Day trip from Hurghada to the monasteries of Saints Anthony and Paul

Tour Details:

We will pick you up at your hotel in Hurghada; You will recognize our driver by the sign with your name in his hands. Throughout our journey to the north, we will make some stops so that you can admire and capture the beauty of the Egyptian landscape.

Your path will take you through the desert until you reach the first stop,  the Monastery of St. Anthony. More than 1,600 years ago, Anthony lived as a hermit in a cave in a mountain at 680 meters above sea level. A staircase of 1000 steps will lead you to his cell. On the walls along the stairs you can see the writings and drawings of the saint, and from the roof there is a fantastic view of the mountains and the desert. At the foot of the mountain itself, Christian monks in 356 A.D.,  Immediately after his death, a monastery was founded. This date is considered to be the beginning of Christian monasticism and today about 100 monks live on the territory of the monastery. The monastery occupies a huge area of 6 hectares and is surrounded by a wall (about 1200 meters long and 12 meters high), which protected the monks from Bedouin attacks. You will see the ancient Coptic church where the saint was buried and where medieval paintings have been preserved. The library of the monastery contains priceless ancient manuscripts. The monastery itself has been recently renovated.

After lunch, you will drive to the other side of the mountain range, where the second monastery is located –  the Monastery of St. Paul, built over the cave of St. Paul the Apostle. He was a Christian hermit who died in the 4th century A.D. He led an ascetic life in the desert and dedicated his entire life to the service of God. According to legend, God sent a raven to bring bread to Paul every day,  so that he would not die of hunger, and after Paul’s death at the age of 119, the lions dug a grave for him. You will visit the crypt located deep under the monastery and decorated with colorful frescoes. In addition to icons, there are things of practical use, such as an old chain block, olive presses, and a freshwater spring, unusual for the desert.

In the evening, you will drive back to your hotel in Hurghada.

The tour runs daily.