Sharm El Sheikh Egypt 2 Day Itinerary

Day 1: Exploring Sharm El Sheikh

Forget asking your taxi driver to turn the meter on here, because almost none of them use one, and the standard tourist quote from the airport to Naama Bay routinely runs three to five times what a resident pays for the same short hop. Agreeing a fixed price before you get in, or booking a transfer through your hotel in advance, is the only reliable way to avoid an argument at the destination. Two days is enough to combine one proper reef day with the old town and the beach promenade, provided you don’t try to cram both Ras Mohammed and the Tiran Strait into the same trip.

Morning:

  • Accommodation: Check into a hotel around Naama Bay or Sharm El Maya Bay. SOHO Square, Hilton Sharm Dreams Resort, and Savoy Sharm El Sheikh are all reliable, established options in those two areas.
  • Breakfast: Most resort hotels run large buffets covering both Egyptian dishes like ful medames and international standards, more than enough to fuel a full day out.

Mid-Morning:

  • Activities: Visit Old Market, known locally as Souq or Old Sharm, for spices, textiles, and handicrafts. Haggling is expected and the first quoted price is rarely the real one, often double or more what a vendor will actually accept.

  • Lunch: Try a local spot for koshary, shawarma, or falafel rather than a hotel restaurant, it’s cheaper and generally better.

Afternoon:

  • Activities: Visit Ras Mohammed National Park, about 30 kilometers southwest of the city at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, where the Gulf of Suez meets the Gulf of Aqaba. Entrance runs around 5 US dollars per person, payable in cash only at the gate, and the coral drop-offs here are considered among the best accessible reef sites in the northern Red Sea. Snorkeling or diving day trips are widely available and usually include gear rental, hotel pickup, and lunch.

  • Dinner: Seafood at a bayfront restaurant in Naama Bay gives you a good view alongside a genuinely fresh catch, since most of what’s served locally comes straight off boats working the Gulf of Aqaba.

Evening:

  • Activities: Walk the Naama Bay promenade, still the liveliest strip of bars, shisha cafes, and shops in the resort area, busier after dark once the heat breaks.

Day 2: Adventure and Relaxation

Morning:

  • Activities: Book a full-day trip to the Straits of Tiran, the narrow, current-swept channel between the Sinai and Saudi Arabia where four named reef systems, Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse, and Jackson, sit almost in a line and are considered some of the most dramatic drift diving in Egypt. Advance-booked single dives run around 20 US dollars, snorkeling trips typically run from 8 AM to 4 PM and include hotel transfer, lunch, and soft drinks, though mask and fin rental is usually a separate charge.

  • Lunch: Provided on board by most tour operators, or grab something on the drive back into town if you booked a shorter trip.

Afternoon:

  • Activities: If you’d rather stay dry after a morning in the water, the Old Market area and the Naama Bay waterfront both make for an easy, low-effort afternoon. A desert safari with a camel ride and Bedouin tea at sunset is a better use of a half day than chasing down a formal marine park attraction in town, since Sharm’s real underwater draw is the open reef, not an aquarium exhibit.

  • Dinner: A restaurant with a live Middle Eastern music or dance set is common in the hotel districts, a fun, touristy way to close out the trip, just don’t expect it to be a deeply traditional cultural experience so much as resort entertainment.

Evening:

  • Activities: A spa evening or a quiet stretch on the beach is the right call after two active days, especially if you have an early flight the next morning.

Things to Know:

  • Egypt’s currency is the Egyptian pound. Cards work in hotels and larger restaurants, but small vendors, the Old Market, and park entrance fees are cash-only, so carry some pounds and small-denomination US dollars.
  • Arabic is the official language, and English is widely understood in the resort zone, though far less so once you’re outside it.
  • If your visit falls during Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking, or smoking in public during daylight hours out of respect, even though most resort restaurants still serve tourists as normal.
  • Negotiate everything upfront, from market prices to taxi fares to unofficial “guide” offers on the beach, since the asking price is rarely the real one.

Transportation:

  • Taxis are everywhere but essentially never use a meter in practice. Agree the fare before you get in, or use a hotel-arranged transfer, which typically costs more than street haggling but removes the argument entirely.
  • Rideshare apps like Uber and Careem operate in Sharm and show the price upfront, generally the least stressful option if you have signal and don’t want to negotiate.
  • Renting a car is possible but adds a layer of unfamiliar signage and driving norms that most short-stay visitors don’t need, given how compact the resort area is.

Tips:

  • Carry sunscreen and a hat every single day, the Sinai sun is intense even outside peak summer.
  • Dress modestly at mosques and other religious or conservative sites, covering shoulders and knees.
  • Bargain hard at the Old Market, but keep it good-natured, most vendors expect and even enjoy the back-and-forth.
  • Drink more water than feels necessary, dehydration creeps up fast in this climate and ruins more trips than sunburn does.