Things to Do in Red Sea

North of Hurghada’s luxury resorts lies the Old Town of El Dahar, where you’ll find the city’s most authentic restaurants and shops. A highlight of the area is a traditional Egyptian souk that’s crammed with shops selling leather, copper, papyrus, spices, and shisha pipes.

Just 4 miles (6 kilometers) off the Sinai coast, Tiran Island technically belongs to Saudi Arabia—yet its waters are part of Egypt’s Ras Mohammed National Park. The challenging diving around the Straits of Tiran is some of Egypt’s best, while the island is a mecca for snorkelers who appreciate its crystal waters and unspoiled coral reef.

In the Makadi Bay resort area south of Hurghada, Makadi Water World is one of Egypt’s biggest water parks. Fifty different rides and slides include 25 adult-centered experiences such as Twister, Kamikaze, Space Boat, Black Hole, and Turbo Tunnel, and 25 kid-friendly rides. There’s also a surf simulator, wave pool, and lazy river.

With dancing fountains, live performances, a 7D cinema, shops, and eateries, Hollywood Sharm el Sheikh is part theme park, part shopping mall. Kids generally adore the dinosaurs, the animated hosting team, and the cinema, while adults value the choice of restaurants.

The open-air theater at the Hurghada Alf Leila Wa Leila hotel plays host each evening to the spectacular Fantasia show, often known as Alf Leila Wa Leila (1,001 Nights. The 2,500-capacity space delivers a feast of Arab, Bedouin, and Egyptian culture, folklore, history, and dance, complete with a horse show and an illuminated fountain.

The only dolphinarium in South Sinai, Sharm el Sheik's Dolphina Park houses a pod of dolphins in its state-of-the-art facilities. Trained professionals care for and work with the dolphins—naturally very intelligent and playful animals—while giving visitors to the park an opportunity to observe these cetaceans and learn more about their behaviors, habitats, and social structures. Check out the dolphin shows to see highly choreographed performances showcasing the dolphins' intelligence.

The Red Sea channel draws tendrils of Indian Ocean water up through Africa and Arabia to Egypt, Jordan, and Israel. Divers and snorkelers appreciate the Red Sea’s clear waters and colorful coral and marine life, while sandy beaches lure sun worshippers from around the world.

Egypt’s rare porphyry was highly valued by the ancient Romans, and this former Roman quarry—once a thriving settlement of houses, temples, and workshops—was mined for its precious purple and white crystalline stone, used to decorate columns, sarcophagi, and temples. Relics and ruins of this activity remain at this archaeological site.

Sharm el Sheikh Old Town (Sharm el Maya) was the first resort area in Sharm el Sheikh, created when the Israelis occupied the Sinai Peninsula after the Six-Day War. Today, the Old Market is a major point of interest in the area, a popular beach resort.

A resort town in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, Sharm el Sheikh offers snorkeling, diving, and desert trips. It's also close to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of St. Catherine’s Monastery. Ships dock at the in-town Sharm el Sheikh Port (rather than at a dedicated cruise port), and you may need to tender if another ship is docked.

Part of Aqua Park City, the Aqua Blu Water Park (also known as Aqua Blu Aqua Park is one of Sharm el Sheikh’s biggest water parks. More than 60 different slides and games offer something for everyone—from freefall, high-speed, and kamikaze slides through to a little kids’ zone and even rides for infants.

Named for the Egyptian military hero Abdul Munim Riad, the Abdel-Moneim Riad Mosque can be spelled many different ways in English. Built in the early ’70s, not long after Riad was killed in action, the mosque’s twin minarets tower above El Dahar (Old Town, Hurghada’s most traditionally Egyptian district.