St. Catherine Tour from Sharm El-Sheikh

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Location: It lies in the foothills of Moses Mountain 5012 feet above sea level. Set beneath the mountain where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments. Who built it? It is built by Emperor Justinian for himself and his wife. Overview: The Monastery was named after St. Catherine (the daughter of Kistery) who was tortured to death by her father for she succeed in converting 50 of his followers to Christianity in 307 AD. Saint Catherine's Monastery has been one of the world's great centers of religious pilgrimage for over 15 centuries. Within its imposing wall resets a citadel like no other, incredibly rich in important religious and historical structure. Among its treasures is a library of ancient manuscripts and icons second only to the Vatican's itself, and a 6th century church reputed to lie directly on the side of the Burning Bush. Quite simply, the monastery is a defining feature of the Holy Land. The Monastery's Library consists of the largest and most important of its type in the world, the library contains a rich collection of 4,500 manuscripts, mainly Greek, but also Arabic, Coptic, Syriac, Slavonic and others.In addition to the manuscripts, the Library contains a considerable number of printed books. About 5,000 of these are old editions, some of which date from the earlier days of the art pf printing. Inside the church there is El-Mouta church (the church of the dead). Ther are also 6 wells, 4 springs and a large garden rich in fruit trees of different kinds and two mills According to the old beliefs, angels took her remain to Mount Sinai, and then around the year 800, monks from the Sinai Monastery found her remains. Reference: (Egypt Tourist Guide) 16th edition (Best of Egypt) Volume III

   8 hAdmission included

2. What sprang up during the 1960’s as a hippie hangout along the Red Sea has grown into a thriving beach community that offers easy access to some of the best diving location in the world. Dahab, a coastal village in the middle of the eastern shore of Sinai, is now a booming diving community. It offers a range of accommodations from hostels for budget travelers to luxurious full service resorts. All of this is located right on the water, tucked between the purple mountains of Sinai’s interior and the crystal waters of the Gulf of Aqaba with the shadowy mountains of Saudi Arabia visible across the water in the distance. In the central part of Dahab there is a well-established strip of restaurants and hotels the allow travelers to lounge by the water while enjoying the full restaurant service. Further north the vibe is more relaxed and less developed and a few miles out of town in either direction are resorts offering more exclusive privacy. All of these places organize trips to the many impressive diving and snorkeling locations nearby. Through any of the hotels or countless tourism shops, it is easy to organized diving trips or safari trips into Sinai’s interior. Quad bike excursions, camel rides, and day trips to St. Katherine and Mount Sinai deep in the middle of the peninsula are all popular. About 60 kilometers north of Dahab is the town of Nuweiba, which is even more low-key. Most of the accommodations here consist of simple huts on the beach with a restaurant nearby. They provide the ultimate in relaxation and also the easiest access to excursions to Sinai’s interior. There is also ferry that leaves from Nuweiba twice daily making the trip across to Aqaba in Jordan and back.

   1 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 27 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Sharm el Sheikh

• Its from-price is 200% above the median of the 1150 experiences we list in Sharm el Sheikh.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 158 of 1150.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Sharm el Sheikh

Sharm el Sheikh sits at the southern tip of the Sinai, a Red Sea resort famed for coral reefs, desert mountains and sunshine in every season.

The coast is lined with resort bays such as Naama Bay, the lively centre with a promenade of restaurants and bars, and quieter Sharks Bay and Nabq. The real treasure lies underwater: coral reefs come right up to the shore, alive with colourful fish, turtles and rays.

Top-ranked sights in Sharm el Sheikh: Ras Mohammed National Park, Sharm el Sheikh Old Market, Mt. Sinai.

See all 1150 experiences in Sharm el Sheikh