Mount Sinai And Catherine's Monastery Tour From Sharm El-sheikh

Very great experience and amazing sensations

This was my favourite day of my holiday, I'm not religious, I just like mountains and one of my kids is obsessed with sunrises, I've truly never seen a view so beautiful. The historic element was interesting too.our guide Jimmy or Jamie was as good as you could hope for, everybody on the mountain knew him. I'm 50 reasonably fit and found the ascent ok, if you're out of shape, ride a camel to the top, then you only need to climb the steps. If you're considering this trip, do it. If you're interested in Christianity, the monastery is a big deal. I've never seen so many stars either, kept tripping whilst looking at them.

Wow. What a night! An exhausting, yet exhilarating experience. Unforgettable. Once again the operator was brilliant, as were the Bedouin guides. Misha! Thanks for a wonderful time.

Nice trip to Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine Monastery

Overall it was a very overwhelming and challenging experience, climbing up and down the mountain I’m just a little disappointed with the tour guide Fares because halfway when I was coming down I injured my foot cause the stones and rocks are very uneven and the guys who helped me I asked them for Fares and they said he was not available or anywhere here to help, also when I tried contacting him myself there was no phone signal so because of that I got a taxi back to my hotel and on the way I asked fares on what I could do to pay the money back but he refused just because I didn’t contact him when I explained about the bad phone signal but he fobbed me off so whatever money I owed to the men that helped me I passed it on to the taxi driver by taking it out of a ATM.

Good and well organised trip everything happened as per the schedule. Fares is a wonderful guide very knowledgeable and helpful, so was Ashraf who accompanied us during the hike.

Very good adventure would recommend to anyone going. Loved it from start to finish. Guide spoke really well in English

Great experience. It is not easy and go prepared. Totally worth it

This is a very long journey, in our case 7:45pm on evening up until around 12pm the next day but would recommend atleast once for its religious significance. I’ve broken the review into three sections (1) what to expect for transport (2) What to expect at Mount Sinai and (3) General tips To begin then - (1) What to expect for transport: - We were picked up around 8pm from our hotel in a minibus that holds around 12 people. The first few hours involved picking other people up and smoke breaks. Total journey time in minibus from hotel to start of the Trek was over 4 hours. Expect similar time for return. - The minibus is air conditioned but can get hot. Also not much leg room. - There are toilet breaks and you can buy food/water during these stops - You will unfortunately not be able to sleep much on the bus due to the regular road potholes. Also the driver has to play music to keep awake. - Our guide (‘Ramadan’) was very friendly knowledgeable about the mountain and history and gave us a brief during the bus ride. (2) What to expect at Mount Sinai: - The guide will stop at the monastery (where the bus stops) and meet you there the next morning. You will be taken up the mountain by a separate Bedouin guide. - You will go up in your transport group but there are many other groups present too (I’d guess more than 70 people were at the top for sunrise). - Our Trek began at 12:30pm and we were at the top before sunrise around 5:30am (5 hours up). We needed to be back at the monastery by 8:30am. Hence expect an 8 hour round trip up and down the mountain. - The path starts off paved and quickly becomes just gravel. Most of the journey involves taking steps on various rocks. It is very tiring but you will stop multiple times along the way. - You can rent a camel for between $15-$20 USD (or equivalent) for one way. This however is not an easy way out as its very painful on the groin area (more detail below). Camels are scattered throughout the mountain near each stop. - There are no toilets on the way up. Once you get to the very top you can pay to use one (we didn’t see it until the way down) but it is apparently extremely dirty according to the guide. Worth noting if you need to make ablutions to pray. - There are 750 steps at the top which are very tiring after the long trek to get to them. - Once you get to the top the views are breathtaking! (see pictures) You will stay at the top until sunrise then make your way down. - You will be given a tour of the monastery when back down but will be less than an hour before you must return to the bus. Your tour will include the burning bush and the well of Moses (Peace Be Upon Him). (3) General tips - Dress well e.g. sports clothes and also have warm clothes for when you’re at the top as its cold up there. You can rent a blanket but its extortionate. Good shoes are vital. - Take your own food, water and energy drinks. Otherwise expect to pay a lot e.g. 100 EGY for a water. - Take your own mini torch as it will be better than the one provided. - Please note that if you get tired the camels are not an easy way out. They will give your legs a rest but you will suffer in other ways because the saddle is quite small so with each step they take you will be constantly impaled at your stomach and back by the wooden edge of the saddle. As a result you have to use your hand as a shock absorber and they will be hurting within minutes. What’s far worse though is they crush your groin area with each step they take because of the hard impact of each step which is pretty much unavoidable. Would not recommend using a camel unless extremely tired. Our only negative experience was on the return to the bus from the monastery we were asked to pay an extra 25 Egyptian pounds per person to get a minibus for 30 seconds to our main minibus instead of walking 10 minutes. We took it instead of walking as we didn’t want other travellers to wait. We gave a 100 as we didn’t have change was this taken and no change given (despite asking). I didn’t like that Ramadan just took the money and refused to give me the change. I ended up telling him to keep it as I was too tired to argue. I appreciate it’s not a large amount but this lack of integrity when people are tired is really not acceptable. Despite this I would recommend this difficult but rewarding experience

I booked it at last minute and it ended up being a private tour handled by Sameh Nofal who has been a tour guide of Mt Sinaí for over 20 years. Sameh picked me up at 11 pm (because my flight landed at 9:50 pm!), he arranged the vehicle, he was my driver and companion as well as the coordinator with the Bedouin for my climb; I felt traveling with a friend since the first minute: educated, respectful and engaging with you; given my situation (tired after a full day touring in Fayoum near Cairo) he gave me advice and organized contingency options (a possible camel ride if I would get exhausted during the climb, what to carry and could possibly buy during the climb, etc.) and he gave me advice on how to handle the experience. Fortunately I was able to take a nap in his car during the 2.5-3 hour drive from Sharm El-Sheik to St Catherine and I was full recovered by then; Sameh gave specific instructions to the bedouin who escorted me in the mountain and he waited for me upon the descent to guide me in the Monastery of st Catherine; he is absolutely a master in the details of this historic region. The drive back to my hotel was smooth and we kept talking about meaningful topics all the way until he dropped me off at my hotel around 1:00 pm the following day.

This tour was one of the highlights of my trip to Egypt. Hiking and climbing Mount Sinai was definitely challenging and exhausting, especially the final ascent, but every step was worth it when we reached the top and witnessed the incredible views. The scenery and atmosphere were unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. A huge thank you to our guide, Fares. His knowledge of the history, biblical significance, and local culture made the entire journey so much more meaningful. He was professional, patient, and always willing to answer questions throughout the hike. You could tell he genuinely cared about making sure everyone had a great experience. After the mountain, visiting Saint Catherine’s Monastery and seeing the famous Burning Bush was the perfect way to end the tour. The combination of history, faith, breathtaking views, and an outstanding guide made this a truly unforgettable experience. If you’re considering this tour, be prepared for a physically demanding hike—but don’t let that stop you. The reward at the top and the experience as a whole are 100% worth it. Highly recommend! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a wild journey and a very beautiful one. Arriving into Sharm El Sheikh I was worried about only doing touristy things and I wanted to see the history of this holy land. When seeing Mount Sinai was close enough this was the best and low cost option to get there. They take you 3 hours away and 3 hours back from where ever you are staying in Sharm El Sheikh. That alone is crazy to think about my taxi to the airport is 15-20$ here. You'll leave at night so it's a bit chilly at the top of the mountain. There are a lot of stops along the way and I would strongly recommend bringing all the snacks and drinks you think you'll need for a 4 hour hike up and 2 hours treck down. I am sure they make some commission from all the places we stop, because there was a lot of stops, but they are generally very honest helpful guides and drivers so I don't see an issue with this given the low cost. The Trek was gruiling and challenging. My only honest critique was how hard it was. It took everything in my to get up the mountain and I'm happy I did it in this challenging way. I truly wanted to get a glimpse of what moses experienced and I wouldn't trade that opportunity for a camel ride or an easier mountain. If you really don't want to go through the trials of this hike just take a camel up and walk up the stairs at the top. I did not know fully how hard it would be. I am not super fit but I can walk for a few hours and exercise no problem. Getting up was extremely difficult so if you're not good with insurance running hiking or fast walks be prepared for a hard trail. Also a heads up the stairs at the end are truly the worst part and for me it so hard to get that last KM because of how steep the rocky steps are. Even if it feels like you have a lot of energy left please save energy for the steps at the end and take them seriously. You need to pay for almost every bathroom do be being EGP. Also going down sucks if you don't have the right shoes. I really recommend you bring a headlamp. Ultimate it was a mixed bag of grueling but beautiful experiences. They are upfront about that. They are very honest and keep you safe with a good local guide. They don't push for tips. If you bring all the food with you it's truly worth the 30$ admission for a life changing experience. We were all dead though after coming down. So tired and we couldn't sleep until we got home so be prepared to be sleep deprived and grumpy. All and all I would say it's so worth doing. I was very scared going in and those fears were indeed warranted. I strongly recommend training for this with long walks and runs or hikes before hand as all the highly active people in the group didn't have much trouble. Or preparing to bring cash for a camel assist. I recommend going through it though it was very worth it to me.

The communication from the start was great. When arranging the tour they answered all our questions and even checked in to see if we were all okay once we had been picked up. Our tour guide that picked us up and did the tour around St. Catherine’s was Fares, he was warm and friendly, clear on the itinerary throughout the excursion and would check in to make sure you were doing okay. We then met with Muhammad who was our tour guide up the mountain. He gave clear instructions to help keep the whole group safe and was very friendly and caring with the people who struggled and needed breaks. The hike up was difficult, you definitely need to be physically fit to make it to the top by only the coffee shop breaks. Personally, I had to take quick more regular breaks the higher up we got, cause the lack of sleep does affect my energy level too. It was also okay to take the regular breaks as most other people in my group did and you could easily let the guide know as well. Once we made it to the summit, the sunrise was spectacular and made the physical struggles of getting to the top worth it. It makes you feel proud of what you’ve accomplished. The only thing we weren’t quite clear on was that we were given the option to pay in US $ for the entrance fee to the mountain however the entrance fees for the toilets were only in Egyptian pounds. We didn’t have this currency to hand and so wasn’t able to use the toilets. To note, from the response of the people in our group who used the toilets, the ones at the bottom of the mountain/near the entrance are the most hygienic and cheaper then the toilets up the mountain which were the opposite, so make sure to go before you start the hike. The trek down was much easier and once we made it down, we met back up with Fares who gave an excellent tour of St Catherine’s. We then went back to the mini bus to which we really appreciated the driver for transporting us all and waiting over night for us as well. We met some wonderful people in our group. It was a great opportunity and we are grateful to the tour group who organised it. Thank you

first things first: viator provided great support throughout the reservation / meet-up process. The excursion itself (with infinity travel/tours), however, fell short in several dimensions. 1) we wasted 1h going fpr the collection of people, and 45min. I've taken several such organised tours and this is the longest it has ever taken. A different way to organise pick-up should be used. 2) the tour i booked promised 2h at the st catherine monastery, we ended up staying barely 45min (and ot was planned to be this way). 3) Guides had a very basic level of English, it was quite difficult to follow what was said. 4) the minivan was packed and had extremely small spaces between rows (and I'm of average height). The trip was very uncomfortable and one could not reasonably nap. I would not take this tour again if I had the opportunity.

Well organised trip with clear communication between the tour operators and guide. Mohammed our guide was brilliant, he made everything very clear and his knowledge of st. Catherine monastery very good. Our guide up the mountain was Jamil, again very clear with instructions and kept our group safe and all together. From our experience climbing this mountain, wrap up warm as it is freezing at the top! You can borrow blankets to wrap up in at the summit but we were both still freezing! Take a head torch and wear good trainers with a good grip for climbing. Do not take heavy rucksacks/backpacks. For any one who is planning on praying at the top (there is no wudu facilities for this) take a bottle of water and ask to be taken to the mosque at the summit otherwise you are praying outside. Take money for renting the blanket and for hot drinks at the summit. Honestly, it is hard going! It will test you and you will be exhausted! Going down is worst than going up! But with that said, an experience we will not forget for a long time! The sunrise was stunning!

Muhammed is a knowledgeable guide. The tour is well-organized. Highly recommended.

The trip was great. Everything happened on time & guide was very friendly, he was very informative and helpful. Recommended

The trip to the mount sinai & saint Catherine monetary was great. Everything was organised on time. Guide was very friendly & gave all the information about the sight. Highly recommended.

Really great trip overall. The night hike up Mount Sinai was a really nice experience - calm but also a bit challenging in a good way. The view from the top was absolutely worth it. The guides were very friendly and helpful the whole time, which made everything feel easy and enjoyable. Transport was also well organized and ran smoothly with two stops among the way. The trip lasted around 14 hours in total, so be well rested beforehand and remember to take 10USD per person for pakr entrance fee.

It was so much more than I thought it would be! All the guides involved were so knowledgeable and checked up on me often! This is a once in a lifetime experience. Don’t skip this!

I did the mountain sini for the second time with infinity excursions,, they caring much about us,, really its my favourite company,,i recommend all

It was well organised but quite tough for a family - chilly and wet, and unfortunately, we were unlucky as there was no sunset reward at the end because of cloud cover - so check the weather forecast. It was one of those experiences that will be a better memory than to experience at the time. There are camels all the way up if climbers fancy a break. There were blanket and tea sellers at the summit, despite guides saying there wouldn't be. The church was closed unfortunately.

Operator and guide were two different people that hadn’t coordinated well. Operator told us the day before that the monastery would be closed even though we booked on that day to get there to see the burning busy. Bus picked us up 30 mins late. Guide requested $10/pp for the entrance fees but we weren’t going to the monastery. Operator was responsive. Bus had air conditioner. It took 1 hour to pick everyone up. Mount Sinai is stunning and so worth the hike, but with a different tour guide operator. Also the operator offered to book other tours for us and tried to fear monger us into booking his ride from the airport for 70 USD for a 15 minute ride. I live in San Francisco and I don’t even pay that much for an uber to the airport.

Not 14 hours as highlighted!!! This is a trip from 7.30pm to 2pm the following day. Spend all the time waiting at various points through the day and night. Hours just moving from bus to bus and waiting in various places for hours at a time. Waste of a day and night! The sunrise is nice but extremely cold on top. The monastery isnt worth visiting.

First and foremost: check the weather report first!! We were caught in a downpour so severe that it felt like we were experiencing Noah's journey, not Moses'. It ruined the trip, I had a terrible time, and I was only grateful that no one was hurt due to the slippery rocks going down. Still, as our guide said, it was an "act of God" and we can't blame the tour company for the rain. What I can blame the tour company for, however, is that it took us two hours just to leave Sharm El-Sheikh, and what's more, the toilet on the bus was non-fucnational.

Please be aware that it is NOT an easy trekking as the slope is steep and long (before the 750 uneven steps there are 7km to climb and you want to keep some energy for the way back, as well) and the dark, cold and often windy weather - as the obvious sleep deprivation - make it hard for people who are not trained. It is still worthy, though, as the atmosphere is magical. Keep some cash ready to lend a camel (only if you do not suffer from vertigo) or a blanket and to buy hot beverages and snacks. The visit to the monastery is very short and crowded so not as good as expected.

Great communication from start to finish. Good escort and great informative guides for trek and monastery visit.

I had an amazing experience with the tour guide Said, he was funny and very knowledgeable! The hike was fantastic with insane views and genuinely unforgettable moments. The monastery tour was spectacular and it was great to be around so much history.

Amazing and surreal experience! The pickup at the hotel and to the mountain was flawless. I suggest napping in advance as it is hard to do on the bus. It was a very secure experience. The van drivers were courteous and guides were really great. We were in a group of 45 and they had 3 guides. One in front, one in the back and one in the middle. The trek is tiring but they have a good feel for when to stop the group to rest. Loved the experience and don’t forget to tip them. They are very caring.

This was the highlight of my trip to Egypt. The climb was made comfortable by the experienced guides and you are looked after every step of the way. The changeling part for some people will be the 750 steps to the summit but you will be welcomed with some spectacular views.

Mustfsa was the best driver the entire trip. Was on time and professional. Must use him! Thank you

Was really good. There is A LOT of walking so make sure you comfortable and things to keep you warm. But they were very informative and helped. I enjoyed myself

It was great experience once in a lifetime. We had great sky clear etc great guide who looked after us. You climb mountain (walk) in the middle of the night, would never do that by myself or anywhere else. Just remember it is cold so get some warm clothes( hat, gloves, scarf) some people selling additional ponchos on the bottom of the mountain. When I was there it was 5$ but we know how is it all can change within days. Make sure you have some spare change as they ask for a money for toilets etc (if no sweets). You can rent blanket for 4$ (at a time) on the top but I would recommend just wear warm clothing. And please take some additional lighting as I did not have any, but some people were smarter on the tour. Claiming mountain can take up to 4hrs so bear in mind tour can extend a bit. Would highly recommended

I went on the Mount Sinai excursion. It was an amazing experience. Not for the faint hearted and you definitely need stamina and not fear of heights. It's extremely cold so take warm clothes, good footwear and a hot flask and snacks. The tour guide was good. An experience I will never forget.And transfers were on time. I would definitely recommend infinity Excursions. 22yr old male

An extremely tiring but magical morning hiking up this mountain, the moment when you finally reach the summit and see the sun rise is exhilarating! I feel like our group were looked after at all times, we were never pressured to pay more than we already had (even though this was astonishingly good value for money for what you got) and even on a few occasions when I lost the rest of the group due to how busy it was at the top, our guides found me each time and reunited us which was a huge relief. Credit especially to our main guide Mohammed for his extremely energetic and inspiring introduction to the tour, reminding us of the stories of Moses and St Catherine and making us all highly hyped for the long morning ahead. I tipped 200 EGP to our Bedouin guide, Mohammed and the driver - only about £3 GBP each but I felt all deserved it equally. A great day and I’ll be looking at their other tours next time I’m in Egypt!

Stunning trip to Mount sinai plus monastery. The trip was exactly as advertised. Good advice and informative throughout the trip

They were late to pick everyone up, and during the journey stopped for over an hour because an Italian family wanted to sit at the front of the bus and were arguing. I was asked to move out of my seat, and to be polite and easygoing, I did. There was no thanks, but I didn't mind as just wanted to get there. After the hike, we were supposed to meet back at the bus for 11pm, which everyone except this Italian family did - because they wanted to get a coffee. Everyone on the bus waited a whole hour, including the tour operators, just because this one family wanted extra time. They then demanded to sit at the front when they finally arrived, and wanted to have a cigarette before we left. Unbelievably rude as the entire coach had waited an hour for them after doing a long hike with little food and sleep. The tour company bowed down to this family, probably because they bribed them. I ended up missing my flight back to Cairo because we were so late due to this family, which the tour operator allowed! I enjoyed the hike, the view was lovely and it was still worth it, but the tour company genuinely cost me a lot of money and time all because they bowed to this one family who had clearly paid them off, at the expense of 50 other people.

The experience was amazing overall! It’s quite long so get plenty rest! Well organized but make sure to have cash handy for toilets, water, etc. They have 5 small cafes as you climb up the mountain so you can pack small snacks or grab some there. Tea coffee hot chocolate, chips pita sandwich & noodle soup are at the cafe. Oh brings good flash light they provide one but it’s kinda soft. Also they’ll will be a lot of camel poop so careful where you step! Enjoy! God bless 🤍

The trip was well organised. Hiking was interesting and of medium difficulty, bring your winter clothes with you, it is very cold up there.

This was easily the highlight of my trip to Egypt, the climb up Mt. Sinai especially. Samy was our guide before and after the climb. He handed our group to a Bedouin guide who accommodated my slow pace but also took care of the rest of the group.

5 star service, pick up from hotel by guide, with historical information relative to the trek given and guided hike to the the top during the night. Catering for all fitness levels.

Wonderful experience, loved it ❤️ it was worth the effort and price . The tips were too much though, one needs to be well prepared financially.

Overall, a positive experience. It was a long trip; leaving hotel at 9pm, returning at 1:30pm next day. Positives: Good friendly guide who speaks several languages fluently, clearly passionate about sharing his extensive knowledge on Mount Sinai and St Catherine Monastery. He was very professional, despite some antics from a few Russians in our group. The hike wasn’t too difficult (if you are mobile and active). But at the steps, it was narrow and had to be single file. This meant lots of stops/starts. But all worthwhile once at the summit; the sunrise was breathtaking. Negatives: You will spend the climb mainly in the dark looking down on the path with your torch to avoid camel poo. So no chance to take in the surrounding until the decent. There will be lots of people. Most stops during the climb only had a single toilet. So prepare for long queues. Charge is typically 20 Egyptian pounds or 1 USD (so better to have Egyptian cash). There was a bit of confusion on the return coach journey. All passengers were informed (in several languages) at the very last minute of a list of hotels. But no one knew if passengers going to these hotels were supposed to stay on the same coach, leave and join the second coach, or to go on one of two minibuses provided. A large group of us were left in the midday sun for several minutes while we tried to find out what we were supposed to do. In hindsight, the tour guide should have informed us of the plan much earlier, especially most passengers were still sleeping after the hike.

Professional team, especially the tour guide Sameh Nafal. The trip was well planned and arranged. They made a tailor-made excursion for me.

Really good tour with lots of people going up the mountain to view the sunrise. 6km slog with 750 stone steps and 780m elevation gain. Lots of rests and takes ~2.5h to complete. Sunrise is lovely and would recommend. Remember layers for the top as it is cold up there in the unprotected wind but you can hire a blanket for $3 which I would advise. Tour guides Jimmy and Ahmed were good

Organized pretty good, everything was on time. Climbing the mountain was a bit hard, but bedouins were very helpful all the way to the top and back. Not a lot of time was left at the monastery, if you are planning to explore it. Defenitly once in a lifetime experience!

How to summarize this trip: an exhausting but unforgettable experience. The road to the top is tiring (as it is also at night)... being able to experience the sunrise is a unique experience. The way back down is also worth it, just because of the sun that plays with the environment. The professional guidance makes it complete. A tip: take a headlamp with you.

We went on a trip to Mount Sinai with Said. Everything was perfectly on time, and we managed to reach the summit before sunrise. The view was worth every single step we took. The entire hike totaled about 30,000 steps, but both my girlfriend and I managed it without any issues. The climb was surprisingly easy. We didn’t experience any wind at all (December), but regardless of the conditions, you’ll need to put on an extra sweatshirt or jacket at the last two stops. Greetings! Mateusz

Delightful excursion to St Katherine Monastery in great company. Special thanks to our guide Saeed for the vast knowledge and great guidance!