Sharm el-Sheikh Travel Guide: Sinai's Premier Dive Destination

Sharm el-Sheikh sits at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, where the Gulf of Suez meets the Gulf of Aqaba. It is one of the world’s most visited dive destinations, built around consistent access to Ras Mohammed National Park and a cluster of exceptional offshore sites. Beyond diving and snorkeling, the city offers beach resorts, a modest nightlife strip, and easy logistics from European airports.

Getting There

Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport (SSH) receives direct charter and scheduled flights from Europe, as well as domestic connections from Cairo. The bus from Cairo takes seven to eight hours and is a reasonable overnight option. There is no train.

Visa Rules — Read This First

If you are flying directly to Sharm el-Sheikh and plan to stay within Sinai, you do not need a pre-arranged visa. A free 15-day Sinai-only stamp is issued on arrival at the airport and at land border crossings from Israel and Jordan. This stamp is not extendable and does not permit travel to mainland Egypt. To visit Cairo, Luxor, or anywhere outside Sinai, you need a full Egyptian e-visa applied for before travel.

Ras Mohammed National Park

Ras Mohammed is the defining reason to dive in Sharm. The national park covers the southern tip of Sinai, where strong currents push cold, nutrient-rich water up along the reef walls. Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef are the headline sites — the marine life density, coral coverage, and visibility (commonly 20–30m) are exceptional. Day boat trips from Sharm take around 45 minutes. The park has an entry fee paid separately from your dive operator.

SS Thistlegorm

The SS Thistlegorm sank in October 1941 after a German air raid. The wreck lies in the northern reaches of the Sinai coast, roughly one hour by speedboat from Sharm. Its cargo — motorcycles, trucks, locomotive parts, and military equipment — is intact and accessible at 16–32m depth. Marine life has made it a reef in its own right. It is the most popular wreck dive in the Red Sea and justifiably so.

Naama Bay and Shark’s Bay

Naama Bay is the original tourist hub: a curved beach with hotels on one side and a promenade of restaurants, dive shops, and bars on the other. Evenings are lively by Red Sea standards. Shark’s Bay, a few kilometres to the north, is lower-key — smaller hotels, quieter beach, and a more relaxed pace. Both have direct reef access from the shore.

Best Time to Visit

October through May is peak season and the most comfortable for diving — water temperatures are 22–26°C and air temperatures stay in the mid-20s. Summer (June–September) brings air temperatures of 38–42°C. The sea remains warm and swimmable year-round, and some dive operators offer reduced rates in the shoulder months.

Nearby

Dahab is 100km north on the Gulf of Aqaba coast — a completely different atmosphere, slower and more backpacker-oriented, and worth considering for a combined Sinai trip.