Sunrise at Mt.Sinai and St.Catherine monastery. Entrance included

Posted By : kaisaliisal
As a solo traveler I was a bit hesitant taking this trip but decided to do it and it was truly the highlight of my holiday. What I don't like about tours in Egypt generally is the amount of stops they do on the road. I was picked up from my hotel at 21:30 and the drive together with 6 stops was 3h 40min (time altogether for all the stops on the way was about 1.5h).. so my suggestion to the tour company would be to cut down the stops to minimum and do only the necessary ones. We started to climb the mountain at 01:40 and we were lucky to get a really nice and friendly bedouin (Mohamed) as a guide to the top. Our group was 12 pax + guide, pleasantly small group. In my opinion, the main walk to the top is not really hard, the incline is not too big. What makes the situation a bit difficult is the sleeplessness. But we chatted going up and also did enough short stops on the way, so it was all good. But if you're struggling, it's possible to go up by camel as well, there are bedouins offering it basically the whole way up (fortunately no one was pushy to buy the service). Btw, during the night there are also small "shops" open on the way, so if you need water or sth, it's possible to buy. If you reach to the steps before the end, there's also possibility to rent a big warm blanket ($3) if you're cold. I had a scarf, hoody and a jacket but it was not enough for the cold at the summit (proper winter jacket would be suitable), so be wiser than me and layer properly and use clothing as you'd go out to proper winter weather. When you finally reach the top and wait for the sun to rise, you can enjoy seeing the sun colouring the sky in different hues of yellow and orange, take millions of pictures and just enjoy the scenery. It truly was magical. :) And when you go down, it's like you're experiencing a whole other excursion because now you can see the landscape what you didn't see while going up.
So, this climb + sunrise as an experience was 10/10. My two wishes and recommendations for the tour company would be to 1) cut down the stops on the way and 2) buy new buses! Raise the price of the tour or whatever you need to do but it was pure torture to sit in the back row 4-seater seat, where I felt like the seat wasn't even at 90° angle but tilted forward + seat itself wasn't very comfortable either. If you score a seat in 2+1 row, you're in luck because these are much more comfier.
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Posted On : 2023-12-28 15:46:39

Posted By : Louise_K
Exhausting, exhilarating and exciting.
Ascending at night adds mystique and charm. If you feel you can’t make it, then Bedouins are on hand (for a fee!) to take you some of the way on a camel.
Amazing photos. Shame couldn’t stay in the monastery mins longer.
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Posted On : 2023-12-25 09:28:25

Posted By : Elizabeth_P
Overall, we had a good time. Watching the sunrise from the top is so beautiful and definitely worth it! Cleotours was alright, but there were some things that we wished were different (see below). Here’s a description of our experience:

The pre-trip communication was great. Natalie was very helpful and clarified where to meet the bus and let us know when the driver was going to be a few minutes late. We got picked up around 9pm and drove about 3 hours, with a couple stops along the way. Unfortunately, the bus was not air conditioned and there was less leg room than the back of an airplane. So it was very hot and stuffy, which made the ride pretty miserable. Our group was also a mix of English and Russian groups, which was a surprise after picking an “English” tour.

We arrived at the entrance around 1:45am and waited in the security line for a half hour while one security person checked every single bag. While we waited, there were some vendors from whom you could buy ponchos.

Started climbing with the Bedouin guide around 2:15am. The climb is pretty easy/moderate, not hard for those who are used to hiking, but a bit of a challenge for less athletic people. There were 18 people in our group at various fitness levels. At first, the guide made us go at the pace of the slowest person, an older woman who probably should have rented a camel but didn’t. This was very slow with lots of stops, a bit frustrating for those of us who were capable of going a lot faster. Eventually, the guide let us go by ourselves to each of the next kiosks (about 1km apart the whole way up) and then wait for everyone else to catch up. This was better since we could take each small section at our own pace (faster). Once we reached the steps (the last section before the top- there are 750 steps), we were able to go on our own and made it to the top around 5:15am, which was perfect because we were able to see the first part of the sunrise that many in our group missed out on because they had been held back. Don’t stop at the booths mid-way up the steps that claim they are the last place to rent a blanket/buy snacks before the top. This is not true, as there is another kiosk at the actual top. The top has a lot of places to watch the sunrise, but because we were there earlier than most people, we were able to get a prime spot away from the people on the rocks to the right side. The sun rose around 6:20am, but the colors were best for the 30 min before the sun actually came up. We had plenty of time to eat breakfast and enjoy the sunrise. It wasn’t as cold as we were expecting - about 48-50 degrees Fahrenheit, so we were okay without the blanket rental. We stayed at the top until about 7:00am and then started back down. The views the whole way down are gorgeous, especially since the whole way up is dark and you can’t see much besides the trail (and the stars!) And on the way down, you are allowed to go on your own without the guide, which we liked.

We were back at the monastery by 8:25am, about 20 min before when they told us to meet back there, but ended up waiting for the group until 9:05am. There were only 4/18 of us back at the stated time so there was a lot of waiting around.

The monastery tour was pretty disappointing, the “English” guide couldn’t really speak English - as native speakers, we could barely understand him - I have no idea how people for whom English was their second language could understand him. He basically stood in one spot and pointed around at a lot of things and then let us walk into the main sanctuary of the church. We didn’t get to see the library or any of the manuscript rooms (St Catherine’s is the second largest library of manuscripts in the world!)

After the monastery “tour,” we got back on the bus around 10am and went back to Sharm el Sheik, arriving around 1:15pm, ready to sleep!

Overall, we had a good time. A few things that Cleotours/Viator could do to make this tour better would be:
-Clarification that the “English” tour will actually be English and Russian
-Actually have air conditioning on the bus. Don’t advertise that there will be air conditioning when there isn’t.
-Have different tours for different levels of fitness or don’t hold back the entire group when 1 person can’t keep up.

We would definitely recommend that people do a sunrise hike of Mt. Sinai - it is amazing! We’re not sure we can fully recommend Cleotours though. The detail in this review is to give others an accurate assessment of their tour. Hopefully it helps others decide which tour to pick.
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Posted On : 2023-12-19 05:32:03

Posted By : Marlene_T
There are many different booking options for this trip. I liked this one because (a) all fees included (other than optional camel ride and snacks) and (b) honest about the length of the trip. Others in my group had to pay entrance fees in cash which took some by surprise. And some were also surprised by how late our return was. (Expect to return about 1 to 2pm.

That said, the experience is phenomenal. Our guide in the bus (who also conducted the monastery tour) and hike guide were both trilingual (Arabic, English, Russian) and thorough with explanations. Admin prior to the trip was clear on expectations and what to bring.

The hike is long (my GPS watch measured 18 km total) but is definitely doable for people of good fitness. Camel rides are optional for those who need help, but the camels cannot do the last tough climb to the top. The youngest in our group was 8 and he was able to do it all. (Will admit he napped at every break and began to give up and cry when we were nearing the top but he hung in there. It was obvious he had a definite sense of accomplishment in the end.)

The monastery trip at the end was fantastic. However everyone is so exhausted at that point that few have any real interest. Too bad as the monastery deserves a visit on its own.

Be sure to bring cash to purchase snacks and water as needed (or bring your own) and tip your guides!! The tour is not costly on its own. Tips are much appreciated.
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Posted On : 2023-11-26 13:01:03

Posted By : Mariam_R
I waited for the car 45 min outside the gates, sweating in the heat, as directed by the tour operator for 15 min before the scheduled pickup time...and they never showed up. I tried calling and messaging the tour company via whastapp as well as sending Viator messages and there wss no response until over an hour later when they simply said they would refund me. This was not a good option for me because the monastery is closed on Sundays and so now I have no option to see it before I leave. They claimed the bus came and waited for me but I never saw them and got no calls or messages until after the "bus already left". Extremely disappointed at the terrible communication as this ruined the experience that I was most looking forward to. Do not risk missing this trip by using this unprofessional company.
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Posted On : 2023-08-12 04:11:18

Posted By : Lasma B
10 out of 10.... Our bedouin guides were amazing. We had a big group but no one was left behind and was taking care of. Amazing sunrise on top... Thank you.
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Posted On : 2023-08-10 08:56:28

Posted By : Jenny_V
Just being on the mountain where Moses walked felt really special. Our guides were very kind and considerate of everyone, it wasn't too fast and not too slow, we made it to the top with enough time to see the sunrise. I also liked the fact that we were allow a bit of freedom on the way down.
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Posted On : 2023-08-06 04:03:23

Posted By : Otvio_M
Great experience! The way up can be demanding, specially because of the cold temperature and the last strecth ("the steps") is very steep and tight. There are checkpoints every 1km where you can stop and have a warm beverage, making the way up a little bit more manageable for someone with average physical fitness. But after you reach the top and get to see the sunrise and the amazing views, it is definetly worth it
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Posted On : 2023-06-27 15:40:11

Posted By : Liam_S
This trip is quite the experience. It's gorgeous and a once-in-a-lifetime experience (you'll probably be happy only doing it once in your life), especially if you combine it with any other experiences on your trip because it can be absolutely exhausting. You get picked up around 8-9pm the night before, drive for about 4 hours, and start the hike around 2:30am. You reach the top around 5:30am (this probably depends on time of year, but it's at least 3 hours up). This is NOT an easy hike. If you're pretty fit, then you'll be able to do it just fine, but you should have good balance too. There are plenty of opportunities to fall, so be careful. The trip up is exhausting, but the return is almost more so, given the strain on one's knees. Taking a camel up and/or down is also an option, if you want to spare yourself. Over the 3 hours, you climb over 1km in altitude. It's a steep climb, topped off by a very steep climb up 750 steps to the top.

At the top, the views are quite beautiful. It's a very different type of landscape to any you'll see in most places. Very dry mountains. It's a very beautiful and spiritual place. Absolutely worth the climb, especially if you have a religious connection to the spot. Once you get to the top, stake out a good spot to watch the sunrise, and enjoy.

By the time you get back to the bottom, it's around 8am, and then you still go for a 1-2 hour tour of the St. Catherine Monastery. In theory this is great, and it is worth seeing (though it's nothing spectacular either), but you've also just hiked 6 very steep hours, probably on no sleep whatsoever. Then, you don't get back to your lodging until about 1-2pm.

All in all, an absolutely worthwhile experience I look forward to never doing again. The guides for this experience were fine, there are a number of different ones for each part of the experience, no complaints, nothing to write home about either. They're just kind of there, and if you get lost — it's not easy to get lost, but if you wanted to — then they wouldn't figure it out until you were (i.e. weren't) back on the bus at 10am the following morning).
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Posted On : 2023-05-22 23:49:54

Posted By : Matthew_S
The Mount Sinai hike is not for the weak ?
7km hike with about a 35% uphill grade and 775 steps at the end.

Turns out I may have been the weakest link ?
I broke down and rented a camel, mostly because I wanted to ride the camel, but then found out we were only half way up so believe I definitely make the right call there, and that camel was worth every Penny of the $20 I paid for him.

Camels do not climb stairs though so I still has to do 775 steps, which I could not have done (at least not in time for sunrise) without my fearless tour guide, Magde, who helped me up the stairs and most of the way down the mountain.

The sunrise was beautiful and star gazing from atop the camel was absolutely breathtaking!

Highly recommend this hike. If you’re able, the hike is great! But don’t be too proud to rent the camel! So worth it either way!

There are stops along the way for drinks and snacks. Take advantage of bathroom breaks before you get there. About half way up, there is an outhouse but it is exactly that.

St Catherine’s was closed when we went so cannot say anything about that.
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Posted On : 2023-04-17 09:41:44