A new kind of tour across Egypt is opening opportunities for local women in the tourism sector. Sinai Trail operates the country’s first long-distance hiking route, guided by Bedouin leaders who are working to shape tourism in their region.
What sets this tour apart is that some of the guides are women. In conservative Bedouin communities, women are often not seen outside the home, yet these guides say economic necessity has pushed families to accept this change. The additional income from guiding helps support households.
The route covers nearly 350 miles across the remote mountains of the Sinai Peninsula and is completed over 42 days. Eight different Bedouin tribal teams take turns guiding sections of the trek, with each group responsible for a specific leg of the journey.
There are cultural limits on what the female guides can do: they accompany and lead groups made up only of women, and they return to their villages before nightfall. These arrangements respect local customs while creating job opportunities.
Throughout the trek, visitors learn about the region’s landscape, native plants and herbs, local history and legends, and the customs of the participating Bedouin tribes. On female-led legs of the trail, the women guides and their female travelers maintain close contact with their home villages during daylight hours, blending cultural sensitivity with economic empowerment.
By involving Bedouin communities directly in managing and guiding the trail, the project aims to give local people a stronger role in tourism income and decision-making. The inclusion of women guides, though limited by local norms, marks a meaningful shift toward broader participation and financial independence for some families in the Sinai.