South Sinai · Destination guide
Sinai's resort capital — the coral walls of Ras Mohammed on one side, the mountains of Moses on the other.
Get your bearings
Sharm El Sheikh sits at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula, where the desert mountains drop straight into some of the richest coral water on the planet. It grew from a dive camp into Egypt's most developed resort town, strung along the bays of Naama and Nabq, but the thing that built it is still the thing worth coming for: the reefs of Ras Mohammed, where sheer walls plunge into the blue thick with fish.
Sinai gives Sharm a second dimension the Red Sea mainland lacks — mountains and history. A couple of hours inland, Mount Sinai rises where Moses is said to have received the commandments, with St Catherine's Monastery, one of the oldest working monasteries on earth, at its foot. Most people climb it overnight to reach the summit for sunrise, then fall back to the beach.
What you're really here to see
01Egypt's first marine park, at the very tip of Sinai, where the reef falls away in sheer walls thick with fish — the dive that made the Red Sea famous. Reached by boat from Sharm, and superb for snorkellers as well as divers.
Full day by boat
02The mountain where Moses is said to have received the commandments. The classic visit is an overnight climb by torchlight to reach the 2,285-metre summit for sunrise over a sea of bare Sinai peaks — cold, dark and worth it.
Overnight from Sharm
03At the foot of the mountain, one of the oldest continuously working monasteries anywhere, founded in the 6th century around the site of the Burning Bush. Its library is second only to the Vatican's, and the compound looks much as it did in the 12th century.
Paired with Mount Sinai
Time to allow
Sharm works as a pure beach base or a Sinai adventure hub — your call.
Ras Mohammed, a second reef day in the Straits of Tiran, and time by the pool — the easy Sinai short break.
Fold in the overnight Mount Sinai climb and St Catherine's Monastery alongside the diving and the beach.
Ras Mohammed, Tiran, the SS Thistlegorm wreck and the Shark and Yolanda reefs — a week of unforgettable sites.
A short flight from Cairo makes Sharm an easy beach-and-mountain finish to a history holiday.
Where it fits
Sharm is Sinai's gateway — reefs, mountains and resorts in one base.
A short domestic flight, making a Pyramids-then-Sinai holiday simple to arrange.
Ras Mohammed, the Straits of Tiran and the Thistlegorm wreck are all within boat range.
Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery are a couple of hours inland — the overnight climb is the signature trip.
Quad safaris, Bedouin dinners and glass-bottom boats fill the gaps between dives and mountain trips.
From the catalogue
Stella Di Mare Hotel & Spa Sharm El Sheikh sits on the Red Sea coast in Sharm El Sheikh. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and arrange private airport transfers, room bookings, snorkel boats and spa treatments. We don't run group bus tours; our transfers are private where flight schedules allow. Unlike package-holiday chain transfers, we plan arrivals to reduce waiting at Sharm El Sheikh International Airport. Beachfront and pool-facing rooms are available; requests are best confirmed at booking. Expect busy pools and strong midday sun in high season; early-morning snorkel boats avoid the crowds. Tell us your arrival time and preferred activities and we will propose options.
A five-star hotel in Nabq Bay, part of the Sharm El Sheikh area on Egypt’s Red Sea coast. Nabq sits north of central Sharm and is known for its coastline and the nearby Nabq Protected Area, where mangroves and coral reefs can be found. The hotel makes a base for time in this corner of Sinai. Room type, board basis, facilities and any extras depend on the booking. This is a hotel stay and not a sightseeing tour, so talk to Egypt Discovery about the room and package for your dates.
A five-star hotel on Soho Square in Sharm El Sheikh, beside the Red Sea in southern Sinai. The square is a dining and entertainment district, so the Savoy suits people who like to have restaurants and a bit of evening life on the doorstep. Rooms look onto the sea, the pool or the garden. Which room, which board basis and which facilities you get depend on the rate, so Egypt Discovery checks all three before you commit.
A five-star resort in Nabq Bay, on the northern side of Sharm El Sheikh, on Egypt's Red Sea coast. That puts it in a different part of town from the hotels around Naama Bay. Egypt Discovery books the room on request: room type, board basis and facilities depend on your dates and rate, so tell us what you want and we will check it with the hotel before you pay. The listed facilities include a pool, spa, gym, restaurant, bar and beach access.
Park Regency Sharm El Sheikh Resort is a five-star resort in Gardens Bay, a quieter stretch of Sharm El Sheikh's Red Sea shore and a different corner of town from busy Naama Bay. The listing includes a pool, a spa, a gym, a garden, a rooftop terrace and beach access, with a restaurant and a bar on site. Rooms and suites are on offer, several with balconies facing the sea. Egypt Discovery books the hotel on request, so we can check the room type, meal plan and rate terms for your dates before anything is confirmed.
Naama Waves Hotel sits in Naama Bay, Sharm El Sheikh and suits travellers wanting straightforward access to the bay and promenade. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and we arrange transfers, snorkelling trips and day excursions from our Sinai team. Distinctive POV: we typically book Naama Waves when clients prioritise location for sightseeing and dive departures rather than resort seclusion. Unlike large, full-board resort complexes, this hotel has a simpler on-site offer and works better for independent day plans. Trade-offs: peak-season noise and variable room sizes are common; we pre-check room allocation and advise best dates for quieter stays.
Naama Bay Suites & Spa is on Naama Bay's promenade in Sharm el‑Sheikh; we offer one-night bookings for short stopovers. We use this hotel primarily for late arrivals and short stays rather than multi-night beach holidays. Unlike larger beachfront resorts in Ras Mohamed or Nabq, the hotel places you within walking distance of Naama Bay's shops, cafés and nightlife. Expect more evening noise than at remote beach resorts, and limited resort-style private beach facilities compared with dedicated beach properties. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator, we arrange private transfers, early check-in requests and any special requests for a single-night stopover.
Naama Bay Hotel & Resort sits in Naama Bay, Sharm el‑Sheikh with direct access to Red Sea dive sites and the Naama Bay promenade. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and we arrange private airport transfers, daily diving and snorkelling trips to Ras Mohammed and Tiran Island, and Sinai desert excursions. Distinctive POV: we avoid shared coach transfers for resort guests and prefer licensed private cars for arrivals and departures. Compared with package resort operators, we book full-day boats for serious divers rather than squeezing dives into an afternoon. Trade‑offs: the hotel is lively in high season and beach shade is limited at midday.
Mövenpick Resort Sharm El Sheikh is a five-star hotel in Naama Bay, one of the main resort areas of Sharm El Sheikh, on the Red Sea coast of Egypt. You are booking somewhere to stay, not a guided day out, so the room, the meal plan and the facilities you get depend on the reservation you choose. Egypt Discovery arranges the booking with the hotel, which owns and runs the property itself.
Every way in
Day trips, classic multi-day tours, Nile cruises, hotels and private transfers – every part of an Egypt trip can be arranged from Sharm El Sheikh. Start wherever makes sense.
Hotel pickup, a private Egyptologist, half or full day.
2–15 day private itineraries, hotels and guides included.
Pair Sharm El Sheikh with a 3–4 night river cruise in one trip.
Aswan ↔ Luxor sailings, dahabiyas and classic cruisers.
5★ and boutique stays, hand-picked by our team.
Private meet-and-greet from the airport to your hotel.
Best time to visit
Sheltered and swimmable year-round, though the mountain nights bite.
Warm, calm and clear (25–32°C) — ideal for diving, the beach and the Mount Sinai climb alike.
Very hot on land but tempered by the sea, and busy with summer holidaymakers. The water and the diving stay excellent.
Pleasant by day and a warm winter escape from the UK, but the Mount Sinai summit is genuinely cold before dawn — bring real layers for the climb.
Mount Sinai is done overnight to reach the summit for sunrise. It's cold and dark at the top whatever the season — warm clothing is essential.
The practical part
Its own airport, a self-contained resort town — the practical part.
Sharm El Sheikh (SSH) takes direct charter and scheduled flights from UK airports and domestic flights from Cairo. The resort bays are 10–20 minutes from the airport.
Naama Bay for walkable bars and restaurants, the quieter Nabq and Sharks Bay for diving and calm. We match the bay to your plans.
Resorts are self-contained; reef trips, the Sinai climb and desert safaris all include pickup. Taxis cover Naama Bay in the evenings.
Sharm is one of the world's great dive bases, with centres for every level and access to the legendary sites. We arrange the operator to match your experience.
Common questions
Famous diving and snorkelling — above all the coral walls of Ras Mohammed National Park and the Straits of Tiran — plus big resorts on sheltered bays, and Sinai's mountains, including Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery, a couple of hours inland.
It's one of the best dive bases anywhere. Ras Mohammed, the Straits of Tiran, the SS Thistlegorm wreck and the Shark and Yolanda reefs are all within boat range, with centres for every level from beginner to technical.
Yes — it's the classic Sinai excursion, usually an overnight trip to climb by torchlight and reach the summit for sunrise, paired with St Catherine's Monastery at the foot of the mountain. Bring warm layers; the summit is cold before dawn.
Spring and autumn (March–May, September–November) are ideal — warm, calm and clear for diving and the beach. The water is swimmable year-round, though winter nights, especially on Mount Sinai, are cold.
Yes — sheltered bays, shallow reefs, all-inclusive resorts and kids' clubs make it easy with children, while the diving, the desert and the Sinai mountains give older children and adults plenty to do.
Plan your trip
Tell us your dates and what you want out of Sharm El Sheikh – we'll send a private, tailored itinerary within 24 hours. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.
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