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A sand dune near 'Areg in the Siwa depression, on the edge of the Great Sand Sea.

Experiences · Desert & sand

Sand, rock and a night sky with nothing in the way.

About these experiences

From a quad on the desert edge near the pyramids to a night among the White Desert's chalk: choose how you want to move through the desert, and compare how long you spend doing it, what it asks of you and what we check first.

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Starting prices are the lowest to expect; times are our planning estimates. Every detail is confirmed before anything is arranged.

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Comparison of Sunrise on Mount Sinai, A telescope night in the Eastern Desert
Sunrise on Mount Sinai RemoveA telescope night in the Eastern Desert Remove
Starting price
Starting priceUSD 65Per person on the small-group night climb.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
Starting priceUSD 30Per person on a shared evening.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
Where it startsSt Catherine, from Sharm El Sheikh or DahabHurghada
ActivityHiking & climbsCamps & night sky
Skill or certificationA steady night climb; no technical skillNone
Minimum ageTeenagers used to walkingAll ages; children need to stay up late
Time actually doing itAbout 2.5–3 hours up and 1.5 hours downAbout two hours under the sky
Total timeOvernight, about 14 hours from Sharm El SheikhAbout 4 hours
Best seasonYear-round; the summit is freezing in winterYear-round; best near the new Moon
What you seeSunrise over the Sinai mountains, then St Catherine's MonasteryMoon, planets or star clusters when visible; the Milky Way is a naked-eye target, not a guaranteed telescope view
What it asksA night without sleep and a steady climb at altitude, then the descent. It is cold on the summit in every season, and freezing in winter.Nothing but patience and a warm layer: desert nights are cold from November to March.
What we confirm first
  • A registered Bedouin guide for the climb
  • Warm layers, a torch and water; blankets can be hired near the top
  • The monastery's opening hours for your date, which change with religious holidays
  • The route to St Catherine, which stays outside the area the UK government advises against
  • An astronomy guide and telescope, not only a campfire and binoculars
  • Moon phase, target visibility, cloud conditions and the weather-change policy for your date
  • Supper, dietary needs and the return time
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  • Hiking & climbs · St Catherine, from Sharm El Sheikh or Dahab

    Sunrise on Mount Sinai

    Climb through the night to the summit for dawn, then walk down to the oldest working monastery in the Christian world.

    Time
    Overnight, about 14 hours from Sharm El Sheikh
    Needs
    A steady night climb; no technical skill
    Starting priceUSD 65
    Read more : Sunrise on Mount Sinai
    What we confirm before you go
    • A registered Bedouin guide for the climb
    • Warm layers, a torch and water; blankets can be hired near the top
    • The monastery's opening hours for your date, which change with religious holidays
    • The route to St Catherine, which stays outside the area the UK government advises against
    In your comparison Add to my trip: Sunrise on Mount Sinai

Tours

Desert tours and overnight trips

Guided days with transport and the arrangements taken care of, each on request.
All tours
Photography credits (4)

Ahmed Yousry Mahfouz, CC BY-SA 4.0; Bilal Detailz, CC BY-SA 4.0; Ibrahim El-Mezayen, CC BY-SA 4.0; Bernd Out, CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and cropped for display.

Questions?

Not sure which desert & sand experience fits?

Tell us where you are staying, when, and who is coming. We reply with what fits, the price for your party and what we confirm first. Nothing is booked until you accept.

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Photography credits (8)

Roland Unger, CC BY-SA 3.0; Berthold Werner, CC BY 3.0; Norhan Elmaghrabi, CC BY-SA 4.0; Egy2030, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sara Nabih, CC BY-SA 4.0; Fadyhesham0, CC BY-SA 3.0; Ahmed Yousry Mahfouz, CC BY-SA 4.0; Mohamed kamal 1984, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and cropped for display.