Hiking & Trekking

Dominated by a harsh, unforgiving but beautiful desert and divided by the world’s longest river, nature travel in Egypt is something beautiful to experience. Sustain Egyptian nature reserves; stay in eco-lodges, visit Egypt’s National Parks and look for other ways to help. Nature travel in Egypt helps ecotourism thrive and set sustainable standards so that generations to come can enjoy the same natural wonders.

The pace of life for over 6000 years of civilization depends on the Nile River which is the only source of water in Egypt. The river also deposits fertile soil from the heart of Africa along its banks, which keeps the land rich for farming. The combination of the Nile River, the Western and Sinai deserts and oases make Egypt a wonderful place to explore nature and see firsthand a delicate balancing act millions of years in the making.

Bahariya Oasis

Mountains of Bahariya
Drive or hike up to the mountains of Dist, Maghrafa and Ghurabi. Jebel Dist has a remarkable view of palm trees surrounded by dunes. Jebel Maghrafa, known as a prehistoric site of dinosaur remains, has a camel breeding farm which welcomes visitors. Jebel Ghurabi is a great location for a short hike or a picnic.

Gilf El-Kebir

Uwainat and Karkur Talh 
Here you’ll find some of the most stunning scenery the Western Desert has to offer. Uwainat, known as Gebel Uwainat, is a 1900 meters high mountain that looms over the valley of Karkur Talh.

The valley is named after the acacia trees which still grow there.

The valley is definitely worth a visit.

There are many rock art paintings and engravings to see in the valley.

Your guides will know the locations of some of the best rock art to see. Hiking up mount Uwainat is a great option for the more adventurous traveler.

Allow up to 16 hours of ascent and descent. You’ll need plenty of fuel and water to reach and enjoy this part of the desert.

hurabi is a great location for a short hike or a picnic.

Eastern Desert (Sinai)

Taba – Coloured Canyon
One of the natural wonders of the Sinai, the Coloured Canyon, can be visited from Taba. It’s a maze of sandstone rocks in hues of yellow, purple, red, magenta and gold reaching up in some places a height of 40 meters. The uneven forms and height of the rocks sometimes make climbing necessary, so be prepared and try to get there as early as possible, not only because of the weather, but also to avoid the crowds. Although you might agree that the magic of the place is best enjoyed when you’re on your own, you will have to take a guided tour to the Canyon.

Dahab – Blue Desert
Located a few kilometres from St. Catherine’s Monastery, the Blue Desert is a 14 km2 area were rock formations in the desert were painted by Jean Vera Me in 1980 to commemorate the peace between Egypt and Israel following the 1979 Camp David Peace Accord. The contrast between the yellowish-brown sandstone and the blue painted rocks looks like an extremely vivid desert mirage.

Jebel Abu Mahashur
Jebel Abu Mahashur poses a challenging ascent and descent on its red granite dome with its big, smooth surface. To reach and hike up Jebel Abu Mahashur, you’ll need to hire Bedouin guides to set up a base camp at the foot of a garden. They can also provide transportation, food and beverages.

Jebel Ansila
Jebel Ansila is a great place to set up a base camp for several hiking excursions in the Sinai mountains. There are plenty of routes that pose different challenges on the ascent and descent. The sight of the valley bellow is breathtaking as you hike Jebel Ansila.

Ras Safsafa Hiking
Bedouin guides can recommend several routes that vary in difficulty to reach the peak of Ras Safsafa. Towering over a Bedouin village, Ras Safsafa offers and excellent view of the mountains of Sinai. The sight of Mount Sinai at the other end of the massif is stunning.

Jebel Rabba
Jebel Rabba offers great climbs on any of the several routes that pose different challenges. Located over a Bedouin village, reaching the peak of the old mountain is an achievable climb for new climbers and close enough for help should you need it.

Wadi Qnei Trekking

Reach the Southern Oasis by camel from Dahab before going in on foot into Wadi Qnei. The oasis is a perfect place to get refreshed by relaxing in the shade of palm trees or going for a swim before taking in the heat of the valley. Water erosion over thousands of years have moulded the rocks into dramatic shapes and left great ground colour schemes.

Wadi Ghazala Long Trek
Wadi Ghazala is a great trekking destination into a Sinai hinterland that has plenty of caves, dunes and acacia trees on the valley floor. In Wadi Ghazala you can experience the desert, hike up a rugged mountain and camp in the nearby oasis of Ain Khudra with Bedouins.

You can reach the Ghazala Valley from Dahab or Nuweiba. It will take you less than an hour by 4X4.

White Canyon Trek and Climb
A camel safari or 4×4 safari to Ain Khudra oasis is the perfect starting point for a trek into the White Canyon. The rocks of the White Canyon have a high lime content that creates the magnificent pure white walls you can marvel at while pacing and hiking in the canyon.

The Canyon can be reached in less than one hour from Dahab by a 4X4.

Saint Catherine 

Jebel el Deir (Monastery Mountain)
Jebel el Deir is an impressive Sinai mountain to behold where you can find great hiking ascents. Located above St. Catherine Monastery on one side and overlooking a gorgeous valley on the other, there are plenty of routes that vary in difficulty to trek and hike up the mountain.

Mount Sinai Trekking Hiking up the biblical mountain to reach the 2285m peak is a special experience you’ll find in few destinations around the globe. Mystical, spiritual, natural and uncanny, there is something awe inspiring in a night time walk along the rocky path under a starry night sky while following a candle lit trail of pilgrims as they march up Mount Sinai. It is worth mentioning that there are two ways to climb the Mount Sinai, one of which is the camel path traced by the Egyptian viceroy Abbas Hilmi Pasha. It is preferable to follow this trail for the climb and to use the stairs route that was built by the monastery monks for the descent. It is also possible to ride a camel on the Hilmi Pasha path where you’ll be also offered snacks and refreshments from small kiosks along the way. Wadi Feiran Wadi Feiran is a valley containing the Sinai’s largest and most lush oasis. It is a beautiful area filled with palm trees and inhabited by Bedouins, which are watched over by the mountains in their different hues. This Wadi features heavily in the Old Testament and is reportedly where the Prophet Moses struck a rock with his staff to bring forth water for his people during the exodus (At the Western entrance to the oasis); you can also visit Mt. Tahoun where Moses purportedly surveyed the war with the Amelecites. Wadi Feiran is full of churches, some dating to 300 AD, and you can find the ruins of one such monastery, Deir al Banat. The area of Wadi Feiran was a Christian center for monks, priests and pilgrims on their way to St. Catherine’s Monastery. Sharm El Sheikh Coloured Canyon Trekking  The Coloured Canyon is the most beautiful canyon in Egypt, and as nature would have it, the canyon is also the easiest to reach and trek. The high iron content in the sandstone, water erosion and wind created the great spectrum of colours you’ll find as you navigate the Coloured Canyon. Trekking the Coloured Canyon begins at Ain Furtaga Oasis, it takes a little more than an hour to reach the canyon from Sharm el-Sheikh, a couple of hours of walk through the canyon with light climbing along the way. The serpentine path is for the most part a little more than a meter wide and some of the enclosing cliffs can be over 80 meters high. Although Bedouins sell water and refreshments along the way, make sure you bring at least one bottle of water, especially during the high season when the canyon tends to get crowded. Jebel Banat Like Jebel Abu Mahashur, Jebel Banat has challenging red granite dome that’s over 40m long. You’ll have to hire Bedouin guides to set up a base camp at the base of the mountain. They also provide transportation, food and beverages. There are plenty of routes that pose different challenges on the ascent and descent.