South Sinai · Destination guide
Sinai's resort capital – the coral walls of Ras Mohammed on one side, the mountains of Moses on the other.
Get your bearings
Sharm El Sheikh sits at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula, where the desert mountains drop straight into some of the richest coral water on the planet. It grew from a dive camp into Egypt's most developed resort town, strung along the bays of Naama and Nabq, but the thing that built it is still the thing worth coming for: the reefs of Ras Mohammed, where sheer walls plunge into the blue thick with fish.
Sinai gives Sharm a second dimension the Red Sea mainland lacks – mountains and history. A couple of hours inland, Mount Sinai rises where Moses is said to have received the commandments, with St Catherine's Monastery, one of the oldest working monasteries on earth, at its foot. Most people climb it overnight to reach the summit for sunrise, then fall back to the beach.
What you're really here to see
01Egypt's first marine park, at the very tip of Sinai, where the reef falls away in sheer walls thick with fish – the dive that made the Red Sea famous. Reached by boat from Sharm, and superb for snorkelers as well as divers.
Full day by boat
02The mountain where Moses is said to have received the commandments. The classic visit is an overnight climb by torchlight to reach the 2,285-meter summit for sunrise over a sea of bare Sinai peaks – cold, dark and worth it.
Overnight from Sharm
03At the foot of the mountain, one of the oldest continuously working monasteries in the world, founded in the 6th century around the site of the Burning Bush. Its library is second only to the Vatican's, and the compound looks much as it did in the 12th century.
Paired with Mount Sinai
Time to allow
Sharm works as a pure beach base or a Sinai adventure hub – your call.
Ras Mohammed, a second reef day in the Straits of Tiran, and time by the pool – the easy Sinai short break.
Fold in the overnight Mount Sinai climb and St Catherine's Monastery alongside the diving and the beach.
Ras Mohammed, Tiran, the SS Thistlegorm wreck and the Shark and Yolanda reefs – a week of world-class sites.
A short flight from Cairo makes Sharm an easy beach-and-mountain finish to a history trip.
Where it fits
Sharm is Sinai's gateway – reefs, mountains and resorts in one base.
A short domestic flight, making a Pyramids-then-Sinai trip simple to arrange.
Ras Mohammed, the Straits of Tiran and the Thistlegorm wreck are all within boat range.
Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery are a couple of hours inland – the overnight climb is the signature trip.
Quad safaris, Bedouin dinners and glass-bottom boats fill the gaps between dives and mountain trips.
From the catalog
A six-day Sinai vacation based in a Sharm El Sheikh hotel for five nights. Four excursions are included: Ras Mohammed National Park with snorkeling and the Magic Lake, a night climb of Mount Sinai with St Catherine's Monastery, a semi-submarine and glass-bottom boat trip, and a jeep day to the Colored Canyon, the Blue Hole and Dahab. Private airport transfers, hotel pickup for each excursion, English-speaking guides, park and monastery fees and snorkel gear on the days that list it are included.
A seven-day Sharm El Sheikh vacation built around the Red Sea. You get six hotel nights, a private airport transfer each way and five excursions: Ras Mohammed snorkeling by yacht, a two-dive intro scuba day with a certified instructor, a Tiran Island boat and snorkeling day, a semi-submarine and glass-bottom boat trip, and a half-day city tour of the Old Market, Al Sahaba Mosque and SOHO Square. Marine park fees are included. International flights are not.
A sixteen-day Egypt and Sinai tour that joins Cairo, a three-night Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor with an Abu Simbel morning, two nights in Luxor and seven nights in Sharm El Sheikh. Sightseeing covers the Giza Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Islamic and Coptic Cairo, the main Nile temples, the Valley of the Kings, Dendera, Ras Mohammed National Park, Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery, Dahab and Tiran Island. Domestic flights, transfers, entrance fees, hotels and your cruise cabin are included.
An eleven-day Egypt tour that links Cairo, a four-night Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan and four nights in Sharm El Sheikh. You see the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum, the main temples of Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan, and then Ras Mohammed National Park, Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery. Domestic flights, transfers, entrance fees, hotels and your cruise cabin are included.
A ten-day Egypt tour that links Cairo, Luxor and Sharm El Sheikh. In Cairo you see the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum and take a Nile dinner cruise. In Luxor you visit Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon with a licensed Egyptologist. Then you spend five nights in Sharm El Sheikh with snorkeling at Ras Mohammed and Tiran Island, a semi-submarine trip and a city tour. Three domestic flights, nine hotel nights, transfers and entrance fees are included.
A seven-day Egypt vacation that pairs three nights in Cairo with three nights in Sharm El Sheikh. In Cairo you take a sunset felucca ride, spend a day at the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis with a private Egyptologist, and visit the Citadel, its mosques and the churches of Coptic Cairo. A domestic flight takes you to Sharm El Sheikh for a city tour, a day in Ras Mohammed National Park and a boat and snorkeling day at Tiran Island. The flight, hotels, transfers and the entrance and park fees listed are included.
A nine-day Egypt tour that links Cairo, a three-night Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor and two nights in Sharm El Sheikh. You see the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then Philae, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor Temple, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings with an English-speaking Egyptologist guide. The Red Sea part is a day at Ras Mohammed National Park with snorkeling. Domestic flights, transfers, entrance fees, hotels and your cruise cabin are included.
Turquoise Beach Hotel is a good-value pick in Sharm El Maya Bay, with sea-view rooms for travelers who want to stay by the bay. This 3-star hotel has room choices with sea, garden, or pool views. Some have a balcony, while larger layouts include a kitchen or living room. The Family Studio Suite and Two-Bedroom Apartment can suit travelers who want more space. It is a lower-cost alternative to Sharm El Sheikh’s pricier hotels.
Sunrise Diamond Beach Resort Grand Select is a mid-priced Sharm El Sheikh pick in Hadabat Om El Sid, with room types that include private pools. It has 19 room types, including suites and family-size options. Some rooms have sea or pool views, while others have a balcony or terrace. The largest room types sleep up to five, making this a practical choice for families who want room to spread out. It also gives travelers a range of room styles without moving into the city’s more expensive five-star hotels.
Every way in
Day trips, classic multi-day tours, Nile cruises, hotels and private transfers – every part of an Egypt trip can be arranged from Sharm El Sheikh. Start wherever makes sense.
Hotel pickup, a private Egyptologist, half or full day.
2–15 day private itineraries, hotels and guides included.
Pair Sharm El Sheikh with a 3–4 night river cruise in one trip.
Aswan ↔ Luxor sailings, dahabiyas and classic cruisers.
5★ and boutique stays, hand-picked by our team.
Private meet-and-greet from the airport to your hotel.
Best time to visit
Sheltered and swimmable year-round, though the mountain nights bite.
Warm, calm and clear (25–32°C) – ideal for diving, the beach and the Mount Sinai climb alike.
Very hot on land but tempered by the sea, and busy with summer holidaymakers. The water and the diving stay excellent.
Pleasant by day, but the Mount Sinai summit is genuinely cold before dawn – bring real layers for the climb.
Mount Sinai is done overnight to reach the summit for sunrise. It's cold and dark at the top whatever the season – warm clothing is essential.
The practical part
Its own airport, a self-contained resort town – the practical part.
Sharm El Sheikh (SSH) takes direct international charters and domestic flights from Cairo. The resort bays are 10–20 minutes from the airport.
Naama Bay for walkable bars and restaurants, the quieter Nabq and Sharks Bay for diving and calm. We match the bay to your plans.
Resorts are self-contained; reef trips, the Sinai climb and desert safaris all include pickup. Taxis cover Naama Bay in the evenings.
Sharm is one of the world's great dive bases, with centers for every level and access to the legendary sites. We arrange the operator to match your experience.
Common questions
World-class diving and snorkeling – above all the coral walls of Ras Mohammed National Park and the Straits of Tiran – plus big resorts on sheltered bays, and Sinai's mountains, including Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery, a couple of hours inland.
It's one of the best dive bases in the world. Ras Mohammed, the Straits of Tiran, the SS Thistlegorm wreck and the Shark and Yolanda reefs are all within boat range, with centers for every level from beginner to technical.
Yes – it's the classic Sinai excursion, usually an overnight trip to climb by torchlight and reach the summit for sunrise, paired with St Catherine's Monastery at the foot of the mountain. Bring warm layers; the summit is cold before dawn.
Spring and autumn (March–May, September–November) are ideal – warm, calm and clear for diving and the beach. The water is swimmable year-round, though winter nights, especially on Mount Sinai, are cold.
Yes – sheltered bays, shallow reefs, all-inclusive resorts and kids' clubs make it easy with children, while the diving, the desert and the Sinai mountains give older kids and adults plenty to do.
Plan your trip
Tell us your dates, who's coming and how you like to spend a beach day – we'll send a private plan with the right hotel, transfers and day trips within 24 hours. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.