By type of trip
Nile Cruises Luxor to Aswan: Routes, Boats and Prices
Classic Egypt Tours: Cairo, Luxor and Aswan Itineraries
Nile Cruise and Red Sea Holidays: Two-Week Egypt Trips
White Desert Tours from Cairo: Oases and Desert Camping
Short Breaks in Egypt: Three and Four Day Cairo Trips
Tailor-made Egypt Tours: Private Trips Built Around You
Sharm el Sheikh · Red Sea
Stay in Naama Bay if you want to walk to dinner and have evenings out in Sharm el Sheikh. Stay in Sharks Bay or on the Hadaba cliffs for a quieter base with a good reef below. Stay in Nabq Bay, near the airport, for a big all-inclusive resort and calm days. Sharm is a string of resort areas along the coast, so pick the area first. Taxis link them all, and none is far from the airport.
Naama Bay
Nabq Bay| Naama Bay | Nabq Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | The centre of Sharm. Busy, especially after dark | Large resorts in the quiet north of town |
| Evenings | Walk to bars, restaurants and shops on the promenade | Mostly inside the resort. A taxi ride to Naama |
| Board | A mix of hotels. Easy to eat out | Mostly all-inclusive |
| Nature nearby | Boat trips to Ras Mohammed and Tiran from the marinas | The Nabq Protected Area, just to the north |
| Best for | Couples, first visits and anyone who wants to go out | Families and a week of rest by the pool |
The short answer
Pick Naama Bay if you want evenings out and short walks. Pick Nabq Bay if the plan is a big resort, a pool and very little else. For divers and snorkellers, Sharks Bay or the Hadaba cliffs sit between the two in mood.
Sharm el Sheikh sits on the southern tip of Sinai. It was built for tourism from the 1980s, as a row of hotel compounds along the coast. Each area has its own mood.
From north to south, the main areas are Nabq Bay, Sharks Bay, Naama Bay, then Hadaba and Ras Um Sid. The Old Market sits inland in the older part of town. Ras Mohammed National Park is about 20 km south.
There is no single best area. Naama Bay suits people who want evenings out. Sharks Bay and Hadaba suit snorkellers and divers. Nabq Bay suits families who plan to stay at the resort.
Naama Bay is the old centre of Sharm. A promenade of bars, restaurants and shops runs along the bay. It is busiest after dark.
This is the one part of Sharm you can really walk around. That makes it the best base for a first visit or a short stay. Hotels here range from large resorts to smaller places close to the promenade.
Expect to be called into shops and restaurants as you walk. It is persistent, and a clear no works.
Nabq Bay is the most northern resort area, near the airport. It is mostly large all-inclusive resorts with pools and kids' clubs. Days are calm, and evenings happen inside the resort.
North of the bay lies the Nabq Protected Area, a coastal reserve run by Egypt's environment agency since 1992. It has mangroves along the shore.
The drawback is distance. Naama Bay is a taxi ride away, so a night out takes some planning. Agree the fare before you get in.
Hadaba sits on the cliffs south of Naama Bay, the side of town nearest Ras Mohammed. It is quieter and more residential. Ras Um Sid is the headland here, with a lighthouse and a reef just below the cliffs.
Many hotels on the cliff top reach the reef by steps or a pier. Beaches are small, so check how the hotel gets you into the water.
The Old Market is inland, in the older part of town. It is a market for visitors, good for an hour of browsing lamps and spices in the evening.
No. We sell the tours of one Egyptian operator, Memphis Tours, and none of its set itineraries includes Sharm el Sheikh. Its Red Sea nights are in Hurghada, on the mainland coast.
If you want Sharm as part of a wider Egypt trip, send us a request for a tailor-made plan. Our Hurghada vs Sharm el Sheikh guide helps you choose between the two coasts.
Arriving at Sharm el Sheikh airport, many nationalities can get a free Sinai-only entry permit. It covers Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba for about two weeks. It does not cover the rest of Egypt, so ask about a full visa if Cairo or Luxor is on your list.
Good day trips start here. Ras Mohammed and the Tiran reefs are about an hour from the marina by boat. Dahab is about 90 minutes up the coast. Mount Sinai is about three hours inland.
Four to seven nights suits most beach holidays. That leaves room for one or two boat days, a day trip and plenty of rest.
Naama Bay for evenings out and walking. Sharks Bay or Hadaba for snorkelling and quiet nights. Nabq Bay for big all-inclusive resorts and a short trip from the airport.
Yes, for a first visit or a short stay. It is the centre of Sharm, with a promenade of bars, restaurants and shops that you can walk. It is the busiest part of town after dark.
Nabq Bay is the most northern resort area, so Naama Bay is a taxi ride away. Most guests at Nabq stay inside their resort and go to Naama for an occasional evening out.
At a hotel with a house reef, often reached along a jetty. Sharks Bay and the Hadaba cliffs near Ras Um Sid are known for reefs close to shore. Ask the hotel how you get into the water.
Nabq Bay or Sharks Bay, where large all-inclusive resorts with pools and kids' clubs are the norm. Shallow house reefs let children snorkel close to shore. Sharm's compact layout makes it easier with small children than Hurghada.
Sharm for a resort hotel, all-inclusive board and boat trips to Ras Mohammed. Dahab for a small town built around diving, with guesthouses and small hotels. Dahab is about 90 minutes north of Sharm.
No. Memphis Tours, the operator whose tours we sell, has no set itinerary in Sharm el Sheikh. Its Red Sea stays are in Hurghada. Send a request if you want Sharm in a tailor-made trip.
For current advice, read the US State Department and UK FCDO travel pages for Egypt before you book. Read the parts that cover South Sinai, where Sharm el Sheikh is.
Entry rules, opening hours, security advice and exchange rates all move. Check them at the source, not here.
Written and checked by the Nile Trip Guide editorial team · Last reviewed . Entry rules, prices and opening hours change — check anything critical against the official sources linked on this page.
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A real itinerary with real prices, usually within 24 hours. Nothing is booked and nothing is charged until you say yes.
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