Sharm El-Sheikh is one of those places that gets described in extremes. Someone will tell you it is the best diving on earth; someone else will tell you it is a strip of hotels on a desert coast. Both are partly right — and knowing which part applies to you is the difference between a good trip and a great one.
We run tours here every single day, so this is the advice we actually give our own guests before they land.
1. The Red Sea is the headline — even if you never dive
You do not need a certification card to enjoy this coastline. The reefs start close to shore, the water is warm most of the year, and visibility is often 30 metres or more. A mask and fins are enough for a genuinely memorable morning. If you are curious but not committed, start with a snorkelling trip to Ras Mohamed National Park — it is the most reliable place in South Sinai to see reef fish in large numbers without going deep.
2. Choose your base before you choose your hotel
Where you sleep changes what you can do:
- Naama Bay — walkable, lively in the evening, plenty of restaurants and dive centres on the doorstep. Best if you want atmosphere.
- Sharks Bay / Soho — quieter, newer, good for families and for anyone who wants calm water directly in front of the hotel.
- Dahab — about an hour away and a completely different town: bohemian, windsurf-friendly, and the gateway to the Blue Hole. Worth a full day trip even if you are based in Sharm.
3. Day trips usually beat hotel packages
Hotel excursion desks are convenient, but they are also marked up and they sell the same trips to everyone at once. Booking direct with a local operator normally means a smaller group, a clearer price, and a guide who is accountable to you rather than to a commission. Our full tour list shows the real group sizes and what is included in each price.
4. Half-day or full-day? Be honest about your energy
A three-hour city tour is the gentle way to see the town, the markets and the Old Market mosques. A full-day trip to the Coloured Canyon or Saint Catherine is unforgettable, but it is a long day with an early start — do it in your first few days, not on your last morning.
5. The desert and the mountains are closer than you think
People are often surprised that they can be riding a camel through open desert half an hour after leaving the hotel. A camel safari at sunset, followed by dinner with a Bedouin family, is the single experience guests mention most often in reviews.
6. Private is not always the expensive option
If you are travelling as a couple or a family, a private trip is often only modestly more than several separate group seats — and you get to set the pace, the pick-up time and the stops. Ask before you assume.
7. What to actually pack
- Reef-safe sunscreen — it protects the coral and is increasingly required
- A hat and sunglasses; the sun here is stronger than it feels
- Comfortable closed shoes for desert and mountain trips
- A light layer for evenings — the desert cools down fast after dark
- Your passport if you are planning Petra or a Cairo day trip
Ready to plan?
If you would like a hand putting it together, message us on WhatsApp with your dates and how many people are travelling — we will tell you honestly which days are worth it and which are not.