Climbing Mount Sinai through the night to watch the sun rise over the mountains of South Sinai is one of the great experiences in Egypt. It is also one that catches people out: they underestimate the cold, overestimate how easy the path is, or arrive at St Catherine’s Monastery on a day it is closed. This guide covers what the climb is really like, how hard it is, when to go and how to plan it from Sharm El Sheikh or Dahab.
How the night works
You leave the coast in the late evening. The drive inland to St Catherine takes around three hours from Sharm El Sheikh, less from Dahab, and you reach the foot of the mountain around midnight. From there you climb by torchlight with a Bedouin guide, joining a slow line of walkers heading for the summit. Most people take around two and a half to three hours, with stops at simple tea huts along the way. At the top, you wait in the cold for first light, and then the sun comes up over a sea of granite peaks.
How hard is it?
It is long rather than technical. The main route, the camel path, climbs steadily on a wide track, and camels can be hired to carry you much of the way up. The final stretch to the summit is a section of rough stone steps that everyone walks. If you are reasonably fit and take your time, you will make it.
For the descent there are two options. You can come back down the camel path, or take the Steps of Repentance, by tradition 3,750 stone steps cut by monks. The steps are steeper and much harder on the knees, but quieter and dramatic in the morning light.
St Catherine’s Monastery
At the foot of the mountain stands one of the oldest working Christian monasteries in the world, linked by tradition to the Burning Bush. Most sunrise trips visit it after the descent. Its opening hours are short, though, and it closes on some days and religious holidays. Check before you go, and we will confirm what you can see when we send your quote.
When to go
The climb runs year-round, but the experience changes a lot with the season. In spring and autumn the night is cool and comfortable for walking. In summer the walk is warm but the summit is still chilly before dawn. In winter, from December to February, the summit can be below freezing, and snow is not unheard of. Whatever the month, the summit is far colder than the coast, and many people are caught out by it.
What to bring
- Warm layers, more than you think you need: a fleece, a windproof jacket, a hat and gloves in winter.
- A torch or headlamp. The path is unlit.
- Good walking shoes with grip. The steps near the top are uneven.
- Water and a snack. The tea huts sell drinks, but not everything you might want.
- Cash for tea, blankets or a camel on the mountain.
From Sharm El Sheikh or Dahab?
Both work. Dahab is closer, so the night is a little shorter. Sharm El Sheikh is where most visitors stay, and the drive is still very manageable. If you are in Dahab, it is easy to combine the climb with a day of shore snorkelling at the Canyon and the Blue Hole. See the Blue Hole and Canyon Snorkelling Trip.
Making it part of a bigger trip
Many travellers come to Sinai for the sea and add Mount Sinai as their one cultural night. Others come after a Nile cruise, flying from Luxor or Aswan via Cairo to Sharm for a few days of beach time. If that is you, pair the climb with a boat day in Ras Mohammed National Park and an evening in town on the Sharm El Sheikh city tour.
Our Mount Sinai Sunrise Climb and St Catherine’s Monastery tour includes private transport from your hotel and a Bedouin guide on the mountain, and it is quoted on request. Send us your dates and we will check the monastery’s opening days for you.
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