest skies — but the summit sits at 0-5°C during night climbs, with occasional snow on the high peaks. Manageable with layers, hat and gloves; miserable without.
Skip June-August if you can. Daytime temperatures hit 37-45°C at the base with zero rainfall, and climbs then demand 10 PM starts. Heat exhaustion is the main risk of daytime attempts in summer.
The summit trails are not wheelchair accessible — both routes are steep stone paths, and the final 750 steps to the summit must be climbed on foot. Standard tour operators list the excursion the same way.
At the monastery, the car park lies more than a quarter mile from the church along an uneven, centuries-old cobbled road. Security staff will permit wheelchair-accessible vehicles to drive directly alongside the monastery if the situation is explained to them.
Bedouin tea huts line the Camel Path, lit with warm lamps at night. They sell mint tea, coffee, chocolate and instant noodles at inflated mountain prices, and rent blankets for the cold summit wait — cash in small Egyptian notes solves most problems on the mountain.
There is no lighting on the path, no shelter at the summit, and card payment is increasingly required for official tickets — carry both cash and a card.
A locally licensed Bedouin guide is compulsory for the climb — unguided hiking is not permitted, and guides are checked at the visitor centre. Backpacks may be inspected at the trailhead checkpoint.
At the monastery, modest dress is required: shoulders and knees covered for everyone, long trousers or a below-knee skirt, sleeved tops; some sources advise women to carry a headscarf. Shoes come off before entering the basilica and at the Burning Bush. Guards enforce the code and can refuse entry.
From Sharm el-Sheikh, expect pickup between 7:30 and 8:30 PM for a 14-17 hour excursion; one tour starts as early as 7:00 PM. From Dahab, pickup is around 11:00 PM for the shorter 2-hour drive. The climb itself starts between 1:00 and 2:00 AM.
Yes — a locally licensed Bedouin guide from the Jabaliya tribe is compulsory and verified at the visitor centre before you start. On organized tours the Bedouin guide is included in the price, typically alongside an Egyptologist tour guide for the monastery. If you arrive independently, a guide costs about EGP 800 (US$16) as a flat fee per group.
It varies by operator. Some Sharm tours include the St. Catherine National Park fee, while others exclude it — one quotes about €10 per person collected at the visitor area. The Dahab tour (US$50) includes park entrance. Monastery entry is free per most recent visitor reports, though a 2026 fee list prices it at EGP 200, so carry up to €10 in cash to cover every version.
The round trip is 11.5 km with 700 m of ascent: 2.5-3 hours up the Camel Path, 2-3 hours down, plus 30-60 minutes waiting on the summit. Most tours require a moderate fitness level, and one Sharm operator asks for a high level. The final 750 stone steps are the steepest part, and the descent on tired legs is the trickiest — bring poles if you use them.
Most Sharm el-Sheikh tours offer a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. But not all: the Dahab tour at US$50 and one 17-hour Sharm trip at US$55 are final sale with no refund for cancellations. Check the policy before booking if your itinerary is uncertain.
In December-February the summit sits at 0-5°C during night climbs, even when daytime temperatures at the base reach 15-25°C; summer nights run a milder 20-25°C. One tour operator's packing list includes warm layers, gloves, a scarf and an extra jacket. Bedouin vendors rent blankets at the summit if you under-pack.
Camels carry riders (or just your bag) along the Camel Path as far as Elijah's Basin for about EGP 250, with some operators quoting €20 each way. Cash only. The final 750 stone steps to the summit must be climbed on foot — camels are not permitted on them.
Yes. The free 15-day entry stamp issued at Sharm airport covers only Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba — Saint Catherine lies outside that zone. Buy a full Egyptian visa (US$30 cash on arrival, or US$36 via the digital system in Cairo from 1 August 2026) at the kiosk before immigration, or you risk being turned back at a checkpoint en route.
Almost every sunrise tour includes a monastery visit after the descent, timed for the 9:00 AM opening. But the monastery is closed Fridays, Sundays and Greek Orthodox feast days, and it has shut at short notice before — during the 2025 land dispute the gates stayed closed for months. If a monastery visit matters to you, book a climb falling on a Monday-Thursday or Saturday and check the current status that week.
Southern Sinai, including Saint Catherine and Mount Sinai, sits outside the do-not-travel zone covering North Sinai — the US State Department confirms its embassy staff are cleared to visit the mountain and monastery. Expect routine military checkpoints on the road (one visitor counted twelve) and travel with a licensed tour rather than independently. Keep your passport accessible throughout.
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This one runs on an overnight schedule: pickup from your Sharm El Sheikh hotel in the late evening, a coach transfer to Mount Sinai, and a nighttime climb to the summit — about 750 steps — timed to reach the top before sunrise. A Bedouin guide accompanies the climb to the summit, and a tour guide travels with the group throughout. After descending, you spend around 2 hours at St. Catherine's Monastery, including the Holy Valley, before the coach returns you to Sharm El Sheikh 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. Guides work in Arabic, Russian, English, and Italian. Included: hotel transfers, air-conditioned vehicle, tour guide, Bedouin guide for the climb, and a bottle of water per person. The entry fee to St. Catherine National Park 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.
Arabic, Russian, English, Italian
A 15-hour overnight trip from Sharm el Sheikh. You're picked up from your hotel in the late evening by air-conditioned bus, and the exact pickup time is sent to you by WhatsApp beforehand (they'll need your hotel name and room number for hotel security). The climb starts at 02:00 am. A Bedouin guide leads the roughly 3-hour ascent of the 2,285 m mountain, first along a long path, then up the final 700 steps to the summit, where you wait for sunrise over the Sinai range. Descending takes you to the gate of St Catherine Monastery, where an Egyptologist guide shows you the Transfiguration Church, the Burning Bush, and the Well of Moses. Camel rides are available for part of the climb at extra cost, as is the Mount Sinai area entry fee (10 EUR per person, paid on site). Transfers from Sharm hotels are free and round trip, and the trip runs with guides in English, Russian, or 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.
Russian, English, Italian
This trip runs entirely on a night schedule. Pickup from any hotel in Dahab at 23:00, then a 2-hour drive to the mountain. The climb starts at 01:00 with a Bedouin guide, in the dark, and there's a wait at the top for dawn — bring something warm, the summit is cold before sunrise. After sunrise you descend and spend about 2 hours at St. Catherine's Monastery, built around the site of the Burning Bush. The full tour runs 12 hours, with roughly 7 hours on the mountain itself. Guiding is in English only. Included: the Bedouin guide for the climb, entrance fees to St. Catherine National Park, hotel pickup and return, and an air-conditioned vehicle. Note the cancellation policy — all sales are final, no refunds.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
English
This 17-hour trip starts at 19:00 in Sharm el Sheikh with a 2–3 hour drive to the mountain. At 01:00 you begin the climb with a Bedouin guide, reaching the summit in time to wait out the last dark hours before sunrise. Total time on the mountain is about 4 hours. After sunrise you descend and spend around two hours at St. Catherine's Monastery, built around the site of the Burning Bush. You're back in Sharm el Sheikh around noon. Included are hotel pickup and return, all transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle, an English-speaking guide, the Bedouin guide for the climb, and entrance fees to St. Catherine National Park. Guides also work in German, Russian, and Italian. Bring a valid passport on the day of travel and wear sturdy walking shoes — contact the local operator beforehand to confirm your exact pickup time. All sales are final; no refunds for cancellations.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
German, Russian, English, Italian
This is a 48-hour trip built around the overnight ascent of Mount Sinai. You climb at night with a Bedouin trekking guide, reach the summit for sunrise, then descend to St. Catherine's Monastery — a UNESCO World Heritage site — for a guided visit with an Egyptologist. Pickup is from any hotel in Sharm El-Sheikh; your guide meets you at reception on time holding a Viator sign. Transport between Sharm El-Sheikh and the mountain is in an air-conditioned vehicle, and bottled water is included. Bedouin scarves are provided as an option for the hike. Guiding is available in English, German, Italian, French, or Spanish. 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.
German, English, Italian, French, Spanish
This 8-hour trip starts with a late-evening pickup from any hotel in Sharm El Sheikh, followed by an air-conditioned transfer to Mount Sinai. From there you climb with an experienced Bedouin guide, ascending under the stars for about six hours to reach the summit before sunrise. After sunrise and the descent, the tour continues to St. Catherine's Monastery for a two-hour visit — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest functioning Christian monastery in the world. Once the monastery visit wraps up, you're driven back to your hotel in Sharm El Sheikh. Included are hotel pickup and drop-off, the Bedouin hike guide, a licensed Egyptologist local guide, and transport. Guides are available in Russian, English, and Italian. You'll find your guide holding the Viator sign outside your hotel reception at pickup time. 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.
Russian, English, Italian
Hotel pickup is around 7:30 PM, and you'll drive through the Sinai desert overnight to reach the base of Mount Sinai. The climb starts in the cool predawn hours with a Bedouin guide, aiming for the 2,285-meter summit in time for sunrise over the surrounding mountains. At the top there's a chapel and a mosque to look around before you head back down. You can ride a camel part of the way if you'd rather not walk the whole climb. After the descent, the tour continues to St Catherine's Monastery, the 6th-century complex built where Moses is believed to have seen the Burning Bush. Total duration is about 16 hours from pickup to drop-off. Round-trip transfers by air-conditioned vehicle are included, along with the Bedouin guide for the climb and a qualified guide for the monastery (guides work in Russian, English, or Italian). National park fees are not included — budget for those separately. The operator contacts you via WhatsApp the day before to confirm your room number and exact pickup time. 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, Italian