Sharm el-Sheikh Tours: Ras Mohammed and Tiran
Advisory, October 2026. Britain’s FCDO tells travellers to avoid all travel to North Sinai and all but essential travel to parts of northern South Sinai inland from the coast. It rates the southern Sinai Red Sea resorts as generally low risk and warns that regional escalation risk is high. The Taba crossing can close without much notice. Any tour that leaves the resort strip, such as St Catherine, Colored Canyon or a desert safari, deserves a look at the FCDO page for Egypt and at travel.state.gov , where Egypt is reported at Level 2.
Tours from Sharm el-Sheikh fall into three groups: boat trips to reefs and wrecks, jeep days across South Sinai, and a short evening drive to the mangroves. Operators usually quote in euros or US dollars, with the Egyptian pound at about 48 to 50 to the dollar. The free stamp at Sharm airport covers the resort area only. Ask each operator whether a trip needs a full visa, which costs 30 US dollars in cash on arrival.
Ras Mohammed by boat. Allow about six hours, including hotel pickup, lunch and snorkel stops such as Magic Lake. The park fee is roughly 5 to 8 US dollars a head (about 250 to 400 EGP) and is usually folded into the price. UNESCO lists the park as a Tentative List site, which is not the same as World Heritage status.
Tiran reefs. Day boats call at two or three of Jackson, Gordon, Woodhouse and Thomas reefs. Recent listings start near 26.50 euros for snorkelling and 68 euros for a certified dive. Tiran is Saudi territory since the 2016 to 2017 transfer, so the boats cannot land. The wrecks are the Lara on Jackson Reef and the Loullia on Gordon Reef.
SS Thistlegorm. The British freighter went down on 6 October 1941 with trucks, motorcycles, Bren guns and two locomotives on board. It rests at about 30 metres. The boat takes three to four hours each way (nearer 2.5 hours on a fast boat), so expect a 4 am start and a return at 5 or 6 pm, usually after two dives. Operators set their own certification rules, and some ask for Advanced Open Water plus 20 logged dives.
Mount Sinai and St Catherine. This organised overnight trip covers roughly 220 to 230 km each way and costs about 30 to 120 US dollars depending on inclusions. The summit climb needs a licensed Bedouin guide. St Catherine’s Monastery is a Greek Orthodox site, open mornings only and closed on Sundays, so check the day. It is a place of worship, so dress modestly.
Colored Canyon and Dahab. The canyon is near Nuweiba, about 190 to 210 km from Sharm, and each way takes 2.5 to 3.5 hours. The jeep day lasts 8 to 12 hours and usually adds Dahab or St Catherine. The walls reach about 40 metres.
Nabq 4x4 evening. About four hours with a camel ride and dinner. Nabq Protected Area has the northernmost Red Sea mangroves. Ask what the entrance fee covers.
Reef rules for every boat tour
Do not touch coral, stand on it or feed fish. Egyptian law bans all three. Wear reef-safe sunscreen and follow lifeguard and crew flags, as sharks are rare but real.
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Read more: our guide to day trips out of Sharm , plus overnight and multi-day options .