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Voykit pocket guide · Egypt
Mount Sinai
جبل موسى
Go for one night: climb Gebel Musa by night for sunrise, see St. Catherine's Monastery at 9:00, then leave. Two nights only if you add Mount Catherine.
Mount Sinai (Gebel Musa, 2,285 m) is a pilgrimage mountain, not a town. Almost everyone arrives on a night tour from Dahab or Sharm el-Sheikh, climbs two to three hours in the dark and watches sunrise from the summit, then visits the UNESCO-listed Monastery of St. Catherine at the foot before driving back. One night covers it; the village of el-Milga has the beds, and the nearest airport is Sharm el-Sheikh.
- Country
- Egypt
- Local name
- جبل موسى
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (desert heat), Jan–Feb nights (subzero at the summit)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EGP
- Money
- Currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP, also written LE or £E). Hotels, cruise boats and larger restaurants take cards; taxis, markets, small cafés, tips and toilet attendants are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget EGP 700–1,200 excl. bed · Mid EGP 1,200–2,500 excl. bed · High EGP 2,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Orange, Etisalat (e&) and WE sell tourist SIMs at Cairo airport with passport; about EGP 500–1,000 for 20–40 GB — check.
- Emergency
- Police 122 · Ambulance 123 · Tourist police 126
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European round-pin sockets.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% even when service is added (it rarely reaches staff).; Guide, full day: US$10–20 per person.; Driver, full day: US$5–10.; Cruise crew: About US$5–10 per person per day in the envelope.; Toilet, porter, small help: EGP 10–30.
- Water
- Tap water is chlorinated in cities but most visitors drink bottled; do not drink Nile water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; attendants at sites expect EGP 10–20. Carry tissue.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Tea at the Elijah's Hollow teahouse | EGP 20–50 |
| Simple meal in el-Milga | EGP 100–250 |
| Monastery museum donation | EGP 25 |
| Protected-area entry fee | EGP 17 adults / EGP 10 students |
| Camel ride on the Camel Path | EGP 200–400 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SSH · Sharm el-Sheikh International
- About 230 km (143 mi) and 3 h by road; the closest airport with passenger traffic.About 143 mi (230 km) and 3 h by road; the closest airport with passenger traffic.
Typical fares
- Dahab → trailhead minibus, one way
- about US$5
- Taxi Dahab or Nuweiba → St. Catherine
- from about EGP 200
- Night tour from Dahab, minibus plus guide
- about US$15–30 per person
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
On foot or by camel. Two routes leave the monastery valley: the steep Steps of Penitence (about 3,750 steps, 45 min to 3 h) and the wider Camel Path (about 2.5 h on foot). Both meet at Elijah's Hollow, then a final 750 steps to the top. A local guide is required; the trails are poorly signposted at night. Cars and minibuses stay in the village.
See and do
Known for
- Sunrise climb of Gebel Musa
- Monastery of St. Catherine (UNESCO, 2002)
- Chapel of the Burning Bush
- Bedouin camps in el-Milga
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Dahab | Minibus or shared car over the mountains | About 2 h |
| Nuweiba | Road via the coast | About 2 h |
| Sharm el-Sheikh | Road, 230 km (143 mi)Road, 143 mi (230 km) | About 3 h |
| Mount Catherine | Trek from the monastery via the monastery of the 40 Martyrs | 5–6 h up |
Sleep
- el-Milga / St. Catherine village
- Guesthouses, camps and the two- and three-star hotels, 2–5 km (1.2–3.1 mi) from the monastery gate; the practical base for a night climb.Guesthouses, camps and the two- and three-star hotels, 1.2–3.1 mi (2–5 km) from the monastery gate; the practical base for a night climb.
- Monastery guesthouse
- Rooms outside the monastery walls, breakfast and dinner included; book ahead, it is small.
- On the mountain
- Mattresses and blankets can be rented near the summit for a few pounds; cleanliness varies. Not a substitute for a bed in winter.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | شكراًshukran |
| How much is it? | بكام؟bekam |
| Where is the path? | فين الطريق؟fein el-tari'? |
| I need a guide | أحتاج مرشدahtag murshid |
| Water, please | مياه، لو سمحتmayya, law samaht |
| No, thank you | لا شكراًla shukran |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Salam alaykum', handshake; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging strangers
- Eating: Right hand; accept tea; avoid: Refusing hospitality flatly
- Bargaining: Humour and patience; avoid: Anger
- Dress: Shoulders and knees covered in cities; avoid: Beachwear outside resorts
- Baksheesh: Keep small notes ready; avoid: Showing a thick wallet
- Photos: Ask; pay if agreed; avoid: Photographing police or military
Scams and watch-outs
- A local guide is required for the climb; agree the price before you start.
- The monastery opens to visitors 9:00–12:00 only, and closes Fridays, Sundays and Greek Orthodox holidays — plan the climb so you come down in time.
- Summit nights are near freezing in winter, with snow possible; bring layers and a torch.
- The Sinai interior has had security incidents and checkpoints; access can be cut off without notice. Check your government's advisory and go with a tour or a known driver.
- Cash only in the village: bring Egyptian pounds, ATMs are unreliable.
The mountain itself is a walking risk, not a crime risk: cold, dark, uneven rock and camels. The bigger question is the road in — the Sinai interior has a history of attacks and checkpoints, so travel with a tour or a known driver and check your government's advisory before booking.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Mount Sinai yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Sunrise climb of Gebel Musa
- Monastery of St. Catherine (UNESCO, 2002)
- Chapel of the Burning Bush
- Bedouin camps in el-Milga
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Egyptian Tourism Authority: egypt.travel/
- Wikivoyage: Mount Sinai, revision 5204866 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5204866
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Mount Sinaiجبل موسى
إلى قرية سانت كاترين، لو سمحت
To St. Catherine village, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in the Sinai interior; the US, UK and most others run embassies in Cairo and a consulate in Sharm el-Sheikh (check).
Carry your passport: checkpoints on the road in and out ask for it.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/mount-sinai). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.