A South Sinai resort ringed by some of the world's finest coral reefs.
Sharm el-Sheikh excursions centre on the extraordinary reefs of South Sinai. At the peninsula's southern tip, the resort looks out over water that draws divers and snorkellers from around the world — nowhere more so than Ras Muhammad National Park, Egypt's first national park, where steep coral walls drop straight into the blue.
Beyond the reefs, Sharm is a base for the desert and mountains of the Sinai interior. Boat trips run to Tiran Island, and one of Egypt's great overland journeys climbs to St Catherine's Monastery and Mount Sinai. Naama Bay is the hub for dining and evenings out.
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Top attractions
Some of the planet's best diving sits on the doorstep, with desert and mountain adventures a short drive inland.
Egypt's first national park, protecting spectacular coral walls where divers and snorkellers meet clouds of fish.
Sharm is one of the world's top dive centres, with easy reef access for beginners and famous sites for experts.
A boat-trip favourite in the strait between Sinai and Arabia, ringed by shallow, colourful reefs.
The resort's lively seafront hub of restaurants, cafés and nightlife.
An overland trip into the mountains to a 6th-century monastery and the peak traditionally linked to Moses.
Quad, jeep and camel trips into the Sinai desert, often ending with a Bedouin dinner under the stars.
Explore the coast
The reefs are the reason to come, but the Sinai's deserts and holy mountains give Sharm a second dimension.
The national park
At the very tip of Sinai, the reefs of Ras Muhammad plunge from the surface into deep blue water alive with fish.
Declared Egypt's first national park in 1983, it remains one of the finest and most protected reef systems in the Red Sea.
Under the surface
Dive centres line the shore, running courses for complete beginners and guided dives to famous sites for the experienced.
Warm water and superb visibility make Sharm one of the easiest places anywhere to learn to dive or simply snorkel a reef.
Boat trips
The reefs around Tiran, in the strait toward Saudi Arabia, are a classic day trip by boat from Sharm.
Shallow coral gardens and drop-offs sit close together, so snorkellers and divers share some of the best sites.
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Plan your visit
Sheltered on the Gulf of Aqaba, Sharm el-Sheikh enjoys warm, dry weather almost year-round. Spring and autumn are ideal for combining diving with desert trips.
Summer is hot but the sea stays inviting, and winter days are pleasantly warm — though evenings, and the mountain trip to St Catherine's, can be cold.
Getting around
Sharm el-Sheikh sits at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Its international airport receives direct scheduled and charter flights from across Europe and the Gulf, so many visitors arrive straight from abroad.
Overland, it's a long but scenic drive from Cairo across the Sinai, and domestic flights link it to the capital in about an hour.
