Luxury hotels in Sharm El Sheikh

Sharm El Sheikh guide

Sharm El Sheikh and Ras Mohammed

Some of the Red Sea's finest reefs, and a sunrise on Mount Sinai.

Ras Mohammed National Park, at the southern tip of Sinai, is the most cited reason to visit Sharm: walls of coral, reef sharks and schools of fish in exceptionally clear water. A private boat for snorkelling or diving is the best way to see it, leaving early for calm seas.

For something different, a night drive to Mount Sinai lets you climb for sunrise and visit St Catherine's Monastery, one of the oldest working monasteries in the world. The Red Sea is warm enough to swim almost all year.

Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine's Monastery

Mount Sinai, where tradition says Moses received the Ten Commandments, is the most cited excursion from Sharm El Sheikh, about three hours away: climbers start around 2 am to reach the summit, at about 2,285 metres, for sunrise over the mountains.

At its foot, Saint Catherine's Monastery, founded in the sixth century and a UNESCO site, holds an extraordinary collection of icons and manuscripts and the bush said to be the Burning Bush. Visiting hours are limited, and we check travel advice for Sinai before booking.

Tiran Island and the Blue Hole of Dahab

The reefs of the Strait of Tiran, a short boat ride from Sharm, are among the most cited dive and snorkel sites in the Red Sea, and the SS Thistlegorm, a British cargo ship sunk in 1941 with motorbikes and trucks still on board, is one of the world's most famous wreck dives.

Dahab, about an hour north, is known for the Blue Hole, a deep sinkhole in the reef where snorkellers can float at the edge; deep diving there is only for highly experienced divers. The Bedouin camps and cafés of Dahab are relaxed and charming.