These are the best places to travel this summer

Sharm El Sheikh

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Shop Book
Egypt, Sinai, Sharm el Sheikh, Ras Umm Sid Beach

Getty Images/Hemis.fr RM

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Sharm El Sheikh

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

The southern coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, between Tiran Island and Ras Mohammed National Park, features some of the world’s most amazing underwater scenery. The crystal-clear waters and incredible variety of exotic fish darting in and out of the colourful coral reefs have made this a scuba-diving paradise. Purpose-built Sharm El Sheikh occupies a prime position here, devoting itself solely to sun-and-sea holidays offering a family-friendly vibe and resort comforts, with world-class diving thrown in.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Scuba diver at the famous Thistlegorm ship wreck.

    Thistlegorm

    Sharm El Sheikh

    One of the top five wreck dives in the world, the Thistlegorm is a 129m-long cargo ship built in Sunderland, England, which was sunk during World War II…

  • Sandy coral reef in shallow Ras Um Sid, Egypt.

    Ras Um Sid

    Sharm El Sheikh

    One of the best dive sites in the area, Ras Um Sid features a spectacular gorgonian forest along a dramatic drop-off that hosts a great variety of reef…

  • Colorful Rainbow wrasse fish in Thomas reef, Red Sea, Egypt.

    Thomas Reef

    Sharm El Sheikh

    The smallest, but easily the most spectacular, of the Tiran reefs, Thomas is home to steeply plunging walls that are lined with soft coral, schooling fish…

  • Dunraven

    Dunraven

    Sharm El Sheikh

    The Dunraven sank in 1876 on its way from Bombay to Newcastle. Today the wreck, found at the southeast tip of Sha’ab Mahmud, is encrusted in coral and…

  • Gardens

    Gardens

    Sharm El Sheikh

    At the perennially popular Gardens there are actually three sites in one. Near Garden is home to a lovely chain of pinnacles; Middle Garden features a…

  • Small Crack

    Small Crack

    Sharm El Sheikh

    Turtles, leopard sharks and reef sharks are sometimes spotted zipping about the long outer reef wall here, which is encrusted with gorgonian corals. This…

  • Amphoras

    Amphoras

    Sharm El Sheikh

    A good choice for a drift dive, this dive site gets its name from an Ottoman shipwreck found here which was carrying a cargo of amphoras. Not much remains…

  • Al Sahaba Mosque

    Al Sahaba Mosque

    Sharm El Sheikh

    Designed by Fouad Tawfik, Sharm El Sheikh's new mosque fuses Fatimid, Mamluk and Ottoman style elements into its architecture and interior design. Whether…

View more attractions

Plan with a local

Get a book. Get inspired. Get exploring.

Explore all books

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Sharm El Sheikh