Sinai Trail

The Sinai Trail opened in 2015 as the first long-distance hiking route in Egypt, and its structure is unusual: it is owned and operated by a cooperative of Bedouin tribes, each of which guides walkers through its own territory, so the route passes between tribes as it crosses the peninsula. It began as a 220-kilometre line and has since been extended to around 550 kilometres in a loop taking in the high mountains around Saint Catherine, the sandstone country inland from Nuweiba, canyons, oases and the coast, walked in around six weeks end to end or in sections of a few days. Camping is on the ground with Bedouin guides cooking on fires and camels carrying loads. It has become a model that similar community trails elsewhere in Egypt have followed.

What you actually see

• A tribally owned route - each section guided by the tribe whose land it crosses.
• High Sinai mountain stages - granite country around the highest peaks.
• Sandstone desert sections - canyons and open desert inland from the coast.
• Camp life with Bedouin guides - fire cooking and camels carrying the loads.

When to go

October to April; the trail closes through the hot months. Full traverses run at set times each season and sections can be arranged more flexibly. Three days for a taste, six weeks for the whole loop. Nights are cold in winter.

Honest expectations

This is unsupported wilderness walking with no huts, no resupply points and no phone signal for long stretches. Guides are mandatory and self-guided walking is not permitted. It requires real fitness and tolerance for basic conditions. Dates are limited and places book out well ahead.

Nearby

Saint Catherine and Nuweiba are the usual trailheads; the route links both.