Colored Canyon – Mount Sinai – St. Catherine’s Monastery – Arada Canyon – El Gona Plateau – Farsh El Gona – Wadi Zalagha – Zaranig Canyons
In the morning we will pick you up at the reception of your hotel in, Dahab,
We will take you in a 4×4 jeep through the fascinating mountain and desert scenery to the Colored Canyon where you will enjoy a hike through this stunning gorge; its rock formations are extraordinarily beautiful as you cannot only find diverse shapes, but also a multitude of different colors which gave this canyon its promising name. So don’t hurry, take your time to enjoy the unique surroundings and take a rest whenever you need. Some passages are a bit tricky, but your guide will of course assist you in case you need some help. Then we will continue the jeep tour through the famous Wadi Ghazala, one of Sinai’s longest valleys, which is named after the gazelles that are told to graze here. It is a great and fascinating part of the desert, with sandstone rocks, caves, dunes, broom, and acacia trees – a perfect place for a lunch break.
In the late afternoon, we will transfer you to the foot of Mount Sinai (Jebel Musa), Moses’ mountain where he is said to have received the Ten Commandments. You will have dinner and, if you like, you can sleep for some hours. At night you will start your hike towards the top.
Please be aware that you will climb up to a height of almost 2,300 meters! This means that you will have to face low temperatures during this trip – please take warm clothes! Also, be aware that for hiking up to the mountain top you should be adequately fit and in good health.
Lunch and dinner
Overnight camping.
Our guide will give you a pocket lamp to enlighten our path. Against a small supplement, camels are ready to carry you, all the way or for a part of the distance. Only the last steps must be taken on your own on a stairway (the ‘Steps of Repentance’) before you reach the mountain peak. During all the way you can enjoy the unique atmosphere, marching on the holy mountain with your lamp under the starlit sky. In the early morning, you will reach the top where you will see the Chapel of the Holy Trinity and search for a nice place to sit down and wait for the sunrise. After spending some time on the peak you will start wandering down towards St. Catherine’s Monastery and make a stop for breakfast before you start your visit.
The monastery is located at the foot of Mount Sinai, on the place, where he is said to have seen the Burning Bush. The first monastic life around this place is supposed to have taken place already in the 4th century AD, which makes the monastery one of the oldest in the world. The monastery in its current form has been built by Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century AD, with strong fortifications to protect the monks. Due to this measure, its isolated location, and the protection by Mohamed, the Prophet of Islam, it remained untouched during the centuries. For this reason, you cannot only see the buildings, walls, and decorations in their nearly original form, but also countless precious items that have survived until today, among them the greatest collection of antique icons in the world. The library features the second large collection of ancient codices and manuscripts in the world, overtrumped only by the Vatican Library. The monastery still houses monks and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Please be aware that, before you enter the monastery, you must cover your legs, arms, and head.
After the visit, we will bring you to the wonderful Arada Canyon, also known as the Double Canyon as two branches lead away from the same entrance. You will see bizarre rock formations in different colors and enjoy great views. Some climbing parts are a bit tricky, but your experienced guide will assist you, so if you are adequately fit there will not be any problem. Finally, you will reach a steep sand dune – if you like, you can scale it! Here you will also have lunch. Also, this area is full of interesting ancient rock paintings; you can visit some of them. Now it is time to meet your guides and your future companions, well-trained gentle camels. They will carry you to the top of the El Gona Plateau. The plateau is 1,700 meters high and around 50 kilometers long and offers a beautiful landscape as well as fantastic views of the mountains. You will spend the night on the plateau after watching the spectacular sunset.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Overnight camping.
After breakfast you will enjoy for a while the beautiful nature around you; then you will trek through the scenic mountain field Farsh El Gona and the Wadi Zalagha. You will have lunch en route. In the late afternoon, you will encamp at the entrance of the biggest of the Zaranig Canyons.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Overnight camping.
The Zaranig Canyons are three huge and deep sandstone canyons; when it rains, the water floods from here down to Nuweiba at the coastline. You will enjoy trekking all day long through the largest and deepest of them, and you will marvel at the great nature and be enchanted by the peace and tranquility far away from the stressful daily life. We will set up camp at the entrance of the second canyon.
Breakfast, lunch
In the afternoon we will transfer you back to your hotel.
Group tour | Private tour | |
Price per person | $375 | $430 |
*If you are a group of 8 people and more please contact us for a special price.
Price:
$375.00 – $430.00