5 Days in Sharm El Sheikh
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Travel advisory: Sharm el-Sheikh and the Red Sea resort strip are explicitly excepted from the Sinai’s do-not-travel zones and treated as normal, low-risk tourism, provided you fly in. Check your own government’s current advisory before booking.
Five days is the sweet spot for serious divers: two dedicated dive days, a Dahab day, a desert day, and enough downtime that it doesn’t feel rushed. Drop a day and use the 4-day itinerary , or add two more for our 7-day version that folds in St Catherine’s Monastery.
Day 1: Arrival and Naama Bay
Land at Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport (SSH) and taxi to your resort, agree the fare first, roughly EGP 150-300 for a Naama Bay run. Spend the afternoon settling in, then dinner on Naama Bay’s promenade, budget EGP 300-500 per person.
Concrete tip: exchange cash to EGP on day one, taxis and street vendors want pounds even where hotel restaurants take cards.
Day 2: Ras Mohammed National Park
A day-boat trip to Ras Mohammed, about 12km southwest, is the priority for divers and snorkelers alike: a two-dive trip runs roughly $60-90 per person (about EGP 2,400-3,600 at over 40 to the dollar, verify both figures), snorkel-only around $35-50. Shark Reef, Yolanda Reef and the Yolanda wreck’s scattered cargo are the highlights.
Concrete tip: book before you land, peak-season boats fill a day or more ahead.
Day 3: Straits of Tiran
Certified divers should book a Tiran boat trip: the Jackson, Gordon, Thomas and Woodhouse reef chain, strong-current drift dives with big pelagic fish, typically $70-100 per person for two dives. Non-divers can join as snorkelers on most boats for a lower rate, roughly $40-55. Tiran itself is Saudi Arabian territory since a 2016 transfer, though Sharm boats dive its reefs daily.
Concrete tip: currents run strong here, confirm with your dive guide whether the site suits your certification level before you commit.
Day 4: Dahab and the Blue Hole
Head 80-90km northeast, roughly 1-1.5 hours by road, to Dahab, a laid-back diving town built around the Blue Hole, safe for ordinary recreational diving on the surrounding reef though genuinely dangerous for the untrained attempting its submerged Arch tunnel. Day trips including transport run roughly $40-60 per person. Lunch in Dahab is noticeably cheaper and more casual than Sharm’s resort strip.
Concrete tip: ask for an early departure, the road trip eats into the day and an early start protects your afternoon at the Blue Hole.
Day 5: Desert safari, Nabq, and departure
Spend the morning on a quad-bike or jeep desert safari, often paired with a Bedouin tea stop, roughly $40-70 per person for a half-day, or swap in a Nabq Protected Area visit for its mangrove channels and wildlife if a slower pace suits you better. Use the afternoon for last beach time or Old Market souvenir shopping before your departure transfer.
Concrete tip: build in a buffer before your flight, Sharm’s airport can back up at peak departure times in high season.
For where to base yourself across a trip this length, our best places to stay guide breaks down each district’s trade-offs.