Mount Sinai Sunrise Hike and St Catherine Monastery

Please Read This Before Booking

I honestly cannot recommend this excursion, and I strongly suggest that anyone considering booking it reads the full description below. The reality of this experience was very different from what we expected from the booking description. From the beginning, the experience was exhausting. The bus from Sharm El Sheikh was very small and cramped, and this was the case for both the journey there and the return journey. We spent approximately 3–4 hours travelling through the night, with only two toilet stops along the way. We were also the only Lebanese couple on our bus. The guide spent a significant amount of time speaking in Russian to the other passengers, sometimes explaining things for several minutes, but when it came to translating for us, the explanation was often less than two minutes. This made us feel that we were receiving a much less complete experience than the rest of the group. The "Gallery of St Catherine" One of the first stops was the so-called Gallery of St Catherine. Personally, this felt much more like a souvenir shop than a genuine cultural or religious stop. There were lots of things for sale, religious audio playing in the background and a strong emphasis on purchasing items. The booking stated that water was included, but we never received the included water. Whenever we wanted water, we had to pay for it. Before the flashlights were handed out for the hike, we were also given time where people were trying to sell things to us. When the lights were eventually distributed, we received only one flashlight per couple rather than one per person, which was not what we expected for a long overnight mountain hike. The hike itself The hike is far more demanding than I believe the booking description makes clear. You will be walking uphill for approximately 4+ hours during the night. Along the way there are camels, people repeatedly asking whether you want to ride, and shops at rest points. By the time you reach the final section, you are absolutely exhausted. At around five minutes from the summit, we were given approximately one hour to rest before continuing. The problem is that it was incredibly cold. Blankets were available to rent for around 200 Egyptian pounds, so this is another additional cost to be aware of. We had layers with us and still found the cold unbearable. There was also no proper place to sleep, so the supposed rest period was not really rest. By the time we reached the summit, we were so physically and mentally drained that it was difficult to actually enjoy the sunrise — which was supposed to be the highlight of the entire trip. The atmosphere was not what we expected Another thing that really affected our experience was the overall atmosphere. The majority of the group appeared to be Russian, and from our observation, many of the Russian guests did not seem particularly happy with different aspects of the excursion either. As Lebanese visitors, we also found it strange that so much of the experience was oriented around Russian-speaking visitors. We often felt like we were simply there rather than genuinely being included in the experience. The most confusing part for me was the religious aspect. We were told that if you wanted to see the bone/relic associated with St Catherine, you had to be Orthodox. I found the whole situation very difficult to understand, particularly because the experience itself felt heavily commercialised. I don't say this because of anyone's religion or nationality. The issue for me was the atmosphere. I had imagined visiting Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery as a meaningful, spiritual and historical experience. Instead, it felt like almost everything was connected to selling something, renting something, or paying extra for something. I simply couldn't feel the spiritual atmosphere I had expected. It felt more like a trade/tourist operation than a religious or cultural experience. ⚠️ Please understand what you are booking This is not a normal sightseeing excursion. You should be prepared for: 1. A very small and cramped bus for hours 2. Around 3–4 hours of overnight driving each way 3. Very limited toilet stops 4. A 4+ hour uphill night hike 5. Extreme cold near the summit 6. Very limited opportunity to sleep 7. One flashlight per couple, based on our experience 8. Camel and souvenir sellers throughout the trip Additional costs for things such as blankets and water 9. A physically demanding climb that is not suitable for young children 10. A difficult experience for anyone with a fear of heights 11. Proper hiking shoes are essential 12. Warm layers are absolutely essential 13. Our biggest disappointment! The problem isn't that the hike was difficult. We did expect a challenging hike. The problem is that we don't feel the booking description properly prepared us for the reality of the entire experience. If we had known beforehand about the cramped bus, hours of overnight driving, 4+ hour climb, extreme cold, lack of proper sleeping facilities, limited translation, water not actually being provided despite being included, one flashlight per couple, constant selling and additional costs, we would have made a very different decision. For us, this was genuinely one of the worst excursion experiences we've ever had. Please do your research before booking. Don't book this expecting a peaceful spiritual sunrise experience. Understand exactly what you're signing up for - because once you're there, you're committed to the entire overnight journey.

Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback. We are sorry to hear that the experience did not match your personal expectations. However, we would like to clarify for future guests that the tour description provides the key details of the experience, including the overnight journey from Sharm El Sheikh, the nature and duration of the Mount Sinai hike, the cold conditions at the summit, the need for suitable clothing and footwear, and the overall itinerary. Mount Sinai is a challenging mountain hike and is not presented as a conventional sightseeing excursion. The conditions, walking distance, overnight timing, and physical nature of the experience are important parts of what guests are booking. Regarding the flashlight, our Bedouin guides provide one flashlight for every two guests during the climb, as is standard for this experience. We also regret that you felt the guided explanations were not sufficient for you, and we will take this feedback into consideration. As for the water mentioned as included, this is a simple service item that we will review with our team, as included items should of course be provided as stated. We respect that every traveler has different expectations and preferences, but we believe it is important that future guests understand that Mount Sinai is a physically demanding overnight mountain experience rather than a relaxed sightseeing tour. Thank you again for your feedback.

via Viator

Jabal mousa mount sinai st Katherine trip

Fantastic customer service. Excellent communication and great guide. Driver was amazing. Overall awesome experience i would highly recommend them to everyone. Price was fair and just. We spent more time than usual and they were very patient and understanding.

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Great

It was really nice everything was just yo the top standart , the guide is patient ,answers all of the questions , expierience was fantastic

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St Catreina

Maritim Jolie Ville .The thei was perfect The ghid Mohamed she îs The best

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S.cathrin

Many thanks to Mohamed for a wonderful tour of the monastery of St. Catherine.

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