Day trips from Sharm el-Sheikh: Ras Mohammed, Mount Sinai and Cairo, compared
The short answer: Sharm's classic day is Ras Mohammed by boat, about 8 hours. Divers go to the Thistlegorm wreck. Mount Sinai is an overnight climb for sunrise, and Cairo is a day by air. Check the visa first: the free Sinai stamp covers the resorts only, so St Catherine and Cairo need a visa.
Every day trip from Sharm
| Day trip | Time | From | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ras Mohammed and White Island | About 8 hours | USD 50 per person, shared boat | Snorkellers and families |
| The Thistlegorm | Full day by boat | USD 93 per person | Certified divers |
| Mount Sinai at sunrise, small group | Overnight, about 14 hours | USD 65 per person | Teenagers and adults used to walking |
| Mount Sinai and St Catherine, private | Overnight, about 15 hours | USD 180 per person | Your party only, with the monastery |
| A Sinai Trail day | Full day | USD 65 per person | Hikers |
| Cairo and the pyramids by air | About 12 hours | USD 360 per person, with flights | The pyramids without a night away |
| Quad and a Bedouin supper | About 5 hours, afternoon to evening | USD 65 per person | An easy half day |
Times and starting prices from each tour and experience page; the Suits column is our judgement. Starting prices are the lowest to expect; your written quote confirms the price.
The visa question, before you book
According to the UK government's entry advice (read 29 September 2026), travellers who fly into Sharm el-Sheikh and stay under 15 days in the resorts of Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba get a free entry stamp instead of a visa. Travel outside those resorts needs a visa, which you can get at Sharm airport or online. That covers the Mount Sinai climb and the flight to Cairo. Rules differ by passport.
Mount Sinai and the travel advice
- United Kingdom: advises against all but essential travel to the part of South Sinai beyond the St Catherine–Nuweiba road, coasts excepted; St Catherine and Mount Sinai lie outside it.
- Australia: advises reconsidering travel to all of South Sinai except Sharm el-Sheikh's southern coast, which includes St Catherine.
- Our safety guide compares four governments place by place.
Where to go from here
Sources and review
Reviewed on by Deluxe Trips Egypt. Official statements are attributed to their source; where we give a judgement, we say so. This guide names no school, boat or hotel.
Photo: Sovernigo, CC BY-SA 4.0
