Sharm El Sheikh Holidays

Few dives near Sharm feel as dramatic as Ras Mohammed, where coral walls fall sharply into deep blue water. You may spot turtles, barracuda and dense reef fish around Shark and Yolanda Reef. Some sites have strong currents, so match the trip to your certification.

Ras Um Sid suits days when you want impressive reef life without spending hours aboard a boat. Gorgonian fans and soft corals begin close to shore, often surrounded by bright reef fish. Enter through an established beach and follow its marked swimming routes.

By late afternoon, the desert beyond Sharm turns from pale beige to copper, making it an atmospheric time to ride. A quad bike carries you along dusty tracks beneath Sinai’s mountains. Keep your helmet secured, even when the group pauses for photographs or Bedouin tea.

For a completely different view of Sharm, leave the beach behind and rise above the Red Sea by parasail. The coastline soon opens beneath you, edged by bays and desert mountains. Before take-off, watch the crew check your harness and explain the landing.

Windier stretches of Sharm’s coast offer the space needed for kitesurfing and windsurfing. Beginners usually start ashore, learning equipment control and safety signals before touching the water. Once your instructor is satisfied, you can practise balance and steering in a controlled area.

Nabq feels removed from Sharm’s busy resort strips, especially once you paddle into its mangrove channels. The shallow water reveals tangled, salt-tolerant roots and attracts migratory birds. Because this is a protected area, arrange your route with an authorised local guide.

Leaving Sharm during the night puts you at Mount Sinai before the first light reaches its granite slopes. Two routes climb towards the 2,285-metre summit: the gentler Camel Trail and the steeper Steps of Repentance. Both finish with roughly 500 stone steps.

Sharm El Sheikh Museum brings ancient Egypt into a modern Red Sea setting through objects selected from national collections. Inside, you will find animal mummies, decorated coffins, papyri, cosmetics and pieces reflecting Sinai’s heritage. Evening opening hours make it easy to visit after the beach.

Rising above the Old Market, Al Sahaba Mosque pairs two 76-metre minarets with Ottoman, Fatimid and Mamluk influences. The building opened in 2017 and accommodates around 3,000 worshippers. Visit outside prayer times, dress respectfully and ask before photographing its richly decorated interior.

Set beneath Mount Sinai, Saint Catherine’s Monastery has remained a working Christian community since the sixth century. Its fortified walls protect Byzantine architecture, manuscripts and religious art. From Sharm, you can combine a guided monastery visit with the surrounding UNESCO-listed mountain landscape.

Mount Sinai carries deep significance within Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions, linked to the story of Moses receiving the commandments. Two established trails reach its 2,285-metre summit. If you climb before dawn, the first light reveals layered granite peaks in every direction.

Below the Red Sea, the SS Thistlegorm preserves a British wartime cargo ship sunk by German aircraft in 1941. Certified divers can explore motorcycles, trucks, boots and railway equipment still resting inside. Its depth, currents and enclosed sections demand suitable experience and careful planning.

The Dunraven sailed from Bombay before catching fire and sinking near Ras Mohammed in 1876. Today, the upturned hull forms a coral-covered shelter for marine life. You can enter selected sections on guided dives when conditions and certification levels permit.

SOHO Square feels polished, bright and easy to navigate after dark. Have dinner, browse the shops, then drift towards the central fountain as its jets change colour beneath the lights. It is a comfortable evening out when nobody wants to rush.

Ice skating in the Sinai sounds slightly absurd—that is precisely why it is fun. SOHO’s rink runs public and family sessions, while the nearby six-lane bowling alley has bumpers and ramps. Pick one, or let your competitive streak turn it into both.

Neverland is the sort of show children may discuss all the way back to their room. At Pickalbatros Aqua Park Resort, acrobats, dancers, music and effects share an open-air stage. If you are staying there, admission is included in your all-inclusive package.

Naama Bay does not ease quietly into the evening. Music spills across the promenade, restaurant tables fill quickly and cafés stay busy well after dinner. Come without a rigid plan; half the fun is following whichever bar, terrace or dessert stop catches your eye.

Hollywood Sharm is colourful, busy and unapologetically theatrical. Fountain displays mix water with music and lights, while the 7D cinema adds moving seats and special effects. If your group includes several age ranges, the variety saves an evening of difficult negotiations.

At Pickalbatros Aqua Park, quieter pool time is not really the point. Adults get their own slides and water games, while younger children have a separate area packed with splash zones and smaller thrills. Bring your energy; there is plenty to cover.

Sharm El Sheikh Museum looks beyond pharaohs alone. Its galleries hold roughly 5,200 objects, including statues, animal mummies, perfume vessels and pieces linked to Sinai’s heritage. Allow time for the smaller domestic objects; they reveal more about everyday life than the grand displays.

Old Market is where Sharm feels least like a self-contained resort. Spices, textiles, lamps and souvenir stalls crowd the lanes, with cafés providing an easy pause between shops. Bargaining is common, but keep it friendly and decide what an item is worth to you.

A Bedouin-hosted evening offers more than a meal in the desert. Around the fire, tea may arrive scented with marmareya or habak, accompanied by stories, poetry, music or conversation. Choose a locally run experience if you want your spending to remain within the community.

Traditional Bedouin food is deliberately uncomplicated: meat or chicken cooked with vegetables, alongside flatbread baked beneath hot coals. Eat slowly and accept the tea that follows. The setting matters as much as the plate, especially once the desert cools and conversation stretches into the evening.

Sharm’s religious landscape includes Al Sahaba Mosque near the Old Market and the Coptic Cathedral of the Heavenly Hosts in Hay El Noor. These are living places of worship, not decorative stops. Cover shoulders and knees, lower your voice and avoid visiting during services

Arabic is Egypt’s official language, although English is widely understood around Sharm’s hotels and visitor areas. A cheerful ahlan for hello or shukran for thank you can soften an everyday exchange. Perfect pronunciation matters less than showing you have made the effort.

Young theatre companies from Egypt and abroad gather in Sharm for performances, workshops and critical discussions during this annual festival. Programmes usually run across several venues, letting you choose between experimental productions, short showcases and seminars; editions often take place late in the year.

At Sharm’s purpose-built camel track, riders representing Bedouin tribes compete across several distances and age categories while families gather beside the course. Meetings take place in separate rounds, so ask your hotel about confirmed dates, spectator access and transport before setting out.

SOHO Square marks the festive season by illuminating walkways, façades and its central dancing fountain during the annual Big Switch-On. Live music and family entertainment surround the ceremony, drawing large evening crowds; arrive early if you want a clear position near the square.

Egypt observes Sinai Liberation Day on 25 April, commemorating the peninsula’s return to Egyptian sovereignty in 1982. South Sinai marks the national holiday with official ceremonies and changing cultural programmes. If you visit then, check locally for public performances, closures and adjusted opening hours.