Your travel guide to Sharm El-Sheikh The best things and tours that you can do in Sharm El-Sheikh,
THINGS TO DO IN SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT / If you have made a decision to visit Sharm El-Sheikh in the Red Sea in Egypt, but you are not sure what to do in Sharm El-Sheikh so far?
Don’t worry, this is a comprehensive Sharm El Sheikh travel guide, I will reveal to you the top 20 things to do in Sharm El Sheikh to make sure you have an epic time in this beautiful piece of paradise on the land of Egypt
From enticing adventures in the South Sinai desert to snorkeling on world-class coral reefs, there is no shortage of attractions worth visiting.
Fun and unique activities on the land of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
So with no time to waste, let’s dive into the list!
What is in the Sharm El Sheikh travel guide?
How to get to Sharm El Sheikh
taxi sharm el sheikh
how to get to sharm el sheikh from cairo
20 things to do in Sharm El Sheikh
More Frequently Asked Questions and Important Things to Know About Sharm El Sheikh
More travel inspiration to Egypt and the Red Sea
red sea beach
How to get to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Sharm el-Sheikh is located on the southern tip of the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula, next to the shores of the Red Sea with clear waters.
What you may not know is that Sharm was once an attractive Bedouin fishing village. Of course, things have changed drastically since then. The truth is that this coastal city is now considered the diving in Egypt and the Red Sea resort of Mecca – with a lot of tourist infrastructure in this Egyptian tide.
Getting here is easy, with plenty of options to choose from
by plane
The easiest way to get here is to fly to Sharm El Sheikh International Airport. You will find many cost effective routes directly from Europe, UK and Middle East.
You are likely to stop in Cairo if you are traveling from another area. I think EgyptAir is the best Egyptian airline, because it offers free food and 23 kg of baggage allowance for all flights. Remember to use Skyscanner to find the best deals for your dates.
You will find a wide range of cost effective routes from other areas including Cairo, Dahab and Marsa Alam.
Travelers looking to get to Sharm El Sheikh from other parts of Egypt also have the option of getting here by bus. I have had good experiences with GoBus in Egypt.Paragraph about a trip to Sharm El Sheikh
By car or private transport
I would not recommend renting a car in Sharm El Sheikh or Sinai in general due to the strict security policies and Egyptian government checkpoints. Alternatively, travelers can easily pay a driver who knows the entrances and exits of roads and policies.
Sharm Excursions
1. Diving in Sharm El Sheikh
Where is the best place to dive in the Red Sea Sharm El Sheikh ?
The most popular activity and the main reason people visit Sharm El Sheikh is the wonderful diving sites in the Red Sea
The diving sites around Sharm El Sheikh are exceptionally good. Due to the far-reaching location on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula this is the point where the Red Sea is divided into two gulfs, the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez
As a result, coral reefs in this area receive abundant nutrients, creating healthy and thriving marine ecosystems.
Some of the best diving sites include:
Yolanda and Shark Reef (Ras Mohammed Marine Reserve) – Best site for large pelagics, fish education, and sharks
Strait of Tiran – Four locations including Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse and Jackson Reefs. Great for healthy reefs, large schools, sharks and manta rays.
Temple – A local dive site with a great summit with lots of coral and marine life.
Ras Nasrani – A local diving site with an amazing coral garden.
Not to mention that Sharm also has some of the best diving spots in the world, including SS. Thistlegorm wreck and the Dunraven wreck 1876.
After dozens of recommendations / best diving center:, I chose to spend a week diving with Kamal Dive Club in Naama Bay. It is well regarded as the best diving resort in Sharm El Sheikh and it was immediately clear to me too! Highly recommended Hurghada Excursion.
Sharm Excursions
2. Boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park
white island sharm el sheikh , Ras Mohammed National Park
Ras Mohammed is the first diving site for marine life in Egypt in the Red Sea. It is a 480 square kilometers (185 square miles) nature reserve and exclusion zone that includes some of the richest biodiversity in the Red Sea.
For divers, I highly recommend trying Shark Reef and Yolanda on the southern edge of Ras Mohammed. This is the best diving site and the meeting point of the waters of the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez.
Travelers who visit Sharm El Sheikh have the option of visiting this underwater paradise on a snorkeling trip or a snorkeling boat trip. If time permits, I also recommend visiting the Shark Observatory cliff top, which offers excellent views of both sides of the Red Sea.
Book: Boat trip to Ras Mohammed (diving or snorkeling) padi diving sharm el sheikh
Tip: Due to the distance and exposed nature of this cape, most tour boats will not visit this park in bad weather. If you have a short time, try booking a boat trip to Tiran Island or the reefs along the shores of Sharm El Sheikh instead.
Sunrise trip to Mount Sinai (Jabal Musa or Jabal Musa)
Deep in the South Sinai desert is the famous Mount Sinai (also Jabal Musa or Jabal Musa). This is the biblical Mount Sinai, where God in the Old Testament delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses.
Even if you are not religious, the best thing to do in Sharm El Sheikh is to climb Mount Sinai for a sunrise picnic! This was one of my favorite travel experiences in Sinai, and I highly recommend it to anyone!
As you might expect, this is a very sacred mountain and important to all Abrahamic religions including Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
Book: Sunrise Journey to Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine’s Monastery (from Sharm) sharm el sheikh dive sites map
Sharm Excursions
3 -Saint Catherine’s Monastery
Located at the foot of Mount Sinai, one of the oldest working monasteries in the world is Saint Catherine’s Monastery.
Fortunately, visitors usually tour St. Catherine’s Monastery after sunrise on Mount Sinai (link above). As a result, you can get rid of two attractions in Sharm El Sheikh with one stone!
It is a beautiful religious site and definitely one of the best places to visit from Sharm El Sheikh. Not only is the monastery itself impressive, but the treasures inside are also worth seeing.
Examples include pages from Sinaitic and Syriac manuscripts, some of the oldest texts of the Bible, as well as a large collection of Christian symbols. In addition, many claim that a direct descendant of burnt bush grows in the yard.
Sharm Excursions
4- Tiran Island / white island sharm el sheikh
The locals called this reef the stretch of the Straits of Tiran. This is another great place to spend a day exploring the beautiful underwater world of the Red Sea, either by snorkeling or diving.
On a clear day, you are likely to spot the mountainous island northeast of Sharm El Sheikh. This is Tiran Island, and although you can’t actually visit (it belongs to Saudi Arabia), it does have some of the best coral reefs in Egypt and many species of fish.
Book: Tiran Island Boat Trip (Diving or Snorkeling)
5 -A day trip to Cairo and the great pyramids of Giza from Sharm El Sheikh
How long does it take to get to the pyramids from Sharm el Sheikh?Can you get to the pyramids from Sharm el Sheikh? How far is Giza from Sharm?
One of the most popular day trips from Sharm El Sheikh is to book an extended day trip to Cairo. This is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to enjoy as many attractions as possible without wasting your time at the sea.
If you are planning your trip to the Red Sea region but still keen to see some of Egypt’s most important landmarks, you are in luck!
Below I’ve linked to two different options. Both include major archaeological sites including the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx and a tour of the Egyptian Museum.
Both options are very cost effective, include all transportation and fees, and take all the hassle out of trying to plan your own trip.
Dive into SS THISTLEGORM
While many attractions have included scuba diving so far (don’t worry, there are plenty of surface activities too), I wasn’t able to craft a list of things to do in Sharm El Sheikh without including the SS. Thistlegorm diving.
Inside the ship, divers can see well-preserved military cargo including light weapons, anti-aircraft guns, locomotives, vehicles and motorcycles.
Divers know this huge wreck for being one of the best diving sites in the world. The reason for this is that this massive 125 m (145 ft) WWII steamer rests almost perfectly preserved at a comfortable recreational depth of about 30 metres.
Diver tip: If you plan to dive, I highly recommend letting your dive shop know as soon as you arrive, as not many shops dive into this wreck every day and there is often a wait /
Sharm Excursions
6. SINAI DESERT DUNE BUGGY SAFARI Quad biking or camel riding /Camel riding in Egypt
things to do in Sharm El Sheikh for families /quad bikingSharm El Sheikh / quad safari
The trip to the Red Sea is not only around the underwater world! One of the best things to see in this unique part of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt is the desert region, known as the South Sinai Desert. Sharm desert Safari
If you wander the resort-lined streets of Naama Bay or Sharm El Maya, you will undoubtedly get your hands on desert excursions. These usually include either a camel ride, a quad bike or a buggy safari over the dunes.
Below, I have linked a very popular and affordable tour guide site to a local Bedouin village. This also includes a quad bike adventure and camel riding.
Book: ATV, Camel Ride & Bedouin Adventure
Sharm Excursions
7. things to do in sharm el sheikh / Eat at the Egyptian Restaurant in Sharm El Sheikh
Well, this is not a food blog. But, after traveling around Egypt, I have yet to taste authentic Egyptian food that even comes close to the meals served in Egyptians. As a result, a meal at this restaurant is one of the best things to do in Sharm El Sheikh and no one should miss it!
Believe me, if you are craving for a hearty, delicious and affordable meal, make sure to visit the Egyptians at the Old Market! After first discovering this restaurant, we ended up going back almost every night.
Prices here are very cheap, and the waiters will serve you a huge feast of salads, dips, fresh bread and traditional Egyptian main dishes. We usually order more than we can eat and don’t pay more than 100 Egyptian pounds per person.
This restaurant has been pinned to Google as “The Egyptian Restaurant” and it is within walking distance of the Sahaba Mosque.
Waiters at the Egyptian restaurant in Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm Excursions
8- things to do in sharm el sheikh /The old market (the old city of Sharm El-Sheikh).
If you are spending a couple of days on the Red Sea, I highly recommend stopping by the Old City of Sharm El Sheikh, also known as the Old Market.
This is the original coastal town of Sharm and it retains much of its original charm.
Roam the streets, browse the market goods, and sample some delicious street foods like falafel and koshary.
It’s easy to get to the old market via a short taxi ride on the main highway. The journey takes less than ten minutes from Naama Bay and costs around 70-80 EGP only.
Budget Travel Tip: Backpackers and budget travelers can also get to the Old Market and other popular places in Sharm El Sheikh via shared taxis (white bus also known as minibus). These are similar to colectivos in Latin America and only cost 5 Egyptian pounds per person.
The old market at night in Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm Excursions
9. what to do in sharm el sheikh / Al-Sahaba Mosque and Al-Mustafa Mosque in Sharm El Sheikh
Al-Mustafa Mosque is one of the most impressive buildings in the Red Sea. This is a relatively new mosque, completed in 2008, featuring two towering minarets each over 70 meters high!
The central dome is also huge and the entire memorial is beautiful when lit up at night.
Also, when visiting the old market, it is impossible to miss the Sahaba Mosque. It is a relatively new mosque with beautiful Ottoman architecture and great light show.
Al-Sahaba Mosque in the southern Red Sea, Egypt
10. Day Trip to Luxor from Sharm El Sheikh
While Cairo has the pyramids, some of Egypt’s most important archaeological wonders are located in Upper Egypt (south).
Many of these sites are located in Luxor, including the Colossi of Memnon, the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the Karnak Temple, and, of course, the Valley of the Kings.
For those visiting Sharm El Sheikh, you can easily book a day trip to Luxor by plane. This is going to be a long day of exploring, but it is a convenient option for those who want to make the most out of their trip to Egypt.
Luxor Temple at night
Luxor temple
Related Topics: Hot Air Ballooning In Luxor (10 Things To Know)
hot air balloon during sunrise
Sharm Excursions
11. Water sports: rafting, banana boat and tubing
Not all water activities in Sharm El Sheikh are below the surface, there is plenty to do at the top too!
In fact, Sharm is famous for its fun activities like parasailing, banana boat trips, and tubing! Most tour operators can organize this for you in popular tourist centers such as Naama Bay.
Alternatively, if you want to try a few different water sports, you can book an adventure package and save some money.
Book: Watersports Package (parasailing, banana boat, tubing)
Tip: For kids, there is also an ancient Egyptian-style water park called Cleo Park, located just outside Naama Bay. Here you will find more than 22 water slides and fun rides.
Sailing in the Red Sea near Sharm El Sheikh
12. Farsha Cafe
If you ask any local in Sharm El Sheikh for the coolest bar/cafe, they will all tell you that it is Farsha, located in the Hadaba area, just 10 minutes from the old market (50-70 EGP in a taxi).
Honestly, this is one of the most unique establishments I have ever visited. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Red Sea, its many balconies are decorated in a chaotic but symbiotic manner.
You’ll find walls adorned with antiquities, traditional red carpets covered in small nooks, and an array of neon lights and traditional lanterns hanging from sloping ceilings.
Farsha is not just an ordinary place to have a coffee or a drink – it is an experience. Not to be missed when visiting Sharm El Sheikh!
Try to visit a little before sunrise to secure an area, it is one of the busiest places in Sharm El Sheikh!
Farsha Café decorated with neon lights and antiques
Sharm Excursions
13. Stargazing in the Sinai desert
Did you know that the Sinai desert is one of the best places on earth for stargazing? This is because apart from the relatively small resort towns on the coast, this desert region receives very little light pollution.
One of the best ways to enjoy this experience is to hike at sunrise to Mount Sinai. However, if hiking isn’t your thing, there is also a quad bike safari tour for stargazing which includes a traditional Bedouin dinner.
Tents on Mount Sinai at night
Night view from the top of Mount Sinai
More Frequently Asked Questions and Important Things to Know About Sharm El Sheikh
Is Sharm El Sheikh safe?
Although the Sinai Peninsula has a bit of shaky history, the Egyptian government does a lot to keep South Sinai very safe for tourists. There have not been any major incidents involving tourists in many years.
14. Romantic Dinner Cruise
Do you visit the Red Sea for honeymoon? What better way to enjoy this unique place than a romantic dinner cruise?
Many resorts can organize this for you but you also have the option to book a Fantastic Dinner Cruise online. This dinner buffet excursion is a popular choice with travelers in Sharm El Sheikh because it includes live shows such as music, magic show and belly dancing.
Fantastic dinner boat for cruises in the Red Sea
Is Sharm El Sheikh the best diving site in the Red Sea?
Due to its abundance of marine life, healthy and protected coral ecosystems, and well-preserved wrecks, Sharm El Sheikh is widely considered the best diving destination in Egypt.
Sharm is generally considered a better diving destination than other tourist cities in the Gulf of Aqaba such as Marsa Alam and Dahab. Hurghada or Plate Living in the south of the Red Sea are also good options.
When is the best time to visit Sharm El Sheikh?
This resort town is a great place to visit throughout the year, with sunny days expected throughout the year. However, most recommend visiting in spring or fall (March to May and October to November).
Diving is best viewed in summer but be prepared for very hot weather.
How much time should I spend here?
Most people spend at least a week in Sharm El Sheikh to enjoy all the fun activities and things they can do here like diving, snorkeling, hiking and water sports.
Sharm Excursions
The coast of Sharm El-Sheikh, the Red Sea, Egypt
More travel inspiration to Egypt and the Red Sea
And this is a summary of this comprehensive travel guide that showcases the best things to do in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt!
I hope my suggestions and photography will inspire you to visit this unique holiday destination in the Red Sea. Here are some useful guides for Egypt that I am sure you will enjoy too!
Itinerary: The ultimate 10-day itinerary to Egypt
Destination Guide: The Ultimate Guide to Aswan, Egypt
Destination Guide: The Ultimate Guide to Dahab, Egypt
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Sharm Excursions
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