Why Mount Sinai is famous
According to the Book of Exodus, God appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai, also called Horeb, and gave him the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone. Jabal Musa, near the town of Saint Catherine, is the mountain that Christian tradition has venerated as that biblical Sinai since at least the early 4th century, and the Quran also refers to the mount, as Ṭūr Sīnāʾ and aṭ-Ṭūr, with the sacred valley of Tuwa next to it. Jewish tradition did not preserve the exact location, and scholars have proposed other candidates, but this is the mountain that pilgrims have climbed for some 1,700 years.
On the summit stand the Greek Orthodox Chapel of the Holy Trinity, built in 1934 on the ruins of a 16th-century church and enclosing the rock regarded as the source of the tablets, and a small mosque. Under a rock just north of the chapel is the cave where Moses is said to have waited forty days and nights. The chapels on the mountain are normally locked; the mosque is open. Jabal Musa is not the highest summit around: it is surrounded by higher peaks, including Mount Catherine (2,629 m) a few kilometres to the south-west.
Saint Catherine's Monastery
At the northern foot of the mountain, at about 1,570 m in Wadi ed-Deir, stands the fortified monastery built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I between about 548 and 565 around the chapel of the Burning Bush. Its granite walls are 12–15 m high and about 2 m thick. A bramble inside is venerated as the bush in which God spoke to Moses, and the Well of Moses, where he is said to have met his future wife Zipporah, still supplies the monastery with water. The relics of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, found according to tradition on the mountain that now bears her name, gave the monastery its present name; inside the walls there is also a Fatimid mosque from 1106.
The monastery is the oldest Christian monastery still serving its original function, and its library, founded under Justinian, is recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest continuously operating library in the world. Its collection of early manuscripts is second only to the Vatican's. Here Constantin von Tischendorf found the 4th-century Codex Sinaiticus in 1844 and 1859, and Agnes Smith Lewis discovered the Syriac Sinaiticus palimpsest in 1892. The church holds some 2,000 icons, among them the earliest known image of Christ Pantocrator, and a mosaic of the Transfiguration. The monastery and the mountains around it were inscribed as the Saint Catherine Area World Heritage Site in 2002. About two dozen monks, mostly Greek, live there today.
Visitors are usually admitted only in the morning, roughly 9:00 to noon, and the monastery is closed on Fridays, Sundays and Greek Orthodox holidays; hours change, so check locally. Dress modestly; robes can be rented.
Where it is and how to get there
The mountain lies in the South Sinai Governorate, inside the Saint Katherine Protectorate, a national park created in 1988. The small town of Saint Catherine, at about 1,586 m, is the base, with Bedouin camps, guesthouses, hotels and the monastery guesthouse. The nearest airport with regular passenger flights is Sharm el-Sheikh, about 230 km and three hours by road; Dahab is about 133 km (two hours) and Nuweiba about 120 km away. Most visitors come on night tours from the Red Sea resorts that arrive at the foot of the mountain around 1 a.m. Public transport is thin: as of mid-2025 there were minibuses from Dahab used mainly by night-trip passengers and a daily minibus to Suez, and timetables change often.
The ascent: Camel Path and Steps of Repentance
The climb from the monastery to the summit gains about 700 m. Two routes start behind the monastery; their entrances are poorly signposted, so stay with your guide, especially at night.
- The Camel Path (Siket El Bashait), a wide, winding track built in the 19th century on the orders of the Egyptian ruler Abbas I, is the gentler route: about 2.5 hours on foot. Camels can be hired for most of the way, but riders must dismount about a kilometre before the top, and for most people walking is faster than the roughly three-hour ride.
- The Steps of Repentance (Siket Sayidna Musa) climb the ravine directly behind the monastery: about 3,750 steps carved from the rock by monks (some sources count around 3,100). Fit walkers take 45 minutes, others up to three hours. The path passes the Chapel of the Virgin and the cave church of the Prophet Elijah. It is steep and uneven, and many people prefer to use it for the descent in daylight, which is just as hard on the knees.
Both routes join in a natural amphitheatre known as Elijah's Basin, or the Hollow of the Seventy Elders, where a tea house offers a rest. From there the last 750 steps take about 30 minutes to the summit. No climbing equipment is needed, but a torch is essential at night, and the top is crowded at sunrise; for a quieter visit, go up in the afternoon and watch the sunset instead.
Rules, guides and costs
Hiking Mount Sinai with a guide is mandatory. Guides from the local Jebeliya Bedouin are hired at the start of the trails near the monastery, and night tours from Dahab or Sharm el-Sheikh include one. As of June 2025, a minibus from Dahab plus a guide could be arranged for around US$15–30 per person, depending on whether you book through an agency; guide fees at the trailhead are negotiable and lower by day. Entry to the protectorate is subject to a fee. At the summit, simple mattresses and blankets can be rented for those who sleep on the mountain. Remember that this is a holy place for three religions: dress modestly and keep noise down at sunrise.
Mount Catherine
Egypt's highest mountain, Mount Catherine (Gebel Katherina, 2,629 m; some sources give up to 2,637 m), rises a few kilometres south-west of Jabal Musa. According to Christian tradition, angels carried the body of the martyred Saint Catherine of Alexandria to its summit, where monks later found it. A chapel built in 1905 and a meteorological station stand on top. The usual route leaves from the town, crosses the plain of el-Milga and reaches the Monastery of the Forty Martyrs in Wadi el-Arbain after about an hour; from there it is about four hours to the summit. A guide is required here too, and the hike is much quieter than Mount Sinai.
When to go and weather
Mount Sinai can be climbed all year. Saint Catherine has the coldest nights of any town in Egypt: in January the average low is about 2 °C and the high about 14 °C, while in July and August daytime highs reach 32 °C and nights stay around 17–18 °C. The summit is several degrees colder than the town, and on winter nights it often drops below freezing; snow falls occasionally between December and February. Rain is rare, but sudden storms can cause flash floods in the wadis. Spring (March to May) and autumn (October and November) are the most comfortable seasons. In summer, climb at night or in the early morning to avoid the heat. To avoid the biggest crowds, climb on the night before a Friday or Sunday, when the monastery is closed to visitors.
Water
There are no springs for hikers along the trails, but tea and snack stalls along both routes sell bottled water, hot drinks and snacks, and there is a tea house at Elijah's Basin. Still, bring at least 1.5 litres from town, and 2–3 litres in the summer heat or for Mount Catherine. Water in Saint Catherine comes partly from local groundwater and partly from a pipeline bringing Nile water, opened in 2011; drink bottled or treated water.
Mobile coverage and internet
Expect a mobile signal in the town of Saint Catherine, where many guesthouses also offer Wi-Fi. On the mountain reception can be patchy, especially in deep ravines such as that of the Steps of Repentance, so do not rely on your phone for navigation and download a map before you go. In an emergency in Egypt call 122 for the police, 123 for an ambulance or 126 for the tourist police.
Safety
The main risks are cold, darkness and crowds rather than altitude. Wear warm layers and a hat even in summer, use a torch and watch your footing on polished steps, and keep away from camels on narrow sections; they can bite. Altitude sickness is not usually a problem at 2,285 m. Check the security situation before travelling: as of October 2026 the UK government advises against all but essential travel to the northern part of South Sinai beyond the Saint Catherine–Nuweiba road, and in 2017 a police officer was killed in an attack on a checkpoint near the town. Access to the monastery can be restricted at short notice.
The Great Transfiguration Project
Since 2020 the Egyptian government has been developing the "Great Transfiguration" project, a large state tourism plan led by the New Urban Communities Authority to turn Saint Catherine into a global destination for religious and environmental tourism. Plans presented in 2024 include a visitor centre, a "Peace" square with a museum and theatre, an eco-lodge with 192 rooms and 56 suites, a 144-room mountain hotel, new bazaars and housing, and upgraded roads, flood protection, electricity and water supply. The project, together with a 2025 Egyptian court ruling that the monastery's land belongs to the state while the monks keep the right to use it, has caused concern in Greece and in the Orthodox Church; Egyptian officials have stated that the monastery's religious status will be preserved, and the legal dispute was still continuing in 2026. Expect construction work in and around the town.
History and name
Christian hermits settled in southern Sinai from the 2nd and 3rd centuries. In the 4th century monks, according to tradition with the support of Empress Helena, built a small church and tower beside the Burning Bush, and Justinian later enclosed it in the fortress-monastery. The nun Egeria described her pilgrimage to the mountain in the late 4th century. Saint John Climacus, abbot of Sinai in the 6th–7th century, wrote The Ladder of Divine Ascent here, a spiritual guide whose image of climbing step by step echoes the ascent of the mountain. The monastery received letters of protection from Muslim rulers and survived centuries of change; in the 19th century Abbas I built the camel path and began a palace on a nearby peak. The Jebeliya Bedouin, whose ancestors were brought to serve the monastery in the 6th century, still work as guides, camel drivers and gardeners around it.
Interesting facts
- The monastery's roof truss is the oldest known surviving roof truss in the world.
- The Codex Sinaiticus left Sinai for Russia in 1869 and was sold by the Soviet government to the British Museum in 1933; it is now displayed in the British Library in London.
- Around 113 old Armenian and 20 Georgian inscriptions survive in Sinai, left by medieval pilgrims.
- The Saint Katherine Protectorate is home to Nubian ibex and the Sinai baton blue, one of the world's smallest butterflies.
- A rock near the town, the Rock of Moses in Wadi el-Arbain, is venerated as the one from which Moses drew water; its twelve clefts are linked by locals to the twelve springs of the Quran.
FAQ
How high is Mount Sinai? 2,285 m. The climb from Saint Catherine's Monastery (about 1,570 m) gains roughly 700 m.
How long does it take to climb Mount Sinai? About 2.5 hours by the Camel Path, or 45 minutes to 3 hours by the 3,750 Steps of Repentance, plus about 30 minutes for the final 750 steps. Night minibuses from Dahab are usually back on the coast between 8 and 10 a.m.
How difficult is the hike? Moderate. There is no climbing, but the steps are steep and uneven and the night climb is done by torchlight. Most reasonably fit people manage it; camels can carry you most of the way up the Camel Path.
Do I need a guide or a permit? Yes, a local Bedouin guide is mandatory; you can hire one at the trailhead or join a tour. Entry to the Saint Katherine Protectorate is subject to a fee.
Is there water on the way? No springs, but stalls along the route and the tea house at Elijah's Basin sell water and hot drinks. Carry at least 1.5 litres anyway.
Is there mobile phone coverage? In the town, yes; on the mountain it can be patchy, especially in the ravine of the Steps. Emergency numbers: 122 (police), 123 (ambulance), 126 (tourist police).
When is the best time to climb? March to May and October to November are the most pleasant. Bring warm clothes for the summit at any season, and expect freezing nights in winter.
Can I visit Saint Catherine's Monastery after the climb? Yes, usually from about 9:00 to noon, except on Fridays, Sundays and Orthodox holidays. Check current hours locally.
Is Mount Sinai the highest mountain in Egypt? No. Neighbouring Mount Catherine (2,629 m) is higher and is the country's highest peak.