Sinai 4-Day Tour: Colored Canyon, Desert Camps and Mount Sinai Sunrise

This four-day tour starts in Sharm El Sheikh and takes you across South Sinai to Saint Catherine. You explore Wadi Ghazala and the Colored Canyon, sleep at a camp in Ein Khudra oasis, see the White Canyon and the Nawamis tombs, and finish with a sunrise climb of Mount Sinai and a visit to St. Catherine’s Monastery. It runs every day, with prices from $890 per person.

How the days work

Day one is for arriving. Our representative meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel in Sharm, and the rest of the day is yours. On day two a 4×4 heads into the desert for Wadi Ghazala and the Colored Canyon, a narrow gorge with walls in bands of red, yellow and purple rock. That night you camp at Ein Khudra oasis, with full board.

Day three takes you to the White Canyon and then the Nawamis, round stone tombs built thousands of years ago, before you reach the Saint Catherine area. The program also lists the monastery on this day, and you spend the night camping in the countryside near Saint Catherine, again with full board. On day four you start the Mount Sinai climb in the dark so you reach the top for sunrise. Back down, you visit St. Catherine’s Monastery and then transfer to the airport for your flight.

What you will see

• Wadi Ghazala and the Colored Canyon: layered rock walls and tight passages you walk through on foot.
• White Canyon: a pale sandstone valley on the road toward Saint Catherine.
• Nawamis tombs: some of the oldest stone buildings in Sinai.
• Mount Sinai at sunrise: the view over the surrounding peaks as the light comes up.
• St. Catherine’s Monastery: a working monastery at the foot of the mountain, still home to Greek Orthodox monks.

Who this trip suits

The tour suits travelers who want more than a beach stay and are happy to spend two nights in simple desert camps. The Mount Sinai climb is a steady uphill walk on a rocky path, done before dawn, so you need reasonable fitness and good shoes. If you only have one free day in Sharm, the St. Catherine shore excursion from Sharm El Sheikh is the shorter way to see the monastery. If you add extra nights by the sea, the Ras Mohammed snorkeling trip from Sharm pairs well with this tour.

Practical details

• Departures: every day.
• Accommodation: one night in Sharm El Sheikh with breakfast (Maritim Jolie Ville Resort & Casino or similar), one night camping at Ein Khudra oasis and one night camping near Saint Catherine (Sheikh Mousa Bedouin Camp or similar).
• Getting around: private air-conditioned vehicle, with 4×4 jeeps in the desert and a private English-speaking guide.
• Included: entrance fees for the listed sites, meals as stated in the itinerary, bottled water and taxes.
• Not included: Egypt visa, optional tours, personal spending and tips.

Bring warm clothes for the summit and the camp nights, a flashlight or headlamp for the night climb, walking shoes with good grip and sunscreen. Prices differ between summer and winter and by room type; the season dates are confirmed when you book. Our guide to the best season to visit Egypt helps you pick your dates, and the Red Sea Egypt travel guide covers Sharm itself. See more trips like this on our Sinai tours page.

Comparing options? See also our Sinai Bedouin Camp 2 Days and Mount Saint Catherine Hiking.

Photos: Path through the Colored Canyon in Sinai. Photo: Tanya Dedyukhina / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 · Red rock layers in the Colored Canyon, Sinai. Photo: Tanya Dedyukhina / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 · Narrow sandstone walls of the Colored Canyon, Sinai. Photo: Tanya Dedyukhina / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 · Sunrise over the mountains from Mount Sinai. Photo: Mohammed Moussa / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Saint Catherine’s Monastery, Mount Sinai morning. Photo: Abraham / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chapel on the summit of Mount Sinai. Photo: Florian Prischl / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0