Hiking in Sinai: The Sinai Trail, Bedouin Guides and the St Catherine Mountains

What is hiking in Sinai like?

Sinai hiking means walking with a Bedouin guide through a high, dry granite landscape of red and grey peaks, narrow wadis and hidden walled gardens, sleeping in simple camps or under the stars. The heart of it is the St Catherine Protectorate, a protected area of about 4,350 square kilometres around the town of St Catherine and its 6th-century monastery. The town sits at about 1,600 metres, so the air is noticeably cooler than on the coast.

Trails are mostly unmarked footpaths and old camel tracks, rocky rather than technical. Camels often carry food, water and bedding on multi-day trips. Evenings are spent around a fire with sweet tea and bread baked in the embers, and the night sky, with no light pollution, is extraordinary. It is a very different Egypt from the temples and the Nile, and a natural extension of a Red Sea stay.

Travel advice for the Sinai Peninsula differs between regions and from the rest of Egypt, and it can change. Check Smartraveller for the areas you plan to visit before you book, and again before you go.

What is the Sinai Trail?

The Sinai Trail is Egypt's first long-distance hiking trail, a community project run by Bedouin tribes, which first opened in 2015 and has since been extended to roughly 550 km. The original route ran for about 220 km over 12 days from the Gulf of Aqaba coast near Nuweiba to the high mountains around St Catherine, and was managed by three tribes: the Tarabin, Muzeina and Jebeleya. The extended network passes through the lands of more tribes, and each section is guided by the tribe whose territory it crosses, so the income stays local.

Few people walk the whole trail. Most hikers choose a section of three to seven days, and the most popular are in the high mountains, where you climb peaks, sleep in Bedouin gardens and finish at Mount Catherine. Treks are organised through the trail's own team and through local Bedouin operators, with dates for group departures and private trips on request. Route details change as the project develops, so check the current itinerary before you commit.

The trail is also a cultural experience: guides explain plants used as medicine, how water is found and shared, and tribal customs. Our Bedouin culture guide is good background reading.

The best day hikes around St Catherine

With two or three nights in St Catherine you can climb Mount Sinai for sunrise, hike to Mount Catherine and walk the gardens of Wadi el-Arbaeen, each a full or half day.

• Mount Sinai (Jebel Musa), about 2,285 m: the famous night climb by the camel path, finishing up the Steps of Repentance for sunrise. Our Mount Sinai guide covers routes, timing and what to bring. Climbing in the late afternoon for sunset is quieter.
• Wadi el-Arbaeen and the Monastery of the Forty: an easy half-day walk from town to a small monastery and its olive and fruit garden, at the start of the route up Mount Catherine.
• Mount Catherine (Jebel Katherina), about 2,629 m: Egypt's highest mountain, a long day of roughly 6–8 hours return from Wadi el-Arbaeen, or done over two days with a night in a garden on the way. A small chapel stands on the summit, and on clear days you can see both gulfs.
• Jebel Abbas Basha: a peak of about 2,380 m topped by the unfinished palace of a 19th-century Egyptian ruler, reached through Bedouin gardens; a full day with fine views of the high peaks.
• The gardens circuit: one- to three-day loops linking walled Bedouin orchards of almonds, apricots and figs in the high wadis, with nights at simple garden camps.

Combine the hikes with a morning at St Catherine's Monastery, checking its limited opening days first.

Why do you need a Bedouin guide?

Hiking in the St Catherine Protectorate without a local Bedouin guide is not permitted, and guides are arranged through the local tribe's system so that work is shared fairly. Around St Catherine the guides are mostly from the Jebeleya tribe, whose ancestors have lived around the monastery for centuries. Your guide registers the hike with the authorities, knows the water sources and the weather, and can arrange camels, food and camps.

A good guide also makes the walk: they know which gardens belong to which families, where to find shade at noon and how to read the mountains. For multi-day trips, a camel and cameleer usually join to carry the loads. Expect to tip at the end of the trip, as you would on any guided trek; our tipping in Egypt guide has typical amounts.

When is the best time to hike in Sinai?

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are best, with warm days and cool nights in the mountains. At St Catherine's altitude, temperatures are roughly 10°C lower than on the coast.

• Spring and autumn: day temperatures of about 20–28°C in the mountains, nights around 5–12°C. Ideal for multi-day treks.
• Winter (December to February): crisp, clear days but nights well below freezing on the peaks, and snow is possible on Mount Catherine. Day hikes are fine with proper gear; camping needs a four-season bag.
• Summer (June to August): hot in the lower wadis, though the high mountains remain bearable early and late. Start at dawn and rest through the middle of the day.

Flash floods after rare heavy rain are a genuine hazard in the wadis, mainly from autumn to spring. Guides watch the weather and avoid narrow canyons when storms threaten.

Because the seasons are reversed, a Sinai trek in April or October fits neatly around Australian school holidays, while the December and January holidays land in the cold season: still very hikeable, but pack for alpine nights.

What to pack and how fit you need to be

You need reasonable fitness for 5–8 hours of rocky walking with climbs of up to about 1,000 metres; the bigger challenge is the cold at night and the altitude-dry air. Bring well-worn hiking boots with good grip, a warm down jacket, beanie and gloves in all but high summer, a sleeping bag rated to around 0°C (or colder in winter), sun hat, sunglasses, lip balm and high-factor sunscreen.

• Water: carry 2–3 litres per day; guides know springs and wells but supply is not guaranteed. Bring purification tablets or a filter bottle.
• Clothing: modest, loose layers suit both the climate and local custom; cover shoulders and knees, especially in villages and at the monastery.
• Insurance: check that your policy covers trekking in Sinai and evacuation from remote areas, and that the region is not excluded under current travel advice.

If you want something gentler, the Coloured Canyon near Nuweiba is a two- to three-hour slot-canyon walk, and the coastal path from the Blue Hole to Ras Abu Galum is an easy half day. On the mainland, the Red Sea Mountain Trail in the Eastern Desert behind Hurghada is a newer Bedouin-run trail on the same model; check its current operation before planning around it.