St Catherine's Monastery & Mount Sinai Sunrise Trek

Depart in the late afternoon for the drive into the high granite heartland of South Sinai, reaching the foot of Mount Sinai by evening. Around midnight, begin the classic Camel Trail ascent, winding upward for roughly seven kilometers beneath a sky crowded with stars. Those preferring steps can take the 3,750 monastic Steps of Repentance carved by pilgrims centuries ago.

Reach Elijah's Basin below the summit in time to claim a spot among the rocks. As first light spills over Jebel Musa and hundreds of neighboring peaks, silence falls over everyone gathered — a sunrise many travelers describe as the spiritual highlight of their lives. Warm tea and blankets are available from local Bedouin stalls.

Descend after sunrise for a guided visit to St Catherine's Monastery, founded in the sixth century by Emperor Justinian and never abandoned since. See the Burning Bush, said to descend directly from the bush of Moses, the Well of Jethro, and — subject to opening hours — the monastery's incomparable collection of ancient icons and manuscripts, second only to the Vatican.