Best Time To Go
Best time to visit
St Catherine is very cold in winter with a metre of snow a few times a year, and snow sometimes until March, but it is very hot in summer.Getting There
Ins and outs
Getting there
The road journey from Dahab to St Catherine, which is generally good with little traffic, takes about 1½ hours. On the way, at the top of a very steep hill there is a breathtaking view over the desert. The coaches and taxis stop here and Bedouins attempt to sell fossils, sand-roses and other souvenirs. While all of the organized tours to St Catherine stop at the monastery itself, the normal bus services stop in the small village of St Catherine about 2 km from the monastery.
St Catherine
Bus
There are direct buses for the 8-hr journey between St Catherine and Cairo at 0600 and 1300 (E£60) via Suez, and one to Dahab (1300, E£25) though this, more often than not, simply doesn’t run. Check at the bus station for the latest schedules.
Taxis
Service taxis
If a microbus has come from Dahab the night before, it will return from St Catherine at 1100, departing from next to the mosque (E£40 1-way or £E50 return). Micros leave when full between 0600-1300 for Suez, E£20-30, or E£350 to hire the whole vehicle. Travellers can share the cost of hiring a 7-seat service taxi to Dahab (E£200-250 per car), Sharm El-Sheikh (E£300-450), Nuweiba (E£200), or other towns in the peninsula.Stay In Touch
Banks
Bank Misr branch on the main street in St Catherine town is open daily from 0830-1400 and 1830-2030, only changes cash and not traveller’s cheques. It is rumoured that the monastery will soon have an ATM.
Medical services
Next to the tourist police opposite the bus station, not recommended, make the journey to Sharm if you can.
Post office
Opposite the bank in town, open Sat-Thu 0800-1500.
Telephone
There is an international telephone exchange in town open from 0800-2400 near the post office.
