Mount Sinai Sunrise Ascent & St. Catherine's from Sharm El Sheikh

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.

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),

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

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 !!