Sharm el-Sheikh is the major tourism hub of the Sinai Peninsula and one of the best diving destinations in the world. It was the underwater wonders of the Red Sea, especially the waters of the Ras Mohammed Marine Park just south of the city, that first put “Sharm” at the centre of the stage, and every year the diving and snorkelling on offer here continue to attract flocks of diving enthusiasts.

This is also one of the best destinations in Egypt if you just want to hang out on the beach, and because of the excellent facilities on offer, it’s a particular favourite for family-friendly holidays. Whether you’re here for sand or sea life, after exploring the temples and graves in the rest of the region, Sharm el-Sheikh is a great choice for a beach break.

1. Ras Mohammed National Park

What has put Sharm el-Sheikh on the tourist map is Ras Mohammed National Park. Surrounded by some of the most spectacular dive sites in the world, this peninsula is home to beautiful beaches with excellent snorkelling just offshore, the second northernmost mangrove forest in the world, and a saltwater lake. For anybody staying in Sharm el-Sheikh, a trip here is a must-do. The best beaches are Old Quay Beach (easily reached from the shore with its top-notch coral reef) and Aqaba Beach.

Travelers looking for a good view should head to the top right of the Shark Observatory cliff on Ras Mohammed’s southern coast, where views extend over both sides of the Red Sea.

2. Thistlegorm Dive Site

A travel to Sharm el-Sheikh means only one thing for many advanced divers: diving in Thistlegorm. One of the world’s top wreck dives, this ship, packed full of cargo to resupply British troops, was sunk by German bombers during World War II.

Fish are now swimming through their rooms and cargo holds loaded with jeeps, cars, and weapons that have never reached the front. The wreck is located off the western coast of the Sinai Peninsula in the Straits of Gubal, so it is offered either as a long one-day boat ride from Sharm el-Sheikh, or as an overnight trip.

All boat tours here offer at least two wreck dives plus a stop at one of the diving sites of Ras Mohammed. The overnight trips have the added advantage of the wreck’s evening dive.

3. Naama Bay

Fringed by a white-sand beach and swaying palm trees, the epicentre of the resort life of Sharm el-Sheikh is Naama Bay. If you get sick of the sand, there are plenty of restaurants, cafés, and souvenir shops, but Naama Bay really is all about the beach. A pedestrian-only promenade, backed by a cluster of luxury resorts, rims the entire beach area.

Naama Bay is one of Egypt’s top options for those looking for a holiday full of sloth-like sunbathing. There are excellent facilities in the beach area, including abundant sun-shades and loungers, and the beachside cafés mean you don’t even have to travel all day from your patch of sandy bliss.

4. Jolanda Reef Dive Site

In the northern portion of the Red Sea and within the Ras Mohammed Marine Park, Jolanda Reef (also called Yolanda Reef) is one of the most common dive sites. Divers flock here to explore the ruins of the Jolanda, an old freighter vessel from Cyprus that crashed in 1980.

However, it’s more than just a wreck dive, as Jolanda Reef also encompasses the coral walls of the Shark Reef with its immense fish life and enchanting coral gardens.

5. Ras Um Sid Beach and Reef

Ras Um Sid is one of the best beaches of Sharm el-Sheikh, right on the southern tail of the region, near the lighthouse. Here, between snorkelling trips into the ocean where an excellent coral reef is just offshore, individuals slouch on the sand. Farther away from the sand, Ras Um Sid Reef is suitable for first-time forays into diving and is used by many local dive operators as a try-dive venue.

6. Day Trip to Saint Catherine’s Monastery

The key historical destination of the Sinai Peninsula, St. Catherine’s Monastery, sits at the foot of Mt. Sinai, where the Ten Commandments are believed to have been received by Moses. This Greek Orthodox hermitage, one of the world’s oldest functioning monasteries, is home to the Old Testament’s famed ‘burning bush,’ As well as a museum showing some of the glittering array of sacred icons and ancient manuscripts from the monastery that is revered as one of the world’s finest. For any history lover staying in Sharm el-Sheikh, a day trip here is one of the top things to do and can also include a climb up to the summit of Mt. Sinai.

7. Day Trip to Mount Sinai

The Sinai’s rugged, rocky heart is rawly breathtaking inland from the sun-drenched beaches of the coast. Hike up to the top of Mt. Sinai for a taster of this craggy landscape to see an expanse of orange-hued peaks rippling out before you.

The summit hike is a pilgrimage for many people, respected by all three of the monotheistic religions as the location where Moses received the 10 Commandments, (and generally paired with a visit to St. Catherine’s Monastery, which sits at the trailhead for the hike).

Up to the top, there are two main trails. A well-worn switchback route is the Camel Track, while the Steps of Repentance is a more challenging, but much more scenic, series of stone-cut staircases carved by one of the monks of the monastery.

Most tours fly overnight from Sharm el-Sheikh in the wee hours of the morning to reach the trailhead so that the trek up the Camel Trail is completed in the cold, dark hours, and the summit is reached in time to see the sunrise over the surrounding peaks.

8. Shark’s Bay

Shark’s Bay, which has some of Sharm el-most Sheikh’s exclusive five-star resorts and hotels clustered around its sweep of sand, is slightly more exclusive to the north of Naama Bay.

If you want absolute tranquillity on your holiday, this is where you go. Soho Square Center’s dining hub, which includes some of the best restaurant and cafe options of Sharm el-Sheikh, as well as stores, means you don’t have to miss out on the buzz if you want to stay here either.

9. Jackson Reef Dive Site

Jackson Reef is one of the prime diving sites of Sharm el-Sheikh in the Straits of Tiran between the Sinai Peninsula and the southern tip of Saudi Arabia. There are masses of huge pelagic fish to be seen here, and it is one of the top locations for shark sightings in the Red Sea. The reef is also home to the Lara wreck, and investigating this freighter ship wreckage provides an extra element for experienced divers.

10. Day Trip to the Blue Hole

The Blue Hole is Sinai’s most notorious dive spot, and people come here from far and wide just to dive. Every year, this sinkhole claims the lives of a few divers, often by individuals diving way beyond their limits and experience.

Given the reputation of the site for risk, divers who stick within sensible limits are perfectly safe here, and this is an extremely beautiful dive due to the fish life and spectacular views of ethereal blue below. It’s also a popular snorkelling spot, with plenty of fish life to see if you don’t fancy going into the depths near the surface.

11. Day Trip to Dahab

Dahab is the backpacker beach resort of the Sinai and a chilled-out alternative to the feel of the Sharm el-Sheikh holiday kit. There are a large number of casual restaurants and cafés along the coast, while a cute shopping area in a jumble of souvenir shops works its way up to the main highway.

Here, there is some excellent diving and snorkelling, which is why most tourists come, but the laid-back environment of Dahab is also great for a day out from Sharm el-Sheikh. 90 kilometres north of Sharm el-Sheikh .

12. Dunraven Dive Site

When it struck the reef and sank just off the tip of the Sinai Peninsula in 1876, the SS Dunraven was travelling to Mumbai (then Bombay). Today, this 80-meter steam ship, ripped on the sea floor in two parts, is home to a rich variety of fish that have found their home in the barnacle-encrusted hull.

Divers spot large schools of cardinal and goatfish here, as well as moray eels and scorpion fish. It’s about a two-hour boat ride from Sharm el-Sheikh, and a dive is mostly paired here with dives from Ras Mohammed National Park or a dive trip from Thistlegorm.

13. Sharm Old Market

The town’s souq (bazaar) area is the Sharm Old Market (also known as Sharm al-Maya), where twinkling Arabic lamps, typical shisha pipes, and finely engraved woodwork can be found in abundance. At sunset or later, when the worst heat of the day has dissipated, it’s best to come and you can shop and browse in comfort.

The area is also full of cheap and cheerful restaurants and cafes, so it’s a nice place to spend the whole night. Here, there is a distinctly different feeling than the rest of Sharm el-Sheikh. The market is imbued with a local atmosphere that is far more higgledy-piggled than the rest of the region.

The new Al-Sahaba Mosque is on the edge of the market area with an imposing exterior that cherry-picks influences from the styles of Fatimid, Mamluk, and Ottoman mosques.

14. Gardens Dive Site

The Gardens Reefs extend just offshore off the coast at the northern end of Naama Bay. In fact, three distinct snorkelling and diving sites called Close Garden, Middle Garden, and Far Garden are this reef system that can be accessed both by shore and by boat.

Near Garden is the best (and simplest) place to access if you only want to snorkel and is home to some beautiful coral pinnacles with plenty of flitting clownfish and butterfly fish in residence.

15. Thomas Reef Dive Site

Thomas Reef provides spectacular underwater views of soft coral and huge schools of fish as part of the Tiran Straits set of diving sites. It’s a deep wall reef dive that is famous for the fantastic array of coloured coral on show among experienced divers. For those who really want to experience the abundance of sea life that calls the Red Sea its home, this is one of Sharm el-top Sheikh’s dives.

16. Day Trip to the Colored Canyon

This canyon’s swirling mineral-rich layered rock formations are one of the top out-of-the-water natural attractions of the Sinai. It’s a display of the desert’s natural wonders, with plenty of chances to crawl around the rock faces and have fun hiking.

This is one of Sharm el-top Sheikh’s days out for nature lovers, and exploring the bizarrely shaped pinnacles and boulders, brushed with shimmering red and orange hues, allows for some wonderful photography.
Location: 177 km north of Sharm el-Sheikh.

17. Nabq Protectorate

The Nabq Protectorate is a coastal desert landscape of arid beauty north of Sharm el-Sheikh and home to the northernmost mangrove forest in the world. The environment here is one of Egypt’s most important protected wilderness areas, with an immense amount of birdlife as well as endemic gazelles and ibexes, and a view of sand dunes, lonely beaches, and arak bushes.

Only offshore from the beaches here, there are also excellent snorkelling opportunities. Location: 20 km north of Sharm el-Sheikh.