Sharm El Sheikh Travel Guide: Red Sea Reefs & Resorts (2026)

When you have had your fill of antiquity, Sharm el-Sheikh is the reset, and one of the best warm-water diving destinations on the planet. On the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, where the Gulf of Aqaba meets the open Red Sea, it pairs steep coral walls and bath-warm water with year-round sun, all-inclusive resorts, and desert adventures an hour inland. See it on the interactive map.

The diving, and why Sharm is legendary

Sharm's reputation is built underwater. The crown jewel is Ras Mohammed National Park at Sinai's tip, where two seas collide over dramatic drop-offs; sites like Shark and Yolanda Reef sit on many divers' lifetime lists, with sheer walls of coral, clouds of fish and big pelagics in famously clear water. North of town, the Straits of Tiran string four reefs, Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon, along the channel for spectacular drift dives. The region also has world-class wreck diving, including the SS Thistlegorm a little further north, and dive centres for every level, from a first-timer's Discover Scuba to full technical courses.

You do not have to dive

The snorkelling off many resort house reefs is genuinely world-class, with bright hard and soft coral, turtles and reef fish a few fin-kicks from the beach. Glass-bottom boats and snorkel cruises out to Ras Mohammed and Tiran open the same reefs to non-swimmers and families, and the calm, clear water makes Sharm one of the easiest places in the world to try snorkelling for the first time.

Beyond the water

• Desert safaris: quad-biking, dune buggies and camel rides into the Sinai interior, usually ending at a Bedouin camp with dinner, shisha and some of the clearest stargazing you will ever see.
• Mount Sinai and St Catherine's: a pre-dawn climb of Mount Sinai, where Moses is said to have received the Commandments, for sunrise, and a visit to St Catherine's Monastery, one of the oldest continuously inhabited monasteries on earth, with its 6th-century basilica and ancient library. It is a 2 to 3 hour drive inland, usually an overnight or very early start.
• Naama Bay and the Old Market: the resort's social spine for dining, bars and bazaar shopping, with a lively, walkable promenade.

Where to stay

Resorts cluster along Naama Bay (lively and central), Sharks Bay and Nabq (quieter, often with strong house reefs), and the upscale stretches out toward Ras Nasrani. Many are all-inclusive. If diving or snorkelling is your priority, choose a hotel with a good house reef so you can swim straight off the beach onto coral.

When to go and getting there

Sharm is good year-round. Spring and autumn are ideal; summer is hot but the sea is glorious; winter is mild, sunny and a popular winter-sun escape, though the water is cooler and a wetsuit helps. Reach it on direct international flights and charters to Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport, or a short domestic hop from Cairo. For how Sharm compares with the mainland's Hurghada, see our Red Sea diving guide, and slot it into a full trip via the 10-day itinerary or the Egypt Travel Guide 2026.