Jabal Mousa

Mt Sinai recently made headline news when local animal welfare agencies bemoaned the torturous use of donkeys to cart overweight foreign tourists up to the peak. I mean, really, the poor things! Be a conscientious animal lover and choose to climb Mt Sinai under the steam of your own legs, and I assure you, the whole experience will be much more enjoyable for everyone involved. Climbing Mt Sinai is not hard work at all, more like a leisurely stroll, and honestly best done from sunrise onwards. Most religious believers (and tourists) head up to the holy peak in the very early hours of the morning (like, 2am) to reach the mountain peaks by sunrise and say their prayers, which can make both the trail, and the top itself, rather crowded. Set off from the base at 7am instead and you’ll reach the 2285m-high peak of Mt Sinai just in time to enjoy a quiet and contemplative picnic lunch. The starting rocky landscape is spectacular at any time of day, and this hike is one of the most enjoyable things to do on the Sinai Peninsula. Have a few extra days? Try the Sinai Trail: a 46-day sea to summit route that is Egypt’s first (and best) long distance hike.