Sinai

The Sinai Peninsula forms a triangle of 60,000 km² wedged between the Gulf of Suez to the west and the Gulf of Aqaba to the east, marking the junction between Africa and Asia. From Cairo, access is via the Ahmed-Hamdi tunnel beneath the Suez Canal, then along the coastal road bordering the gulf for nearly 400 kilometres to Sharm El-Sheikh. It is a territory where desert meets sea in mere hundreds of metres, where mountains of pink granite plunge into waters with visibility often exceeding 30 metres.

Southern Sinai is dominated by a granite massif crowned by Gebel Katherina (2,642 m), Egypt's highest point, followed by Mount Sinai (Gebel Moussa, 2,285 m). At its foot, Saint Catherine's Monastery has been continuously inhabited since the 6th century by a community of Greek Orthodox monks. Its library preserves several thousand ancient manuscripts, including the Codex Sinaiticus, parts of which remain on site. It is one of three Egyptian sites claimed by Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions.

The peninsula's population of approximately 600,000 inhabitants is predominantly Bedouin. Fourteen tribes share the territory, including the Jebeleya around Saint Catherine, the Mzeina around Dahab and Nuweiba, and the Tarabin on the northeast coast. Many still partly depend on goat herding and the cultivation of inland oases such as Feiran or Ain Khoudra. Beach tourism employs a significant portion of the youth, but mountain guides remain almost exclusively from the Jebeleya, as required by a convention inherited from the monastery.

On the east coast, Dahab has maintained a modest scale, with its guesthouses along the Mashraba promenade and restaurants where you eat grilled fish and mouloukhia barefoot on mats. It is the departure point for the Blue Hole, a submarine chasm 130 metres deep located 8 kilometres to the north, and for the coves of Ras Abu Galum, accessible only by camel or boat. Sharm El-Sheikh, 90 kilometres to the south, operates on a different model, with its integrated resorts and international airport serving several European capitals directly.

The interior of the peninsula is less frequented but offers multi-day hikes through the wadis, particularly around Wadi Feiran, Wadi Ghazala, and the protected Nabq zone. White Sinai and Colored Sinai, two sandstone and chalk formations north of Nuweiba, can be explored by 4x4 in a day. Our team works with Bedouin guides from each zone, which also conditions how we assess security conditions, which vary by sector and are notably more sensitive in the peninsula's north, which we systematically exclude from our itineraries.

At the table, Bedouin cuisine enjoyed in camp centres on bread stuffed and cooked in hot sand, zarb, meat and vegetables stewed in an underground oven, and chiih tea, desert wormwood. On the coast, fishermen bring in grouper, squid, and sea bream each morning, served with saffron rice and tahini salad.

To discover

Nocturnal ascent of Mount Sinai. Departure around 2am from Saint Catherine's Monastery, 3 hours uphill via the camel trail or the 3,750 penitent steps, sunrise at 2,285 metres with views over the Katherina massif.

Saint Catherine's Monastery. Fortified enclosure from the 6th century at the foot of Gebel Moussa, with the Basilica of the Transfiguration, its original Byzantine mosaics and the burning bush identified by tradition. Open to visitors in the morning only, excluding Sundays and Orthodox holidays.

Diving at Dahab's Blue Hole. Underwater chimney 130 metres deep bordered by dense coral reef, accessible from shore. Advanced Open Water (Level 2 minimum) for the arch at 56 metres; snorkelling possible on the outer wall.

Camp with the Mzeina Bedouins. Night under a goat-hair tent at Wadi Gnai or Ras Abu Galum, dinner with zarb cooked under hot coals, sky unpolluted by light to the horizon.

Colored canyon of Nuweiba. Sandstone fissure 800 metres long and up to 40 metres deep, with ochre, purple, and yellow strata. 1h30 walk through the canyon bed, accessible by 4x4 from Nuweiba.

When to go

The best period for combining sea and mountains stretches from October to May. On the coast, at Dahab and Sharm El-Sheikh, daytime temperatures range between 22 and 28°C in winter, water stays between 21 and 23°C from January to March, justifying a 5 mm wetsuit for diving. From June to September, air regularly climbs above 38°C and the sea reaches 28°C, pleasant for snorkelling but demanding for coastal hiking.

At altitude, around Saint Catherine (1,500 m) and Mount Sinai (2,285 m), the climate is entirely different. From December to February, nights frequently drop below zero at the summit, with snow possible two to three times per winter. For the nocturnal ascent, we recommend March-April and October-November, when the summit hovers around 5 to 10°C at sunrise. Avoid Orthodox Easter week and Egyptian May holidays, when the trail can host several hundred pilgrims simultaneously.

Practical advice

Allow a minimum of 4 days on Sinai to combine Mount Sinai's ascent, monastery visit, and two days of diving or snorkelling at Dahab. A week allows you to add the coloured canyon, a night in a Bedouin camp, and several different diving sites. Access is either by direct flight to Sharm El-Sheikh from Europe, by domestic flight Cairo-Sharm (1 hour), or by road from Cairo (8 to 9 hours via the Suez tunnel, which we operate with driver and stops).

The region logically combines with the Red Sea towards Hurghada via ferry from Sharm El-Sheikh, or with Cairo and Giza at the start or end of your stay. The sequence Nile Valley then Sinai works well over 12 to 15 days, finishing with beach relaxation. Comfort ranges from 5-star resort in Sharm El-Sheikh to simple guesthouses or Bedouin tent camps, with Dahab offering mid-range seafront lodges. Sinai suits hikers, certified divers, families with children from age 8 for snorkelling, and travellers seeking to conclude a cultural circuit with a few days by the sea.