Mount Sinai Climb And St Catherine Tour From Sharm El Sheikh

Excellent trip , we were unsure whether or not to book this as it’s quite a tough walk/hike & we are no longer spring chickens That being said we are really pleased we did this Camels are available for those that struggle but not for the steep stair climb Legs were really aching the next day , it’s quite tough but definitely worth the aches

I didn’t want to give 1 star,tour so poorly organised,do not book with this tour operator,other groups were getting regular rest stops and instructions,our guide told us if we wanted a rest stop we would need to pay to go on a camel,even though all the group were requesting a rest stop,poor and limited instructions given,picked up in a small,cramped mini bus with poor air conditioning,told to stand in direct sunlight for st Catherine’s briefing,on return journey bus stopped 10 minutes drive from hotel,a number of us were told to get off the bus to be transferred by another bus to our hotels,sharer were all in direct sunlight,by the side of the road ,we were left waiting 10 minutes before other vehicle arrived,we were not able to get back on original transport whilst waiting,if wanting to do this trip,book with different tour operator

Pros: You're on Mt. Sinai where so much history has happened. It's a very cool night hike with a group of about 30 other people and it could get crowded. The views are incredible and icons are quite nice also. It really brought the Middle Eastern adventure together especially as I paid 20$ to take a camel downhill after the sunrise. Cons: I had to search what to wear. It is cold on the mountain so I wore jeans and a light coat. The busride was quite long so be prepared for that. There's trash there with "Bedouins" just throwing garbage on the ground and not caring whatsoever. They will beg for tips no matter what. Every 30 minutes walking there's like a snack shack so you can buy anything from snickers and a coke to a warm knitted jacket. Biggest con was the Monastery was closed because of Easter. So I'll have to go again, but hope I can just take a taxi.

This was a gorgeous moment. However, note that this is a very hard climb even for someone in shape. Best to do at night nit during the day in the heat.

The trip was cancelled without any reason given. I contacted the operator directly to ask why the trip was cancelled, I didn't receive an answer. Very disappointing as the trip was planned for my 40th birthday and our group had organised our holiday around this excursion. I appreciate they may had been reasons out of the operators control but better communication is needed.

The worst hike I've done ever. Very bad experience. We've to pays to climb the mountain, a "guide" will bring you to the top We started about 12am to arrive about 4am, we had to wait 2 hours at the top , probably to buy something to his friends, blanket, Thea, coffee, chocolate 🤬 I got pissed of it, really. After that, a hundred of people arrived, maybe more, that's crazy! I'll definitely nor recommend it to who's looking for a wild hike. You can get real good sunrise everywhere.

This amazing location would not have been possible without Mrl and Mina from Absolute Egypt. From our landing at Cairo they provided a guide which made our transition through customs so fluid and void of any unnecessary waiting. This service was to continue throughout the tour with the most knowledgeable guides I have ever met in Dahlia and Macmood. Their facts and data were precise and extensive in everything they presented. Our guide on the bus to the mountain again was knowledgeable and professional went out of his way to make our trip enjoyable. Finally the local Bedouin guide during the ascent and descent was the most gentle and helpful person I've met. It was almost embarrassing climbing in proper gym pants runners or boots to see our guide easily stroll up and down one of the most gruelling efforts in nothing but local costume and sandals. Thr vlomb itself witnessing the morning sunrise was life changing given the historical significance of the location. Well worth every drop of sweat and muscle aches. Thanks again to Australian based company Absolute Egypt and the dedication and professionalism shown by Mel and Mina.

The climb up Mt. Sinai was a challenging, rewarding experience. We had a 3 hour journey from The Savoy at Sharm El Sheikh to St. Catherine’s and then the climb began. We planned this experience to climb during the night to be at the summit for sunrise. Our guide, Shaaban, was helpful throughout the journey up and down. If you could request a guide, Shaaban would be an excellent choice. He was kind and patient! There was another young man who assisted me on the way up and down as well. He made the walk much easier. The trail is made up of switchbacks to make the grade bearable for all to walk on. Once close to the top, there are 750 “steps” to the summit. When the sun rises, the view is exceptional. The colors of the sunrise and the landscape are not to be missed! Tips: *Dress in layers to accommodate temperature change as you ascend and descend. *Have water to keep hydrated. You can also purchase some at the rest stops on the way. *Don’t hesitate to ride a camel up in order to save your legs for the steps and the walk down. *Before you go, take advantage of Youtube videos that people post to get a feel for what the trail steps are like.

the camel rider said 50 Egyptian pounds but then he was helping me with his flashlight and saw i had more funds and up it to $250 Egyptian pounds. ( apparently i had less than one or two km to go. which i ended up walking. Also i was left at station one by myself. (that was scary in it self. the guide was good , so was the guide that took me to station one.

Plus - guide very knowledgable, transport comfortable, loan of torch useful, scenery beautiful, Minus - did bot state how very cold it was going to be, did not state how long was the climb or how steep, no warning to those who were elderly or had heart problems, pick up was late, no tel contact given (only email), bedouins charged $1 each time for use of wc though wc was less than basic and dilapidated, hot drinks not included (would have been useful),

5 minutes before pickup the guide told me to take a print of my passport I stressed and had to wake up the receptionist. Great start! He was also rude on the phone at this time. It said it was in English the tour but mainly was I Russian. The driver told us some facts in broken English and sounded very arrogant when telling it. Once we were in the Monastery he just repeat what he already said in the bus. I had some questions about a fact he said he then got really upset and said I didn't believe him etc. Later I had another question and he again said I should Google it. We had an argument inside the Monastery and he screamed. I had to calm the situation down to not further upset people. It was the worst guide I've ever had. He was rude, ignorant, violent and just a bad human being. I would like a refund for this.

An enjoyable hike, with spectacular views at sunrise over the surrounding barren landscape. Most people with a decent level of fitness could do this, though there are some steep sections near the top. Excellent Bedouin guide, who kept an eye on people - important as we were doing the hike in the dark. The tour of the monastery at the end was a bit brief, but I guess many people were tired and keen to get back to their accommodation, so that wasnt necessarily a disadvantage.

We got picked up at the agreed upon time, the stops on the way were mixed, bathroom break was necessary but they stop you at an overpriced gift shop trying to play off of people's faith. It was a good hike, company set us up with a great guide. So the whole up and down of the mountain was great, we were the fastest group of the sunrise, that pace and the stairs were really draining for someone that's not an experienced climber. After the whole trip and monastery we were given a snack and juice on the bus, this was very nice. But after 18 hours of the trip we were dropped off 10 minutes from our hotel and they knew this, was unpleasant after being awake for 30 hours in 40°C heat.

It a very Good expérience with my family. My mother 72 years old had hear and its ok. View was beautyful

The tour was cancelled a few hours before we were supposed to leave. No explanation, no apologies. When I asked for a reason, I did not even receive a reply… a real bummer and quite unprofessional!

I gave 3 stars to Egypt tours because they didn’t provide a regular seat for my 10 years old. It was a hard small seat by the driver. He denied to sit there after an hour so my husband had to sit there 5 hours going and coming back… no joke :(( Also they don’t guide you what you need for trekking so let me tell you. Foremost you need to be super fit as this is an uneven unpaved stone trail. It’s being done at night so you must have strong torch (better if it fits on your head). In March weather at St Catherine was in 50s (f) at the ground but went down to 20s in the last hour of hiking. You definitely need layers to keep warm and hat & gloves. Going up takes about 3.5….4 hours, going down 1 1/2 hour. Be prepared and good luck !!

This is fantastic experience! The company picked me up from the hotel at 9 pm. You need to be outside of the security gate. We drove to the gathering place where a few buses were and then we went to St Catherine’s as a convoy. When we arrived we were given small flashlights. Our group was assigned two Bedouin guides. We started hiking at 2 am. The young guide at the front was very fast; it took out little group of 3 only 1h20 min. It was unnecessary to hike that fast because the rest of the group was far behind and we had to wait in a hut over an hour before we even went to to the very peak 5 min away. And then the sun came! It was truly magical mostly because of all different people who came that morning - Jews, Muslim, Orthodox Christians, and other people who just came for a night hike experience. You can rent a blanket from a hut below the top for $3. It is worth it. It was very cold (March). Buy a Bedouin tea in one of the huts. The last part of the hike is made of 750 steps . The first part is like any other hike with steeper and gentler parts. The guide told us that it is 7 km long, but it is shorter than 7 km. After the sunrise we went down to the St Catherine monastery - this is another great part of this trip. So much history! Anyway, it was a great experience! Worth every penny.

It was a brilliant experience. Witnessing the sunrise was marvellous. Plan and be fit for the climb. Get proper walking shoes with good grip. Watch out for pressure from the camel men to use the camel, but a camel ride would be handy if you get tired. Note, the camel doesn't take you to the last 750 steps to the mountain submit.

Positives - Our Bedouin Mountain guide Ashraf was very friendly. We were provided with a carton of juice and a fig bar at the end of the descent. This was most welcome. Unfortunately, that is it. Negatives - This is a more expensive tour, and we expected something slightly above the most basic options. We were disappointed that 15 people were packed into one small van, and were extremely uncomfortable in each direction. This was particularly unpleasant on the return journey, when some of our fellow travellers were sweaty. There were no headrests, so trying to sleep was very unpleasant. Our guide, unfortunately, had lost his voice and could not really speak to the group. The van driver did not drive safely, especially on the return journey. Beware also that the van arrived well before the time arranged by text, which was also much earlier than the time on the ticket. The rest-stop on the journey was at a very overpriced tourist trap, rather than a nearby petrol station that would be better stocked and with reasonable prices. Make sure to bring everything you might possibly want for this trip. The guide provided 1 light between 2 people, but it was not even worth using - bring your own lights! Note also that the group was a complete mix of languages - some only speaking Russian, some English. The guide appeared to prefer Russian. About the experience: If climbing in December to February - be prepared for very extreme cold. You may well be in -7 degrees for a number of hours. There are small rest stops along the way, but they will charge you at least $2 for any item you might want to buy. The climb itself is not too technical, but you will need moderate fitness to complete it. The sunrise at the end of the climb is magnificent

Excellent tour. Local Guides Ashraf was very helpful. Fitness necessary to enjoy this hike. Specially night time Hike and witnessing sun rising from top is amazing

Amazing experience, something to experience once in a lifetime! A little bit of an issue with the hotel pick up to start but the organizers resolved quickly. Prepare for 6 hours hike (3.5 hours up, 2.5 down). It gets cold at the top, -12 deg celcius at the peak in winter, so bring warm hiking clothes. Decent trainers or hiking boots a must. Torches were provided, but worth bringing one if you can. A travel pillow to sleep on the bus on the way back as you will be exhausted! Guides didn’t ask for tips, but we tipped anyway as they did a great job.

The hike up the mountain was amazing, quite hard going and all done at night. Very well organised by Malek at Connection Tours Dahab. Leave dahab at 2200hrs back in Dahab 1200hrs next day. Climb up from 1 - 5 a.m. wait for sunrise then hike down. If going in winter dress up, v cold at the top. Torches etc etc can be bought before starting climb. Blankets rented at the top. Coffee and tea stops on the way up. Definitely worth the effort and not to be missed if you have the opportunity.

Five stars for this as it was absolutely amazing climbing the mountain and the views were spectacular! Bus journey not the most comfortable so be prepared for this! Climb is more difficult than expected and it was very cold so wrap up well and take supplies! Money for tips essential and if you can take food and drink with you do it, stops and little shack cafes on the way up but bring your own. Worth it all though and no regrets! ⭐️⭐️💪

This was a great experience. It was an overnight trip. We were picked from our hotel at 9:00 PM and went as part of a group. The guide who drove with us gave us little history about the site. The drive was about 2.5 hours from the resort atea. We started climbing around 1:30 AM and had another guide with us then. His name was Kamaal, and he was very helpful and flexible. A couple of people in our group were having a hard time and needed to rest more often and Kamaal was being very patient and did not make them feel rushed. We hiked overnight to reach the top. There are 5 stops (coffee shops and restrooms) on the way up, so you have a chance to rest plenty of times. The climb is difficult, but reaching the top and watching the sun rise os your reward. On our way down, we got delayed because some people in the group did not remain with other people and were behind, so we had to wait for them. The guide driving with us also stopped so many times and took so many unnecessary breaks that took so long for us to reach back and we reached around 2:00 PM instead of 1:00. It was very long and tiring but I highly recommend it.

I loved it from the monestry and back fantastic hike freezing cold then the sun rose and it was time to leave the blankets behind and tee shirt on for walk back down great night out

Amazing experience with the obvious amazing views. Wonderful tour guide who was very informative and attentive to all group member needs. Would definitely recommend for all pilgrims.

We had a memorable time reaching the top of Mount Sinai. I wish we were pre-informed to budget for camel ride for at least part of the hike. Nevertheless we made it. The departure from hotel and arrival time back at the hotel need to be communicated clearly.

It was a great night, Ali was a great „host”/ guide for the group, answering all kinds of annoying questions (thank you). It's a totally different experience than hiking in Europe (mainly my experience). You have lots of little shelters on the way up to buy sweet food for energy and coffee and water - so don't carry like I did. If you are tired you can take a taxi at any corner on the hike :)) (yes, I mean a camile - but we didn't use one though). Our second guide (Mohamed - I think) took us to the best spot to see the sunrise once we got up there, after three hours (there are many hidden rocks/ platforms around, you just have to find the perfect place). He also did lots of Golden Light photos of us, he has a great eye, so thank you also! I was so tired the next day (because of not sleeping) - but I regret nothing!

This tour group had the audacity to leave us on the road despite having purchased tickets and being there on time even after we took the initiative to coordinate logistics due to their communication skills. In hindsight this company not only showed poor customer service skills but also took things a step further of showing they had no interest in taking us on the trip by wasting time and then leaving us on the road after we rushed to meet them at a location they initially refused to disclose. Bizarre how they're in business. Please avoid at all costs especially if you want to avoid poor communication and customer service. We ended up having to wait 20 minutes a taxi on the side of the highway and then going to our hotel and arranging a car to take us there which ended up cost the same amount but without the hassle.

Picked up at 8pm, returned by 2pm from Sharm. 3 hour drive. Climb is no joke but the sunrise makes up for it. Fantastic guide at the mountain. Even carried my daughter's backpack and literally pulled me up those 750 stairs to the summit. Well worth it as a life experience but probably the most challenging thing I've ever done!

The trip was very well organised, and just right on time. We had a communication issue at the beginning, but the company solved it very professionally. The journey is amazing, breathtaking. Thank you guys.

Very amazing trip, from jimmy our bedouin mountain guide to the tour guides as well! A must, be in some type of shape as it’s a hike. Phenomenal !

It was an experience I wanted to accomplish. Not easy but doable if you are in good physical shape. Be prepared area going up or down has no hand trails zero!!!

What a personal spiritual experienced indeed. From start to finished I was blown away. Top class service & a MUST when visiting charm el shiek.

It was written that max 15 people in group but in reality our group was like 30+ people. On other hand guides were nice, they spoke english.

It takes some time to get up there, and hiking shoes are definitely a must. Don’t be too caught up in bringing water and food with you, as there are places to buy those along the way. In the end, the views up top are definitely definitely worth the grind!

It is a wonderful experience. The staff was very helpful with everything. I went with my mother (59-year-old), and even though it was difficult for her, they were very gentle and supportive - and she was able to finish all the way.

Amazing experience all round. Just be warned that it is VERY cold when climbing in winter. Worth bringing money just in case you decide to take the camel, which you can choose to do at any point. My son and I walked it but some in our party switched to camel. Really great trip overall.

Beautiful nocturne trekking. The activity was well organized and pick up at the hotel was in time. At St Catherine we’re presented the guides. Two for our group. One knew a little English and the other just Arab but with good will everything works. Began to climb at about 2 am and spent abou 3-4 hours The climb is technically easy as there is a wide well conserved path and then 700 steps but if you are a fast climber many waits are necessary as the groups are miscellaneous. Along the way small huts provide water, other beverages as coffee or tea and some snacks. Be advised that temperature drops and some protection cloth is needed near the top. Only drawback was that there was many people and the path was always full. The climb is about 700m and the length about 5-6 km Visit to St Catherine is fast but the walls are really impressing.

Mt Sinai was stunning. The tour itself was not good though. The guide spoke some English but didn't bother as there were only a few of us and he spoke russian the entire time. We didn't get any of the insights, or clear information on the logistics. They also made us stop at a tourist shop before the climb when we were already running late. Noone was interested in that bit. I definitely recommend climbing the mountain bit make sure your guide really does speak your language.

Hotel pickup/dropoff went smoothly, staff was professional/helpful the entire way. Really appreciated the tour guides explanations to me in English when everybody else in the group was speaking Russian. Climbing the mountain was more challenging than expected, but definitely worth it. I'm 49 years old and in decent shape - but there were some elderly people making the climb too. Camels are there to help - and if you go the distance on foot watch out for the poop! Just go at your own pace. Saint Catherine's Monastery is no longer closed due to COVID, and it's a worthwhile inclusion if you're interested in learning more about the history of the place.

5/5 it was great! The pickup was relatively smooth from hotel. Made it through military check points safely and then to the Mt Sinai, tour guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. I would highly recommend! 🙌🏽 Left Sharm el Sheik at 8pm, arrived 2am hiked until 5:30 for sunrise at 6am it was epic!

It was a poor services by Viator. We 5 people have paid $80/person for the trip. We were provided an old van with many other people who have paid half of our prices when we asked. We were supposed to provide a special car, ticket to visit St. Catherine Monastery, and a helpful guide. The guide Noor was good who was helping us ascending/climbing the Moses mountain but the main guide's performance was poor. Local Egypt Tours Club who arranged this trip for Viator offer half of the price with good quality snacks and drinks. We feel we are cheated for the price we paid for this trip.

We booked this trip with the Egypt Tours company and it turns out we paid too much since St. Catherine monastery is closed because of the COVID virus, but we still paid for it. I would suggest going with other companies that only climb up Mt. Sinai and save money. There were 5 different vans from different tour companies going from Sharm El Sheikh to St. Catherine at the same time our van was and we encountered these vans at the St. Catherine gift shop before beginning the climb up Mt. Sinai. The tour company gave every a small flashlight so we can see the path in the dark, and they turned us over to a guide who brought the group up the mountain path. There are frequent stops along the way, but our guide liked to drink coffee at every stop so we ended up waiting for him to finish coffee at every stop. At the top of the stair section, there are several coffee stands and you can also buy souvenirs. If you feel cold, you can also rent a big blanket for $3 USD, but I didn't need it because I went in May and it was not too cold. I also brought sweat pants and jacket, so I was not too cold at the top. After you reach the last coffee shops, you are on your own and the guide is not involved, so you can go to the mosque at the top to see the sunrise when you want. I think it's best to wait for first light, before sunrise to go to the very top, not when it is still too dark to see the stairs. I and several other people found a spot on a rock to see the sunrise and it was just like in a movie. Very special experience at a very important places in biblical history. After the sun became too bright to view and began to feel hot, we all walked down the trail on our own to St. Catherine, but this turned out to be the hazardous part of the trip. One of the women in our group slipped and hurt her ankle while going down the stair part of the trail and limped the rest of the way down. We waited for the tour operator to show up at St. Catherine, since it doesn't open early, and the only thing available was the gift shop. The church was closed because of COVID, so we returned to Sharm El Sheikh with only half of the trip done.

Our trip to Mount Sinai started around 8.30 pm in the night. The drive to St Catherine City is almost 3 hours from Sharm el Sheikh. The tour guide was knowledgeable and helpful. We started the climb around 12 am with the help of Bedouin Guide. Initially he was rushing us but later he slowed down. The climb was challenging. It was a 6 mile hike up the mountain. There are camel rides for folks who cant hike on foot. After 6 miles, there are 650 steps that we need to climb on foot. After that we were made to rest in a tent till 5 am. At 5 am we climbed the last 100 steps and reached the top of the mountain to see the sunrise. Unfortunately it was cloudy that day and we could not see the sunrise. After that we started climbing down, the return was easier than the climb but it took us 2 and half hours to reach the bottom. After that we toured the St Catherine Church, saw the Moses well and Burning Bush before returning back to the car. We reached back at our hotel around 1 pm. Overall this was a very unique and once in a life time experience

Everything was very organized and went smoothly. The guides were kind, helpful, and friendly. We were picked up at an assigned checkpoint on time. The climb itself wasnt too difficult, just make sure you’re well rested. Our climbing guide, Khalid, was very attentive and made sure we were okay and comfortable throughout the whole way. The view at the top was amazing. We were picked up at about 8.30pm and arrived at 1am (there were 2 toilet breaks in between). We went in january so the temperature was pretty cold (about -6 celsius at the base of the mountain. -10 at the peak). The entrance was pretty packed and the security check was slow as there was only one metal detector accommodating for at least 500 people. We started our ascend at about 2am. The climb wasnt too hard, it’d be a fun family activity (the cold becomes less of a problem once you start climbing). The only part that was relatively tougher was the 750-step stairs. There were a lot of pit stops along the way, they sell tea and cup noodles with decent places to sit and rest. Tea and the noodles cost 20 and 30 egp respectively (ask your guide to do the ordering for you to avoid getting scammed). We reached the top an hour before sunrise (4.50am, sunrise was at 6.20am), so we took shelter in one of the shops while we waited. It took us 2 hours to walk back down. We stopped by the monastery before going back. Waleed, another guide- he was the one who picked us up from our hotel checkpoint, gave us a quick but informative tour around the monastery before sending us back to our hotel. Overall, it was a really good experience and i highly recommend this agency to guide you through it.

A must do. Very cold in January (abt -5 Celcius) Trail was not too tough, suitable for family. The mountain and sunrise views were just magnificient. Timely pick-up & drop off service. Friendly guide.

Overall trip was very good, from the arrangement and also the guide. I had a good time with new friends over there. The only bad side of this trip is the transport to Mt Sinai. It was a bit small and uncomfortable for 3 hours journey. It would be better if they fetch us using mini bus as I saw some of the tour group came in mini bus (perhaps it was due to the group size). Few things to note (1) remember to bring your jacket as it is cold especially on the mountain (2) Make sure you are fit to hike

Tour operator did not deliver the tour (paid £70 for this!), was late for pickup and when I needed to rebook for safety risk reasons, he took the money, ripped me off by getting a friend of his as a 'taxi' and halving the extortionate money he charged me for it under threat of being stranded (more than the tour for 40 mins drive considering transfers were all included in the tour). Absolutely abhorrent, dishonest company which is all about conning people and doing the least that is humanly possible to get as much money as possible, even to the point of making £70+ for doing literally nothing. Unbelievable. Oh, and then I found out that this tour runs for $20 USD, exact same things included. Awkward.