Things to do in Sharm el Sheikh by setting
Things to do in Sharm el Sheikh fall into distinct settings: the city around Naama Bay and Old Market, the reefs and mangroves of Ras Mohammed, the desert, and the mountains around Saint Catherine’s. Start by choosing the setting you want rather than trying to assemble all of them into one outing. A promenade visit has a different rhythm from a boat cruise or a night journey into the mountains.
The city’s international diving tourism developed from the 1980s, and its City of Peace name reflects conferences and peace summits. Its museum offers a separate way to explore Egyptian and Sinai heritage. For background before a visit, read the history guide. For organised journeys, the excursions page compares the programmes.
Park, desert and Sinai
Choose the park for shore snorkeling, the quad for a desert ride, or Mount Sinai for a mountain visit.
Hand-picked tours, booked through Viator and GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Mount Sinai and St Catherine visit
- Visit to Mount Sinai
- Visit to St. Catherine's Monastery
- Local guide
Confirm the overnight pickup time; monastery access depends on opening arrangements.
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Ras Mohammed shore visit
- National Park entry fees included
- Professional Guide
- Magic Lake Swimming
Snorkeling equipment is included only when that option is selected.
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Sinai quad safari and Bedouin tent
- Professional desert guide
- Safety helmet
- Traditional Bedouin tea
Return hotel transport by air-conditioned vehicle is included.
Check availability →Park, desert and mountain outings
Explore Ras Mohammed by land, take a quad safari with desert tea or choose a Mount Sinai and monastery outing with a local guide.
Naama Bay and the promenade
Naama Bay is an early-developed beach area with a promenade and places to eat. It works as a city-focused choice when you want to spend time around the bay rather than commit to a full excursion. Treat restaurant time, a walk and beach access as separate decisions: a coastal address alone does not settle the access rules for a particular stretch of beach.
If the promenade matters to where you stay, compare it with the rocky surroundings of Sharks Bay and the different coastal setting at Nabq. The accommodation area guide explains those distinctions without turning a whole bay into a promise about quiet, walking times or suitability for every traveller.
Shopping, Old Market and architecture
Old Market is a present-day shopping destination for souvenirs and spices. A visit can centre on browsing and the streetscape, including mosque architecture. Keep that urban experience distinct from the ancient Egyptian heritage displayed in the museum. The market name is not a reason to treat the neighbourhood as an ancient archaeological site.
Build your city plan around the places you actually want to see. If you choose an organised Old Market and mosque outing, its transport and guide arrangements belong to the selected option. The private tours comparison covers that format alongside sea and mountain trips. General market opening times should be arranged separately from the time of an individual excursion.
Visit the museum as a separate stop
The Sharm al-Sheikh Museum presents ancient Egyptian culture and Sinai heritage. The Grand Hall explores themes including people and the animal world; the Hall of Civilization includes the coffins of Isetemheb. This gives a museum visit its own purpose, even if you have already spent time looking at architecture around the city.
Plan the museum independently from the park, quad and mountain programmes shown here. During a museum visit, leave exhibits untouched and avoid flash photography; children must be accompanied. Consult the museum’s current visitor information for the intended date, especially when planning around a special timetable. The history page gathers the published visitor details and explains how this collection relates to the city.
Reefs, mangroves and the desert
For a land-based Ras Mohammed visit, the park outing includes a guide, transport, park admission, mangrove and landscape stops, plus shore snorkelling at Coral Gardens. Snorkelling equipment depends on the selected option. This combines the park landscape with access from shore, a different emphasis from a day aboard a reef boat. The Ras Mohammed guide explains the formats.
The quad safari includes hotel pickup and return, a desert guide, a helmet, a tent visit and tea. It suits a plan focused on the ride. The description of a desert tent is an activity setting, rather than a promise of entering someone’s private home. If you want dinner and telescope observation too, use the desert safari page to compare the longer programmes.
Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine’s
The mountain and monastery outing includes visits to Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine’s with a local guide; meals are extra. Distinguish the night ascent from a daytime monastery journey, and coordinate the intended monastery visit with access information. Wear clothing covering arms and legs at religious sites. Organised guiding is not permitted inside the monastery.
Dahab is a further coastal choice, associated with shore diving. Read about the destination before adding it to a mountain itinerary simply because both are beyond Sharm. Regional excursions become easier to choose when each has a clear purpose and enough room in your schedule.
Cairo and the pyramids
For ancient Egyptian monuments beyond the local museum, consider Cairo as a separate journey. Compare flight and bus programmes on the excursions page, then use the dedicated guide for the archaeological visit.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I combine a walk and places to eat?
Naama Bay has a promenade and gastronomy. Choose the particular places you want to visit and handle beach access separately from a promenade walk.
Is the museum included in the outings shown here?
Plan the museum as an independent visit. The activities presented here focus on Ras Mohammed, the desert, and Mount Sinai with Saint Catherine’s.
Should I choose a park trip or a mountain outing?
Choose Ras Mohammed for reefs, shore activities and mangroves. Choose the Sinai journey for the mountain and monastery setting, with a different travel and visit plan.