A Sinai Trail day
A day's walk in the high mountains with a Bedouin guide whose tribe knows the route.
- Where
- St Catherine, South Sinai
- Length
- Full day
- Needs
- A full day's hiking on rough ground
The story
The Sinai Trail is Egypt's first long-distance hiking trail. It began as a community project by three Bedouin tribes in 2015, has grown to about 340 miles, and is now led by eight tribes through their own territories (National Geographic).
What happens
Set out early from St Catherine with a guide from the tribe whose land you cross.
Walk wadis and passes, with stops at gardens and springs your guide knows.
Eat as the guide's family eats on the trail.
Return before dark, or arrange a night out.
A proposed shape, not a fixed programme. The final arrangements and order are agreed before booking.
Who it suits
A full day on rough ground, climbs at altitude, and heat or cold depending on the season.
- Previous experience
- A full day's hiking on rough ground
- Minimum age
- Teenagers used to hiking
- Best season
- Spring and autumn; winter nights are cold at altitude
- What you see
- Granite wadis, Bedouin gardens and springs
Time and travel
- Starting location
- St Catherine
- Total time
- Full day
- Active time
- Most of the day on foot
Times are planning estimates. Confirm pickup, travel from your accommodation and the time you need to be back. Our effort judgement: active.
Our recommendation
Walk the high Sinai with a guide from the tribe whose mountains these are, on paths few visitors see.
What we confirm before you go
- A registered guide from the tribe whose section you walk
- That the section lies outside the area north of the St Catherine–Nuweiba road, where the UK government advises against all but essential travel
- The section, its length and height gain
- Season, water and a way down if the weather turns
Every item is settled in writing before anything is arranged.
Where it fits
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More in desert & sand.
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Questions?
Ask about “A Sinai Trail day”
Tell us your dates, where you will be and who is coming. We confirm the host, the timing, the price for your party and the terms before anything is booked.
Sources and review
Reviewed on by Deluxe Trips Egypt. Facts are attributed to their sources; where we give a judgement, we say so. Arranged on request; we confirm every detail before anything is booked.
Photography credits (4)
Mohamed kamal 1984, CC BY-SA 4.0; Norhan Elmaghrabi, CC BY-SA 4.0; Egy2030, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sara Nabih, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and cropped for display.
