Saint Catherine is a city in the South Sinai Governorate of Egypt. It is located at the outskirts of the El Tor Mountains at an elevation of 1,586 metres (5,203 ft), 120 kilometres (75 mi) away from Nuweiba, at the foot of Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine's Monastery. In 1994, its population was 4,603 people. Saint Catherine is a UNESCO world heritage site, officially declared as such in 2002.
- Oyon Mousa
- Lunch at Nuwbia
- Sunrise St.Catherine Mountain
- St.Catherine Monastery
Day 01:
Early in the morning, our private representative will be meeting you at the pick up point to embark on an unforgettable overnight tour of St. Catherine and Mount Sinai.
The drive to St. Catherine takes about 9-10 hrs, during which you will be stopping for Sightseeing of Oyun Musa (Moses Springs, عيون موسى)
The springs of Moses found 20 km South of the Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel in South Sinai, are a collection of fresh water springs said to be those in the area referred to as in Exodus.Then directly to St.Catherine via Nuwiba where we will get our lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch heading to St. Catherine, you will check in at your hotel, have dinner, and relax for the rest of the day.
Day 02:
Your tour begins on the 2nd day, in the very early morning at 01:00 am, when your guide will accompany you on a climb to the Sacred Mountain of Sinai to catch the sunrise over the desert at the place where Prophet Moses received the 10 Commandments. After you enjoy the sunrise among Sinai Mountains, you will climb down at about 7:00 am, when you will be guided to visit St. Catherine Monastery, which is a UNESCO world heritage site and an Orthodox Greek monastery that contains a citadel between its imposing walls. The monastery is incredibly rich in important religious and historical structures. Among its treasures is a library of ancient manuscripts and icons second only to the Vatican’s itself, and a 6th century church reputed to lie directly on the site of the Burning Bush. After your tour at the monastery, you’ll have breakfast at a hotel restaurant, then check out, we will drive you back to Cairo.
What is included in the tour
- Private tour of St Catherine Monastery and climbing Mount Sinai –
- Bedouin guide.
- Transportation in a private luxury vehicle.
- 1 night half-board accommodation in a hotel at St Catherine
- 1 Lunch during the tour.
- Entrance fees to all the attractions during the tour
What is NOT included in the tour
- Any meals/services not mentioned
- Any extra expenses
- Tips
- Soft Drinks
- Sleeping Bags
Some advice before you go hiking Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine protectorate:
Pack light
I believe that this the most precious advice I am giving you. Every gram you pack will make it harder especially at the stairs stage because this will affect your balance.
what to pack
Two 1.5 L bottles of water is enough. You can also pack one and buy the second for 20 EGP if you need it. Regarding the food you are going to need some snacks and chocolates or energy bars. but if you feel that you will get hungry don’t pack more than one meal.
you must also pack a torch (light) because if you are hiking predawn it is dark. even if you go during a full moon light there are narrow paths between hills which will always be dark.
what to wear
No matter when are you hiking the mountain you have to be prepared for cold weather and burning sun. for most of the year it is pretty cold at the summit and extremely hot sun during the morning. From the half of December to the half of February it gets snowy and more cold, so this is the only time of the year that you might not use the light clothes, but my advice that you take it in case.
hiking boots are the best to wear during the hike. But a good running sneakers will do it for you. Bedouins hike the mountain with something like leather flip flops but don’t try to do this because you will most likely injure your self and your feet will not tolerate the heat.
