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Boats moored over the reef in Ras Um Sid bay, Sharm el-Sheikh.

The Red Sea · Sinai coast

Sharm el-Sheikh

Between Ras Mohammed and the mountains of Sinai.

Sharm el-Sheikh sits at the southern tip of Sinai, between Ras Mohammed National Park and the Nabq Protectorate. Divers put it on the map in the 1980s; its boats still head for the reefs, and the road climbs inland to Mount Sinai.

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Give it
3–5 nights recommended
Come for
Ras Mohammed, the Thistlegorm and Mount Sinai at sunrise
Kindest months
November to April
From Cairo
About 1 hour by air to Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh
Continue to
Cairo & Giza

The story here

Sharm el-Sheikh, before you arrive.

Sharm el-Sheikh sits at the southern tip of Sinai, between Ras Muhammad National Park and the Nabq Protectorate. The Egyptian Tourism Authority dates its arrival on the tourist map to the 1980s, when it was visited mostly by divers drawn to its coral reefs and empty beaches. Four decades later it is a full city of resorts, and its conference halls have hosted so many international peace summits that it is also called "the City of Peace".

The sea is still the reason to come. The tourism authority's own suggestions are the reef by boat or from the shore, the protected areas of Sinai, a boat trip to White Island off Ras Muhammad, which shows only at low tide, and a sunrise climb of the mountain at St Catherine.

Best months to go

Sharm el-Sheikh, month by month.

Kindest for a full day outNovember to April

  1. Jan22.2° average high,11.6° average low.Mild.
  2. Feb23.5° average high,12.4° average low.Mild.
  3. Mar26.2° average high,15.1° average low.Warm.
  4. Apr29.9° average high,18.7° average low.Warm.
  5. May33.7° average high,23.1° average low.Hot: sightsee early.
  6. Jun36.3° average high,26.1° average low.Hot: sightsee early.
  7. Jul37.4° average high,27.8° average low.Very hot: dawn and late afternoon.
  8. Aug37.5° average high,28.0° average low.Very hot: dawn and late afternoon.
  9. Sep35.3° average high,25.6° average low.Hot: sightsee early.
  10. Oct32.1° average high,22.2° average low.Hot: sightsee early.
  11. Nov27.8° average high,17.7° average low.Warm.
  12. Dec23.8° average high,13.4° average low.Mild.
  • Mild (up to 26 °C)
  • Warm (27–32 °C)
  • Hot: sightsee early (33–37 °C)
  • Very hot: dawn and late afternoon (above 37 °C)

Average daily high and low, °C, 1991–2020, at Hurghada, the nearest station in the table: WMO climate normals published by NOAA. The shading is our judgement of what that heat means for a day of sightseeing, read from the average high; the best time to visit Egypt compares every place, month by month.

Make the time count

How many nights in Sharm el-Sheikh?

Our planning view: Sharm rewards days at sea. Give Ras Mohammed a full day, and treat Mount Sinai as a night of its own rather than a squeeze between beach days.

  1. If you have one day

    Ras Mohammed by boat

    About eight hours door to door: a marina transfer, about an hour by boat, and most of the day at sea, with a stop at White Island when the tide shows it.

  2. The minimum that works

    Stay three nights

    One day on the reefs of Ras Mohammed and one day free; divers can give the second to the Thistlegorm wreck.

  3. For the mountain

    Stay four or five nights

    Add the overnight climb of Mount Sinai for sunrise, about three hours by road each way, and a quiet day after it.

Before you decide

The questions people ask first.

Answered from the same record as the rest of this page. Routing, timings and everything included are confirmed in your written quote.

What are the best things to do in Sharm el-Sheikh?
Ras Mohammed by boat is the classic day, about eight hours door to door. Certified divers go to the Thistlegorm wreck. Mount Sinai is an overnight climb for sunrise, and Cairo or Luxor can be seen in a day by air.
Do I need a visa for Sharm el-Sheikh?
According to the UK government's entry advice, read 17 October 2026, travellers who fly into Sharm and stay under 15 days in the South Sinai resorts get a free entry stamp. Travel outside the resorts, including Mount Sinai and flights to Cairo or Luxor, needs a visa, which can be bought at Sharm airport or online.
How long is the Mount Sinai trip from Sharm el-Sheikh?
It is an overnight trip of about 14 to 15 hours, with about three hours by road each way, a night climb and sunrise at the top. The private version adds St Catherine's Monastery after the descent.
Can I see the pyramids from Sharm el-Sheikh in a day?
Yes, by air: our Cairo day trip from Sharm flies both ways and takes about 12 hours, with most of the day in Cairo. Luxor by air also takes about 12 hours and runs on Thursdays and Fridays.
Is Sharm el-Sheikh or Hurghada better for snorkelling?
Both reward a boat day. Sharm sits beside the protected reefs of Ras Mohammed; Hurghada has the Giftun Islands and Dolphin House, and the road to Luxor. Our guide to the Red Sea bases compares them side by side.

Tours

Tours in Sharm el-Sheikh.

4 tours visit Sharm el-Sheikh, those based here first. Each states the time on the road and at the sites before you ask.
All tours

Experiences

At Sharm el-Sheikh

A few hours of something different, arranged around the route rather than bolted on afterwards. Each says what it asks of you and what we confirm first.
All experiences
Photography credits (4)

Wikicomman, CC BY-SA 4.0; Egy2030, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sara Nabih, CC BY-SA 4.0; Mohamed kamal 1984, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and cropped for display.

Trip ideas

Trips through Sharm el-Sheikh

Routes that include Sharm el-Sheikh: who each one suits, and how the days run.
All trip ideas

Good to know

The practical part, in one place.

Getting here and on

Cairo & Giza
About 1 hour by air to Hurghada or Sharm El SheikhThe road to Hurghada takes 5–6 hours

Typical door-to-door ranges, checked : advice rather than timetables. Your written quote confirms the actual flights, trains and transfers.

Before you plan Sharm el-Sheikh

You might also love

Where the route goes next.

Plan it

Put Sharm el-Sheikh into your trip.

The planner gives it the nights it needs and suggests the days; we confirm everything in a written quote.

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Photography credits (8)

Serhio Magpie, CC BY 4.0; Sovernigo, CC BY-SA 4.0; Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0; Djehouty, CC BY-SA 4.0; Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0; Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0; Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0; KennyOMG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and cropped for display.