13 Days Beauty of Sinai Camping Trip
13 Days Beauty of Sinai Camping Trip
1st Day: Ras Mohammed National Park
Wadi Feiran – In the morning we will pick you up at the reception of your hotel in Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Taba or Nuweiba. If you stay in any other part of Egypt such as Cairo we can of course organize the transfer to Sinai for you.
You will be transferred to the Ras Mohammed National Park. It is located at the southern extreme of Sinai, touching both the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez, and covers a surface of 480 km², including terrestrial areas and a part of the Red Sea in front of the shoreline. Onshore you will see numerous species of birds and, if you are lucky, fennecs and gazelles.
Ras Mohammed offers a lot of beautiful places to see, not only underwater – enjoy the ride through the rough desert landscape, see the deep fissure created by an earthquake, visit the Mangrove Forest, jump into the beautiful turquoise water of the ‘Magic Lake’ and relax for some time sitting on the quiet sandy shores enjoying the unique flair. Here you will be served lunch. And of course you will not miss the extraordinary marine life! Only a few steps far from the beach snorkelers will find beautiful corals, a multitude of exotic fish and many other underwater animals and plants – and not too many tourists. The night will be spent camping; it will be the first night under the unique starlit sky that you can see only far away from the cities.
Lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
2nd Day: Ras Mohammed National Park – Wadi Feiran – Valley of Inscriptions – Valley of Writing – Serabit El Khadem
After breakfast you will have another chance to go snorkeling, relax on the beach, swim or take some pictures of the peaceful enchanting landscape. After lunch we will transfer you by jeep to the Wadi Feiran which is located on the other side of the Sinai Peninsula so that we have to cross the inland. The Wadi Feiran is Sinai’s largest valley and one of its most important archaeological and historical sites. It was here that Moses is said to have touched a rock with his walking stick, educing a well for the thirsty Israelites. Therefore you can find here lots of remains of ancient churches. But also the nature here is beautiful, with a lush palm forest embedded in the rough landscape with steep cliffs, which gave the wadi the name ‘Pearl of Sinai’. We will relax a bit in this enchanting area; then we will drive to the Wadi Maghara, the so-called ‘Valley of Inscriptions’. Relief inscriptions in the rocks date back to an early period of Pharaonic Egypt when mines containing turquoises and copper were explored here. There are also several engravings made by officials and administrators of the mines. Further the remains of an ancient fortified settlement have been found here. After lunch you will ride through the Wadi Mukattab, the ‘Valley of Writing’; its steep rock walls feature countless ancient carvings, most of the in the Nabatean language, and rock paintings. Finally you will pass by the Gebel Maghara mountain until you will reach to Serabit Al Khadem where you will set up camp. On the way we will make a short stop at the mausoleum of Sheikh Hubos, a religious dignitary highly honored by the locals.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
3rd Day: Serabit – Temple of Hathor – Himayir
After breakfast you will climb up Mount Serabit until you reach the Temple of Hathor, the ancient love and joy goddess. She was also worshipped as the mistress of turquoises and therefore honored by the miners who once worked here in the rich turquoise mines. In the remains of the sanctuary you can still find their engravings. After descending from the mountain you will relax a bit and enjoy a tasty lunch. Then you will meet you new companions, well trained gentle camels, and their experienced Bedouin guides. You will ride now eastwards, crossing the sandy area of Rummlah until you reach the fascinating Himayir area with rock formations and a high sand dune. You will encamp here.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
4th Day: Himayir – Forest of Pillars – Al Garaba
After breakfast you can enjoy a walk on the sand dune before you will continue your trek. You will see the Forest of Pillars at the foot of the Mount Fouga, black columns of lave which were laid bare by erosion and now standing like a forest amidst the colored sandstone dominating the area. We will spend our lunch break here. In the afternoon you will ride to Al Garaba where you will enjoy a magnificent sunset and spend the night.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
5th Day: Wadi Garaba – Bir Al Akhdar – Wadi Juffa – Ras Zaranig
After breakfast you will discover the scenic Wadi Garaba; we will stop at the romantic oasis Bir Al Akhdar and enjoy our lunch in the green garden. In the afternoon you will ride through the Wadi Juffa and finally encamp at Ras Zaranig, the origin for our trek through the wonderful Zaranig Canyons.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
6th Day: Zaranig Canyons – Wadi Zalagha
After breakfast we will hike through the Zaranig Canyons, huge and deep sandstone canyons; when it rains, the water floods from here down to Nuweiba at the coastline. You will for sure enjoy not only the great nature around you, but also the peace and tranquility far away from the stressful daily life. We will set up camp in the Wadi Zalagha.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
7th Day: Wadi Zalagha – El Gona Plateau
Today we will cross the Wadi Zalagha and trek to the top of the El Gona Plateau. The plateau is 1,700 meters high and around 50 kilometers long and offers a beautiful landscape as well as fantastic views the mountains. We will spend the night on the plateau.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
8th Day: El Gona Plateau – Wadi Emhamed – Zig Zak Canyon – Wadi Arada
After breakfast we will descend from the plateau through the Wadi Emhamed to the Zigzag Canyon, a narrow sandstone canyon with a sandy floor which is winding through steep walls and great rock formations. It opens to the wide sandy Wadi Marra which houses numerous acacia trees. In the late afternoon you will reach to the Wadi Arada where you will encamp.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
9th Day: Bir Safra – Al Haduda sand dune – Gebel Mutamir
After breakfast you will continue your ride through the beautiful landscape with its stunning sandstone formations until you will reach the idyllic spring Bir Safra situated at an open area where two valleys cross. You can refresh with the spring’s clear water. Then you will hike to the great sand dune Al Heduda – it is really something special as the Sinai desert consists mostly of mountains and doesn’t offer a lot of space for large dunes. You will enjoy a great break; you will have lunch and you can wander on the dune – or rolling down. In the afternoon you will head to our camping place at the Gebel Mutamir mountain.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
10th Day: Gebel Mutamir – Gebel Mahroum – Nawamis
After breakfast you will enjoy riding to the Gebel Barqa, the ‘Mountain with a Hole’, a popular bizarre sandstone formation belonging to the Gebel Mahrum, with a hole cutting through it. In this area you can also find numerous other rock formations as well as small caves and sand dunes. You will have time to stroll around a bit while your lunch will be prepared. After eating you will continue your ride towards the Nawamis area where you will set up camp.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
11th Day: Nawamis – Ein Khudra Oasis
Today it is time for some culture – you will visit the Nawamis, prehistoric circular burial chambers built of sandstone. After lunch you will trek to the Ein Khudra Oasis, a beautiful oasis with a spring surrounded by numerous palm trees. If you like, you can have a bath here before you will have dinner and go to sleep.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
12th Day: Ein Khudra Oasis – White Canyon – Blue Hole – Ras Abo Galum National Park
After breakfast you can have another bath in the spring or relax with the Bedouins; then you will hike through the beautiful White Canyon. The gorge received its name because of its splendid bright rock walls. Take your time to enjoy the unique landscape while you trek through the canyon, and keep your camera ready! After lunch we will transfer you to the famous snorkeling place called the Blue Hole – a true paradise for snorkelers. You will have around one hour to swim, snorkel or simply sunbath. Then you will continue your trip to the gorgeous Ras Abo Galum National Park; of course we will make stops for you when you need a rest or want to take a picture. You can choose if you want to walk the path or hire a camel to carry you. Abo Galum is a wonderful piece of nature, far away from the hustle and bustle, calm, lonely and peaceful. You will spend the night in a camp on the shores; you will enjoy an original Bedouin meal before you will go to sleep under a million stars.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight camping.
13th Day: Ras Abo Galum National Park – Nabq Bay Protected Area
After an early breakfast you will enjoy some hours sunbathing, swimming or snorkeling; Ras Abo Galum is a great place for snorkelers to explore the stunning underwater world without lots of other tourists around. Even turtles and dolphins can be seen here sometimes. Then it is time to leave – by foot or by camel you will travel the path back; a car will be waiting for you to take you to the Nabq Bay Protected Area. It covers a surface of around 600 km², with both terrestrial and marine areas containing a great biodiversity, and offers you a fascinating landscape, with the turquoise sea and its romantic shores, the rough desert and the great Sinai Mountains, the blue lagoons and the green flourishing areas. You will see the Wadi Kid which houses a relatively abundant flora and, and discover the famous Mangrove Wood, a dense forest where countless mangroves are growing around the shoreline. You can observe birds breeding here, and maybe even see a gazelle or a hyrax…! You will have lunch in a Bedouin village before you will mount a camel and discover the beauty of the Nabq Bay area from another perspective during a ride trough the awesome nature. Then you will go by jeep again until you will reach the coastline. While we stay on the shore you can relax on the lonely sandy beach or go snorkeling. Nabq Bay contains large well-protected coral reefs with various species of corals, fish and other marine animals. Also you can see the old ship wreck of the ‘MS Maria Schröder’ that ran aground on a reef close to the shoreline during a sandstorm around 60 years ago. The water here is rather shallow, so you can approach it by foot. You will stay at this great place to enjoy sunset; then we will transfer you back to your hotel. This concludes our program and services.
Breakfast and lunch included.
Included:
- All mentioned transfers in high-class air-conditioned vehicles
- Guided camel riding and trekking tours in your language
- Camping in the desert and the national parks
- Meals, mineral water and soft drinks
Not included:
- Gratuity (tips) for drivers, tour guides
- Personal items, meals, drinks or services not mentioned
- Snorkeling equipment
- International and domestic flights
- Visa