Sharm El Sheikh, combining diving days with beach holidays and city excursions, is one of the centres worth researching in the Red Sea. Different boat days leaving from the same hotel may cover a reef, a wreck or another area. A good plan starts by deciding first what experience you want and how it will fit with your accommodation.
Where is Sharm and why is it a diving centre?
Sharm is a coastal city at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, surrounded by the Ras Mohammed and Nabq protected areas. Your accommodation, the dive centre and the boarding point may not all be in the same place. When choosing a hotel, ask not only about room features but also where and how the daily dive transfer is made.
Four distinct routes
- Local Sharm reefs: a starting point for research into the coastal areas near your accommodation and boat programmes.
- Ras Mohammed: a protected area where various reef sites are considered together.
- Tiran Strait: open-sea reefs that require daily route assessment because of current conditions.
- Thistlegorm: a wreck destination with its own experience and conservation requirements.
Dahab, by contrast, is a separate settlement and dive centre. When it is added to a Sharm programme, road transport, departure time and the return schedule should be explained separately.
Which experience level is needed?
A first dive experience, a training programme and a certified diver excursion are separate options. The ability to train in an area does not mean every site there is open to beginners. Give the operator your certification, your logged dive count and your last dive date. For wreck and strong-current route days in particular, ask for a separate suitability assessment.
Read the accommodation and dive package together
An all-inclusive hotel does not show that all services on the dive boat are included. Hotel meals, food and drink on the boat, equipment, park or local fees and transfers are separate items of an offer. The programme for a passenger who is not diving, whether a boat trip or a city tour, should also be stated clearly.
Sharm beyond diving
Shopping around Old Market and a visit to the Sharm El Sheikh Museum are options to research for time outside diving. Plan evening activities together with the next day's boat preparation and your need for rest. Entrance fees and transport for city tours are not automatically counted as part of a dive package.
When to go and how to prepare
When choosing a travel period, discuss with the operator not only air temperature but also expected water conditions, boat wind and your personal equipment needs. Daily site selection depends on current sea conditions. Plan your last dive before the flight and your return transport together, and also review an up-to-date expert guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does buying a Sharm tour include dives?
Only if it is clearly stated in the current programme. A general hotel or culture tour is not considered a dive package.
Is the same boat route followed every day?
The planned area and the site actually visited may differ. Ask about alternative routes and change conditions before booking.
Related diving guides
Overseas Diving Destinations · Egypt Tours
Source
Experience Egypt: Sharm al-Sheikh. Source checked: 19 October 2026. This page is a permanent guide; it is not an announcement of confirmed dates, prices or availability.
Compare your route
Ras Mohammed Diving Area Guide · Tiran Strait Reefs and Diving Guide · Thistlegorm Wreck: History, Diving Conditions and Preparation · Dahab and Blue Hole Diving Travel Guide
