Things to Do in Sharm El Sheikh: Sights and the Best Excursions

The attractions of Sharm El Sheikh are less about antiquities than about the sea, the mountains and Sinai all around. One or two evenings are enough for the town itself: the promenade, the market, the mosques and the cathedral. Spend the rest of your time on the reefs and on trips — Ras Mohammed, Tiran, Mount Sinai and Dahab. Below: where Sharm is, its districts and what to see on your own and on tours.

Where is Sharm El Sheikh

Sharm sits at the very tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in the Asian part of Egypt. On one side is the Gulf of Suez, on the other the Gulf of Aqaba, and across the Strait of Tiran you can see the coast of Saudi Arabia. The resort stretches more than 30 km along the sea, from Nabq in the north to the Old Town in the south.

District	What’s there
Naama Bay	The centre of tourist life: promenade, restaurants, shops
Sharm El Maya and the Old Town	The Old Market, the mosque, the port
Hadaba	A plateau above the sea, the cathedral, Farsha Bay, hotels with reefs
Nabq, Ras Nasrani, Sharks Bay	Resort areas in the north, closer to Tiran

Sharm El Sheikh sights: what to see on your own

Naama Bay

A pedestrian promenade along the bay: cafés, restaurants, shops and music in the evenings. A good place to start exploring Sharm.

The Old Market and the As-Sahaba Mosque

The Old Town is an oriental bazaar with spices, souvenirs and shisha cafés. Above it rises the As-Sahaba Mosque, especially striking when lit up in the evening.

Al Mustafa Mosque

A snow-white mosque with tall minarets in Hadaba, next to the Coptic cathedral. Beautiful both by day and lit up at night.

The Heavenly Cathedral (Coptic cathedral)

A church in Hadaba painted inside with vivid frescoes from floor to dome. Entry is free; modest clothing is required.

Soho Square

An entertainment square in Sharks Bay: dancing fountains, restaurants, an ice rink and bowling. A good place for an evening with children.

Farsha Bay

A café on the cliffs above the sea with cushions, hammocks and sunsets. One of the most atmospheric spots in Sharm.

The Sharm El Sheikh Museum

A small modern antiquities museum with halls on the life of the ancient Egyptians and objects from the Cairo collections. Whether it is worth it — in “The Tutankhamun Museum and the Sharm El Sheikh Museum”.

The best boat trips from Sharm

• Ras Mohammed — a national park at the southern tip of Sinai, one of the best places in the world for snorkelling and diving.
• Tiran Island — four famous reefs in the strait, visited by yacht.
• White Island — a sandbar in the middle of the sea.

About the sea around Sharm and water temperatures — in “Which sea is in Egypt”.

Land tours from Sharm: Mount Sinai, Dahab, Cairo

• Mount Sinai and St Catherine’s Monastery — a night climb to see the sunrise, about 220 km from Sharm.
• Dahab and the Blue Hole — a divers’ town 90 km away, the Coloured Canyon and snorkelling.
• Cairo and the pyramids — by plane or coach; details in “Sharm El Sheikh to Cairo”.
• Luxor — by plane only, about an hour’s flight.
• Jerusalem and Petra — cross-border trips.

Useful for your holiday in Sharm

• Taxis in Sharm: which apps work
• Which currency to bring
• How to get from Sharm to Hurghada