Safety is an important consideration when visiting the Sinai, like other parts of the Middle East, and much of the world. Since Egypt’s 2011 revolution, many foreign governments and travellers have viewed the country – and especially the Sinai – as a risky destination, and many still do. Egypt’s tourist industry has crashed disastrously as a consequence. Some parts of the Sinai have seen serious unrest in recent years – as have other parts of Egypt, including Cairo – but trouble has been mostly isolated in the North Sinai governorate, in a small pocket in the far north east, near the Gaza border. North Sinai is different from South Sinai, and South Sinai – where the Sinai Trail is – has seen virtually none of the political unrest of North Sinai, or the Egyptian mainland. South Sinai has been one of the safest, most peaceful parts of the whole of Egypt in recent years, contrary to how it is often portrayed or viewed.

This is especially true of the interior Bedouin parts of South Sinai. Although government advisories warn against travel to the interior – and have done for years – these areas of South Sinai, populated mostly by Bedouin tribes, have been quieter than almost any part of the country. These areas, through which the whole of the Sinai Trail runs, are well known to Bedouin tribes and have been tightly controlled.

Thousands of travelers have visited the Sinai in recent years and hiked safely. Whether or not you visit must be a personal decision. We advise all travelers to consult a wide range of sources – including the travel advisories of their governments, plus the latest news – before deciding whether to visit. As part of your research on the Sinai, we suggest also discussing the situation with locals based in the region, including businesses and Bedouin guides, some of whom can be found listed on this website. The best Bedouin guides know these interior parts of South Sinai and its security situation as well as anybody in the world. Their advice should be carefully considered. The Sinai Trail team do our best to keep our general advice about safety up-to-date but we are not a travel advisory service and decisions should not be made on the basis of what we say alone, but as part of a broader personal research process.