Mount Sinai sunrise private climb and monastery tour

Climb Mount Sinai at night to watch the sunrise from the summit

A private Mount Sinai and St. Catherine's Monastery tour from Sharm el Sheikh begins with hotel pickup at 8pm, then a three-hour drive to the mountain's base. You climb at night with a Bedouin guide, reaching the summit in time for sunrise. Afterward, you visit St. Catherine's Monastery to tour the church, grounds and its collection of illuminated manuscripts and icons dating back to the 6th century.

Step-by-step itinerary

Mount Sinai sunrise and monastery visit

• Pick up from hotel at 8 PM
• Travel to Mount Sinai base
• Climb Mount Sinai at night
• Watch sunrise at summit
• Visit Chapel of the Holy Trinity
• Tour St. Catherine's Monastery grounds
• Visit monastery church and library

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your hotel at 8pm and a three-hour drive to Mount Sinai. Once at the base, you begin the night climb with your Bedouin guide, ascending in darkness to arrive at the Chapel of the Holy Trinity just as dawn breaks. The summit sits at a height where the sunrise unfolds across the desert landscape below. Mount Sinai, also called Mount Moses, is believed to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments. The climb itself is the core of the experience, not a spectator event.

After sunrise, you descend and travel to St. Catherine's Monastery, one of the oldest continuously inhabited monasteries in the world. Built in the 6th century at the foot of Mount Sinai, it is named after St. Catherine of Alexandria and stands as a World Heritage Site. You tour the grounds, enter the church, and see the monastery's library collection of illuminated manuscripts and icons: some among the oldest surviving copies of biblical texts. The visit is guided, so you learn the history and religious significance of the site as you move through it.

The full tour runs about eight hours from pickup to drop-off. You can rent a camel for the climb if you prefer not to walk the entire ascent, though this is arranged separately and costs extra. An air-conditioned vehicle handles all transport between Sharm el Sheikh and the mountain, and your guide speaks English throughout the climb and monastery visit.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• entry to Mount Sinai and St. Catherine's Monastery.
• a Bedouin guide who speaks English and leads you up the mountain and through the monastery grounds.

Before you book

Lasts 8h, runs every day at 20:00 and 21:00, from US$ 210 per person, with a live guide in English, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 20:00 and 21:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Under 12: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats available

Operated by Etro tours

Is this one for you?This is a private tour, so you travel with your own guide and vehicle rather than joining a group. Choose it if you want the flexibility to set your own pace on the climb and prefer not to coordinate with other travelers. The night ascent and sunrise timing are fixed, but everything else moves at your speed.

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Top questions

What is Mount Sinai and why do people climb it?

Mount Sinai, also known as Mount Moses, is a mountain in the Sinai Peninsula believed to be the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments according to the Old Testament. It is a significant pilgrimage site for Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and visitors climb to the summit to experience the sunrise and visit the Chapel of the Holy Trinity at the top.

How long does the climb take and what is it like at night?

The climb happens at night with your Bedouin guide, and you reach the summit in time to watch the sunrise. The total drive from Sharm el Sheikh to the mountain base is three hours, then the climb itself takes several hours depending on your pace and fitness level.

What can you see inside St. Catherine's Monastery?

St. Catherine's Monastery houses a library with over 4,000 manuscripts, including some of the oldest surviving copies of the Bible and works of classical Greek and Roman literature. You tour the church, walk the grounds, and view the collection of illuminated manuscripts and icons that span centuries of religious history.

Can I ride a camel instead of walking up Mount Sinai?

Yes, camel rides are available for rent during the climb, though this is an optional add-on arranged separately and costs extra beyond the tour price.

What time does the tour start and when do I return to my hotel?

Hotel pickup begins at 8pm, and the full tour lasts approximately eight hours, so you return to your hotel in the early afternoon after visiting St. Catherine's Monastery.