Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh are the two names almost everyone weighs up when booking a beach holiday in Egypt. They share a sea, a climate and a lot of sunshine, and from a distance they look interchangeable. On the ground they are quite different places — and the right one depends on what you want to do once you have unpacked.
Where they are
Hurghada runs for kilometres along the African mainland, on the western shore of the Red Sea. It is a working city as well as a resort, with a marina, a busy old quarter called El Dahar and a long line of hotels heading south towards Makadi and Sahl Hasheesh.
Sharm El Sheikh sits at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, across the water. It is smaller and was built almost entirely for visitors, around Naama Bay, the Old Market and a chain of resort bays.
The sea and the reefs
This is the question that decides it for many people.
In Sharm, coral reefs often start right off the beach. Many hotels have a "house reef" you can snorkel from a jetty, and Ras Mohammed National Park, at the very tip of Sinai, is one of the best-known dive areas in the world.
In Hurghada, the best snorkelling is usually a boat ride away. The Giftun Islands, a protected area just offshore, are the classic day out — white sand, shallow turquoise water and reefs full of fish. Beaches in town are often sandier and calmer, which many families prefer with small children.
Short version: if you want to step off the beach onto a reef, Sharm. If you are happy to take a boat and want sandy beaches, Hurghada.
Day trips
From Hurghada, Luxor is close enough for a full day trip by road — the Valley of the Kings, Karnak and the Nile in one long, unforgettable day. Desert safaris by quad or jeep start a short drive from most hotels, and there are dolphin trips, glass-bottom boats and submarine rides for anyone who would rather not get wet.
From Sharm, the famous outing is the night climb of Mount Sinai to watch the sunrise, often combined with St Catherine's Monastery. Dahab, a relaxed town with its own reefs, is about an hour away. Luxor and Cairo are far by road, so most visitors who want them fly.
If seeing ancient Egypt matters, Hurghada makes it much easier.
Atmosphere and evenings
Sharm is more compact and polished: Naama Bay and SOHO Square are made for an evening walk, dinner and a drink. Hurghada is bigger and more varied — the marina has restaurants and cafés, while El Dahar feels like an ordinary Egyptian town, which some travellers love and others find busy.
Paperwork
Many nationalities can visit the resorts of South Sinai, Sharm included, on a free Sinai-only entry stamp for short stays, while Hurghada needs a full Egypt visa. Rules change, so check the current requirements for your passport before you travel.
So which one?
Choose Hurghada if you want:
- easy day trips to Luxor and the desert
- calm, sandy beaches for children
- a bigger town with more choice, from budget to luxury
Choose Sharm El Sheikh if you want:
- reefs straight off the beach and world-class diving
- Mount Sinai at sunrise
- a compact resort that is easy to get around
Either way, you will not regret the Red Sea.
Plan your days
See the best-rated things to do in Hurghada or in Sharm El Sheikh. Staying in Hurghada? After a long day on a boat, our hammam and massage collects you from your hotel and you pay in cash on the day.
