12 Top Things to Do in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Established in 1983 as Egypt's first national park, Ras Mohammed National Park sits at the very tip of the Sinai Peninsula where the Gulf of Suez meets the Gulf of Aqaba. The park covers 480 sq km of land and reef, and it is home to roughly 1,000 species of fish and 220 hard and soft corals. The Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef walls plunge from 5 m to over 750 m, making this one of the world's top 10 dive sites.

Boats depart from Sharm Travco port and Naama Bay marina between 8:00 and 9:00 AM, returning around 4:00 PM. Snorkellers visit Shark Observatory, Yolanda Reef, and the wreck of the Yolanda freighter (cargo of toilets and a BMW still on the seabed). The land entrance fee is USD 5, plus USD 5 per boat - typically included in tour prices of USD 50-80.

Soho Square opened in 2008 as a purpose-built entertainment plaza in the Shark's Bay district, 5 km north of Naama Bay. The square covers roughly 70,000 sq m and includes a dancing musical fountain that runs every 30 minutes after dark, an ice-skating rink (yes, in the desert), bowling, mini-golf, and dozens of restaurants and shops in colonial-style buildings. The Queen Vic English pub and the Little Buddha club are local fixtures.

Soho Square is family-friendly and busiest from 7:00 PM onwards, when the temperature drops and the fountain show begins. Hotel guests can usually get free shuttle transfers from Naama Bay or Hadaba. Entry to the square itself is free; individual venues charge their own prices.

The Old Market (Sharm Old Market) sits in Sharm El Maya, the original fishing settlement that predates the Naama Bay tourism boom. The bazaar runs along Al Souk Al Qadeem street, with covered alleys lined by spice shops, leather and lantern stalls, papyrus sellers, and over 200 souvenir vendors. Compared to Naama Bay's polished resorts, the Old Market gives you a taste of bargaining-culture Egypt.

Standout finds include hand-blown glass pyramids, hand-rolled cigars at the El Masrien stalls, and Bedouin silver jewellery. The bazaar also hides some of the best fish restaurants in town - El Masrien Grill, Fares Seafood, and Shoufan Restaurant all serve fresh-caught Red Sea grouper, sea bass, and prawns at a fraction of resort prices.

Tiran Island lies at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba, 6 km off Sharm's eastern coast. The 80 sq km island itself is uninhabited, but the four reefs surrounding it - Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas, and Gordon - form one of the Red Sea's most dramatic dive complexes. Each reef rises from 60-90 m walls and is famous for big fish: barracuda schools, eagle rays, sharks, and resident turtles.

Day boats leave Sharm marina at 8:30-9:00 AM, anchor at two or three reef sites for snorkelling, serve buffet lunch onboard, and return around 4:30 PM. Prices range USD 50-90 including transfers, gear, and lunch. Note that Tiran Island itself was returned to Saudi Arabia in 2017, so visitors only access the surrounding waters; the island is off limits.

Despite the alarming name (no sharks - it just curves like one), Sharks Bay is one of the easiest shore-snorkelling spots in Sinai. The bay sits north of Naama Bay just past the Hyatt Regency and Marriott resorts. A wooden jetty leads over the shallow shore reef to a sudden drop-off where you snorkel above hundreds of butterflyfish, fusiliers, parrotfish, and the occasional moray eel hiding in the wall.

Day-pass access at the public beach costs around EGP 200-350 depending on the season, including a sun lounger and umbrella. The reef sits in 5-25 m of water with calm conditions for most of the year. Several dive schools - Sinai Divers and Camel Dive Club - run Sharks Bay introductory dives for non-certified divers.

The Coloured Canyon (Wadi Al Wishwashi in Arabic) is a 700 m sandstone gorge near Nuweiba, 175 km north of Sharm El Sheikh. The walls rise 40 m on either side and shimmer in shades of red, yellow, ochre, and pink as the sun moves overhead. The full hike takes 60-90 minutes through narrow chimneys and over short scrambles - moderately challenging but doable for anyone with average fitness.

Day trips combine the canyon hike with a Bedouin lunch (grilled chicken, salads, sweet tea) and usually finish with a swim and snorkel at Ras Abu Galum or Dahab's Blue Hole on the way back. Tours cost USD 65-90 including transfers, guide, and lunch, leaving Sharm at 6:00-7:00 AM and returning by 7:00 PM. Wear sturdy trainers - flip-flops are unsafe on the rock scrambles.

Saint Catherine's Monastery sits 1,570 m above sea level at the foot of Mount Sinai, founded in 565 CE under the orders of Byzantine emperor Justinian I. It is the world's oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monks - 25 Greek Orthodox brothers from the Brotherhood of Sinai - still maintain the original library of 4,500 manuscripts including the famous Codex Sinaiticus.

Inside the walls you can visit the 6th-century Basilica of the Transfiguration, see the Burning Bush (a living bush descended from the original biblical plant), and tour the Sacred Sacristy with its golden icons. Entry is free but the monastery only opens 9:00 AM-12:00 PM Monday to Thursday and Saturday (closed Friday, Sunday, and Greek Orthodox holidays). Modest dress required.

Mount Sinai (Jebel Musa, 'Mountain of Moses') stands at 2,285 m and is traditionally identified as the peak where Moses received the Ten Commandments. The classic experience is the night climb to catch sunrise from the summit. Two routes lead up: the easier Camel Path (3 hours, 7 km of switchbacks) and the steep Steps of Repentance (3,750 stone steps cut by a single monk in the 6th century).

Most tours leave Sharm El Sheikh at 11:00 PM, reach the trailhead at 1:30 AM, and start climbing at 2:00 AM to summit before sunrise around 5:30 AM. The summit chapel is small and packed at dawn - bring a windproof jacket and a torch. Camels can carry you up the easier route for around USD 25 each way if you'd rather not walk.

Nabq Protected Area covers 600 sq km of coastal desert and mangrove between Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab. The reserve includes the northernmost mangrove forest in the world, fringing reefs, and the wreck of the Maria Schroeder, a German cargo ship grounded on the reef in 1956 that now sits half above water. The area is much quieter than the resorts further south, with only a small Bedouin settlement at El Gharqana.

Quad bike, jeep, and 4WD safari operators run half-day trips from Sharm to Nabq for around USD 30-50, usually combined with snorkelling at the Maria Schroeder wreck and a Bedouin tea stop. Entry to the reserve is EGP 100. Independent visitors can drive in via the Sinai 1 highway, but you need a 4WD for the sand tracks.

The 'Garden' reefs - Near Garden, Middle Garden, and Far Garden - lie just north of Naama Bay along a 5 km stretch of coast. Each garden is reached by a wooden jetty over the shore reef, then you swim out to a coral-encrusted drop-off teeming with anthias, butterflyfish, and Napoleon wrasse. Far Garden has the deepest wall (40 m) and the most dramatic table corals, while Middle Garden is calmest for nervous snorkellers.

Most beach access is via the Hyatt Regency, Iberotel, or Sultan Gardens hotels with a day pass (EGP 250-500). The Tower Reef and Pinky Wall sit at the southern end and are technically inside the Tower Garden compound. Visibility runs 20-30 m most of the year, dropping briefly during summer plankton blooms.

The Sharm El Sheikh Aquarium opened in 2010 in Hadaba and houses around 250 species of Red Sea marine life across 28 tanks. Highlights include the lionfish display, a walk-through tunnel with reef sharks and stingrays, and a touch-pool where children can handle starfish and sea cucumbers. The aquarium is small enough to cover in 60-90 minutes, making it perfect for a half-day with kids when the heat outside is too much.

Admission is around USD 15 for adults, USD 10 for children, with discounts for resort guests. The aquarium opens 10:00 AM-7:00 PM daily. Combine your visit with the nearby Hard Rock Cafe and Hadaba viewpoint, which has the best free panorama of Naama Bay below.