Nomadic Trek Through Egypt's Sinai Desert

Overall, this is a moderate to challenging trek – although most of the hikes are not demanding, there may be some challenging elements, either due to the extreme weather conditions, the remoteness of the desert and lack of facilities, or the long days. No technical experience is required, but a good level of fitness and stamina is needed.

However, the day on which you summit Um Shomer is challenging, as it includes scrambling and a significant elevation gain of over 900m. You may find it useful to have some experience of scrambling beforehand, although this is not a requirement. Trails on this hike are rough and steep, and although they are rarely exposed there is the occasional tricky section to tackle – including a short fixed rope – before you get to the top. The views are more than worth it, though!

You should have a strong sense of adventure for this expedition, particularly as the wild camping in the desert will be a true wilderness experience with little comfort and very basic conditions (no toilets, electricity or tented camp).

Marta Marinelli, raised in Italy’s serene Prosecco Hills, dreamt of global adventures, inspired by her father's travel stories. Her passion evolved into a career, backed by a decade of studies including degrees in international tourism and destination management. She’s worked in the adventure travel sector since 2012, living in Italy, the UK, and now sunny Portugal.

Over twenty years, Marta has explored over 55 countries, visiting remote areas like Ghana, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Haiti and Nepal’s Upper Mustang region. As a Senior Adventure Expansion Manager at Much Better Adventures, she focuses on creating life-changing experiences, ranging from multi-activity adventures, challenging treks to ultimate adventures in iconic places. She loves the challenge of finding the best local adventure hosts around the world, collaborating on adventures that offer genuine immersion, pushing beyond the beaten path and working on exclusive itineraries that challenge your comfort zone.

What makes her tick? Enabling people to live adventure-rich lives while positively impacting and empowering local communities around the world, generating sustainable opportunities for both the host, guides, community, and the environment.

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality - a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.

We suggest avoiding ice and any cold drinks made from untreated local water, even in Sharm. Water will be provided throughout the trek and carried by camels and Jeeps, often taken from natural sources in the desert. This will be boiled where necessary, but we do suggest bringing water purification tablets or a different purification system for extra safety. We encourage you to bring a refillable bottle to avoid plastic waste; check out our article on water filtration systems for more information.

This trip runs between October and April, when the daytime temperatures are lower and more pleasant for trekking (usually ranging from 18 to 30°C). Your guides will also schedule the hikes to avoid the hottest hours of the day, and will seek shade during lunch breaks. Nights can get pretty cold in the desert, with temperatures plummeting to 10°C, or occasionally lower, but blankets and a 3- or 4-season sleeping bag (depending on the time of year) will be enough to make your experience safe and comfortable.

We recommend checking out the country specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.

No. You'll need to have a larger soft duffle bag suitable for all your belongings which will be transported for you by camels and Jeeps, and a small daypack to carry personal items each day. Please don't pack more than you would want to carry yourself – 15kg is the limit for the kitbag. Any extra weight (such as spare clothes) can be left with your host at the beginning of the adventure if necessary. Bags with wheels/hard suitcases are not suitable for the camels. On Day 4, the camels won't climb to the summit of Um Shomer, so you will need to carry a little extra weight (water and food) on that hike.

Out in the desert, you'll join a team of Bedouin guides who were born and raised in the area and know how to guide you through the remote desert environment safely and expertly. One of the unexpected highlights of the trip is watching how the Bedouins move through the desert, organise camps and cook according to ancient traditions. This is an incredible opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the local culture and get to learn survival skills from the Sinai’s original nomadic people.

This trip includes five nights of wild camping under the stars – your Bedouin team will set up the cooking area and make a fire at each location. You'll sleep under warm blankets or in your sleeping bag, with no tents or shelters. Washing will be predominantly done with wet wipes – there won’t be any showers until you reach Sharm El Sheik. For toilets, you can find a convenient boulder or dig a small hole, as the exceedingly dry temperatures of the desert disintegrate waste rapidly. Biodegradable paper can be burnt on the fire and you will need to carry any extra waste in ziplock bags.

No, there are no departures scheduled over Ramadan as this trip relies on local Bedouin guides who will not be available to guide during this period.

You need to bring your own sleeping bag: 4-season (Dec-Jan-Feb) or 3-season (March-April and Oct-Nov), as well as a travel pillow (recommended) and a good camping mattress (puncture resistant) to insulate you from cold and hard ground. Some extra thermal layers are recommended for departures in the winter.

There is no phone signal throughout the desert trek. Please let your loved ones know so that they don’t worry. You can give them this number for emergency calls: +20 1004040181.

If you wish to extend your trip in Sharm El Sheik, you can book any optional extra nights via the host (see Optional Extras for more info). Alternatively, you can also consider heading north to Dahab, an amazing adventure destination where your local host is a true activity specialist, offering a wide range of extra tours such as bouldering, climbing, diving and mountain climbing. Just reach out to them prior to your trip and they'll be happy to provide any information and arrange extra services for you. If you wish to head to Cairo and the Pyramids, the easiest way is to fly from Sharm El Sheikh to Cairo (1 hr). There is also a bus connecting Sharm to Cairo which departs four times daily and takes approximately 8 hours (see go-bus.com or bluebus.com).

Most foreign nationalities entering Egypt require a valid visa. Some, including UK and US citizens, can get a full Egyptian visa on arrival at Sharm el Sheikh or Cairo airports. A single entry visa is US$25 and it's advisable to have the correct change in USD. You will see visa kiosks on entry to the terminal: line up and buy your visa stamps, then join the passport control queue.

If arriving into Egypt via the Israel/Taba border, if you are not eligible for a visa on arrival or if you would prefer to organise this in advance and avoid the queues at the airport, it is also possible to get an e-visa in advance from the official Egypt e-Visa portal here.

If travelling into Sharm el Sheikh Airport, you may receive a free entry permission stamp upon arrival for stays within Sharm el Sheikh resort, however, travel to the eastern section of the trekking area on this trip requires a full Egyptian visa.

In Egypt, it is a legal requirement for all hotels and tourism operators to take a copy of guests' passports (or local ID for domestic travellers), which they must submit to the tourist police.

In addition, your host must submit a copy of your passport to the National Park authorities for permission to travel in the area visited on this trip. The application for this permission must be completed at least a day in advance, so your host asks for these in advance of travel to ensure trip preparations are complete in time for your arrival. Passport scan copies held by Much Better Adventures are deleted after your trip has finished.

Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.

Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.

Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.

We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

• 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
• 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
• 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.

Our team of Adventure Hunters create exclusive adventures with highly vetted, specialist hosts. We only work with independent, local in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. See here for more info about the local teams we partner with.