Things to Do in Sharm el-Sheikh

Sharm el-Sheikh built its international reputation on diving, but there is enough variety here to fill a week without going underwater. The combination of the Red Sea reef, Sinai desert, and proximity to one of the world’s oldest monasteries makes it more than a single-interest destination.

Diving at Ras Mohammed and the Thistlegorm

Diving is the primary reason serious visitors come to Sharm. Ras Mohammed National Park sits at the southern tip of Sinai — a 1-hour boat trip from the marina — and contains Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef, two of the most celebrated dive sites in the Red Sea. The park is a protected area and charges an entry fee. Beyond its diving, the park has mangroves, seabird colonies, and dramatic coastal scenery accessible by land from the park entrance.

The SS Thistlegorm lies about an hour north of Sharm by boat. A British cargo ship sunk by German bombers in 1941, it remains one of the world’s great wreck dives — military vehicles, motorcycles, rifles, and ammunition visible in the holds. Day and night trips run regularly from Sharm. We cover both sites in detail on the Sharm diving page.

Naama Bay

Naama Bay is the main tourist strip — restaurants, bars, cafes, dive centres, and souvenir shops running along the waterfront. The beach here is the social hub in evenings. It is crowded and commercial, but it functions well for a resort environment. Most international hotel chains have properties along or near the strip.

Sharm el-Sheikh Old Market

About 8km from Naama Bay, the Old Market (Sharm el-Sheikh Town) is the older commercial area predating the resort development. Spice shops, gold dealers, and local produce stalls give it a functional market feel rather than a curated tourist experience. Worth an hour if you want to see a version of the town that existed before the dive resorts arrived.

Sharm Heritage Museum

A small but worthwhile stop covering Sinai Bedouin culture — traditional crafts, historical photographs of the Sinai Peninsula, and context that the resorts themselves don’t provide. Entry fee is modest and the visit takes about an hour.

St. Catherine’s Monastery

At 220km inland via desert road, St. Catherine’s Monastery is a committed day trip — allow 2.5–3 hours each way. Founded around 548 AD, it is one of the world’s oldest continuously operating Christian monasteries and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Burning Bush chapel is inside the complex. Day trips operate from Sharm through most tour operators. The monastery is closed Fridays and Sundays. For visitors with any interest in early Christian history, this justifies the drive. Check our Egypt visa page if you are travelling on a Sinai-only stamp, as there are restrictions on mainland travel.

Desert Excursions

Organised quad bike and ATV tours run from Naama Bay into the Sinai desert. Sunset tours are the most popular and take approximately 2 hours. Expect to pay around $40–60 per person depending on the operator and duration. The landscape — flat gravel desert giving way to rugged sandstone mountains — is striking and easily accessible from the resort zone.

Snorkeling the House Reef

Many Sharm hotels have a house reef accessible directly from the beach. For visitors who do not want to book a dive trip or snorkel boat, this is often the easiest way to see the reef. Quality varies significantly by hotel — properties in Shark’s Bay tend to have better house reef access than those on the main Naama Bay beach strip.