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Sharm El Sheikh · St Catherine, South Sinai mountains
A 6th-century Greek Orthodox monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai, the oldest Christian monastery still used for its original purpose.
St Catherine's Monastery is a Greek Orthodox monastery in a narrow valley at the northern foot of Mount Sinai, in the mountains of South Sinai, more than 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) above sea level. Founded in the 6th century, it is the oldest Christian monastery still in use for its original purpose, and its walls enclose what tradition holds to be the site of the Burning Bush seen by Moses.
Mount Sinai, which Muslims call Jebel Musa, rises to 7,497 feet (2,285 meters) and is held in Judaism, Christianity and Islam to be the mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments. UNESCO inscribed the Saint Catherine Area, 60,100 hectares around the monastery and the mountain, as a World Heritage site in 2002.
The bush growing at the monastery is traditionally held to be the Burning Bush. The Chapel of the Holy Bush, at the east end of the basilica, is the oldest shrine in the monastery, and pilgrims enter it without shoes. Inside the walls, visitors may enter the church and the area beside it.
At 2,285 meters the summit holds the Chapel of the Holy Trinity, completed in 1935, and a mosque. Two routes climb to it: the 6th-century Steps of Repentance, some 3,750 steps, and the gentler Camel Trail of the mid-19th century; both share the last 750 steps.
Most climbers set off up the Camel Trail in the early hours to see the sunrise from the peak. The whole climb takes five to seven hours, and the temperature drops sharply at night.
| Monday to Thursday and Saturday | 9:00 am to 11:30 am |
|---|---|
| Friday, Sunday and Greek Orthodox feast days | Closed |
Mount Sinai itself has no opening hours: climbs usually start at night to reach the summit for sunrise.
The monastery's own website, read October 2026
| From Sharm El Sheikh hotels (to Mount Sinai) | 215.6 km · about 3 h 10 min |
|---|---|
| From Dahab hotels (to Mount Sinai) | 129 km · about 2 h 6 min |
Without traffic, from our tours' map routing
Our tours from Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab drive to the foot of Mount Sinai for a night climb to see the sunrise, then visit the monastery, 9.3 km away. Entry to the monastery is included on both. From Sharm El Sheikh the climb is led by a Bedouin guide, and the day ends in Dahab with time at the local markets and an optional lunch.
From 9:00 am to 11:30 am, except on Fridays, Sundays and Greek Orthodox feast days, when it is closed, per the monastery's own website.
Between five and seven hours up and down, by the monastery's reckoning. The Camel Trail is longer but gentler; the Steps of Repentance, some 3,750 steps, are shorter but steep.
7,497 feet (2,285 meters) above sea level. Nearby Mount Catherine rises to 8,668 feet (2,642 meters).
It was founded in 527 by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, and its building dates from 530 CE. UNESCO calls it the oldest Christian monastery still in use for its original function.
A bush growing at the Chapel of the Holy Bush, at the east end of the monastery church, is traditionally held to be the Burning Bush; the chapel is the oldest shrine in the monastery.
Yes. Both our Mount Sinai tours, from Sharm El Sheikh and from Dahab, include the entrance fee to St Catherine's Monastery.
Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Encyclopaedia Britannica; Holy Monastery of St Catherine, Sinai; Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency; UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
Day tours
Guides
Mount Sinai at night: how the sunrise climb runsThe night drive, the climb for sunrise, the monastery and the road back, from Sharm El Sheikh or Dahab.
Sharm El Sheikh day trips: Tiran, the desert or Mount Sinai?A boat day, a desert ride, an evening in Old Sharm, a night climb or a flight: Sharm day tours compared.
Dahab day trips: the Blue Hole, Mount Sinai or Cairo?Snorkeling and a desert ride near town, a night climb, or a flight to Cairo: three days from Dahab.