Best Things to Do in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

Marsa Mubarak is a naturally sheltered bay close to Marsa Alam on Egypt’s southern Red Sea coast, celebrated internationally as one of the most consistently reliable sites in the world for close encounters with wild dugongs and green sea turtles in their natural marine habitat. The bay’s extensive shallow sandy areas support dense beds of Halophila stipulacea seagrass — the primary dietary staple of dugongs — and the gentle, exceptionally clear water makes snorkelling and shallow diving encounters straightforward even for complete beginners.

• Dugong sightings are recorded on the majority of morning visits throughout the year.
• Green sea turtles rest and graze in the seagrass beds year-round, often visible within minutes of entering the water.
• Coral reef systems along the bay’s outer edges support rich additional marine biodiversity beyond the seagrass zones.

Marsa Mubarak translates as Blessed Harbour, and the site is protected under Egyptian environmental conservation legislation. Guides and snorkel operators from the adjacent dive centre provide supervised access while enforcing strict responsible wildlife interaction protocols — maintaining minimum distances from animals and prohibiting any physical contact or chasing behaviour. Day trips from Marsa Alam, approximately 5 kilometres to the north, are straightforward. The bay also features as a key stop on liveaboard diving itineraries exploring the remote southern Red Sea corridor between Marsa Alam and the Sudanese maritime border.

Mount Sinai — known in Arabic as Jabal Musa, meaning the Mountain of Moses — rises to 2,285 metres in Egypt’s southern Sinai Peninsula and carries profound religious significance for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. According to Biblical and Quranic tradition, this is the site where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God, and the mountain has drawn continuous pilgrimage from all three monotheistic faiths for well over 1,500 years.

• St. Catherine’s Monastery at the mountain’s base has operated without interruption since the 6th century CE.
• A small mosque and a Greek Orthodox chapel both stand at the summit, reflecting the mountain’s multi-faith significance.
• Two distinct ascent routes exist: the longer camel path and the steep Steps of Repentance (approximately 3,750 stone steps).

Most visitors time their ascent to arrive at the summit at dawn — a profoundly atmospheric experience as the rocky Sinai wilderness gradually illuminates with extraordinary light in every direction. The camel path takes two to three hours at a steady pace, while the Steps of Repentance provide a shorter but more demanding direct climb from a junction point. Cold winds at the summit can be severe even during summer nights, requiring warm layers regardless of valley temperatures below. St. Catherine’s Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, houses a remarkable collection of early Christian icons, manuscripts, and what tradition identifies as the original burning bush of Exodus, still flourishing in the monastery garden.

Na’ama Bay is the original and enduring heart of Sharm el-Sheikh’s resort development — a sheltered, crescent-shaped bay on the Gulf of Aqaba that established Egypt’s international reputation as a world-class Red Sea diving destination during the 1980s and 1990s. The bay’s protected, calm waters, reliable year-round visibility, and immediate proximity to outstanding reef systems made it the natural focal point for the diving industry’s early growth, and it retains the city’s greatest concentration of dive centres, hotels, waterfront restaurants, and promenade social life.

• The bay’s publicly accessible beach offers direct shore entry to reef systems for snorkellers.
• The main promenade runs the full crescent length of the bay, lined with restaurants, cafés, and dive shops.
• Ras Mohammed National Park is a straightforward 20-minute drive south from the bay.

Evening on the Na’ama Bay promenade generates a distinctive Mediterranean resort energy — Egyptian families, European package tourists, Russian visitors, and Gulf Arab travellers mingle at open-air restaurants while traditional wooden dhows rock in the harbour lights. Popular nearby dive sites including The Tower, Amphoras, and Far Garden reward both beginners and experienced divers with dramatic wall diving, coral gardens, and occasional dolphin encounters. While newer resort developments have expanded Sharm’s footprint northward, Na’ama Bay remains the social and commercial centre of the city, and it is the area where the most experienced dive centres, the widest choice of independent restaurants, and the most animated evening social life consistently concentrate in one conveniently walkable zone.

Ras Mohammed National Park occupies the dramatic southern tip of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, where the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba converge to create waters of extraordinary marine richness. Established as Egypt’s first national park in 1983, Ras Mohammed protects mangrove channels, desert wadis, and some of the Red Sea’s most celebrated coral reef systems — including the legendary Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef, where a 1980 cargo vessel still spills its peculiar cargo of bathroom fittings across the sandy seafloor.

• The park covers 480 square kilometres of both terrestrial desert and fully protected marine territory.
• Hammerhead sharks, oceanic whitetip sharks, eagle rays, and seasonal whale sharks are encountered here.
• Mangrove channels fringing the peninsula provide critical nursery habitat for juvenile reef fish species.

The convergence of two distinct water bodies generates powerful currents that flood the reefs with nutrients, sustaining exceptional coral diversity and fish biomass in consistently clear conditions. Above the waterline, the park’s stark desert landscape hosts migratory birds on the African-Eurasian flyway, desert foxes, and the inland Magic Lake — a hypersaline lagoon coloured vivid pink by halophyte microorganisms. Day trips from Sharm el-Sheikh take approximately 30 minutes by road. Entry requires both a national park fee and, for divers, a separate dive permit. Conservation regulations firmly prohibit touching coral, collecting shells, standing on reef structures, or feeding marine life under any circumstances.

Sharm El Luli — also identified on maps as Ras Hankorab — is a spectacularly remote and completely undeveloped beach near Marsa Alam on Egypt’s southern Red Sea coast, consistently cited by travel writers and marine photographers among the most beautiful and pristine beaches on the entire African continent. Accessible only by 4×4 vehicle along rough, unmarked desert tracks, the perfect crescent bay sits within a protected national park area and remains entirely free of built infrastructure — no hotels, no permanent beach facilities, and no commercial operators based on-site.

• Crystal-clear turquoise water and powdery white coral sand define the beach setting with complete consistency.
• Snorkelling directly from the shoreline reveals healthy, completely undisturbed coral reef systems.
• The beach can be entirely deserted on weekdays outside Egyptian public holiday periods.

The absence of all development is precisely what draws visitors — Sharm El Luli offers one of the last genuinely wild Red Sea beach experiences accessible to day visitors without specialist expedition equipment. Turtle nesting on the beach is documented annually, and dugongs occasionally enter the bay’s shallow seagrass margins. No permanent toilets, restaurants, or shade structures exist — visitors must bring all supplies. Day excursions from Marsa Alam, approximately 30 kilometres to the north, are the standard access method. Conservation regulations prohibit off-road driving beyond designated approach tracks throughout the park zone.

Sharm el-Sheikh Cruise Port positions this internationally celebrated Sinai Peninsula resort as a destination of genuine substance on Red Sea cruise itineraries, rather than functioning purely as a transit point for overland excursions. Cruise calls at Sharm allow passengers to access the city’s world-class coral reef diving and snorkelling directly from shore, visit the extraordinary marine ecosystems of Ras Mohammed National Park, explore Na’ama Bay’s promenade and restaurants, or undertake the memorable overnight journey to Mount Sinai and St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai highlands.

• Ras Mohammed National Park is approximately 20 minutes from the port by road or organised boat transfer.
• Na’ama Bay with its dive centres, beaches, and waterfront restaurants is accessible in under 10 minutes.
• Mount Sinai overnight excursions depart from Sharm and can return before ship departure the following morning.

Unlike Safaga, which functions primarily as a land access point for Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, Sharm el-Sheikh’s port serves a city with its own major natural and cultural attractions immediately on the doorstep. The port facility also handles passenger ferry services to Aqaba in Jordan, enabling multi-destination itineraries across the Red Sea. The combination of outstanding marine biodiversity, stark desert landscapes, and the ancient religious significance of Sinai makes Sharm el-Sheikh among the most content-rich cruise port calls in the entire eastern Mediterranean circuit.

The Sharm el Sheikh Old Market (Sharm el Maya Souk) is the most authentic shopping and cultural experience available in this predominantly resort-oriented city, a dense labyrinth of market stalls and small shops clustered near the entrance to the Sharm el Maya harbor district. For travelers seeking genuine Egyptian bazaar atmosphere amid Sharm el Sheikh’s otherwise resort-polished environment, this compact but lively market delivers a sensory immersion into local commercial life.

Vendors here sell an extensive and sometimes overwhelming range of goods:

• Egyptian spices, dried herbs, and perfume oils
• Handcrafted papyrus art and alabaster figurines
• Bedouin silver jewelry and turquoise-inlaid pieces
• Cotton galabiya robes and hand-embroidered textiles
• Diving equipment, beach goods, and resort souvenirs

Bargaining is not merely acceptable but expected, and the negotiation process itself is a form of cultural exchange that experienced travelers find rewarding. Evening hours bring the most animated atmosphere, particularly in the cooler months between October and April, when the market fills with both Egyptian shoppers and tourists browsing for souvenirs. Several open-air restaurants around the market perimeter serve grilled fish, kofta, and traditional Egyptian mezze at prices far below the hotel restaurant equivalents. The Old Market is a 10-minute taxi ride from Na’ama Bay, and represents an essential half-day excursion for any visitor wanting to connect with the real Sharm el Sheikh beyond the resort fences.

Sharm el Maya (Sharm el Sheikh Old Town) is the historic original settlement of Sharm el Sheikh, predating the resort city’s transformation into an international tourism hub. This authentic Egyptian neighborhood, centered on a sheltered bay used as a fishing harbor since the town’s early days, offers a welcome contrast to the polished resort strips of Na’ama Bay and the modern hotel zones that characterize the rest of Sharm el Sheikh.

The old town retains the character of a working Egyptian coastal community, with local coffee shops, small restaurants serving grilled fish and traditional Egyptian dishes, spice markets, and dive operators catering to a more independent traveler than the all-inclusive resorts attract. The harbor itself is picturesque in a functional way, with fishing boats and dive vessels sharing the calm turquoise waters of the protected bay.

Sharm el Maya is also the commercial hub of the city for everyday Egyptian life: pharmacies, hardware stores, and local bakeries serving freshly baked Egyptian bread line the streets alongside souvenir shops and budget accommodations. The neighborhood connects via the main coastal road to the Old Market bazaar, where spices, papyrus, alabaster figurines, and textiles are sold in a lively trading atmosphere. For travelers seeking to experience Sharm el Sheikh beyond the resort bubble, the old town provides an accessible and genuinely revealing window into the city’s dual identity.

SOHO Square is Sharm el Sheikh’s most elegant open-air entertainment and dining destination, a carefully landscaped complex set around a central square fountain that creates a pleasantly sophisticated atmosphere distinct from the more commercial entertainment strips of Na’ama Bay. Located in the upscale Hadaba district, SOHO Square caters to visitors seeking quality dining, gentle evening entertainment, and attractive surroundings in a setting that feels genuinely designed rather than haphazardly accumulated.

The square hosts an impressive variety of restaurants representing international cuisines — from Italian and Asian fusion to traditional Egyptian grills — alongside a live music stage where performances range from classical Arabic music to international pop and jazz, typically beginning in the early evening and continuing past midnight. The ice-skating rink is one of Sharm el Sheikh’s most unexpected attractions, operating year-round inside the complex despite the desert heat outside.

A small but well-maintained botanical area with exotic plants provides a pleasant backdrop for evening strolling, and the overall atmosphere is relaxed and family-friendly without sacrificing sophistication. Shopping at SOHO Square leans toward quality over quantity, with boutiques carrying Egyptian crafts, jewelry, and branded goods rather than the mass-market souvenirs of the Old Market. The complex is particularly popular for special occasion dining and celebrations. For travelers based anywhere in Sharm el Sheikh, SOHO Square represents the resort city at its most polished and convivial.

St. Catherine’s Monastery, built between 548 and 565 CE on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited Christian monasteries in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary cultural and religious significance. Nestled at the foot of Mt. Sinai at 1,570 meters elevation in Egypt’s South Sinai governorate, this Greek Orthodox community has maintained unbroken monastic life for nearly 1,500 years.

The monastery’s fortified walls enclose a remarkably complete medieval complex including the Basilica of the Transfiguration, whose apse mosaic dating to the 6th century is among the finest examples of early Byzantine art surviving anywhere in the world. The monastery library holds the second-largest collection of early manuscripts after the Vatican, including priceless illuminated texts in Greek, Arabic, Syriac, and Coptic. The famous Codex Sinaiticus, one of the oldest complete New Testament manuscripts, was discovered here in the 19th century.

The monastery’s garden is home to a living descendant of the Burning Bush, the biblical shrub from which God spoke to Moses — venerated by pilgrims of all faiths. Daily visitor access is limited to morning hours, making early arrival essential. The combination of architectural majesty, artistic treasures, living faith, and sacred landscape makes St. Catherine’s Monastery one of the most profoundly moving destinations in all of Egypt.

Tiran Island stands at the northern entrance to the Strait of Tiran, the narrow passage connecting the Gulf of Aqaba to the Red Sea, roughly 7 kilometers off the coast of Sharm el Sheikh. This uninhabited island, administratively under Saudi Arabian sovereignty since 2017 following a transfer agreement from Egypt, is encircled by some of the Red Sea’s most spectacular coral reef systems and holds considerable strategic and ecological importance.

The four major reef systems surrounding Tiran — Jackson Reef, Woodhouse Reef, Thomas Reef, and Gordon Reef — are world-renowned diving and snorkeling destinations, regularly listed among the Red Sea’s finest sites. Strong tidal currents flowing through the strait create nutrient-rich conditions that sustain extraordinary concentrations of marine life: hammerhead sharks, manta rays, barracuda, Napoleon wrasse, and dense schools of fusiliers are common sightings. Several shipwrecks on the reefs add additional interest for divers.

Day boat excursions from Sharm el Sheikh’s Na’ama Bay and Sharm el Maya harbor regularly visit Tiran’s reef systems, combining snorkeling stops with beach barbecues on the island’s deserted sandy shores. The island’s beaches offer a remote, castaway atmosphere far removed from the resort infrastructure of the mainland. The Strait of Tiran’s geopolitical history — its blockade by Egypt in 1967 directly triggered the Six-Day War — adds a layer of historical significance to the island’s natural splendor.