Inland from the sun-drenched beaches of the coast, the Sinai’s rugged, mountainous heart is rawly beautiful. For a taster of this craggy landscape, hike up to the summit of Mt. Sinai to see an expanse of orange-hued peaks rippling out before you. Revered by all three of the monotheistic faiths as the place where Moses received the 10 Commandments, the summit hike is a pilgrimage for many people (and usually combined with a visit to St. Catherine’s Monastery which sits at the trailhead for the hike).
There are two main trails up to the top. The Camel Trail is a well-worn switchback path, while the Steps of Repentance is a more difficult, but much more scenic, set of stone-cut staircases that was carved out by one of the monastery’s monks.
From Sharm el-Sheikh, most tours travel overnight to reach the trailhead in the wee hours of the morning so that the hike up the Camel Trail is completed in the cool, dark hours, and the summit is reached in time to watch sunrise over the surrounding peaks.
