St Catherine's Monastery ToursSharm El Sheikh: Saint Catherine's Monastery Private Tour
The St Catherine monastery private tour from Sharm El Sheikh run by Sharm club travel is the one listing in this catalogue that leaves Mount Sinai out. A private car collects you in the morning, reaches the gate in about three hours, spends two printed hours inside with a guide in Italian, English or Russian, and returns by way of Dahab for lunch on the beach. The protectorate fee and the monastery museum fee are in the $185 price; so are the lunch and the drinks with it. Rated 4.8 from 26 reviews, the highest score on all the St Catherine monastery tours compared.
About This Private Tour
10 hours; 3 out, 2 at the monastery, 2 back via a 1-hour Dahab lunch
$185 per person; protectorate fee, museum fee, lunch and drinks included
4.8 from 26 GetYourGuide reviews; guides 4.6, transport 4.8, value 4.4
Private; your party only, in a private air-conditioned car
Sharm El Sheikh hotels, early morning, time confirmed by the operator
Free up to 24 hours before; reserve now and pay later
Check Dates and Availability
Live dates and prices for the Sharm Club private monastery tour. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.
Quick answer $185 for the monastery at walking pace, the museum ticket paid and lunch by the sea
This is the 10-hour tour for people who want the church, the Burning Bush and the sacristy without a night on a mountain first. Sharm club travel sends a private car to your hotel early in the morning, drives about three hours in convoy to St Catherine, and gives you two hours inside the monastery with a guide who speaks Italian, English or Russian. The $185 includes the St Katherine Protectorate entry fee, the monastery library and museum fee, lunch on the beach in Dahab on the way back and the drinks with it. Bring a passport or ID card, comfortable shoes and sleeves: sleeveless shirts and photography inside are both refused.
Key takeaways
- Arrive rested and in daylight; the comparison of every listing shows this is the only one where you do
- The museum fee is included, which the sunrise tours leave to you; the sacristy is closed on Fridays whatever you paid
- The convoy note matters: departure time is set by the convoy, not by you
What You Gain by Skipping the Climb
Every other tour here arrives at the monastery around nine, after a night without sleep, and leaves at 11:30. This one arrives on the same schedule and awake.
The two hours, and what fills them
The printed itinerary gives the monastery two hours for a visit, a guided tour, sightseeing and the views on the way. The highlights the operator names are the Chapel of the Burning Bush, the Church of the Transfiguration and the library, and the museum fee in the price means the sacristy with its icons and manuscripts is part of the visit, not an optional extra bought at the door. The route inside is fixed by the monks, and published on the monastery's general information page: north gate, courtyard, the Well of Moses, the basilica, the chapel behind it, the sacristy.
Two hours is enough to walk it twice and sit in the courtyard between.
The people it suits
Reviewers of this listing are older and more mixed than the sunrise crowd: a family of two parents and a teenager from Germany in October 2025 who booked the afternoon before; a Belgian couple in January 2026 who praised the restaurant the guide found; a Colombian traveller in March 2026 who wanted history rather than a hike. A German in February 2026 called the journey long and unexciting and the monastery worth it, and suggested a camel ride and the Dahab lunch as the two things that improve the day. Nobody mentions cold, blankets or steps, because there are none.
The price against the alternatives
At $185 per person this costs more than the Sun Pyramids sunrise tour and the OceanAir tour put together, and it delivers less of the day: no summit, no sunrise. What it delivers instead is a private car (transport scored 4.8 by reviewers, against 3.9 on the busiest shared bus), a guide to yourselves, the museum ticket, a beach lunch and a body that has slept. For anyone whose knees, lungs or age rule the mountain out, it is the only listing here that gets them to the monastery at all.
| This tour | Sun Pyramids sunrise | OceanAir sunrise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $185 | $51 | $76 |
| Climb | None | 2 am, 750 steps | After midnight, 750 steps |
| Monastery time | 2 h printed | 2 h printed | Not stated |
| Museum fee | Included | Not included | Not included |
| Meal | Lunch and drinks in Dahab | None | Water only |
| Transport score | 4.8 | 4.2 | 3.9 |
Inside the Walls
Filmed inside the monastery, which is where cameras are not allowed on your own visit: the courtyard, the basilica and the sacristy.
Convoy, Passport and the Dahab Lunch
Three practical facts that the listing states in a line each and that shape the whole day.
The tour runs under convoy
The listing's one line under know-before-you-go is that the tour runs under convoy. Private vehicles heading into the Sinai interior from Sharm travel at set times with a police escort, which is why the pickup is early and the exact time is confirmed by the operator rather than chosen by you. A German family in October 2025 exchanged passport data the evening before and passed every checkpoint without delay.
Bring the passport or ID card the listing asks for; the convoy paperwork is built from it.
Lunch on the beach in Dahab
The return leg runs down the Dahab road rather than straight back to Sharm, with an hour printed for lunch, a break and a look at the town. Lunch and drinks are in the price. A Belgian reviewer in January 2026 said the guide found a fantastic restaurant even though the meal was already included; an American in December 2025 called the pacing good, with a rest stop halfway out and the lunch stop on the way back.
Dahab adds about an hour to the day and is the reason the tour is 10 hours rather than 8.
What is not allowed
Sleeveless shirts, and photography inside. The first is the monastery's dress rule, applied at the gate to men and women alike; the second is the monks' rule for the basilica and the sacristy. The listing also excludes wheelchair users: the courtyard is stepped and the basilica has thresholds.
Bring comfortable shoes for the granite paving and the walk from the car park.
- Included: private car, guide, protectorate fee, library and museum fee, lunch and drinks in Dahab
- Bring: passport or ID card, comfortable shoes, sleeves and long trousers
- Not allowed: sleeveless shirts, photography inside
- Not suitable: wheelchair users
Ten Hours, Step by Step
From the operator's printed itinerary. Times move with the convoy departure the operator confirms.
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06:00
Pickup in Sharm
A private car at your hotel; the time is confirmed the day before to match the convoy.
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07:30
Halfway stop
A rest and breakfast stop at a service station, mentioned by more than one reviewer.
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09:00
The monastery
Two hours: courtyard, Well of Moses, basilica, Chapel of the Burning Bush, the sacristy on the included ticket. No photographs inside.
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11:00
Down to Dahab
About two hours through the mountains to the coast.
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13:00
Lunch by the sea
An hour for lunch and drinks, included, and a short look at the town.
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14:00
Back to Sharm
About an hour and a half along the coast road; hotel by late afternoon.
Where the Tour Goes
Sharm to the monastery is about 230 km by road; the return runs through Dahab, about 130 km from the monastery and 90 km from Sharm.
Distances and drive times for every start point are on the homepage.
Sharm Club Private Tour: Questions About This Listing
Does the Sharm Club private tour climb Mount Sinai?
No. It is the one listing on this site that goes to the monastery alone, in daylight, with no night trek. If you want both, the Sinai Hikes private tour does the climb with a guide of your own; the shared sunrise tours do it for less.
Is the monastery museum fee included in the private tour?
Yes. The listing includes the library of the monastery entry fee, which is the sacristy museum ticket, along with the St Katherine Protectorate entry fee. The sacristy is closed on Fridays even when the church is open, and the whole monastery is closed on Sundays.
What languages does the Sharm Club guide speak?
Italian, English and Russian. Reviewers name Italian-speaking guides more than once; a June 2026 reviewer from Italy said the guide spoke perfect Italian. Choose the language at booking.
Why does the private tour run in convoy?
Vehicles entering the Sinai interior from the coast travel at fixed times with a police escort. The operator confirms your pickup time to match the convoy, and asks for a passport or ID card so the paperwork can be filed. A family in October 2025 exchanged passport data the evening before and passed the checkpoints without delay.
Is lunch included on the private monastery tour?
Yes. Lunch on the beach in Dahab and the drinks with it are in the $185 price, with an hour printed for the stop on the way back to Sharm.
What Travellers Said About This Tour
Car was very comfortable, driver was very good and safe, our guide spoke perfect Italian and was really knowledgeable and super kind.
Our guide gave a complete and detailed explanation. He found us a fantastic restaurant, even though it was included in the price.
Ahmed explained the sights to us very well and was able to answer all our questions. On the way back, we enjoyed an excellent lunch in Dahab right by the sea.
Excerpts from verified GetYourGuide reviews of this listing, with the reviewer's country and travel month. Full reviews sit on the operator's listing.
Page last reviewed September 2026. Price, rating and review count read from the listing on September 2026. Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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