Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm El Sheikh is a Red Sea resort city on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, known for coral reefs, snorkeling and diving.
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Sharm El Sheikh is a resort city at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, on the Red Sea coast. People come for the beaches, snorkeling and scuba diving, and for water that stays clear and calm for most of the year. The area has about 250 coral reefs and around 1,000 fish species. Shark Reef, a vertical wall that drops more than 800 meters, draws divers, as does Yolanda Reef, which holds the wreck of the Yolanda.
Naama Bay is the city center, with many international hotels and restaurants, and hotels range from three to five stars. Temperatures run hot, about 18 to 23 °C in January and 33 to 37 °C in August, while Red Sea water stays between about 21 and 28 °C. Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, the third largest in Egypt, is the city's airport, and coaches run to Cairo from the Delta Sharm bus station. Visa rules change, so check current requirements before you travel.
Sharm El Sheikh in five
- Read the UK advice for Sinai before you bookThe UK calls southern Sinai resorts generally low risk but advises against all travel to North Sinai and all but essential travel to northern South Sinai inland. Re-read it before you fly.UK travel advice
- Know when a resort stamp replaces the visaFly into Sharm and stay under 15 days in the resorts of Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba and UK passport holders need only an entry stamp. A side trip to Cairo or Luxor, or a longer stay, needs a full visa.Egypt visa and entry
- Book dive boats on safety, not on priceStandards on Red Sea dive boats vary. Use your hotel or a reputable operator, ask for a full safety briefing on board and stay inside your policy's depth limit, or the cover is void.Is Sharm El Sheikh safe?
- Choose Naama Bay or Sharks Bay by your eveningsNaama Bay has the promenade, restaurants and late noise. Sharks Bay and the northern bays are calmer, with reef access from the hotel. Taxis link them, so the base shapes evenings more than days.Where to stay in Sharm El Sheikh
- Book Ras Mohammed and desert days through approved agentsThe UK advice says to book activities outside resort areas through approved agents or tour operators. That covers Ras Mohammed, St Catherine and any desert outing, and it keeps a named operator accountable.
Things to do in Sharm El Sheikh
See all attractions in Sharm El Sheikh
Need to know
- Airport
- Sharm El Sheikh (SSH), a short taxi ride from Naama Bay
- Getting there
- Fly into SSH; Cairo is a long road day, so most visitors fly direct
- Getting around
- Taxis and hotel shuttles; the resort strip is too long to walk
- Best base
- Naama Bay for evenings; Sharks Bay or Nabq Bay for quieter reefs
- Time needed
- 4–7 days for a reef and beach week
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryClear0 rainy daysHigh21°Low14°Mild, cool seaJanuaryClear
Best
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 2 mm
- Rainy days
- 0
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, cool sea
- FebruaryClear1 rainy dayHigh22°Low15°Mild, windyFebruaryClear
Best
- High
- 22°
- Low
- 15°
- Precipitation
- 3 mm
- Rainy days
- 1
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, windy
- MarchClear1 rainy dayHigh25°Low18°Warming, quietMarchClear
Best
- High
- 25°
- Low
- 18°
- Precipitation
- 4 mm
- Rainy days
- 1
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warming, quiet
- AprilClear0 rainy daysHigh29°Low21°Warm sea, EasterAprilClear
Best
- High
- 29°
- Low
- 21°
- Precipitation
- 1 mm
- Rainy days
- 0
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm sea, Easter
- MayClear0 rainy daysHigh33°Low25°HotMayClear
Mixed
- High
- 33°
- Low
- 25°
- Precipitation
- 1 mm
- Rainy days
- 0
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot
- JuneClear0 rainy daysHigh36°Low27°Very hotJuneClear
Mixed
- High
- 36°
- Low
- 27°
- Precipitation
- 0 mm
- Rainy days
- 0
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Very hot
- JulyClear0 rainy daysHigh37°Low28°Hottest, busyJulyClear
Poor
- High
- 37°
- Low
- 28°
- Precipitation
- 0 mm
- Rainy days
- 0
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hottest, busy
- AugustClear0 rainy daysHigh37°Low29°Hottest, busyAugustClear
Poor
- High
- 37°
- Low
- 29°
- Precipitation
- 0 mm
- Rainy days
- 0
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hottest, busy
- SeptemberClear0 rainy daysHigh35°Low28°Hot, warm seaSeptemberClear
Mixed
- High
- 35°
- Low
- 28°
- Precipitation
- 0 mm
- Rainy days
- 0
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, warm sea
- OctoberClear0 rainy daysHigh31°Low24°Warm seaOctoberClear
Good
- High
- 31°
- Low
- 24°
- Precipitation
- 1 mm
- Rainy days
- 0
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm sea
- NovemberClear0 rainy daysHigh27°Low20°Mild, clearNovemberClear
Best
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 20°
- Precipitation
- 2 mm
- Rainy days
- 0
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, clear
- DecemberClear0 rainy daysHigh23°Low16°Mild, busyDecemberClear
Best
- High
- 23°
- Low
- 16°
- Precipitation
- 2 mm
- Rainy days
- 0
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, busy
Average daily high and low in Sharm El Sheikh, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Sharm El Sheikh
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
24
- Feels like
- 22°
- Humidity
- 31%
- Wind
- 4 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 0%
Sharm El Sheikh
10:07 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today33°25°0%Monday: Cloudy. High 33°, Low 25°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Tue32°25°0%Tuesday: Clear. High 32°, Low 25°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Wed31°24°0%Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High 31°, Low 24°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Thu30°23°0%Thursday: Cloudy. High 30°, Low 23°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Fri31°23°0%Friday: Cloudy. High 31°, Low 23°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Sat26°20°0%Saturday: Clear. High 26°, Low 20°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Sun26°19°0%Sunday: Cloudy. High 26°, Low 19°. Chance of rain 0%.
Updated 07:12 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Money
Mid-market rate1 USD = 55.96 EGP
Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API
Day trips by train
- Ras Mohammed National Parka half-day trip by road or boatProtected reefs at Sinai's tip; book through an approved operator.
- Dahaba morning's drive up the coastShore diving and a slower town, easy to add as a night or two.Read the guide
- St Catherine's Monasterya long day by roadCheck the UK advice for your route and book an approved guide.
Before you go to Sharm El Sheikh
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Rules for Sharm El Sheikh, checked
- UK passport holders flying into Sharm and staying under 15 days in Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba resorts need no visa and get a free entry stamp.Checked Oct 6, 2026 · Source
- Check that insurance covers sea or air rescue: it can cost over 4,000 US dollars an hour, and Egypt starts a rescue only once payment is guaranteed.Checked Oct 6, 2026 · Source
- Drones need Ministry of Defence permission before you import or fly one; breaking this can bring up to 7 years in prison or a fine of 5,000 to 50,000 EGP.Checked Oct 6, 2026 · Source
Plan around Sharm El Sheikh
Shore diving and a slower pace up the Sinai coast
Read the guideNuweiba travel guideBeach camps and the ferry port for Aqaba
Read the guideEgypt visa and entryWhen the resort stamp is enough, and when it is not
Read the guideAll of EgyptCairo, the Nile and the Red Sea in one plan
Read the guideSharm El Sheikh FAQ
Do you need a visa for Sharm El Sheikh?
Often not for UK passport holders: a resort-only stay of under 15 days after landing at Sharm gets a free entry stamp. Check the rule for your own passport, and get a visa if you add Cairo, Luxor or a longer stay.
Is Sharm El Sheikh safe for tourists?
The UK government says travel to southern Sinai's Red Sea resorts is generally low risk, with routine checks on vehicles and at airports. It also lists areas to avoid in the north of Sinai, so read it before you book.
When is the best time to visit Sharm El Sheikh?
March to May and October to November balance warm sea with bearable air. July and August highs reach about 40°C, and December to February is cooler on land and in the sea, so long snorkels need a wetsuit.
Can you snorkel from the beach in Sharm El Sheikh?
At many hotels, yes: house reefs with a jetty or beach entry are common, but quality varies by bay. Check the hotel's reef access before you book, wear reef shoes and keep fins and hands off the coral.
Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada: which is better?
Sharm is a resort strip with a visa-free stamp for short stays. Hurghada has a bigger town and an easier overnight to Luxor but needs a visa. Pick Sharm for a self-contained beach week, Hurghada to add Nile temples.