Sinai by night
Mount Sinai at Sunrise and St Catherine's Monastery from Sharm el-Sheikh
Climb the mountain of Moses through the night, watch the sun rise over the Sinai peaks, then visit Justinian's monastery below.
Overnight · about 15 hours · Sharm el-Sheikh and South Sinai · Private
- Nothing is booked until you accept a written quote
- A Deluxe Travel Egypt brand: read the reviews
- Duration
- Overnight · about 15 hours
- On the road
- About three hours' drive each way
- At the sites
- The climb through the night, sunrise, then the monastery
- Format
- Private
- Pace
- Active
Before you choose
Is this the right tour for you?
This private night trip from Sharm el-Sheikh takes you to the two places that brought pilgrims to southern Sinai for centuries: the summit of Mount Sinai, where tradition says Moses received the Ten Commandments, and the monastery at its foot.
You are collected from your hotel late in the evening and driven about three hours into the mountains. A Bedouin guide leads the climb in the dark, so that you reach the summit for sunrise over the mountains of southern Sinai.
After the descent you visit St Catherine's Monastery, built for the emperor Justinian between 548 and 565 on the place tradition gives to the Burning Bush, and one of the oldest monasteries in the world still in use. Its fortified walls still stand, and its sixth-century church keeps its original mosaics and carved ceiling beams. The monastery keeps its own hours, which set how long you can stay inside. Then the drive back to Sharm.
Transport, the Bedouin guide and the protected area's entrance fee are included. It is a long night and a real climb, and not suited to young children or anyone who finds long walks difficult.
Our advice
Bring warm layers even in summer: the summit is cold before dawn. Order a breakfast box from your hotel the day before.
Consider instead: Prefer the sea? The Ras Mohammed boat trip is Sharm's classic day on the water.
5 stops
How the day runs
22:30
Pickup in Sharm el-Sheikh
About three hours' drive north and into the mountains of South Sinai.
Night
The climb with a Bedouin guide
Up the mountain in the dark, at your own pace, with stops on the way.
Dawn
Sunrise on the summit
The sun comes up over the peaks of southern Sinai from the mountain where tradition places the giving of the Ten Commandments.
Morning
St Catherine's Monastery
Justinian's fortified walls, the sixth-century church with its mosaics and carved beams, and the tradition of the Burning Bush. The monastery opens at 08:45, and on Fridays only from 10:30 to 11:30.
Saint Catherine's Monastery: An emperor's fortress-monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai, built around the place of the Burning Bush and still home to monks.
Afternoon
Back to Sharm
The drive back to your hotel.
The details
What is included
Highlights
- Sunrise from the summit of Mount Sinai
- A night climb with a Bedouin guide
- St Catherine's Monastery, built for Justinian in the sixth century
- The chapel of the Burning Bush tradition and a sixth-century church
Included
- Pickup and return to your hotel in Sharm el-Sheikh
- Air-conditioned transport
- Entrance to the St Catherine protected area
- A Bedouin guide for the climb
- Taxes and service charges
Not included
- Breakfast
- Tips
- Insurance
- Optional extras
Places you visit
- Mount Sinai
- Gebel Musa
- St Catherine's Monastery
- Burning Bush
- St Catherine protected area
- South Sinai
- Group
- Private: your party only
- Transport
- Air-conditioned vehicle; the climb on foot
- Departure
- Pickup at 22:30 from your hotel in Sharm
- Meeting point
- Your hotel in Sharm el-Sheikh
- Guide languages
- English, Other languages on request
- Best time to go
- Any season, with warm clothes for the summit; the monastery is closed on Sundays, and the tour does not run on Saturday nights
- Entrance tickets
- Included: entrance to the St Catherine protected area
- Optional extras
- A breakfast box, ordered from your hotel the day before
- Your price
- Set in your written quote for your party, dates and pickup, with the payment and cancellation terms.
Details checked
Add to the day
Experiences nearby
Your first dive in the Red SeaReefs off Hurghada, Red Seafrom USD 59
The ThistlegormNear Ras Mohammed, South Sinaifrom USD 93
A boat of your own for the dayThe Giftun islands, off Hurghadafrom USD 174 per boat
One breath in DahabDahab, South Sinaifrom USD 232
Your first kiteEl Gouna, Soma Bay, Dahab or Ras Sudrfrom USD 418
Quad, camel and supper in the desert behind HurghadaThe Eastern Desert inland from Hurghadafrom USD 29
Sinai by quad, then supper with the BedouinThe South Sinai desert inland from Sharm El Sheikhfrom USD 65
Sunrise on Mount SinaiMount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery, South Sinaifrom USD 65
A telescope night in the Eastern DesertThe Eastern Desert inland from Hurghadafrom USD 30
A Sinai Trail daySt Catherine, South Sinaifrom USD 65
Questions
Before you ask
Do I need a visa for this trip?
If you flew into Sharm el-Sheikh on the free entry stamp, yes. The UK government's advice says the stamp covers stays of under 15 days in the resorts of Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba; travelling outside them needs a visa, which you can get at Sharm airport or online (read 29 September 2026). Check the rules for your own passport.
Is St Catherine safe to visit?
The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the northern part of South Sinai, beyond the road from St Catherine to Nuweiba. St Catherine and Mount Sinai lie outside that area (advice updated 4 August 2026). Australia's Smartraveller advises reconsidering travel to South Sinai outside Sharm el-Sheikh's southern coast, which includes St Catherine (updated 14 September 2026). Our guide “Is Egypt safe?” compares four governments; check your own before you travel.
How hard is the climb?
It is a long walk uphill in the dark on a rough path, after a late start and a three-hour drive. In our judgement it suits reasonably fit adults walking at their own pace. It is not suited to young children or anyone with walking difficulties.
Can we go inside the monastery?
Yes, during its opening hours: 08:45 to 12:45, but only 10:30 to 11:30 on Fridays, and it is closed on Sundays. The tour does not run on Saturday nights, so you never come down to a closed monastery. Cover shoulders and knees.
What should I bring?
Your passport, warm layers and a hat for the summit, good walking shoes, a torch, water, sun cream for the way down, and a breakfast box ordered from your hotel the day before.
Pairs well with
Tours that go with this one
Ras Mohammed National Park and White Island Boat Trip from Sharm El SheikhFull day · about 8 hours · The Red Seafrom USD 50
Cairo and the Pyramids in a Day from Sharm el-Sheikh, by FlightFull day · about 12 hours · Sharm el-Sheikh and Cairofrom USD 360
Luxor in a Day from Sharm el-Sheikh, by FlightFull day · about 12 hours · Sharm el-Sheikh and Luxorfrom USD 380
Deluxe Trips Egypt
Ask for this tour, for your dates.
Send your dates and party size here. We reply with a written quote: the price for your party, what is included and the terms. Nothing is booked until you accept it.
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Photography credits (14)
Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0; Igorgalli, CC BY-SA 4.0; Wikicomman, CC BY-SA 4.0; cattan2011, CC BY 2.0; Lars Plougmann, CC BY-SA 2.0; Marc Ryckaert, 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; Mohamed kamal 1984, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sovernigo, CC BY-SA 4.0; Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0; Djehouty, CC BY-SA 4.0
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