How many days in Sharm El Sheikh, and how to split a week

Five to seven days is the right length for most people in Sharm El Sheikh. It gives you time to enjoy the beach and the hotel, add a few good trips, and still have days where you do nothing. Under four days, you have to choose between the beach and the trips. Over a week, you start to want a second destination.

The most common mistake is to fill every day. The trips start early or end late, and the sun is strong. A rest day after each long one makes the week better. What follows is a seven-day plan, and then shorter versions.

A seven-day plan

• Day 1 – arrive, settle in, pool or beach. No trips.
• Day 2 – beach morning, then the desert safari from 15:00.
• Day 3 – the Ras Mohammed boat day, 8 hours from 08:00.
• Day 4 – rest day at the hotel.
• Day 5 – beach in the morning, the city tour from 16:00.
• Day 6 – the Mount Sinai night, if you want it, leaving at 21:00.
• Day 7 – sleep, then leave.

Shift the pieces around to suit your flights and the weather. The only fixed rule is to separate the long days, and to avoid the Sinai night on the day before an early flight, since you return tired and need to sleep.

The reef: one boat day

Choose one boat day. The Ras Mohammed and White Island trip is 8 hours, with an 08:00 pick-up, two snorkeling stops, a sandbar walk at low tide and lunch on board, shared with up to 40 guests. It is the one most visitors choose for a first reef day. Put it early in your stay, since sea trips can be moved by the port authority.

The desert: one evening

The evening desert safari is 5 hours and starts at 15:00, one hour later in summer. You ride a quad in convoy for about an hour, take a short camel ride, have a Bedouin barbecue dinner with a show and then look at the stars through a telescope. Back at your hotel around 20:00. The minimum age is 6. It fits neatly around a morning on the beach.

The town: a short city tour

The city tour is the lightest of the trips, 4 hours from 16:00. It covers Al Mustafa Mosque, the Heavenly Cathedral, Al Sahaba Mosque and the Old Market at dusk, and then SOHO Square for the fountain show. It suits a rest day with a little structure, or families with older grandparents. Cover shoulders and knees for the religious sites.

The two evening trips complement each other, so you do not need both in a short stay. The desert safari is active, with the quad ride and the dinner, while the city tour is a gentle walk with some religious sites and the Old Market. Pick by mood: movement and the open desert, or a stroll and a look at the town.

The mountain: Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai is the demanding one. The trip lasts 17 hours, leaves at 21:00 and returns between 11:00 and 14:00 the next day, with a night climb to the summit at 2,285 meters and a visit to St Catherine's Monastery. It is cold, steep and sleepless, and it is not for everyone. If you take it, keep the next day clear.

If you are not sure, think about the other side of the trade. A night with no bed can ruin the day after, and the day after might be your last full day by the pool. The sunrise and the monastery are the reward, and the cost is a night without a bed. Choose with your eyes open.

Shorter stays

With three or four days, pick one boat day and one evening trip, and spend the rest on the beach. With five days, add either the city tour or the mountain. Skip the 15-hour Cairo flight day and the 16-hour Luxor flight day unless the pyramids or the temples are why you came, and remember that both need a full Egypt visa, not the Sinai-only stamp.

If a week is more than you can spare, combine a trip with your transfer day. A late arrival or an early departure makes a poor beach day but can still hold an evening trip. Our team can match a transfer to your flight times; see the airport transfers page for the details. Ask us about timing when you book.

Most trips can be booked online up to 48 hours before, and cancellation is free 3 or more days before. For current prices, see the trip pages. They depend on whether the trip is shared or private and on the size of your party, and children under 2 are free on shared trips, with ages 2 to 11 at half the adult price.