Mount Sinai (Mount Moses) Sunrise Climb

Mount Sinai, known in Arabic as Jebel Musa or Mount Moses, rises to 2,285 metres near the town of St Catherine in the high mountains of South Sinai, Egypt, about 220 km from Sharm El Sheikh. It is a sacred site for Christians, Muslims and Jews, who associate it with the giving of the Ten Commandments, and a sunrise climb is one of the most memorable excursions from the resort. Tours leave Sharm El Sheikh hotels in the evening, travel through the desert by bus, and reach the foot of the mountain around midnight. The climb typically begins about 02:00 so that walkers reach the summit before dawn. There are two routes: the long camel path, a gentler track of about 2 to 3 hours, and the Steps of Repentance, around 3,750 stone steps carved into the rock by monks, which is steeper but shorter. Camels can be hired for much of the way up the path for a fee, though the final stretch of around 700 steps is on foot. At the top there is a small chapel and a mosque, and visitors wait in the cold for sunrise, when the surrounding granite peaks turn pink and orange. Descent often passes the Monastery of Saint Catherine nearby, depending on the tour. The experience lasts overnight, about 12 to 14 hours in total. Tours cost around EGP 1,500-2,500, with a local guide fee of about EGP 300-500 required at the start. Temperatures at the summit can be near freezing even in spring, so warm layers, a headlamp, sturdy shoes, a blanket for rent and water are important. The best photographs are taken from the summit at first light and from the descent on the steps in morning sun. Crowds are heaviest at the top just before sunrise, and the trail can be busy in peak seasons, so starting a little earlier or later spreads the crowds. The climb requires a reasonable level of fitness.