Sharm el-Sheikh Day Trips to Dahab and Sinai

October 31, 2026

Advisory, October 2026. The FCDO in London advises against all travel to North Sinai and against all but essential travel to the northern part of South Sinai inland from the coast. It describes Red Sea tourist areas in southern Sinai as generally low risk, and it adds that regional tensions are volatile. Inland roads pass checkpoints. Carry your passport, travel by day, and read the FCDO advice for Egypt first.

A day trip from Sharm el-Sheikh is a long road, a boat or both. Distances here are measured from the resort strip. The free arrival stamp at Sharm airport covers the resort area only, so ask your operator about visas before booking an inland day. Visa on arrival costs 30 US dollars in cash.

Dahab and the Blue Hole

Dahab is the easiest day out. The drive is about 80 to 95 km and takes 1 hour 15 minutes to 1.5 hours. The town is known for diving and windsurfing, with a lighthouse reef and a promenade. At the Blue Hole, the reef saddle at the entrance sits around 6 metres deep, and the sinkhole drops to just over 100 metres. The Arch, with its roof at about 55 to 56 metres, lies far below the 40 metre recreational limit, and operators require Tech 60 training. A policeman checks guides at the site. Estimates of the death toll run from roughly 130 between 1997 and 2012 to as high as 200, and a freediving safety diver died there in April 2025. Snorkel or dive only the saddle and bowl, and leave the Arch alone.

St Catherine and Mount Sinai

The trip runs about 220 to 230 km, roughly three hours each way, so it fills a whole day. The monastery belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church and sits in the UNESCO Saint Catherine Area (inscribed 2002). Hours are short: mornings only, closed on Sundays and on major Orthodox feast days. Entry is free. A licensed Bedouin guide is required for the Mount Sinai summit, reached by the Camel Path or the 3,750 Steps of Repentance in three to four hours, normally before sunrise. Treat the whole visit as a pilgrimage and dress modestly. Quads do not run here.

Ras Mohammed National Park

Between 20 and 35 km from Sharm, depending on the gate, the park fits a half day or a full one. It opened in 1983 as Egypt’s first national park and spans about 480 square km. Its place on UNESCO’s Tentative List (reference 1636) is not an inscription. The usual fee is roughly 5 to 8 US dollars per person. No fishing, collecting or touching of marine life is allowed.

Nabq Protected Area

About 35 km north, Nabq protects the most northerly mangroves of the Red Sea. The wreck of the Maria Schroeder lies about 100 metres offshore, and the area has Bedouin El Mezina heritage. Part of it needs a 4x4. Fee figures vary widely, so ask the operator.

Colored Canyon

Near Nuweiba, the canyon is a long trip: 190 to 210 km and 2.5 to 3.5 hours each way by road. Tours run 8 to 12 hours by jeep and often include Dahab or St Catherine. Walls rise to about 40 metres.

Trips that need more than a day

Cairo and Luxor are reached by air and need a full visa. They belong in a multi-day plan.

Look for departures on Viator or GetYourGuide . The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities publishes monastery hours .