Best Tours in Sharm el-Sheikh: Ras Mohammed, Thistlegorm, and Sinai

Sharm el-Sheikh sits at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula — one of the world’s premier dive destinations, built around consistent access to Ras Mohammed National Park and a cluster of exceptional offshore sites. The tour infrastructure is extensive: dozens of dive centres and excursion operators work out of Na’ama Bay, and the range of experiences extends from marine-focused diving to overland Sinai desert adventures and long-distance day trips to Cairo. These seven tours are the verified picks for each zone, booked via GetYourGuide with free cancellation on most options.

1. Ras Mohammed Two-Dive Day Trip

Sharm el-Sheikh: Ras Mohammed Two-Dive Day Trip (from approximately $75 per person)

Ras Mohammed National Park is why serious divers come to Sharm. The park covers the southern tip of Sinai where cold, nutrient-rich currents surge up along the reef walls — the result is marine life density that rivals the Indo-Pacific. Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef are the headline sites: grey reef sharks and hammerheads in season, schooling jackfish and barracuda, soft coral walls, and — at Yolanda — the scattered cargo of a Greek freighter that ran aground in 1980.

A two-dive boat trip from Na’ama Bay takes approximately 45 minutes to reach the park. The typical day covers one morning dive and one afternoon dive, with surface interval and lunch on the boat. Visibility commonly runs 20–30 metres.

Duration: 7–8 hours | Difficulty: Requires Open Water certification minimum
Best time: March through November; October and November for largest pelagic fish
Includes: Boat, two-tank dive, guide, lunch, equipment rental available separately

This is the defining Sharm experience. Open Water holders are fully qualified — the sites are not technically demanding, just exceptional.

2. SS Thistlegorm Wreck Dive

Sharm el-Sheikh: SS Thistlegorm Two-Dive Trip (from approximately $95 per person)

The SS Thistlegorm sank in October 1941 after a German air raid while carrying military cargo bound for North Africa — motorcycles, Bedford trucks, locomotive parts, rifles, and ammunition boxes. The wreck lies 1 hour north of Sharm by speedboat at 16–32 metres depth, and the intact cargo has made it one of the most-photographed dive sites in the world since Jacques Cousteau discovered it in the 1950s.

Marine life has colonised the entire structure — lionfish on the guns, schools of glassfish in the wheelhouse, barracuda circling the stern. The sheer volume of intact military hardware gives the site a weight that more purely biological sites lack.

Duration: 8–9 hours (early departure, long boat ride) | Difficulty: Advanced Open Water recommended
Best time: Year-round; avoid winter swells (December–February) which can make the long boat ride uncomfortable
Includes: Boat, two dives on the Thistlegorm, guide, lunch

The Thistlegorm deserves a full day rather than being added as an afternoon extension. Book separately from Ras Mohammed — combining the two makes both experiences worse.

3. Ras Mohammed Snorkelling Trip

Sharm el-Sheikh: Ras Mohammed Snorkelling Day Trip (from approximately $45 per person)

The snorkelling version of the Ras Mohammed trip accesses the park’s shallower reef sections — the fish density and coral coverage are comparable to the dive sites, just at 1–5 metres rather than 20. This is not a consolation option: the colour and volume of marine life on the Ras Mohammed reef rim in clear conditions is among the best shallow snorkelling in the Red Sea.

Boat trips typically cover two snorkel stops within the park plus a beach break on one of the park’s sand beaches. Snorkel gear is included.

Duration: 6–7 hours | Difficulty: Easy — suitable for confident swimmers
Best time: April through October; calmer sea conditions on weekdays
Includes: Boat, snorkel gear, two reef stops, lunch

Non-divers who book this trip usually describe it as the best snorkelling they’ve done anywhere. The 45-minute boat ride from Na’ama Bay is straightforward.

4. Blue Hole and Dahab Day Excursion

From Sharm el-Sheikh: Blue Hole and Dahab Day Trip (from approximately $35 per person)

Dahab is 90km north of Sharm along the Sinai coast — a small Bedouin-rooted resort town with a completely different character from Sharm’s resort infrastructure. The Blue Hole is its centrepiece: a 130-metre circular underwater sinkhole off the northern end of town, with a shallow rim accessible to snorkellers and a deeper saddle entry used by divers. Visibility commonly exceeds 30 metres.

Day trips from Sharm combine a morning snorkel at the Blue Hole with lunch at one of Dahab’s seafront Bedouin restaurants and free time in the town before returning. For divers, Klook also lists a dedicated diving day trip to Dahab’s Canyon and Blue Hole with an experienced local dive guide.

Duration: 8–9 hours | Difficulty: Easy for snorkelling, Open Water minimum for diving
Best time: Year-round; the canyon and Blue Hole are sheltered from most swells
Includes: Transport, guided snorkel stop, free time in Dahab

A strong complement to a Ras Mohammed day if you have a second full day in Sharm. The two sites are the defining Sinai Peninsula underwater experiences. For more overland options in the region, see our day trips from Sharm el-Sheikh guide.

5. Sinai Desert Safari by Jeep and Quad Bike

Sharm el-Sheikh: Sinai Desert Safari by Jeep and Quad Bike (from approximately $40 per person)

The Sinai interior is high desert — granite peaks, narrow wadis, and sand plains with a dramatically different feel from the beach resorts below. A half-day quad bike or jeep safari into the desert directly behind Sharm el-Sheikh is the best non-marine activity in the city and a good day-two option for visitors who want a contrast to the Red Sea.

Tours typically depart in the afternoon (around 15:30) to catch the desert at its most photogenic and end with sunset from a hilltop viewpoint. A Bedouin camp stop for tea and bread is standard. Some operators add a stargazing extension.

Duration: 3–4 hours | Difficulty: Moderate — rough terrain, physical confidence required
Best time: October through April; avoid July–August midday heat
Includes: Quad bike or jeep, Bedouin camp stop, sunset viewpoint

Closed-toe shoes required. Children under 12 typically cannot ride solo — jeep-only versions suit families.

6. Cairo and the Pyramids by Air

From Sharm el-Sheikh: Cairo Pyramids Full-Day Trip by Flight (from approximately $160 per person)

EgyptAir and Air Cairo run multiple daily flights between Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport and Cairo — the journey takes 45–55 minutes each way. An organised full-day tour uses the air connection to cover the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx, the Grand Egyptian Museum (opened 2024, housing the complete Tutankhamun collection), and lunch, before returning the same evening.

Hotel pickup starts at 04:00–04:30 and the day typically ends after midnight. It is a genuinely long day, but the site quality makes it worth doing from Sharm if you cannot extend your trip to include a separate Cairo stay.

Duration: 18+ hours | Difficulty: Easy — mostly in transit or walking flat sites
Best time: October through April; the pyramid plateau is exposed and hot in summer
Includes: Return flights, transfers, licensed Egyptologist guide, Giza and GEM entry, lunch

Book at least 48 hours ahead — flights on this route fill fast during peak season. For the full breakdown of Cairo experiences, see our best tours in Cairo guide.

7. Naama Bay Glass-Bottom Boat

Sharm el-Sheikh: Glass-Bottom Boat Tour from Naama Bay (from approximately $25 per person)

The glass-bottom boat is the most accessible marine experience in Sharm — a two to three hour trip across the shallow reef off Na’ama Bay with a clear viewing panel and an optional snorkel stop. Non-swimmers and children can observe the coral and fish without entering the water. Departures run from the Na’ama Bay jetty throughout the morning.

Duration: 2–3 hours | Difficulty: Easy — no swimming required
Best time: Morning for best light underwater
Includes: Glass-bottom boat, optional snorkel stop, soft drinks

The right option for a short outing, for visitors with mixed abilities in the group, or for a light activity on an arrival or departure day.

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How to Choose

Tour	Duration	Best for	Approx. Price
Ras Mohammed dive	7–8 hrs	Certified divers	from $75
SS Thistlegorm	8–9 hrs	Wreck diving	from $95
Ras Mohammed snorkelling	6–7 hrs	Non-divers at best reef	from $45
Blue Hole / Dahab day trip	8–9 hrs	Blue Hole, Dahab town	from $35
Sinai desert safari	3–4 hrs	Desert, sunset	from $40
Cairo by air	18+ hrs	Pyramids + GEM	from $160
Glass-bottom boat	2–3 hrs	Non-swimmers, families	from $25

Prices are per person in USD as of 2026. Most GYG tours include free cancellation — check individual listings for specific windows. Browse all Sharm el-Sheikh tours on GetYourGuide.

When to Book Sharm el-Sheikh Tours

October through April is Sharm’s peak tourist season, with comfortable temperatures (22–30°C at sea level) and consistent sea conditions. Ras Mohammed and Thistlegorm tours book up quickly from October; the Thistlegorm in particular should be reserved well ahead from November through March when demand from European tour groups peaks.

May through September brings hotter air temperatures (35–40°C in July and August) but the Red Sea is warm and calm. Marine visibility is typically excellent in June and July. Land-based excursions — the Sinai safari and Cairo by air — are significantly more comfortable in the shoulder months on either side of summer.

The 15-day Sinai-only visa issued on arrival covers all marine and Sinai-based tours without needing an Egyptian e-visa. If you want to take the Cairo by air day trip, you need a full Egyptian e-visa applied for before travel — see our Egypt visa guide for details.

For a complete picture of what to do in the city, see our Sharm el-Sheikh travel guide and Sharm el-Sheikh things to do pages.