LANDMARKLandmark
Mount Sinai
28.5500, 33.9700
Mount Sinai rises to 2,285 metres above the desert of southern Sinai, revered across three faiths as the peak where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments. The classic pilgrimage is done in darkness: hikers set out around 2am to reach the summit for a sunrise that ignites the surrounding granite ranges in gold and rose.
Two routes lead up, the gentler camel path and the steep 3,750 Steps of Repentance, converging for a final rocky climb to the small summit chapel and mosque. The night ascent, head-torches winding up the mountain, is as memorable as the view itself.
Most climbers set off from St Catherine's Monastery at the foot of the mountain.
Know before you go
It gets genuinely cold and windy at the summit even in summer, so bring warm layers, a head-torch and water, and hire a local Bedouin guide as required for the night climb.