Sharm el-Sheikh (شرم الشيخ, also transliterated as
Sharm ash Shaykh and popularly known simply as "Sharm") is a well-known port and resort town at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, popular with package holiday makers and divers.
Understand
Sharm el-Sheikh is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Arabic world. But there are also some very good reasons to visit it if you are not the common tourist, who likes to lay on the beach all day. It is one of the
finest diving spots in the world and a trip into the desert is an unforgettable adventure.
The Sinai Peninsula is a remote desert mountain range. The rocky mountains are parted from the deep-blue sea by a flat desert strip. This combination of desert and sea is an incredible sight and makes you believe you are on a different planet.
About 15 years ago, Sharm el-Sheikh was nothing but a small fishing village with about 100 citizens. The Sinai had been occupied by Israel and was a restricted military area. But shortly after the israeli invading forces had left, the Egyptians started to build up a tourist destination with now a population of 10,000 people. There is now a nice promenade, a Hard Rock Cafe, one of the most modern hospitals in Egypt and so on.
OrientationNa'ama Bay part of the city is the center of nightlife and dining: most of Sharm's clubs, cafes, restaurants and shops are here.
Get in
See Sinai for information on the Sinai visit pass, which allows visa-free travel for up to 14 days.
By planeSharm el-Sheikh Airport () () is the largest in the Sinai and receives planeloads of charter tourists daily in the winter high season. The only airline for local flights is
EgyptAir. Your travel agent may have trouble booking flights with them but they can also be booked via
Expedia or
Travelocity.
For departures: timetable shows only nearest 1-2 hours, makes you watch over the row of check-in desks for your flight number.
Airport cafesCafes after security check are:
Sbarro (overcrowded), Cafe Europa
(on the back of the lounge, less crowded): sandwiches, coffee, Egyptian sweets; outlet of Caffè Ritazza' international chain coming soon (also in Athens, Budapest, Madrid, Milan, London, Paris, New York, Stockholm, Zurich, Vienna).
Shops in the airportAfter security check:
Patisserie offers lucums, khalva and other Egyptian sweets.
By boatInternational Fast Ferries
runs fast boats to Hurghada on the mainland Red Sea Coast, currently running four times weekly. The ride takes 1.5 hours and costs 250/450 LE one-way/return for foreigners. Warning: this ride is notoriously bumpy and prone to cancellations.
By car / By busSharm el-Sheikh can be reached by driving down the eastern coast from Eilat (Israel) via Nuweiba and Dahab, or via the western coast from Cairo. There are daily buses for both routes.
Get around
By Taxi In Sharm, most taxis are old Peugeots from 1980s, comfortably fitting 7 passengers (they have two rows of passenger seats behind a driver).
By Bus There is a bus...
