The 7 best hikes in Egypt

The Bedouin people have been navigating the deserts of Egypt on foot for millennia. Today, joining local guides on a hike through the arid mountains of the Sinai Peninsula or the Red Sea coast is a journey into the living culture of the desert.

Across the country, trails climb to the summits of bone-dry peaks and weave through wind-scoured valleys and rugged national parks, offering elemental views of the empty desert and the brilliant blue sea on its fringes. While there are trails for all levels of experience, hiking into the desert is a serious undertaking – most hikers stick to trails close to the coast, and set out with local guides (mandatory on many trails) to stay safe in this harsh environment.

The climate plays a big part in choosing when to trek in Egypt. The summer months from June to August can be hot as an oven, particularly in the Western Desert, where temperatures above 40°C (104°F) are common. Smart hikers visit during the mild winter months, or the shoulder seasons from March to May and September to November, when temperatures are less extreme. 

Despite the tough terrain, there are routes here for everyone – the trail to the top of Mt Sinai (Gebel Mousa) can be completed by anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. However, routes can be shut down at short notice: Egypt’s two long-distance trails, the 550km Sinai Trail and the 170km Red Sea Mountain Trail, were both closed to hikers in 2024. 

If you’re looking for a desert adventure, grab your hiking boots, sun hat and water bottle and take your pick from this list of the best hikes in Egypt.

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1. Mt Sinai (Gebel Musa) Summit

Best easy summit hike

Distance: 10km 
Time commitment: 4–5 hours round-trip 
Difficulty: easy to moderate

Hiking to the 2285m summit of Mt Sinai (Gebel Musa) in the Sinai Peninsula is a trek that doubles as a pilgrimage. Rising above the St Katherine’s Protectorate nature reserve, Mt Sinai is revered by Christians, Muslims and Jews, all of whom believe that God delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses at its peak.

The most popular way to visit is on a predawn hike to the summit, soaking in the scenery as the rising sun illuminates the mountains. then descending to St Katherine’s Monastery – marking the spot where Moses witnessed the “burning bush” in the Old Testament. Check locally to see if the monastery is open – visitors were unable to visit for several months in 2025 due to a land dispute between the resident monks and the Egyptian government.

The well-defined Camel Trail is the easiest route to the top. This wide trail switchbacks steadily up a furrowed slope to Elijah’s Basin, where God is said to have revealed his message to the Prophet Elijah. You can also complete this first stage by camel.

From Elijah’s Basin, 750 steep and uneven steps (lacking a sturdy railing) lead to the top. At the summit, take a moment to investigate the small, fresco-filled chapel and the cavern where Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights, set below a small mosque. 

Other routes to the summit are open periodically. Built by a Sinai monk as an act of penance, the Steps of Repentance trail ascends 3750 rough-cut stone steps behind the monastery, meeting the Camel Trail at Elijah’s Basin. You may catch glimpses of mountain ibex on the dry, rocky slopes.

A third route rises from Wadi Arbain behind St Katherine’s village, passing the rock that Moses reputedly struck with his staff to provide water for the Israelites, before climbing Gebel Safsafa to meet the other trails at Elijah’s Basin. Check locally to see which trails are open – at the time of writing, the Steps of Repentance trail was closed to hikers.  

Planning tip: Wear sturdy shoes and bring plenty of water, a flashlight and warm layers that you can take off once the sun warms the air (even in summer, it can be cold and windy at the top). Guides for the camel trail can be arranged at the visitor center at St Katherine’s Monastery; for other routes, contact local adventure activity operators such as Sheikh Mousa (they can also arrange accommodation in St Katherine’s village).

2. Blue Hole to Ras Abu Gallum hike

Best easy coastal hike

Distance: 8km one way
Time commitment: 1.5 hours
Difficulty: easy

The Sinai's original traveler hangout, Dahab is best known for the legendary Blue Hole, a 130m-deep sinkhole linked to the open sea by an underwater channel, but there's plenty to see on land, too. The starkly beautiful Ras Abu Gallum Protectorate, which surrounds the Blue Hole, covers 500 sq km of coastline between Dahab and Nuweiba, blending coastal mountains, narrow valleys, rolling sand dunes, fine-gravel beaches and some memorable diving and snorkeling sites.

Scientists describe the area as a "floristic frontier" as the Mediterranean plant life here shows adaptations to a tropical climate. To explore, follow the coastal trail that starts by the Blue Hole, following a thin thread of shoreline, squeezed between rocky cliffs to the west and the Red Sea to the east. The trail is rocky underfoot but mostly flat and well-defined.

Despite a lack of signage or way-marking, it’s easy to hike this route independently, but Bedouin guides can be arranged in the villages of Ras Abu Gallum and El Omeyid if you want to explore deeper inside the reserve. 

Planning tip: At the northern end of the hike, several Bedouin beach-camps are scattered along the sand towards the scenic Blue Lagoon. They can provide meals and simple rooms in hoosha (palm-thatch) huts if you want to stay the night before hiking back to Dahab.

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3. Mt Katherine (Gebel Katarina)

Best hike for varied desert landscapes

Distance: 10km
Time commitment: 5 hours, one way 
Difficulty: moderate

Mt Sinai might be the most famous trek around St Katherine’s Monastery, but plenty of other trails call out to fans of desert adventures. There’s a special magic to these layered mountains, with their veins of black basalt and blazing pink sandstone, and paths wind through quiet valleys to tranquil pools, waterfalls and unexpectedly lush orchards of almonds, pomegranates, olives, quinces, plums and figs.

Aromatic herbs such as sage, rosemary and thyme perfume the trails, and caves built by hermits and ruins left by the ancient Nabataean civilization (whose main center was Petra in modern-day Jordan) hint at the historical importance of the trails that weave across Sinai’s dry mountains. 

For a rewarding taste of the terrain, tackle the trail to the summit of Mt Katherine (Gebel Katarina), Egypt’s highest peak at 2629m. The trail begins at the village of St Katherine’s, passing the 6th-century Monastery of Forty Martyrs and then following the Shaq Musa trail before branching off toward the summit. 

The route is straightforward but sustained. And the views from the top are breathtaking, as you take in a sweeping panorama that includes the mountains of nearby Saudi Arabia and even the Red Sea (on a clear day). A 120-year-old chapel sits at its summit, with monks’ cells where hikers can lodge for the night.

Another rewarding hike in the area is the climb up 2380m Gebel Abbas Pasha, which is crowned by the 18th-century ruins of an unfinished Swiss-style sanatorium that Ottoman ruler Abbas Pasha hoped would help treat his tuberculosis. At its peak, you can see right across the plateau that divides the peninsula.

Planning tip: Bedouin guides are required to trek these routes, and their knowledge of the flora and fauna along the trails is unparalleled. Wilderness Ventures Egypt can put together a bespoke itinerary based on your interests and hiking experience, or you can make arrangements at your accommodation in St Katherine’s village. 

4. Wadi Degla Protectorate

Best easy hike near Cairo

Distance: 8–13km
Time commitment: 2–4 hours 
Difficulty: easy

If you need a break from Cairo’s cacophony of car horns, make a beeline for the Wadi Degla Protectorate on the eastern edge of the suburb of Maadi, about 10km from the Maadi metro station. Rimmed by low, weathered limestone cliffs and whittled away by wind and water erosion over millions of years, this arid valley meanders for 37km, providing a popular escape from the urban sprawl. 

Many Cairo residents come here to hike, run and mountain bike on well-maintained trails and picnic at designated camping grounds; it gets busy on weekends, but the scenery is striking and the air clean. Wadi Degla is quieter on weekdays, when you might spot some of the valley’s red foxes, cape hare and deer. 

The 13km Wadi Degla Loop Trail winds upward from the valley floor, crossing the clifftops and offering great views of the rocky basin below. For a more serene hiking experience, continue onto the Deep Loop Trail, which heads 4km further along Wadi Degla, beyond all the camping sites. 

Planning tip: The best months to visit are from February to April, when you should keep your eyes peeled for sooty falcons, which return here to breed each spring.

5. Nuweiba Canyons

Best for canyon scenery

Distance: varies
Time commitment: 2–5 hours
Difficulty: easy–moderate

Toward the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, the Sinai resort of Nuweiba is a scattering of backpacker beach camps and resorts, close to decent dive sites on a scenic stretch of coast and easily reached from Dahab. Many visitors focus all their attention on the sea – but inland lie awe-inspiring canyons that serve as excellent destinations for day hikes.

With a Bedouin guide, you can spend the day scrambling along canyon walls the color of carnelian and dipping into mystical green pools. Canyoning here involves a mixture of valley-floor hiking and scrambling through tight spaces – you’ll be climbing, crawling and even jumping over bare rocks and boulders.

Topping most travelers’ bucket lists, Wadi Wishwashi is an hour-long, 2km hike, beginning close to the Basata Ecolodge at Nuweiba. Entry to the canyon starts with a mostly flat walk along the valley floor, before climbing past soaring sandstone and basalt-streaked mountains to end at a stepped series of pools surrounded by towering silver cliffs.

While the hike to the pools isn’t challenging, if you want to reach the upper watering holes, you’ll need to pull yourself up the rocks, ropes and makeshift ladders climbing the gorge. Bring your bathing suit and water shoes to protect your toes. For bonus scenery, continue 4km further to the end of the Malha Valley, where date palms and acacia trees bloom against sandstone walls the size of skyscrapers.

Closer to Nuweiba is Canyon Salama, accessed via a fairly easy 800m hike. The canyon’s hallmark is its eye-catching blend of colors – the striated rocks seem to have been painted in swift brushstrokes by a supernatural hand, rather than being shaped and shaded by water and wind over thousands of years.

Planning tip: Hikes into the Nuweiba Canyons require a Bedouin guide, something easily arranged through accommodations and tour operators in Dahab and Nuweiba. Wadi Wishwashi is best visited in late spring, after winter rains fill its pools.

6 & 7. Sinai Trail and Red Sea Mountain Trail

Best multiday hikes

Distance: Sinai Trail 550km; Red Sea Mountain Trail 170km
Time commitment: Sinai Trail up to 54 days; Red Sea Mountain Trail 10 days
Difficulty: moderate–difficult

Until recently, Egypt had two stunning long-distance trails – the 550km-long Sinai Trail in the Sinai Peninsula, and the 170m-long Red Sea Mountain Trail near Hurghada on the central Red Sea coast – developed as part of a community-led tourism initiative.

Both routes offered extended multiday trekking through some of Egypt's most impressive scenery, as well as shorter day hikes suitable for less ambitious hikers. All of the guides and trekking operators involved in the project came from local Bedouin tribes, giving hikers the chance to experience traditional Bedouin culture, and providing rural communities with fairly paid employment.

Unfortunately, trekking on both routes was suspended in 2024 due to security concerns and increasing government restrictions on access to rural areas. There’s a chance that either or both routes could be reopened, but this will depend on the political situation.

Planning tip: Inquire locally to check the status of both trails. Sheikh Mousa in St Katherine’s village is a useful information point for trekking in Sinai, while the Red Sea Mountain Trail website may have updates on trekking near Hurghada.

Tips for hiking in Egypt

With the baking North African climate, there are a few special considerations for hiking in Egypt. 

• Hiking is generally possible from September to May. Avoid the summer months, when high temperatures make strenuous activity exhausting and potentially dangerous. 

• Consider hiking from mid-February to mid-March, when the desert floor blooms into life, or from October to November, when the light is softer and better for photography. 

• If tackling multiday routes in the Sinai and along the Red Sea coast, bring a good-quality sleeping bag and mat, and a lightweight tent to keep out the mosquitoes, scorpions and cold (temperatures in the desert can plunge overnight). 

• On organized hikes, camels or horses will carry your gear as you walk. Local guides are mandatory on many routes, and can be arranged through activity operators or places to stay. 

• Always carry sun protection and plenty of water on any hike, and watch for symptoms of exhaustion, dehydration and heatstroke. An umbrella to provide extra shade can be a handy addition to your backpack.

This article was partly adapted from Lonely Planet’s Egypt guidebook, published in December 2025.