Sharm El Sheikh

Five hours from the UK for a beach-and-diving week, not culture: pick Naama Bay for nightlife, Nabq for all-inclusives or Hadaba for quiet, stay under 15 days visa-free, and dive Ras Mohammed and the Straits of Tiran.

Written by the Departly editorial team Reviewed against GOV.UK on 8 Jun 2026

Find hotels in Sharm El Sheikh Tours & tickets

Best length

7 nights (the standard charter week)

Airport

Sharm El Sheikh International (SSH), ~10-18km from the bays

Airport to centre

Taxi ~15-25 min to Naama Bay; most packages include a transfer coach

Best base

Naama Bay for nightlife; Nabq for all-inclusive; Hadaba for quiet

Visa

Visa-free under 15 days inside the Sinai resort zone (GOV.UK)

In short

Sharm El Sheikh at a glance

Sharm El Sheikh is a 5-hour-and-a-bit beach-and-diving week from the UK, not a culture trip — base yourself by your priorities (Naama Bay for walkable nightlife, Nabq for big all-inclusives, Hadaba for quiet) and remember a stay under 15 days inside the Sinai resort zone is visa-free. The diving is the real reason to come: Ras Mohammed and the Straits of Tiran are among the best reef dives anywhere, and Sharm is one of the cheapest places on earth to learn. Treat the town as a resort, not a city: you barely move beyond your hotel, day boats and the occasional taxi to Old Market.

The short version

A stay under 15 days within the Sinai resort zone (Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba, Taba) is visa-free — you only need a visa if you leave the zone or stay longer (GOV.UK).
Pick your bay by what you want: Naama Bay for walkable bars and dive shops, Nabq for sprawling all-inclusives, Hadaba for a quieter family base.
The diving is the point: Ras Mohammed and the four Tiran reefs are world-class, and an Open Water course here is roughly £350-£480 — cheaper than Thailand or the Maldives.
It's a resort, not a city — there's no real public transport, so budget for taxis or use your hotel's free shuttle to Naama Bay, Old Market and Soho Square.
Buy insurance with medical evacuation, and if you're diving check it covers scuba to depth — your GHIC does nothing in Egypt (GOV.UK).

Sharm El Sheikh is best understood as a string of resort bays rather than a city, and the first real decision is which one you sleep in. Naama Bay is the walkable centre, with a promenade of bars, restaurants and dive shops about fifteen minutes from the airport; Nabq Bay is the big all-inclusive belt where you stay put for the week; Hadaba is the quieter, better-value clifftop with Old Market in reach. Get that choice right and the rest of the trip falls into place — get it wrong and you’ll spend the holiday taxiing between the thing you booked and the thing you wanted.

The other thing to know before you book is the visa quirk: arrive by air and stay under fifteen days inside the Sinai resort zone and you get a free entry stamp, so a standard charter week needs no visa at all. You only pay for one if you head inland — to St Catherine’s by your own arrangement, say — or stay longer. The structured planning below covers the rest: the diving that’s the real reason to come, how to get in from SSH, and a realistic budget in pounds.

The diving deserves its reputation. Ras Mohammed’s Shark and Yolanda reefs and the four reefs of the Straits of Tiran are among the best wall and drift dives anywhere, and Sharm is one of the cheapest places on earth to learn — an Open Water course costs a fraction of the same qualification in Thailand or the Maldives. Even if you never put a regulator in your mouth, many hotels sit on their own fringing reef, so the snorkelling straight off the beach can rival a paid trip somewhere else.

Plan your Sharm El Sheikh trip

Where to stay in Sharm El SheikhNeighbourhoods & hotel areas

Keep a first trip focused: book the big timed sights, then leave room for neighbourhoods and food.

Top things to do in Sharm El Sheikh

Ras Mohammed National Park

Ras Mohammed is Egypt's first national park, at the tip of the Sinai peninsula where the Red Sea drops away into deep blue. Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef are the famous coral walls, alive with fish; you reach them on a day boat from Sharm El Sheikh. A two-dive day with park fees and lunch typically runs from about £55 to £70.

A full day From about £55

Check tickets Read the guide

Straits of Tiran

The Straits of Tiran sit between the Sinai coast and Tiran Island, where four reefs — Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon — rise from deep water. Expect drift dives along coral walls, schooling fish and the chance of reef sharks, with seasonal hammerheads. A two-dive day boat from Sharm typically costs from about £55 to £70.

A full day From about £55

Check tickets Read the guide

Where to stay first

The areas that make a first visit easier — not an exhaustive directory.

Naama Bay

££ mid-range

The walkable heart of Sharm: a beach promenade lined with bars, restaurants, dive shops and small malls, about 15 minutes from the airport. Best if you want to stroll out to dinner and nightlife rather than be trapped in an all-inclusive. Busier and noisier than the outer bays.

Best for: Nightlife, couples, walkable evenings, divers

Browse hotels Central, ~15 min from SSH

Nabq Bay

££ mid-range

The big all-inclusive belt northeast of town, closest to the airport (~11km). Larger, newer, family-oriented resorts with long private beaches and house reefs, but you're a taxi ride from any nightlife — you stay put. Best for a switch-off, kids-and-pool week.

Best for: All-inclusive families, switch-off beach weeks

Browse hotels ~10 min from SSH

Hadaba (Umm El Sid)

£ value

A quieter clifftop district south of Naama Bay with calmer resorts, good Red Sea views and walking access to Old Market. A better-value middle ground than Naama Bay if you want some quiet but not total isolation.

Best for: Quieter couples and families wanting some life nearby

Browse hotels ~5-10 min taxi to Naama Bay

Sharks Bay

£ value

A smaller bay between Naama and Nabq with some of Sharm's best house-reef snorkelling and a more low-key, diver-led feel. Limited dining outside the hotels, so plan to eat in or taxi out.

Best for: Divers and snorkellers prioritising the reef

Browse hotels ~10 min taxi to Naama Bay

Airport to city centre

Sharm El Sheikh airport transfer options
Option	Time	Cost	Book ahead?
Package transfer coach	~20-45 min depending on hotel order	usually included in your package	Default if you booked a TUI/Jet2-style holiday
Pre-booked private transfer	~15-25 min to Naama Bay	about £8-£20 one way	Best for flight-only bookers wanting no hassle
Airport taxi to Naama Bay	~15-25 min	agree ~150-250 EGP (~£2-£4); tourist price often higher	Negotiate the fare before getting in

Pre-book a door-to-door transfer

When to go

Sweet spot: March-April and October-November are the sweet spot: warm air around 28-32°C, sea at a comfortable 25-27°C, excellent dive visibility (often 20-30m) and not the brutal mid-summer heat. The Red Sea is genuinely a year-round beach destination, but each season has a catch worth knowing before you book.

Summer (June-August) is fierce on land — 38-40°C — but gives the warmest, calmest water for diving and is when packages are cheapest, so it suits divers who'll spend the day in or on the sea more than sunbathers. Winter (December-February) is mild and sunny at 23-27°C by day but noticeably cooler in the evenings and the windiest, choppiest time for boats; it's good value and dry but pack a fleece for dinner. The shoulder months — March-April and October-November — dodge both extremes and are the best all-round time for a mix of beach, snorkelling and diving.

What it costs

Direct UK return flights to Sharm El Sheikh (SSH) on TUI, Jet2 and easyJet are often £80-£200 outside school holidays — December and the shoulder months are cheapest — and frequently work out cheaper still bundled into a package holiday. Half-term, Christmas and Easter push fares well up; book two to four months ahead for the best winter-sun prices.

Daily budget per person

Budgetcheapest £25-£40 / day

Mid-range £55-£95 / day

Comfortable £130-£200+ / day

Sample trip: A typical 7-night Sharm beach-and-diving week is often booked as an all-inclusive package, which for one person can land around £450-£800 including flights, transfers and food. On top, budget the extras Sharm makes its money on: roughly £55-£70 per two-dive day boat (or £350-£480 for a full Open Water course), £40-£70 for a St Catherine's day trip, plus tips, drinks off-resort and Old Market shopping. Insurance with medical evacuation (and scuba cover if you dive) is about £20-£40pp.

Sharm runs on cash and tipping like the rest of Egypt — carry small EGP notes for taxi drivers, porters, dive guides and washroom attendants. All-inclusive resorts insulate you from daily spend, but every excursion, drink off-site and 'free' Old Market offer is where the real budget goes. All EGP figures use £1 ≈ E£69 (June 2026).

Book the essentials

Where to stay

Browse staysvia Booking.com

Also in Egypt

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See the full Egypt guide

Sharm El Sheikh FAQs

Do I need a visa for Sharm El Sheikh?

Not for a short beach break. If you arrive by air and stay under 15 days within the Sinai resort zone — Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba — you get a free entry stamp and need no visa. You only need a visa (the $30 e-visa online or $30 cash on arrival) if you travel beyond that zone, for example inland to St Catherine's by your own arrangement, or stay 15 days or more. This is Egypt's own system, not EES/ETIAS, and rules can change, so confirm on GOV.UK before you fly.

Where should first-timers stay in Sharm El Sheikh?

Match the bay to your trip. Naama Bay is the walkable centre — bars, restaurants and dive shops on the doorstep — and the easiest choice if you want to wander out in the evening. Nabq Bay is the big all-inclusive belt closest to the airport, best for a kids-and-pool switch-off week. Hadaba is the quieter, better-value middle ground with Old Market within reach. Sharks Bay suits divers chasing the best house reefs.

Is Sharm El Sheikh safe to visit?

Yes — Sharm El Sheikh sits outside the FCDO's warning zones (North Sinai is 'advise against all travel', but the resort coast is not) and is treated as a low-risk tourist area with routine security checks (GOV.UK). The everyday risks are pushy touts and inflated taxi or market prices rather than danger. Buy comprehensive travel insurance with medical evacuation, because your GHIC does nothing in Egypt, and if you're diving make sure scuba is covered to your planned depth. Check the current FCDO advice before you book.

Is Sharm El Sheikh good for diving if I've never dived before?

It's one of the best and cheapest places in the world to learn. A PADI Open Water course runs roughly £350-£480 over three to four days, the warm, clear, calm water is ideal for beginners, and many hotels have a house reef you can snorkel from the beach. The big-name sites — Ras Mohammed and the Straits of Tiran reefs — are day boats; Tiran in particular has currents better suited to certified divers with some experience.

Do you need a car in Sharm El Sheikh?

No. Sharm is a resort with no useful public transport, but you move on hotel shuttles, cheap taxis and organised day boats — and you barely move at all on an all-inclusive week. A hire car is a liability: the FCDO warns off night driving outside cities, the desert roads pass through checkpoints, and there's nothing a car gets you that a guided excursion doesn't do better.

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