Tabuk Region Mount Sinai Candidate Sites Guided Tour: Jabal Maqla and Split Rock

Trace the proposed route of Mount Sinai over 3 days with expert, research-based guidance from Haql.

Getting started

Begin your 3-day Following the Footsteps of Moses guided tour in Haql, where your professional guide introduces the route and outlines the plan. From here, all ground transfers between Haql, coastal locations, and inland sites are coordinated for you. You then set off toward the Tabuk Region, starting the sequence of visits that link Split Rock, Jabal Maqla, the Golden Calf site, and the Gulf of Aqaba crossing point.

What to expect

Split Rock of Horeb and surrounding heritage areas

This site is part of a wider cluster of locations in the Tabuk Region that your guide presents in relation to the Mount Sinai narrative. Time here focuses on observing the physical setting and how it connects to ongoing field studies.

Features

• Your visit to the Split Rock of Horeb is framed by research-based commentary that explains why this area is considered within the broader discussion of the Exodus route and how local Bedouin traditions relate to it.
• Access is organized via ground transfers from Haql, so you can focus on the on-site briefings and interpretive sessions rather than logistics between this stop and others.
• Photography opportunities here and at nearby heritage points are built into the schedule, allowing you to document the landscape that underpins local beliefs and modern research.

Jabal Maqla

Located in the Tabuk Region, Jabal Maqla is presented on this tour as the most compelling candidate for Mount Sinai based on physical evidence and field observations. Your time here includes both approach and ascent, supported by your guide.

Features

• Jabal Maqla is explored as a key focus of current field studies, and your expert guide shares observed evidence that shapes the case for its identification as Mount Sinai, going beyond tradition alone.
• A supported Jabal Maqla summit climb is included, with basic safety guidance provided so you can undertake the ascent using your own personal equipment and follow the proposed route with confidence.
• All ground transfers between Haql and Jabal Maqla are included, and scheduled refreshments and select meals are planned around your time on the mountain so you can concentrate on the climb and the interpretive sessions.
• From the slopes and summit you have photography opportunities over the Tabuk Region landscape, capturing the terrain that is central to both local Bedouin accounts and research-based discussion.

Golden Calf site and nearby contexts

The Golden Calf site and its surrounding heritage areas are visited as part of the integrated 3-day Following the Footsteps of Moses route. Here, you examine how this location fits within the cluster of sites associated with the Exodus narrative.

Features

• On-site briefings combine local Bedouin traditions, longstanding beliefs about the Golden Calf site, and findings from ongoing field research to give you a broader contextual understanding instead of focusing on a single point.
• Your guide uses this stop to connect multiple heritage sites you have seen or will see, explaining how each contributes to a multi-location interpretation of events linked to Mount Sinai.
• Transfers between Haql and this inland area are handled for you, and coordination across the day ensures that scheduled refreshments and select meals are timed around your visit here.

Gulf of Aqaba coastal crossing point and Tabuk viewpoints

Your route includes the Gulf of Aqaba coastal crossing point, along with scenic viewpoints across the Tabuk Region. These segments emphasize the coastal geography that features in some proposed Exodus reconstructions.

Features

• At the Gulf of Aqaba crossing point, your guide discusses research perspectives on potential crossing locations and how the coastline and underwater topography relate to current theories.
• Photography opportunities are planned along the Gulf of Aqaba and at key Tabuk viewpoints, giving you time to capture the coastal and inland landscapes that surround the proposed Mount Sinai area.
• Ground transfers link Haql with the coastal sections of the itinerary, so you can move between the Gulf of Aqaba, inland heritage sites, and your overnight base without arranging transport.

Haql overnights and ongoing interpretation

Each day finishes back in Haql, which serves as your base for the 3-day exploration. Evenings and transitions between days allow your guide to connect insights from different locations.

Features

• Overnight stays in Haql are included, forming the anchor points of the 3-day Following the Footsteps of Moses guided tour and giving structure to the progression from coastal sites to Jabal Maqla and inland heritage areas.
• Throughout all three days, your expert guide provides research-based commentary that links Jabal Maqla, the Split Rock of Horeb, the Golden Calf site, and the Gulf of Aqaba crossing point into one continuous narrative.
• Coordination and on-ground assistance continue across the experience so that transfers, timing of site access, and scheduled refreshments and select meals are managed as a coherent itinerary.