How To See Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in Three Days

There’s more to Egypt than the pyramids of Giza and the temples of Luxor. Head east for the warm clear water of the Red Sea, some of the best diving in the world and a collection of resort towns built for getting away.

Sharm el-Sheikh is a few hours drive from Mount Sinai, which you might remember from the Bible, Torah or Quran. The city sits at the edge of the Mount Sinai Peninsula along the shores of the salty Red Sea and is one of several resort towns in the area. Dahab to the north popular for its bohemian vibe and among divers. Hurghada, across the gulf of Suez, is another beach down that’s especially popular with European visitors.

Up until a few years ago, Sharm el-Sheikh was a seaside vacation spot popular among Russians and Ukrainians. The rapid escalation of the latest conflict in the region is evident in unfinished construction projects and empty store fronts. When I was there, there was at least as much Russian on signs around town as there was Arabic.

I spent two weeks in Sharm el-Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula covering the COP27 climate conference in 2022, but you can experience the best of the city in just a few days. And Sharm el-Sheik may be closer than you think. It’s just over an hour’s flight from Cairo and under four hours from Rome.

A bonus: the flight path from Cairo to Sharm-el Sheik passes over the Suez Canal and Mount Sinai and is one of the most scenic I’ve experienced. Snag a window seat for this one if you can.

What to Do: Diving, History and Nightlife

Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the best diving destinations in the world. Explore shipwrecks and pristine coral reefs while frolicking with fish, sharks and rays in the Red Sea.

Dive into World War II history at the Thistlegorm shipwreck site. German bombers sunk the British cargo ship, leaving a pile of weapons, jeeps and motorbikes behind in the Straits of Gubal off the western coast of the Sinai Peninsula.

Visit Ras Mohamed National Park a pristine desert surrounded by dive sites. Snorkel off the coast or explore the Jolanda Reef where you’ll find the wreckage of an old Cypriot freighter carrying bathroom fixtures when it sunk in 1980. Think of toilets scattered around a colorful reef. Dry off and stroll along the park’s beaches, check out its saltwater lake and a mangrove forest that’s one of the furthest north in the world.

If you’d rather dive into history, head to St. Catherine’s Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai, the site of the Old Testament’s burning bush and where Moses received the Ten Commandments. The monastery is about 130 miles from Sharm el-Sheikh, so prepare yourself for a journey. It is believed to be the world’s oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery and is known for its collection of ancient Biblical manuscripts.

Several small group tours depart from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Catherine’s Monastery, some of which include overnight stays and hiking up Mount Sinai, a place that’s sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims. If you choose to hike, opt for the easier Camel Train or the more challenging—and more scenic—Steps of Repentance.

Conservative countries aren’t exactly known for their nightlife, but Sharm el-Sheikh has several bars, lounges and a few clubs. I chose to spend my evenings at Farsha, a beachfront destination with a soundtrack I’d go back for. The food and drinks are forgettable, but there is a broad selection of non-alcoholic beverages and the vibe is the best in Sharm el-Sheikh.

The Namaa Bay waterfront is lined with beach bars and restaurants along a long stretch of golden sand. Many of these bars serve alcohol as well as milk shakes and fruit juices. One of the city’s two Hard Rock Cafes is located near here.

For a more cultural experience, check out a Tanoura dance performance. This is an Egyptian folk dance that incorporates a weighted skirt and requires some serious muscles. This is a whirling dance, and there’s nothing like watching it live to understand how strong these dancers have to be.

My Unique Experience

Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the strangest travel experiences I’ve ever had. Part of the reason was that my visit was during COP27, when tens of thousands of people filled the city for the United Nations’ leading international climate conference. Cab drivers from across Egypt came to the city, setting flat-rate fares in U.S. dollars instead of running meters in Egyptian pounds, as required by local law.

I arrived to a tarmac lined with private jets, which may be the most environmentally unfriendly way to travel. There were more than 400 of them, according to news reports at the time. I arrived on a commercial EgyptAir flight. Public fountains were flowing despite a water shortage in the area, and Egyptian secret service agents were stationed about every hundred yards, armed with guns and dressed in full suits under a blazing hot sun.

Most of the event happened at huge conference center erected in the desert specifically for COP27.

I met a lot of passionate people doing the work to mitigate climate change but saw so much—like private planes, single-use plastics, inadequate recycling facilities and a lack of water refilling stations—that was in conflict with those efforts. One woman from the U.K. summed it up like this “It’s hard to know whether we’re part of the solution or part of the problem.”

My friend Sean nicknamed this place the Sharm el Shakedown and for good reason. As a white male from Canada, he paid more for cabs than women, who were often offered rides from licensed cab drivers at far lower and more negotiable prices. I avoided taking cabs alone as much as possible, and I made sure key contacts had access to my location through my phone.

As a traveler of color and an American woman of Indian descent, I got more attention than I expected, especially if I was alone. People either wanted to propose, talk about Shah Rukh Kahn or sell me fragrances. Normally, I don’t wear a lot of jewelry when I travel, and I’ve never worn a fake wedding ring. This is one place I’d consider it.

Many of the foreign women I met in Sharm el-Sheikh, most of whom were in town for COP27, told me they felt uncomfortable in the city. I did. I think part of it was the nature of the event—so many foreigners descending on a town where tourism had been suffering and outsiders had been scarce, not just because of the pandemic but also because of safety and geopolitical concerns. The city was disproportionately filled with men, which his apparently common in resort towns where men come to work while leaving their wives and children back home, something that was even more pronounced for an event of this scale and size.

For me, and apparently many others, it’s uncomfortable to land in a place where you see only a curated portion of society, especially when it’s a broad demographic most like you that’s missing. I still think it’s a city that’s worth visiting, just bring a friend or a few, book a Western chain hotel, and hire a car-and-driver through your hotel. I did this when I stayed in Luxor and requested a driver who wasn’t going to try to take me shopping. It cost a little more, but not getting hassled to shop for alabaster was well worth it.

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