Things to do · Sharm El Sheikh · Egypt
13 best things to do in Sharm El Sheikh
13 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Eslam maalky.22, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Sharm El Sheikh are Ras Mohammed National Park, SS Thistlegorm wreck and Strait of Tiran reefs. Of the 13 picks below, 4 are free, 2 work on a rainy day and 3 suit children. Allow about 7 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Ras Mohammed National Park
- Free sights
- 4
- Good on a rainy day
- Heavenly Cathedral
- Time to see the highlights
- 7 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ras Mohammed National Park | Ras Mohammed | Full day | Mid-priced |
| SS Thistlegorm wreck | Sharm El Maya and Old Market | Full day | Expensive |
| Strait of Tiran reefs | Ras Nasrani | Full day | Mid-priced |
| Naama Bay promenade | Naama Bay | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Old Market | Sharm El Maya and Old Market | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Al Sahaba Mosque | Sharm El Maya and Old Market | 30 minutes | Free |
| Heavenly Cathedral | Sharm El Maya and Old Market | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| Sharm El Sheikh Museum | Central Sharm | 1–1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Ras Um Sid reef | Hadaba and Ras Um Sid | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Nabq Protected Area | Nabq Bay | Half a day | Mid-priced |
| Desert safari and Bedouin evening | Sinai desert | 3–5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Soho Square | Sharks Bay | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| White Island | Ras Mohammed | 1–2 hours (as part of a boat trip) | Mid-priced |
The 13 best things to do
Nature · Ras Mohammed
1.Ras Mohammed National Park
Egypt's first national park covers the southern tip of Sinai and the surrounding sea. Its reef walls, especially Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef with the scattered cargo of the wrecked Yolanda, drop into deep blue water busy with schools of fish, turtles and sometimes reef sharks. Boat trips from the marina are the usual way to snorkel or dive here; the land area has mangroves and desert viewpoints.
Book a boat trip that leaves early from the marina to reach the reefs before the main fleet of day boats.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Experience · Sharm El Maya and Old Market
2.SS Thistlegorm wreck
A British cargo ship sunk by German bombers in 1941, the Thistlegorm lies at around 30 metres in the Strait of Gubal with her holds still full of trucks, motorbikes, rifles and railway wagons. Day trips from Sharm involve a long boat ride and two dives, and are for certified divers with some experience.
Choose a trip that leaves very early to dive the wreck before other boats arrive.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Dive centres run the trip on set days; book a few days ahead and bring your certification card and logbook.
- History
- Active
- Iconic
Nature · Ras Nasrani
3.Strait of Tiran reefs
Four reefs in the middle of the strait — Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon — rise from deep water between Sinai and Tiran Island, with coral gardens, strong currents and two wrecks resting on the reef tops. Boat trips from the marina reach them in about an hour.
Currents in the strait can be strong; follow the boat crew's briefing and snorkel with a buoyancy vest if you are not a confident swimmer.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
Waterfront · Naama Bay
4.Naama Bay promenade
The pedestrian walkway along Naama Bay connects hotels, restaurants, cafés, shops and dive centres around a sheltered sandy beach. It is the social centre of Sharm, at its busiest after dark when restaurants set out tables and shisha cafés fill.
Walk the promenade in the evening and compare menus, but ignore the touts and choose places busy with diners.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Food
- Shopping
Market · Sharm El Maya and Old Market
5.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. It feels more local than the resort bays.
Come in the evening, when the lanes are lit and cooler, and eat fresh fish chosen from the display.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- After dark
Religious site · Sharm El Maya and Old Market
6.Al Sahaba Mosque
The large mosque beside the Old Market, completed in 2017, combines Ottoman and Mamluk styles with tall minarets, domes and intricate carved stonework. Floodlit at night, it is Sharm's most recognisable landmark.
Visitors can view the exterior at any time; dress modestly and ask before entering outside prayer times.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- After dark
Religious site · Sharm El Maya and Old Market
7.Heavenly Cathedral
Sharm's Coptic Orthodox cathedral, Al Samaeyeen, is known for its interior, where walls and the dome are covered with brightly painted biblical scenes and Coptic iconography. It stands in Hay El Nour above the Old Market.
Combine it with the Al Sahaba Mosque and the Old Market in one evening outing.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Museum · Central Sharm
8.Sharm El Sheikh Museum
Opened in 2020, this museum displays pharaonic statues, mummies, Coptic and Islamic objects and displays on Sinai's Bedouin heritage, brought from Egypt's major collections. It is the only significant indoor cultural site in the resort.
Good for a hot afternoon or a windy day when boats are not running.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Nature · Hadaba and Ras Um Sid
1.Ras Um Sid reef
Below the Hadaba cliffs, the reefs of Ras Um Sid and the neighbouring Temple pinnacles have some of the best shore snorkelling in Sharm, with sea fans, gorgonians and plenty of reef fish in clear water. Access is via beach clubs and hotel pontoons.
Go in the morning, before the afternoon wind picks up and the dive boats crowd the site.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
Nature · Nabq Bay
2.Nabq Protected Area
North of the resorts, this protected area has one of the most northerly mangrove forests in the world, sand dunes, Bedouin settlements and a shoreline wreck visible from the beach. It is usually visited by jeep or quad tour, often combined with snorkelling.
Go with a tour that includes snorkelling at the reef by the mangroves; the reef is less visited than those near the resorts.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Experience · Sinai desert
3.Desert safari and Bedouin evening
Organised trips take visitors by quad bike, jeep or camel into the desert valleys behind Sharm, typically ending at a Bedouin camp with sweet tea, bread baked over a fire and a view of the stars.
Choose a trip with proper helmets and goggles for quads, and bring a scarf against the dust.
- Time needed
- 3–5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Active
- Kids
- After dark
- Outdoors
Experience · Sharks Bay
4.Soho Square
An open-air entertainment complex near Sharks Bay with restaurants, bars, a bowling alley, an ice rink and an evening dancing fountain show. It is a popular family outing on evenings off the reef.
Arrive around dusk to eat and catch the fountain show after dark.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- After dark
- Food
Island · Ras Mohammed
5.White Island
A sandbank off Ras Mohammed that appears above the water for part of the day, surrounded by turquoise shallows and reef. Many Ras Mohammed boat trips stop here for swimming and snorkelling.
Bring reef-safe sunscreen and water shoes; there is no shade on the sand.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours (as part of a boat trip)
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
- Couples
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Heavenly Cathedral and Sharm El Sheikh Museum |
| History | SS Thistlegorm wreck and Sharm El Sheikh Museum |
| Outdoors and nature | Ras Mohammed National Park, Strait of Tiran reefs, Ras Um Sid reef and Nabq Protected Area |
| Food and markets | Naama Bay promenade, Old Market and Soho Square |
| After dark | Naama Bay promenade, Old Market, Al Sahaba Mosque and Desert safari and Bedouin evening |
| With children | Sharm El Sheikh Museum, Desert safari and Bedouin evening and Soho Square |
| On a rainy day | Heavenly Cathedral and Sharm El Sheikh Museum |
What to book ahead
- SS Thistlegorm wreck: Dive centres run the trip on set days; book a few days ahead and bring your certification card and logbook.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Sharm El Sheikh?
Ras Mohammed National Park. Egypt's first national park covers the southern tip of Sinai and the surrounding sea.
+What can you do for free in Sharm El Sheikh?
Naama Bay promenade, Old Market, Al Sahaba Mosque and Heavenly Cathedral. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Sharm El Sheikh when it rains?
Head indoors to Heavenly Cathedral and Sharm El Sheikh Museum.
+What is there to do in Sharm El Sheikh at night?
Naama Bay promenade, Old Market, Al Sahaba Mosque and Desert safari and Bedouin evening are best after dark.