A desert trip from Sharm El Sheikh to the Colored Canyon, a narrow gorge whose sandstone walls are streaked with red, yellow and purple. You travel by 4×4 jeep into the Sinai mountains, then walk through the canyon with your guide. Lunch is included and there is time for a short camel ride before the drive back to your hotel, from $60.
Egypt Day Tours representative will pick you up from your hotel in Sharm El Sheikh by 4×4 jeep driving towards Nuweiba city, on your way to Nuweiba there will be a photo stop at a place where you can have a panoramic view of its port and take some photos, also participants can witness the mountain of Saudi Arabia on the other side of Aqaba Gulf. Later you will arrive at the canyon location and then start to go down to the canyon to watch the natural colored rocks, later you will go back to the main road to an oasis. Lunch during your tour. Back to Sharm El Sheikh.
The drive north. From Sharm El Sheikh the road climbs into the granite and sandstone mountains of South Sinai. Along the way you stop at a viewpoint above the coast near Nuweiba, where on a clear day you can look across the Gulf of Aqaba to the mountains of Saudi Arabia. It is one of the few places where you can see across to another country from the Egyptian shore.
The Colored Canyon. The canyon was cut by rare but violent winter floods rushing through soft sandstone. Minerals such as iron and manganese have stained the layers in shades of red, yellow, violet and cream, and the colours change as the sun moves. The walk follows the dry riverbed down between walls that in places narrow to little more than shoulder width, with a few rocky steps to climb down. It is not technical, but you should be comfortable walking on uneven ground for about an hour or more.
Oasis and lunch. After climbing back out of the canyon, you continue to an oasis among the mountains for lunch and a rest in the shade, before the drive back to your hotel in Sharm.
Good to know. Wear trainers or walking shoes with good grip, and bring sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat; the canyon floor can be hot in the middle of the day. In winter, early mornings in the mountains are cool, so take a light jacket. This trip is not recommended for anyone with serious mobility problems or a fear of narrow spaces.
