Sharm El Sheikh: 6-Day Itinerary
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Six days keeps our 5-day itinerary intact for its first four days, arrival, Ras Mohammed, St Catherine’s, Dahab, and adds a second dive day at the Straits of Tiran or the Thistlegorm wreck before closing on the Old Market.
Day-by-day at a glance
| Day | Focus | Est. spend (excl. hotel) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival, Naama Bay | ~$30-60 |
| 2 | Ras Mohammed National Park | ~$40-90 |
| 3 | St Catherine’s Monastery and Mount Sinai | Tour price, plus full visa if needed |
| 4 | Dahab and the Blue Hole | Taxi/tour price |
| 5 | Straits of Tiran or the Thistlegorm wreck | Dive package price |
| 6 | Old Market and departure | ~$30-50 |
Travel advisory: Sharm el-Sheikh sits in a well-established carve-out from Egypt’s wider Sinai advisory, the UK FCDO rates the Red Sea resort strip “generally low risk” (updated 4 August 2026) even while advising against travel to North Sinai and the South Sinai interior. Day 3’s St Catherine trip is the one day here that crosses into that interior; check your government’s current advisory before booking it.
Day 1: Arrival and Naama Bay
Agree a taxi fare before the bags go in the trunk, drivers waiting outside arrivals routinely quote three to five times the fair local rate. Check into a Naama Bay hotel, spend the afternoon on the beach, and walk the promenade for dinner and an Old Market browse in the evening.
Concrete tip: Book Ras Mohammed and St Catherine’s now, St Catherine departures leave in the small hours and rarely take same-day bookings.
Day 2: Ras Mohammed National Park
Egypt’s first national park (1983), about 12km southwest, with Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef’s coral walls as the standout dives. Entry runs around $5 cash, plus your boat package. Go early for the clearest visibility, and get an early night, day three starts before dawn.
Concrete tip: Ask if the day’s route includes the park’s shallow Mangrove Channel too, not every boat itinerary swings by it.
Day 3: St Catherine’s Monastery and Mount Sinai
A full day, about 2.5 to 3 hours each way. Tours leave in the small hours, climb Mount Sinai (2,285m) via the camel path or the “3,750 Steps of Repentance” for sunrise, then visit the monastery, built 548-565 AD, the world’s oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery. The free Sinai permit doesn’t cover this trip, since it crosses inland; you’ll need a full Egyptian e-visa, commonly around $25-30, regardless of how the rest of your stay is covered.
Concrete tip: Bring a warm layer for the pre-dawn summit even in summer, 2,285m runs well below coastal temperatures overnight.
Day 4: Dahab and the Blue Hole
Dahab, about 80-90km northeast, roughly 1-1.5 hours by road, is South Sinai’s laid-back diving capital and a genuine windsurfing hub. The Blue Hole’s real fatality reputation is almost entirely about divers attempting the “Arch” tunnel without technical training; the surrounding reef is safe and popular for ordinary diving and freediving. Spend the day on the reef or Dahab’s relaxed waterfront.
Concrete tip: Dive with a local guide who knows the specific site rather than relying only on a certification card from elsewhere.
Day 5: Straits of Tiran or the Thistlegorm wreck
Two options for your second dive day, pick one rather than trying both. Option A, Straits of Tiran (about 2h by boat): a reef chain, Jackson, Gordon, Thomas and Woodhouse, known for strong currents and big pelagics, sharks, barracuda, tuna. One fact worth knowing: Tiran and neighboring Sanafir Island became Saudi Arabian territory under a 2016 border deal, ratified by Egypt in 2017, even though Sharm-based boats still dive these reefs as day trips. Option B, the SS Thistlegorm (multi-hour boat run, certified divers only): a British WWII cargo ship sunk in 1941, sitting at around 30m with trucks, motorcycles and two steam locomotives still visible in the holds, regularly ranked among the world’s best wreck dives.
Concrete tip: If you’re not yet certified to dive, Tiran is the better pick, some of its reef sections work for strong snorkelers, while the Thistlegorm genuinely needs a certification.
Day 6: Old Market and departure
Spend your last day properly in the Old Market, Sharm el-Maya district, bargaining for spices and textiles, and the Al-Sahaba Mosque’s architecture, or resting on the beach after five active days. Arrange your airport transfer the night before with extra buffer time for security.
Concrete tip: Exchange leftover EGP in town, airport rates run consistently worse.
Things to know before you go
Egypt’s currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP), heavily devalued in recent years. Cash matters for markets and small vendors; cards work at hotels. For the fuller etiquette and safety picture, see our Sharm el-Sheikh travel tips .
If you want a full desert-safari day and Nabq Protected Area added rather than departing on day six, our 7-day itinerary keeps this exact structure and adds a seventh day.