In short
- From Sharm El Sheikh the drive to Mount Sinai is 215.6 km, about 3 h 10 min without traffic.
- From Dahab it is 129 km, about 2 h 6 min without traffic.
- Both tours climb at night to reach the summit for sunrise, then visit St Catherine's Monastery, with its entry included.
- The Sharm El Sheikh tour lists a Bedouin guide for the climb and ends with an optional lunch and market time in Dahab.
- UNESCO inscribed the Saint Catherine Area on its World Heritage list in 2002.
The climb happens in the dark. You are collected at your hotel, driven to Mount Sinai at night, and climb so that you reach the summit for sunrise. Then you visit St Catherine's Monastery and drive back. Our tour from Sharm El Sheikh returns by way of Dahab for lunch and the markets; the tour from Dahab has the shorter drive.
The two Mount Sinai tours compared
| What the tour lists | From Sharm El Sheikh | From Dahab |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Private, just your group | Private, just your group |
| Pickup | Your hotel in Sharm El Sheikh | Your hotel in Dahab |
| Drive to Mount Sinai | 215.6 km, about 3 h 10 min without traffic | 129 km, about 2 h 6 min without traffic |
| Guides | English-speaking tour guide, plus a Bedouin guide for the climb | English-speaking tour guide |
| Vehicle | Modern air-conditioned vehicle | Private air-conditioned vehicle |
| Monastery entry | Included | Included |
| After the monastery | Drive to Dahab, optional lunch, local markets, drive back to Sharm El Sheikh | Drive back to Dahab |
| Water | A bottle of mineral water | Bottled water |
| Not included | Lunch, extras, personal expenses, tips | Extras, personal expenses, optional activities |
From Sharm El Sheikh, step by step
- Hotel pickup in Sharm El Sheikh. The listing gives no pickup time, so ask for it when you book through our contact page.
- Night drive to Mount Sinai across the Sinai Desert: 215.6 km, about 3 h 10 min without traffic.
- The climb with a Bedouin guide, reaching the summit for sunrise. Mount Sinai is traditionally held to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments.
- St Catherine's Monastery, built under Emperor Justinian I. It holds what is believed to be the Burning Bush.
- Drive to Dahab: 128.6 km from St Catherine's, about 1 h 36 min without traffic.
- Lunch and markets in Dahab. Lunch at a seaside restaurant is optional and not included; the markets sell handmade crafts, jewelry and souvenirs.
- Drive back to your hotel: 99.7 km from Dahab, about 85 min without traffic.
A Bedouin guide for the climb, the monastery entry, a bottle of mineral water, and taxes and service charges are included. Other days out from the resort are compared in Sharm El Sheikh day trips: Tiran, the desert or Mount Sinai?
