Saint Catherine’s Monastery (Saint Katherine) is an ancient monastery in Egypt located on Mount Moses (Mount Sinai). It is one of the oldest in the world and a monument of early Christianity.
The monastery was founded in the 4th century on the site where, according to legend, the miraculous burning bush was located, in which the Lord appeared to Moses. It was built by Orthodox monks and remains a significant symbol of Christian heritage in Egypt.
A tour to Saint Catherine’s Monastery offers a complex of buildings, including a church, catacombs, a chapel, and tombs. The church is the central building of the complex and is home to sacred artifacts, including a copy of the Icon of the Mother of God and the Virgin of Vladimir. The complex also has many museums that contain numerous archaeological finds and objects related to early Christianity.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most visited places in Egypt. Moreover, it is a holy place for all Christians because it symbolizes the original communication of God with Moses and the first Christian communities that arose from apostolic times.
What’s included in the tour:
- Hotel pickup: Approximately 5:30 AM (exact time will be confirmed after booking, the journey takes around 3 hours);
- Rest stop: A 15-minute stop at a shop (restroom, coffee, snacks, information from the guide);
- Monastery tour (opportunity to interact with monks): View the Burning Bush, Moses’ Well, ancient icons, visit the Basilica of the Transfiguration, chapels, the old refectory, the ancient cemetery, and attend a church service (if possible);
- Icon museum visit (optional);
- Return to Dahab: Lunch and visit to the local market;
- Drop-off at your hotel: Approximately 4:00 PM.
The tour price includes:
- Transportation
- Services of a Russian-speaking guide
- Visit to the monastery
- Lunch in Dahab
The tour price does not include:
- The Icon Museum (approximately $5)
- Donations
- Beverages during lunch
Additional Information:
- Important! You must bring the original and a copy of your passport on the tour (this is a frequent requirement of the police when leaving Sharm El-Sheikh);
- Important! We recommend bringing warm clothes, as it can be cool around the monastery, and also choosing clothing appropriate for holy places (head covering/scarf for women, covered shoulders and knees);
- Transportation is provided in comfortable mini-buses with air conditioning in a convoy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Your price is so low... Probably you are doing a low-quality service?
We truly offer some of the lowest prices while maintaining a high quality of service. The reason is that we are an online booking company for large tour operators in Egypt, allowing us to offer very competitive prices due to our large volume of tourists. By booking with us, you receive high-quality service without overpaying intermediaries.
What kind of buses and transfers do you have?
A variety of transportation is available for use by the event organizers within the park, including cars, minivans, and comfortable buses. All vehicles are equipped with air conditioning and safety systems. For longer journeys, buses with restrooms are provided. Additionally, all vehicles undergo regular maintenance and sanitation checks, and possess the necessary tourist permits. Furthermore, drivers undergo inspections by the tourist police before each long trip.
How and when do I pay for the tour?
We work without prepayment. All group tours are paid for on the bus or during the tour itself. The exceptions are prepayments for private tours and tours that require purchasing airline tickets or processing documents. Our main programs are paid for directly during the transfer or at the beginning of the tour. You don’t need to look for someone to pay for the tour. An employee of the organizer will approach you. You can pay in cash in US dollars, euros, or Egyptian pounds. For your convenience, we also offer the option of transferring funds to a bank card in rubles, hryvnias, and euros at the exchange rate or to a cryptocurrency wallet in USDT, prior to the tour. For more detailed information on payment methods and refunds, please see here.
Do you have a tourist license?
Egypt is a highly regulated country, especially when it comes to tourism. For any vehicle or yacht to depart on an excursion, daily permits must be obtained from both the police and the military. If the tour operators don’t have a valid tourism license, they naturally won’t be granted these permits. This is why for certain excursions, we may request copies of your vouchers and passports (this applies to sea excursions in Sharm El-Sheikh, private tours, and some group tours if they involve leaving the city. For other excursions, permits are simply issued based on the number of people, and passport details are not required).
Are we insured during the excursion?
Unfortunately, some hotel guides try to convince tourists that their travel insurance is allegedly invalid if they book excursions with external tour operators, as opposed to their own company. This is not true.
Firstly, your travel insurance is valid throughout Egypt, just as it would be if you booked with the hotel’s tour company.
Secondly, if you are on a boat, bus, or other mode of transport, the organizer bears full insurance liability to the passengers. Otherwise, they simply would not be able to obtain a permit to conduct tour activities. Egypt has quite strict tourism regulations, and permits are required before each trip.
How can I retrieve a lost item from a tour?
We always remind our guests to double-check that they have all their belongings when exiting the bus or yacht at the end of the tour. Unfortunately, recovering lost items can be quite challenging due to the immediate departure of vehicles for cleaning and the complexities of Egyptian logistics. While we will do our best to help you locate your belongings, we cannot guarantee a 100% recovery rate. If we are able to find your item, there will be a delivery fee of $5-10. Please be mindful of your belongings!
Should I adjust my plans or wait for the tour?
We have a significant daily influx of booking requests for our programs from tourists. As a result, most excursions are organized daily or on specific days of the week following a detailed schedule provided in each program’s description. After booking, we will send you the exact pick-up time from your hotel. Many tours will be conducted with small groups from various hotels who have purchased excursions through tour operators. The only difference is that our prices are 40-60% lower (our organizers conduct all major excursions in Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh for Russian-speaking tourists).
Where can I find the photographer who took photos on the tour?
We would like to inform you that the photographers accompanying you on excursions act as independent representatives of their photo studios. They are not part of our online service or the program organizer team. All terms and conditions related to the photoshoot and its payment are discussed and agreed upon directly between you and the photographer. We recommend that you approach prepayments with caution and ensure the reliability of the services, as well as obtain all the photographer’s contact information before making any payments.