A short escape from Cairo that pairs the Red Sea with the most famous sunrise in Egypt. You drive to Sharm El Sheikh in the morning and spend the afternoon at the all-inclusive Hilton Sharks Bay Resort. In the evening a car takes you to Mount Sinai, Moses Mountain, where you climb through the night with a Bedouin guide to watch the sun rise over the Sinai mountains from the 2,285 m summit, then visit St Catherine’s Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before the drive back.

Duration
2 Days / 1 Night
Hotel
Hilton Sharks Bay, all-inclusive
Highlight
Sunrise on Mount Sinai
Price for
2 adults
The walls of St Catherine’s Monastery below the Sinai mountains
Panorama of the Sinai mountains from Mount Sinai
The desert road through the rocky peaks of South Sinai

Tour Highlights

  • Sunrise from the summit of Mount Sinai
  • St Catherine’s Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • An all-inclusive night at Hilton Sharks Bay Resort
  • Egyptologist guide and a Bedouin guide for the climb
  • All transfers from and back to Cairo

Day-by-Day Itinerary

1

Day 1: Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh, then the drive to Mount Sinai

Leave Cairo at 5:00 AM in an air-conditioned vehicle and reach your hotel in Sharm El Sheikh at about 12:00 PM. Check in and enjoy the resort and its all-inclusive meals. Between 8:00 and 9:00 PM you are picked up from the hotel for the drive to the Mount Sinai area, about 4 hours.

  • 5:00 AM departure from Cairo
  • Hilton Sharks Bay Resort, all-inclusive
  • Evening pickup, 8:00–9:00 PM
  • Drive to Mount Sinai, about 4 hours
2

Day 2: Mount Sinai sunrise, St Catherine’s Monastery & back to Cairo

Start the climb at about 2:00 AM. The summit is 2,285 m above sea level and the final stretch has around 750 steps; the ascent takes 2 to 3 hours depending on your pace. Watch the sunrise, take your time at the top, then come down in about 2 hours and rest. Visit St Catherine’s Monastery, its icons and manuscripts as far as the areas open to visitors allow, then drive back to Sharm El Sheikh for the transfer to Cairo, planned at 2:00 PM.

  • Climb from about 2:00 AM with a Bedouin guide
  • Sunrise at the summit
  • St Catherine’s Monastery
  • Transfer back to Cairo, planned at 2:00 PM

What is Included

Included in the price

  • Transfers from and back to your hotel in Cairo
  • Transfers to and from the hotel in Sharm El Sheikh
  • 1 night at Hilton Sharks Bay Resort
  • Breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and snacks, as per the hotel’s all-inclusive plan
  • Mount Sinai climb at sunrise and a visit to St Catherine’s Monastery
  • Professional Egyptologist guide on the excursion
  • Bedouin guide for the climb
  • All transfers in a clean air-conditioned vehicle

Not included

  • Camel ride up the mountain (optional)
  • Tips for the guide and driver
  • Personal expenses
  • Anything not listed as included

Good to Know

Bring warm layers: the summit is cold before dawn, even in summer. St Catherine’s Monastery keeps its own visiting hours and closes on some religious holidays, so we check your date before you book.
Price for 2 adults
$595
Total for 2 adults sharing a room ($297.50 per person). Message us with your dates.
Prices vary by season and are subject to availability.

Ahmose Travel is an Egyptian tour operator based in Alexandria, Egypt that arranges these trips directly. Message us on WhatsApp at +20 127 530 7375 or visit ahmosetravel.com.

Photos: “جبل موسى” by Mohammed Moussa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · “Katharinenkloster Sinai BW 2” by Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · “MtSinaiPano” by Jimsey2 at English Wikipedia, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · “Sinai, Egypt, Road through the desert landscape, rocky peaks and valleys” by Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Planning more of your trip? Every tour is private or small-group and can be combined into one itinerary.

All Saint Catherine tours · Mount Sinai from Sharm El Sheikh · Mount Sinai & St Catherine, 2 days from Cairo · All day tours in Egypt · Contact Ahmose Travel