Egypt · zero cost
Free things to do in Sharm el-Sheikh
Free walking tours, public museums on free days, parks, viewpoints, and self-guided routes in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Bookable free walking tours and tip-based experiences via Expedia Attractions.
- ✓Free walking tours and tip-based experiences in Sharm el-Sheikh
- ✓Public viewpoints, parks, and waterfronts to wander
- ✓Museum free-day calendars on the listings that have them
- ✓Bookable for free · Powered by Expedia Attractions
What things cost in Sharm el-Sheikh
The Egyptian pound has been floated twice since 2022 and prices move accordingly, so treat any quote as current-day only. A meal in the Old Market runs a few hundred pounds against several times that inside a resort. Two-tank boat dives with equipment are usually quoted in euros or dollars rather than pounds. Ras Mohammed charges a per-person park fee plus a vehicle fee at the gate.
What's actually worth your time in Sharm el-Sheikh
The reef is the attraction and the rest is filler. Ras Mohammed, twelve kilometres south, puts Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef inside one drift, with the wreck's cargo of scattered bathroom fittings still lying on the sand. Tiran's Jackson and Gordon reefs are the day-boat standard. Naama Bay and SOHO Square are built environments; the Old Market at Sharm el-Maya is where local prices survive.
When the weather turns in Sharm el-Sheikh
Rain is close to irrelevant here and barely falls, though flash floods do hit the inland wadis a few days a year and can close the Dahab road. The real weather problem is wind, which cancels boat trips and shuts Tiran and Ras Mohammed to day boats without warning. Fall back on the Sharm museum, SOHO Square's indoor rink, or a dive-centre theory session.
What first-timers get wrong in Sharm el-Sheikh
Landing at Sharm airport you can take a free Sinai-only entry permit valid fifteen days, but it does not cover Ras Mohammed or anywhere beyond South Sinai, so buy the full visa if you intend to dive there or reach Cairo. Tipping is expected at every stage and small notes are essential. Agree taxi fares before getting in, because meters are essentially unused.
Sharm el-Sheikh's museums, and which one to pick
There is little here. The Sharm el-Sheikh Museum on the airport road opened in 2020 with several thousand pieces moved out of Cairo storerooms, spanning pharaonic and Greco-Roman material, and it is quiet enough to walk through almost alone. Otherwise the serious history means a long drive to Saint Catherine's Monastery below Mount Sinai, with its sixth-century church and icon collection.
When to go to Sharm el-Sheikh
| Best months for free-things | Avg daily high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| December | 25°C / 77°F | 0 days |
| January | 22°C / 72°F | 1 days |
| February | 23°C / 73°F | 1 days |
The month to avoid is July — around 40°C (104°F) with roughly 0 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: December is the sweet spot, July the month most people skip.
Pack for peak season: Summer clothes, plus one light layer for air-con and evenings, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.
Where to base yourself in Sharm el-Sheikh
- Naama Bay — Main tourist strip — restaurants, dive shops, souks, mid-range hotels.
- Sharks Bay — Higher-end resorts on the reef edge — home reef diving straight from your hotel beach.
- Nabq — Newer resort area 15 min north of the airport — quieter, larger all-inclusives.
- Old Market (Sharm el-Maya) — Original town — cheaper local restaurants, souvenir stalls, more authentic.