Best Hikes & Day Walks in Egypt

Written by the Egypt Day Tours team and reviewed by our licensed Egyptologist guides. Last updated July 2026.

TL;DR: Egypt’s best hikes range from epic multi-day trails (the Sinai Trail and Red Sea Mountain Trail) to classic peaks (Mount Sinai for sunrise, Mount Catherine the highest) and easy half-day walks (the Colored Canyon and desert wadis). There is something for every level. Here is the menu, with difficulty and who each suits.

Whether you want a gentle half-day or a multi-week expedition, Egypt has a walk for you. Here are the best, from the famous to the wonderfully obscure, with an honest word on difficulty.

The best multi-day hike is the Sinai Trail, Egypt’s first long-distance route, 550km across the territory of eight Bedouin tribes in South Sinai, walkable in stages or in full. The Red Sea Mountain Trail near Hurghada is its superb mainland counterpart.

Both are Bedouin-owned and offer true wilderness trekking. See the Sinai Trail and Red Sea Mountain Trail.

The best sunrise hike is Mount Sinai (Gebel Musa), the biblical peak climbed in the dark for a dawn that breaks over a sea of mountains, with St Catherine’s Monastery at its foot. It is achievable for most reasonably active people.

It is the most famous and accessible trek in Egypt. See the Mount Sinai sunrise trek.

For keen hikers, Mount Catherine, Egypt’s highest peak at 2,629m, is the prize: a tougher, quieter climb than Mount Sinai with vast summit views and an optional overnight. It rewards real fitness with real solitude.

It is the roof of Egypt. See the Mount Catherine trek.

Yes. The Colored Canyon near Nuweiba is a beautiful, easy-to-moderate half-day walk through narrow, vividly coloured sandstone, and there are gentle desert wadi walks around Dahab and Nuweiba suited to families and casual walkers.

These are perfect for a taste of the landscape without a major trek, and easy to combine with a Red Sea stay.

Choose by time and fitness: a half-day canyon walk or Mount Sinai for a short, accessible trip; Mount Catherine for a fit hiker’s summit; and the Sinai Trail or Red Sea Mountain Trail for a true multi-day adventure. We will match it to you.

Whatever your level, there is a Bedouin-led option. Tell us what you are after and we will recommend the right one.

From a vividly coloured canyon to the roof of Egypt and the great Bedouin trails beyond, Egypt’s hikes are varied, wild, and almost crowd-free. Pick the one that fits your fitness and time, and walk it the Bedouin way.

Prepare with our trekking in Egypt guide, meet the guides on our Bedouin culture page, and explore our full Bedouin trekking in Egypt collection.