Sinai Travel Information

Sinai Travel Guide - Explore the Beauty of Sinai 

The Sinai Peninsula is a famous tourist destination in Egypt spread over an area of 64,000 sq km. The Sinai is a perfect destination to enjoy the sun, sea, and numerous adventures. Sinai features many of the most popular and least developed beach resorts of Egypt, offering travelers ideal accommodation and relaxation. Sinai also enjoys fame as the scuba diving center of Egypt, offering many other activities like canyons and mountains for trekking, rock climbing, mountain biking, camping, and even room for indulging in rides in desert dune buggies and safari adventures.
In earlier days, Sinai was famous as a chief route for pilgrims to Mecca and was home to many cultures. Most of Sinai today is an arid desert and the interior is covered by jagged mountains, but there is still a lot to see, even far from the sea. The popular St. Catherine Monastery and Mount Sinai, the place where God supposedly gave Moses the Ten Commandments are just two examples. 
Sinai overall is amazing, but the southern part is especially beautifully adorned with exquisite coral reefs and the best diving spots on the globe.

Entering Sinai

When visiting Sinai directly, an entry visa called a Sinai-only visa can be acquired at the Sharm Sharm el-Sheikh airport. This visa is valid for 14 days and allows you to explore South Sinai only. To explore other areas in Sinai, a regular visa is mandatory which you can get at the airport on arrival. The regular visa also gives you access to travel all across Egypt.

Weather at Sinai

Sinai's climate is extremely hot. Daytime temperatures along the coast can soar to 50°C (120°F) during the summer, and night temperatures are based on wind speed. In the mountains, the winters see slight snowfall and rainstorms during spring, and nights tend to be cooler. When visiting Sinai during the summer, it’s recommended that you carry complete sun protection and lots of bottled water to stay hydrated. Avoid sunburns, heat exhaustion, or heatstroke by being prepared. During summer, the best place to spend time is near the water, while entirely avoiding camel riding and trekking simply due to the extreme heat.

How To Reach Sinai

Sinai is well-connected with many cities in Egypt. A domestic flight from EgyptAir is available every day and it takes just 30 minutes to reach Sinai from most cities in Egypt. If looking to travel on a bus, regular buses from Sharm el-Sheikh are available. Ferries also connect Sinai to Aqaba in Jordan and Nuweiba. When entering via Jordan, a visa fee is not charged as it’s part of the wider free trade zone. A high-speed catamaran ferry is also available and takes much less time. Sinai can also be reached by train from Cairo to Port Said which can take you to the northwestern edge of this peninsula.

Interesting Tourist Sites At Sinai

Sinai features many tourist attractions. A few of them include:

The Blue Hole

Touted to be the most beautiful diving spot in Sinai, this is often referred to as The Canyon as well as the Blue Hole. It gets its name from the breathtaking, spectacularly clear waters that are blue. The difficult trip to reach it is worth the final view.

Colored Canyon

The Colored Canyon is a famous safari destination that is usually combined with a tour of St. Catherine’s Monastery. The canyon offers a breathtaking view of amazing rock formations and canyon walls. It is among the must-see attractions of Sinai where you can escape to experience silence and natural beauty at its best.

Dahab

Dahab, meaning gold, is an ideal spot for adventurous tourists where windsurfing can be enjoyed to the fullest. Dahab is adorned with palm groves adding ample beauty to the coast. Reaching Dahab is easy and it is definitely among the top places to visit in Sinai. 

Blue Desert

Located close to St. Catherine Monastery, the Blue Desert has long captured people's imagination. In 1980-81 the Belgian artist Jean Verame painted many boulders blue with the permission of the late President Sadat as a symbol of the end of the war between Egypt and Israel. The place is an extraordinary one and worth paying a visit to. Peace is beautiful!

Mount Sinai

Recognized for its role in the Bible, Mount Sinai has a religious significance to Judaism, Christianity, and also Islam as (in addition to Moses receiving his revelation there) it’s also believed to be where Boraq, the Prophet Muhammad’s horse, ascended to heaven. Mount Sinai is a must-see for everyone visiting Sinai!

Nawamis

Nawamis are even older than the Egyptian pyramids. The tombs are constructed with dry-wall stone in a circular shape. It’s a favorite destination for all history lovers and the site is still very well-preserved.

Nuweiba

Nuweiba is a popular beach resort in Sinai. It has now become more popular in recent years and is also an ideal spot for windsurfers due to the constant gusty conditions along the beach. 

Ras Mohammed

Ras Mohammed National Park is a protected area located in Sharm El Sheikh and is touted to be the first national park in Egypt. It features both marine and a land area and this is an excellent place to visit for the whole family. 

Serabit El-Khadem

This is a very popular archeological site in Sinai displaying the mines of the Pharaohs and is in the western part of the Sinai peninsula.

St. Catherine’s Monastery

Centered at the foot of Mount Sinai, the monastery was constructed by the order of Emperor Justinian between 527 and 565. Build around Moses’ Burning Bush, there is a chapel constructed on top. The setting is spectacular and also features many artworks like oil and wax paintings, Arab mosaics, marble ornaments, sacerdotal items, and reliquaries. It also has the second-largest collection of illuminated manuscripts.

Taba

Taba was returned to Egypt in 1989 and has now turned into a popular tourist destination featuring extraordinarily beautiful coves and bays. There are many hotels located here and also Bedouin camps can offer a nice, genuine experience. Amazing sea views also make this a great place to visit.

Sharm El-Sheikh

Lying to the south of Sinai, until 1970 the place was hardly known, but tourism attention brought with it a major makeover and growth. Millions of people from across the globe visit Sharm El-Sheikh every year. Today many hotels here serve guests from every corner of the world. 

Pharaoh’s Island

This tiny islet in turquoise blue waters houses Salah ad-Din castle which is well-preserved and interesting. The boat that can take you to this island runs only from the Salah ad-Din Hotel and a return ticket can be obtained from the hotel reception. You can only buy a ticket to the fortress after reaching the island and after landing. Other places of tourist interest which must be visited when planning a trip to Sinai include the Feiran Oasis, and Na’ama Bay, which are two major tourist attractions at Sinai.

Things To Do At Sinai

The Sinai Peninsula has for thousands of years been a popular place for religious pilgrimages. Despite being a travel destination since ancient times, Sinai has seen a growth in popularity in the past few decades and become a center of scuba diving and ocean adventure. The diving culture has led to the emergence of a completely new era for Sinai.

Visiting Sinai is a great choice for active people and you can enjoy water sports like diving, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing, paddle boating, water skiing, jet skiing, fishing, and more. Also, the terrestrial activities here can be enjoyed thoroughly including horse riding, camel trekking, jeep trekking, and more. A safari trip can be an adventurous experience for everyone with lots of amazing sights to see. Bird-watchers can especially get a treat with the amazing variety of birds seen in Sinai. Games and sports are also organized by many hotels and sports centers including bowling, aerobics, tennis, bicycling, and golf to keep the enjoyment spirit going always.

• Sandboarding, is an adventurous experience that gets the adrenaline pumping!
• Snorkeling in the beautiful oasis at the south
• Sleep under the open, star-studded sky at a Bedouin camp
• Try activities like diving, windsurfing, and other water sports
• Discover wide and narrow canyons while riding a camel

Diving Into Sharm El-Sheikh

The city of Sharm El-Sheikh is one of the most visited places in Egypt and offers a great nightlife, pleasant weather and luxury water sports amenities. Sharm El-Sheikh also has affordable and comfortable accommodation for all your lodging needs. 
There are so many chances to try diving and snorkeling in Sharm El-Sheikh and it's also a great location to do open water diving and gain a PADI or CMAS certificate.
In order to hire tanks and diving equipment here, tourists have to produce an internationally recognized certificate. Most of the dive courses are scheduled for 5 days in open water. Tourists who want to obtain such a license have to complete the introductory course.

The Final Word About Traveling To Sinai

The Sinai Peninsula is a spectacular getaway that will offer any tourist an amazing holiday experience. When you are here you can explore diverse landscapes and enjoy an active and exciting trip. From the golden beaches to the lush oases, from thriving reefs to vast deserts, it all sits here ready to discover. Sinai is an adventure paradise for everyone in the family with remarkable reefs and exotic marine life. The mountain backdrop makes Dahab a perfect spot from which Sinai can be discovered in an ideal manner and camping under the sky at night, sand boarding or diving and snorkeling into the sea are all everyday activities that make memories for a lifetime.