Feb 17, 2025
Morning view breathtaking - Great trip which involved a lot of Woking but your hard afford will be pay back . Lovely sun set and view on horizon of mountain. Trip well organised local people will help you organise camel 🐪 taxi if you struggle to walk but you will need to cover last stage of trip 750 steps . Ps you will need prepared warm clothes, head torch as on top of summits is around 5 degrees.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 21, 2025
Following in the steps of Moses - Wow, what an experience. If you are expecting an easy track up Mt Sinai, this is not for you.
The start at St Catherine is amazing, seeing the Monastery in the dark makes you realise the beauty of the environment and this is only the start of the journey.
The hike starts around 2am in the morning where you get split into groups and allocated Bedouins who accompany you all the way to the top.
The hike is challenging but plenty of stops along the way and the pace is set to suit the whole group.
Definitely worthy experience to have.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 11, 2025
amazing but cold - the views were really great! it was pretty cold up there in the winter so bring plenty of extra layers and hats and gloves!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 4, 2025
Great experience - The views were amazing. We took some great photos and the price was impressive! Looking forwars to the next experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 31, 2024
Great experience- Great value for money - I went together with my brother. We got picked up at 08:30pm from our hotel. The whole logistics went well- here and there we had to wait for a few minutes for the police escort to arrive - but wasn't a big deal.
Our guide Mohammad was very knowledgable, experienced and motivated. He spoke in english and russian. He also showed some authority leadership managing some of the drama between people in the bus- that can always happen in large groups.
The hike itself is more of a walk but requires focus towards the end when you have to go up and down the stairs before the summit. Make sure to bring appropriate shoes and warm clothes. If you dont have it the locals will offer you ponchos, hats, gloves, blankets - at quite affordable prices from what I saw, but we were well prepared and did not need it- just make sure your shoes have some grip.
Thr sunrise itself was quite the experience - it was a pretty crowded but with a bit of patience everyone should be able to take some nice pictures and get a good view.
After going back down we visited the monastry. Tours were offered in English, French, Italian, Russian and maybe some more - again, really well organized.
Overall, really nice trip.
Review provided by Viator
Dec 29, 2024
Most amazing sunrise ever. - It was such an amazing experience. I really thought i wasn't gonna make it to the top at one point. My guide Salem helped me out as the terrain and altitude was tough even if you work out.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 24, 2024
Nice trip with Nice people - The Guide in the Mountain were Kind and relax. The Guide between Sharm and Saint Catherine were very stressend with deale dur the Checkpoints Control. In General the trip is good.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 9, 2024
Well-organised Tour - The tour was well organised with regular communication prior to pick up. The driver was experienced and drove safely, whilst both guides were knowledgeable and polite. After all guests were collected we waited for the police convey with all other tourist groups before beginning our drive to Mt Sinai. There was one toilet stop on the drive and toilets available at the beginning of the trail. The hike itself is easy, although there are approximately 700 stairs at the end which may be difficult if you're unaccustomed to hiking. I would recommend taking your own headlamp or torch as they are not available at the site. Blankets are available to rent at the top for 150EGP which I would recommend as it is very cold at the summit. There is ample to time allocated to ascend the mountain and if you arrive early, it is possible to enjoy a hot tea/coffee/hot chocolate in one of the Bedouin tents which are situated before the final 100 steps. Once you have descended you will be shown around St Catherine's Monastery and given some 15-20 minutes free time to explore as you wish before returning to Sharm El Sheikh. We arrived back at our hotel in the Hadaba area at 2pm. Overall it was a well-organised and pleasant experience which I would definitely recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Jan 11, 2025
Bad organization, Magic place, shame! - Unfortunately, my experience during the tour of Mount Sinai and St. Catherine's Monastery was disappointing and far from what I was promised. The expectations created by the description of the tour proved to be completely deceptive.
The tour is described as a route that includes 750 steps, but this information is misleading. Before arriving at the steps, you have to face a climb of about 7 km on particularly rough and challenging terrain. Nobody mentions this difficulty, perhaps intentionally, to push participants to rent camels along the way, at a decidedly high price. The constant presence of Bedouins at strategic points, ready to take advantage of the fatigue and discouragement of visitors, gives the impression of a well-organized system to profit from the situation.
The guide? Virtually nonexistent!
I have always appreciated the importance of a guide capable of conveying information, support and attention to participants. Here, however, the guide simply repeated "Let's go" or "Yalla Yalla" over and over again, without giving any details about the history, spiritual significance of the place or the surrounding nature. A real shame! In fact, there was a rather fast pace (it is not clear why, except to exhaust tourists and force them to resort to camels) In our group, consisting of over 60 people (well above the stated limit of 30), many participants abandoned the climb, resorting to camels for difficulty. It is evident that the organization has not cared in the least about the quality of the service offered (in total at the top we find ourselves in about 500 people, of the various tours, and we find ourselves having to look for an opening to try to admire the sunrise!)
It is not an experience for everyone!
The description of the tour suggested that it was also suitable for beginners, but the reality is quite different. It is a physically demanding hike, which requires experience, endurance and appropriate equipment. I have seen people wearing totally unsuitable shoes, some of them even broken, and insufficient clothing to protect themselves from the bitter cold we encountered (about 5 ° C). The agency did not provide any warnings about clothing or equipment needed, putting many participants in difficulty. The purpose of the various omissions in the information was clearly to force participants to purchase (or rent) any additional clothing (at higher prices) in the shelters, during the mandatory stops.
Mount Sinai is a place of incredible beauty, a unique landscape, with red granite rocks and breathtaking views. However, the experience has been compromised by crowding and lack of respect for the environment. The path is full of rubbish, a real eye-catcher when the sunlight reveals its extent. There is no commitment on the part of local operators to preserve this place: it would be enough to organize clean-up days, but currently there is nothing of the kind.
. I had chosen the tour because it indicated that it would be conducted in Italian, but the entire excursion took place in English. I found myself having to translate for other participants, a task I should not have done. In addition, we were asked for a "tourist tax" of 5€ per person, which turned out to be non-existent, a trick to increase the cost of the tour.
I reported these discrepancies to the agency, like someone else in the group, but I was treated rudely and aggressively, with no intention of taking my feedback or taking responsibility for poor service. Such an attitude is simply unacceptable.
As extraordinary as Mount Sinai is, the poor organization, the lack of a competent guide and the lack of respect for visitors and the environment have made this experience very negative. Such a unique destination deserves more prepared, respectful and professional tour operators.
I would definitely not recommend this tour nor this agency. Those looking for an authentic and well-organized experience should turn elsewhere.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 11, 2025
"A magical place ruined by a disastrous and opaque organization" - My experience during the tour of Mount Sinai and St. Catherine’s Monastery was extremely disappointing and far from the expectations created by the description provided by the agency.
Misleading description and challenging route.
The description of the tour reported that the route included only 700 steps, omitting a fundamental detail: before arriving at the steps you have to face about 7 km of climb on rough terrain. This crucial element is not communicated, probably to push participants, once exhausted, to resort to camels, available along the way at a high price. The strategy appears clearly studied, with the Bedouins stationed like birds of prey at critical points, ready to exploit the minimal physical failure of the participants.
Guide management: a disaster.
Being an environmental guide, it is essential for me that those who work in this profession take care of the group, providing support and information. During this tour, however, the guide limited himself to repeating two phrases: Let's go and Yalla Yalla. No explanation about the place, history, religion, geology, traditions or flora and fauna. The Ramses group, to which I belonged, had more than 60 people, despite the description indicating a maximum of 30 participants per group. Only a dozen of us managed to complete the climb without resorting to camels.
An experience not suitable for everyone.
Contrary to what is stated in the description, this tour is absolutely not suitable for beginners. This is a challenging hike, requiring physical preparation, trekking experience and appropriate equipment. Along the way I saw people with unsuitable sneakers, some even with detached soles, or with insufficient clothing to face the 5°C we found. The agency should have clearly warned participants about the importance of the equipment, but did not do so.
An extraordinary place, but defaced.
Mount Sinai is undoubtedly a spectacular place, with red granite formations and breathtaking views. However, the beauty of the place is overshadowed by uncontrolled tourist crowding and the absence of regulations. The route is littered with rubbish, turning into an open-air dump when sunlight reveals what the darkness hides. Guides and operators should organise cleaning days on the trail, but there are no such initiatives at present.
Organisational problems and unacceptable behaviour.
The website indicated that the tour would take place in Italian, but in reality it was entirely in English. I had to translate for the Italian participants who did not understand the language, a task that should not have been up to me. In addition, an extra fee of €5 per person was requested, presented as a "tourist tax". This fee does not exist, and has proved to be an incorrect way to inflate the price of the tour.
When I pointed out these serious discrepancies and the failure to deliver the promised service, the agency reacted rudely and aggressively, refusing to acknowledge its responsibility. Such behaviour is unacceptable, especially in an industry such as tourism, which should be based on respect and customer care.
Conclusion.
Despite the beauty of Mount Sinai, the experience was ruined by poor organization, nonexistent guidance and an arrogant attitude on the part of the agency. This structure, with its rough and unprofessional approach, does not deserve to operate in the world of tourism.
I absolutely do not recommend this tour, nor this agency, to anyone looking for an authentic, well-organized and respectful customer experience. Such a unique and extraordinary place deserves a very different management.
Review provided by Tripadvisor