Mount Saint Catherine Hiking: 5-Day Sinai Trek with Mount Serbal

This is a five-day hiking trip in the high mountains of South Sinai, based around the town of Saint Catherine. With an English-speaking Bedouin guide you trek through Wadi Zawatine, climb Mount Serbal and reach the summit of Mount Saint Catherine, the highest peak in Egypt. The trip also includes St. Catherine’s Monastery and a sunset climb of Mount Sinai. It departs every day, for a minimum of two people, from $1,075 per person.

How the days work

You fly into Sharm El Sheikh, where our representative meets you at the airport and drives you to Saint Catherine. The first afternoon includes a visit to St. Catherine’s Monastery. Day two is a trek through Wadi Zawatine, one of the valleys in the mountains around the town. On day three you hike up Mount Serbal, a separate massif to the west with its own jagged ridge line.

Day four is the main goal: the climb to the top of Mount Saint Catherine. On day five you return to the monastery and finish with a climb of Mount Sinai for the sunset. Nights are spent in desert camps on full board, and 4×4 transport covers the desert driving.

Who this trip suits

This is a walking holiday, not a sightseeing tour with short strolls. It suits people who hike at home, are used to several days on foot in a row and are comfortable on steep, rocky trails. Camp life is simple, so it works best for travelers who enjoy the outdoors more than hotel comforts. If you want to see the monastery without the hiking, the St. Catherine shore excursion from Sharm El Sheikh does it in a day.

Practical details

• Departures: every day, minimum two people.
• Guide: an English-speaking Bedouin guide.
• Meals: all meals from lunch on day one to lunch on the last day, plus soft drinks.
• Nights: desert camps on full board (Bedouin camp or similar).
• Also included: 4×4 transport in the desert, entrance fees to national parks and historical sites, and the official tourism permits.
• Not included: alcoholic drinks, sleeping bags, hiking boots, a flashlight and hiking poles, camel rides on Mount Sinai and tips.

Since sleeping bags and hiking gear are not provided, bring your own: broken-in hiking boots, a sleeping bag, a headlamp or flashlight and poles if you use them. Add layers for cold summits and evenings, a sun hat and sunscreen. Return transfer details after day five are confirmed when you book. To choose a good month for trekking, read our guide to the best season to visit Egypt, and our Egypt travel guide covers visas and planning. The Red Sea Egypt travel guide is useful if you want beach days in Sharm after the trek. For shorter options, see all our Sinai tours.

Comparing options? See also our Sinai Bedouin Camp 2 Days and Sinai 4-Day Tour.

Photos: View of the Sinai summits from Mount Sinai. Photo: Ahmed Azam / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Saint Catherine’s Monastery below the Sinai mountains. Photo: Berthold Werner / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · A full view of Saint Catherine’s Monastery. Photo: Dr. Ondřej Havelka (cestovatel) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 · Chapel on the summit of Mount Sinai. Photo: Florian Prischl / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0