Sharm El Sheikh Travel Guide | Red Sea Resort

The Destination

Where Mountains
Meet the Reef

Sharm El Sheikh occupies a geological drama: the Sinai granite descends in sheer pink cliffs directly into the most biodiverse water in the world.

Sharm El Sheikh developed as a resort from the 1980s under Egyptian administration (it had been under Israeli control from 1967 to 1982). Its position at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, where the Gulf of Aqaba meets the Gulf of Suez, creates a unique marine environment: calm, warm, phenomenally clear water sheltering reefs that have had relatively limited human contact compared to the Mediterranean.

Beyond the reefs, the Sinai interior is extraordinary: the pink granite mountains of the St. Catherine Protectorate, the monastery that has been continuously inhabited since 565 CE, and the mountain that three of the world's major religions associate with the giving of the Ten Commandments.

Sharm El Sheikh Red Sea coast and coral reef

Through the Ages

Three Millennia of
Sinai History

c. 1250 BCE
Moses and Mount Sinai

The Exodus narrative places Moses on the granite peak now called Gebel Musa (Mount Sinai) to receive the Ten Commandments. Archaeologists debate the exact location, but the Sinai Peninsula has been the site of pilgrimage for three millennia as a result.
565 CE
St. Catherine's Monastery Founded

The Emperor Justinian orders a monastery built at the foot of Mount Sinai, on the site where tradition holds that Moses saw the Burning Bush. The monastery has been continuously inhabited for 1,460 years, surviving invasions by accumulating diplomatic protection from every power in the region.
1967–1982
Israeli Administration

Following the Six-Day War, Israel occupies the Sinai including Sharm El Sheikh (renamed Ofira). Israeli divers are the first to map and document the reefs systematically, recognising their extraordinary quality. The diving community they establish lays the foundation for Sharm's future.

1982
Return to Egypt

Sinai is returned to Egypt under the Camp David Accords. Egyptian and international investment begins transforming Sharm from a small settlement into a resort destination.
1990s
The Resort Boom

International hotel chains arrive. Naama Bay develops as the resort's commercial heart. Sharm becomes one of the world's top dive destinations, attracting 1.5 million visitors annually by the late 1990s.
2000s
Diplomatic Capital

Sharm hosts multiple Middle East peace summits, earning it the nickname "City of Peace." Its international profile rises further, driving luxury hotel investment that transforms the coastline.

Top Experiences

The Wonders of
Sharm & Sinai

UNESCO Marine Reserve

Ras Mohammed National Park

Egypt's first national park, established 1983, protecting the most pristine reefs in the northern Red Sea. The shark and Yolanda reefs are world-famous dive sites. Sea turtles nest on the beaches. Mangrove channels provide a rare ecosystem. The park can only be visited on day trips from Sharm (45 minutes by boat or road).

Blue Hole Dahab world famous diving site Red Sea

Legendary Dive Site

The Blue Hole, Dahab

One of the most famous dive sites on earth: a 100-metre deep, perfectly circular blue hole in the coral reef, 15km north of Dahab. The shallow coral garden at its rim is accessible to snorkellers. The cave at 55 metres has claimed many lives and commands total respect. The surface view alone — an oval of impossible blue against the Sinai mountains — is worth the journey.

Resort Bay

Naama Bay

The beating heart of Sharm El Sheikh — a sheltered crescent of beach lined with hotels, dive centres, restaurants and beach clubs. The house reef at Naama Bay is accessible directly from the beach. The promenade comes alive at night: open-air restaurants, shisha cafes and the particular pleasure of warm desert air after the sun sets.

Mount Sinai sunrise rocky peaks biblical sacred mountain

Pilgrimage Mountain

Mount Sinai (Gebel Musa)

A 2,285-metre granite peak, a 3-hour night hike from St. Catherine's Monastery. Three of the world's religions associate this peak with the divine. The summit at dawn — watching the sun rise over a landscape of pink granite and desert — is one of the most quietly profound experiences in Egypt. Steps or camel path available.

Living Monastery

St. Catherine's Monastery

The oldest continuously occupied Christian monastery in the world (565 CE), home to Greek Orthodox monks who have maintained an unbroken presence for 1,460 years. The library holds the second-largest collection of ancient manuscripts after the Vatican. The Burning Bush in the monastery garden is, according to tradition, the direct descendant of Moses's bush. A 3-hour drive from Sharm.

Tiran Island

Tiran Island & Straits

The uninhabited island at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, flanked by four reefs (Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon) that are among the richest dive sites in the Red Sea. The currents that surge through the straits make for exhilarating drift diving. The island itself, granite rising from deep blue water, is dramatically beautiful.

Marine Life

Shark Bay & Garden Reefs

Despite its name, Shark Bay is one of the gentlest snorkelling spots in Sharm — a sandy bay with a fringing reef that sea turtles visit daily and where white-tip reef sharks sleep on the sandy bottom. The Old Reef (Abu Hashish) nearby offers some of the best beginner diving in the area, with stunning table corals and resident fish communities.

Bedouin Experience

Desert Safari & Bedouin Camp

The desert immediately behind Sharm's coast is Bedouin territory — the Tarabin and Muzeina tribes have navigated these mountains for centuries. Jeep and quad-bike safaris, camel treks and overnight camps in traditional Bedouin tents with stargazing in zero-light-pollution desert are among Sharm's most memorable non-marine experiences.

Climate Guide

When to Visit
Sharm El Sheikh

20°

Jan

22°

Feb

25°

Mar

30°

Apr

35°

May

38°

Jun

40°

Jul

40°

Aug

37°

Sep

32°

Oct

26°

Nov

22°

Dec

Best months (Nov – Mar)

Shoulder season

Peak heat — seek the sea

November through February is peak season for good reason: warm days (20–26°C), calm seas, water temperature of 22–24°C, and crystalline visibility. March and April add warmth. For diving, visibility is best November to January when plankton blooms have cleared.

Sharm El Sheikh Climate at a Glance

Winter (Dec–Feb)20–24°C

Spring (Mar–May)25–35°C

Summer (Jun–Aug)37–42°C

Autumn (Sep–Nov)26–37°C

Annual Rainfall~1mm

Sea Temp20–30°C

Time ZoneUTC+2

Local Flavours

What Sharm
Tastes Like

Lamb Tagine Sinawi

طاجن لحم سيناوي

The Sinai Bedouin slow-cook lamb with dried apricots, raisins, onion and a blend of desert spices (coriander, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon) in a clay tagine buried in embers for hours. The meat collapses into sweet-savoury tenderness. Eaten in Bedouin camps with flatbread and fresh dates.

Bedouin camp dinners, desert beyond Naama Bay

Bedouin Tea

شاي بدوي

Not a drink but a ceremony. Bedouin tea is black tea with fresh sage, fresh mint, dried herbs and sometimes dried flowers, boiled together and sweetened with sugar. Poured from a height to create froth. Given to every guest as an act of hospitality before any conversation begins.

Every Bedouin tent and many Sinai cafes

Grilled Hamour bil Lemon

هامور مشوي بالليمون

The Red Sea grouper, Sharm's finest fish, marinated in lemon, garlic, cumin and olive oil and grilled whole over charcoal. The flesh is white, dense and slightly sweet. Served with pickles, tahini and flatbread at the harbour restaurants of the Old Market.

Al-Fanar Restaurant, Ras Um Sid

Samak Mashwi Mix

مشاوي السمك

A plate of mixed grilled Red Sea fish selected from the morning's catch: typically hamour, sea bream, red snapper and sultan ibrahim. Each is seasoned differently. The Sharm version uses heavier cumin and more dried chilli than Cairo's more delicate preparations.

Fish restaurants, Old Market

Koshary Sinawi

كشري سيناوي

The Sinai coastal version of Egypt's national dish uses macaroni, rice and lentils but tops them with a sharper, more chilli-forward tomato sauce and sometimes adds a fried egg. A Sharm-specific evolution served at the local workers' restaurants away from the resort strip.

Local restaurants, Old Market district

Aseer Asab

عصير قصب

Sugar cane juice, pressed to order, is Sharm's go-to street drink. The Old Market's juice sellers add a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of ginger. In the Sinai heat, a tall glass of cold aseer asab is a revelation.

Old Market juice stalls, any time of day

Visitor Essentials

Culture, Customs
& Practical Tips

Two Faces of Sharm

The resort strip (Naama Bay, Sharks Bay, Ras Um Sid) operates under international norms — bikinis, alcohol, beach clubs. The Old Market (Sharm el-Sheikh town) is a conservative Egyptian environment. Moving between them requires dressing accordingly. The contrast is sharp and worth experiencing.

Diving Certification

Sharm El Sheikh is the finest place in the world to learn to dive. Its calm, clear, warm water and abundant marine life make the PADI Open Water course an exceptional experience. Budget 4 days for the full certification. Emperor Divers, Camel Dive Club and Sinai Divers are the most respected operators.

Mount Sinai Night Hike

The standard approach is to begin the hike at 2am from St. Catherine's Monastery, ascending via the camel path (3,750 Steps of Repentance for the steep alternative). Summit at dawn. Bring warm layers: the summit at 2,285m in winter can be near freezing. Return to Sharm for afternoon.

Underwater at Ras Mohammed

Diving at Ras Mohammed requires a national park entry fee, payable at the gate. Bring your dive certification card. The Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef dive is a 40-minute dive requiring Rescue Diver level at minimum. Plan to arrive early — boats queue for the mooring buoys in high season.

Old Market vs. Resort Strip

Spend at least one morning in the Old Market: the spice sellers, the Bedouin silver jewellers, the juice bars and the fish mongers. Prices are negotiable. Shisha at a local cafe in the Old Market costs a fraction of the resort price and the people-watching is incomparably better.

Getting Around

Sharm has no central hub: it is a collection of bays spread over 12km of coast. Taxis are the primary transport (agree price before entering). Resort shuttles connect the major bays. Renting a quad bike or buggy is the most fun way to move between beaches and is widely available.

Geography & Terrain

The Landscape of
Sharm El Sheikh

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The Sinai Granite

The Sinai Peninsula's southern half is composed of some of the oldest exposed rock on earth: pink and red Precambrian granite, 600 million years old, sculpted by millions of years of erosion into the dramatic mountain landscape that rises directly from the sea. The peaks reach 2,641 metres at Gebel Katherine.

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The Gulf of Aqaba

Sharm sits at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, a narrow, deep arm of the Red Sea stretching 160km to Eilat and Jordan. The gulf's confined geography creates strong tidal flows that deliver nutrients to the reefs, producing the exceptional biodiversity. Maximum depth in the Gulf: 1,850 metres.

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The Tiran Straits

The narrow passage between Tiran Island and the Sinai coast channels all traffic between the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. The currents created are powerful enough to make drift diving at the four Tiran reefs an exhilarating experience. The straits have strategic importance that made them a flash point in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

Sharm El Sheikh

Where Mountains
Meet the Reef

Three Millennia of
Sinai History

Moses and Mount Sinai

St. Catherine's Monastery Founded

Israeli Administration

Return to Egypt

The Resort Boom

Diplomatic Capital