Practical Info

Park Location:

The protectorate covers 4350 km2 of the southern central part of the South Sinai Governorate.



Getting there:

To St. Katherine City:

  • By bus from the international bus station in Abasseya - Cairo.
  • By private car or taxi from Sharm El Sheikh, Nuweiba, El Tor or Dahab.

Entrance & Lodging:

Al Karm Ecolodge: With the financial support of the EU, local artisans adapted some abandoned stone buildings situated close to the ancient pilgrimage route to the Monastery of St. Katherine, into a popular ecolodge. Five guest rooms accommodate up to 16 people. The dining room and sanitary facilities combine traditional Bedouin architecture and modern water-saving devices. Solar heated shower units and composting toilets are modern solutions to the age-old problems of water conservation in an arid environment. Meals prepared for guests and hiking trips led by the Bedouin offer tourists an environmentally respectful and culturally authentic experience. For more information and reservation call (069)347-0033 or (069)347-0032

Hotels: Plaza Hotel, El Wadi El Mokadas Hotel, Wadi El Raha Hotel, Daniela Hotel, Morgan Land Hotel.
Bedouin Camps: Sheikh Mousa Camp, Fox Camp, Moon Land Camp.


Climate:

Average temperatures exceed 30° C during the day in the summer with cooler temperatures at nights. Snowy mountain peaks are often visible in the winter with temperatures ranging from 10 - 20° C during the day and dropping below zero at night. Visitors are advised to dress in warm clothing if they are climbing Mount Sinai at night, particularly during the winter.


Visitor Center:
The visitor center at St. Katherine Protectorate situated close to the access road to the Monastery of St. Katherine was built by local Bedouin using traditional building techniques and materials. The small cluster of six small buildings which blend with the local landscape are linked by open terraces which afford stunning views of the mountains and the Plain of Raha. The visitor takes a tour through time, viewing a series of 5 graphical presentations with "origins" as the thematic link i.e. Origins of Sinai, Origins of Man in Sinai, Origins of Sinai's Nature, Origins of St. Katherine's Monastery, and Origins of the Protectorate. The concepts developed in this visitor center, its design and use of materials, are intended to serve as models for visitor centers in other Protected Areas.

Visiting hours:
Ticket office: 24 hours every day.
Visitor center: 9:30 am to 1:00 pm every day.
Protectorate office: 8:30 am to 3:30 pm every day.
St. Katherine Monastery: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Closed Sunday, Friday and religious holidays.
Tourism police: 24 hours every day.
Hospital: 24 hours every day.


Contact Information:
Tel./Fax: (069)347-0032 or (069)347-0033
Email:
stkatherine@parksegypt.com