Shopping · Sharm El Sheikh · Egypt
Shopping in Sharm El Sheikh
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Shopping in Sharm is mostly souvenirs, spices, perfume oils and textiles, sold in the Old Market and on Naama Bay's promenade. Haggling is expected outside fixed-price shops. Best souvenirs: Spices and hibiscus, Perfume oils and Bedouin embroidery.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 3
- Markets
- 0
- Top souvenir
- Spices and hibiscus
Where to shop
Old Market
Spices, perfume oils, scarves, shisha pipes and souvenirs in pedestrian lanes near the Al Sahaba Mosque.
Naama Bay promenade
Souvenir shops, jewellery and dive-equipment stores among the restaurants.
Soho Square
Fixed-price shops and boutiques, convenient if you prefer not to haggle.
What to buy
Spices and hibiscus
Spice blends, saffron and dried hibiscus sold by weight in the Old Market.
Perfume oils
Concentrated essential oils in decorative glass bottles; ask to test before buying.
Bedouin embroidery
Embroidered textiles and beaded items made by Sinai Bedouin women.
Egyptian cotton
Cotton scarves, galabiyas and towels from fixed-price shops and the Old Market.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Waterfront · Naama Bay
Naama Bay promenade
The pedestrian walkway along Naama Bay connects hotels, restaurants, cafés, shops and dive centres around a sheltered sandy beach.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Food
- Shopping
Market · Sharm El Maya and Old Market
Old Market
Sharm's Old Market area has been rebuilt as a pedestrian zone of stone lanes, spice and perfume shops, souvenir stalls and fish restaurants, with Egyptian families strolling in the evening.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- After dark
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Bedouin tea, Bedouin flatbread, Fiteer and Om Ali. Bedouin camps on desert trips and in Dahab and St Catherine. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Naama Bay | $$ | The original resort bay, with a pedestrian promenade, bars and a sandy beach |
| Nabq Bay | $$ | Newer large resorts and a long promenade north of the airport |
| Hadaba and Ras Um Sid | $$ | Clifftop plateau above some of Sharm's best shore reefs |
| Sharm El Maya and Old Market | $ | The original town with the marina, the Old Market and the Al Sahaba Mosque |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in EGP. Tipping is expected: small notes for boat crews, dive guides, drivers, porters and housekeeping, and about 10% in restaurants if service is not included. Tip boat crews at the end of a day trip.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in January–February, May–June and September; the busiest months are the peak holidays.
- January: Coptic Christmas (7 January)
- December: Christmas and New Year holiday peak (late December)
Staying near the shops
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Sharm El Sheikh?
Spices and hibiscus, Perfume oils, Bedouin embroidery and Egyptian cotton.
+Where is the best shopping in Sharm El Sheikh?
Old Market: Spices, perfume oils, scarves, shisha pipes and souvenirs in pedestrian lanes near the Al Sahaba Mosque.