Egypt is the world’s oldest tourist destination and the Sinai is one of its most unique, welcoming parts. Since the 2011 revolution, tourism in Egypt has been down from what it once was. It’s picking up now, but the recovery is slow. There has never been an attack against tourists in the remote, interior parts of the mountains. Historically, these areas have been the safest parts of the peninsula and one of the safest areas of Egypt.
GETTING TO EGYPT
BY AIR – Sharm el Sheikh is the Sinai’s main international airport, handling direct, budget flights from all over Europe. After a Russian airliner was bombed in 2015 – departing from Sharm – many European governments stopped direct flights to and from the Sinai. Today, the air route is opening gradually, but some European governments have still not re-opened flights. If a flight is not possible from your destination, the best option is to fly to Cairo and take a domestic flight onwards to Sharm. Egypt Air run several flights a day from Cairo to Sharm, which take about 50 minutes.
BY SEA – Nuweiba is the Sinai’s main ferry port. AB Maritime runs ferries twice daily from Aqaba in Jordan. A smaller marina at Taba handles catamarans and gives another option. Sindbad and Meenagate operate weekly services to the Taba Marina from Aqaba. Sailing schedules often change so follow up locally for up-to-date information.
BY LAND – The Taba/ Eilat crossing is the only border between Egypt and Israel and it’s currently the only way tourists can enter the Sinai by land. It’s open 24/7, 365 days a year, and if you’re entering the Sinai, you’ll be liable for two taxes: an exit tax from Israel and a tax to leave the Taba area in Egypt and continue further south to Nuweiba.
VISAS FOR EGYPT – Visas are available at any Egyptian airport and can be purcahsed on arrival. The process is the same whichever airport you arrive at: they’re available at the foreign exchange windows near the passport control points. They cost US$25 and are valid one month. Your passport must have at least six months until expiry at the time of visa issue. The only place these visas are not available is the Taba land border/ marina. These crossings issue only 14 day visas which restrict travel to the Sinai’s east coast and St Katherine. You can’t use them to travel to the mainland or other parts of the Sinai. If you’re entering at Taba, always arrange a visa in advance. Do this at Egyptian consulates in both Eilat and Aqaba, or in your home country. Another option is to arrange an e-visa before travel. Visas with three months validity can now be purchased online.
INSURANCE – Government travel warnings about the Sinai have upped insurance premiums for most Western travellers. Some insurers won’t actually offer insurance now. However, some firms will. British travellers can try the British Mountaineering Council, which covers South Sinai at a reasonable price. The UK Austrian Alpine Club can be joined by anybody in the world and, once a member, insurance is available that covers you for South Sinai. Always get an insurance policy that covers you for hiking, trekking and scrambling, as that’s what the Three Peaks Egypt Challenge counts as. Also be sure your policy covers you for altitudes over 2500m: some only go upto 1000m. Don’t forget a policy that has an air/ helicopter evacuation component as well.
