You’ll be picked up from your hotel, and we’ll take a ride in a private transfer over to St Catherine’s Monastery. On arrival, we’ll take a walk up to the monastery, taking in the scenery of the walled gardens and monks’ accommodation behind the ancient walls. There will be plenty of opportunity to take some stunning photos here, so make sure you have your camera with you! As we continue to tour St Catherine’s, we’ll enter the monastery and watch as the monks go about their daily business. We’ll take a walk below the beautiful collection of silver chandeliers that hang from the ceiling, and browse through the many religious artifacts on display in the chapel. We’ll also stop off at the Burning Bush, where you can even get a private blessing from the priest if you wish.
Next up on your Egypt desert tour, we’ll take a trip to the Bedouin handicraft centre, where you can find plenty of locally-made treasures, such as purses, bags, cushions, clothing, and more. All of the items on sale here have been made by the local Bedouin women, intricately beaded and embroidered by them with distinctive Bedouin design. There is also a bookshop here selling all kinds of goodies about the monastery and Egypt, printed in many different languages. If you’re getting peckish by now, have no fear!
It’s time for lunch, and a very special lunch at that. You’ll be invited into the home of a local family, and be served up an authentic Bedouin feast with plenty of traditional tea. This will be your chance to relax and take in your surroundings, and get to know the local cuisine and food culture. Once you’ve recharged your batteries with lunch, we’ll hop back in our vehicle and set off towards the desert plateau, where our Bedouin hosts will be waiting for us with camels. Now we get into the real desert fun! We’ll take a camel trek across the sandy desert, towards the plateau of Nawamis. These Bronze Age tombs are a stunning World Heritage Site, said to date back over 5,000 years. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the area, take photos, and really soak in this fascinating part of Egypt’s history. Once you’ve got your ancient Egypt fix, we’ll head back to Sharm el-Sheikh, and drop you off at your hotel.
Meeting/pick-up point: Pick up at the hotel.
Duration: 13 hours.
Start/opening time: At 6:30am.
-End/closing time: Between 7pm and 7:30pm.
Languages: English.
Others: For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people. Both men and women must wear suitable clothing to cover shoulders, arms, and knees to enter the monastery.