Ras Mohammed, Sharm El Sheikh
The verdict
- Best for: Snorkellers and divers who want the finest reef in the Red Sea and a wild protected park, and value travellers who share a tour or a taxi and bring their own gear, food and water.
- Best spot: Shark and Yolanda Reef by boat for the great walls, with Main Beach and the Aqaba Beach eel garden the standout shore sites, and the Mangrove channel for a gentle wander.
- Know this: Ras Mohammed is a national park, not a beach club. There are almost no facilities, so the value comes from a shared tour or a group taxi and packing everything you need.
Published 14 February 2026. Last reviewed 6 May 2026
Ras Mohammed is the best water in the Red Sea, and there is no need to hedge about it. The national park at the southern tip of Sinai protects a headland of coral walls that fall straight into deep blue, and the snorkelling and diving at Shark and Yolanda Reef are genuinely world famous. From the shore, Main Beach gives you a sandy strip above a dramatic drop off, and Aqaba Beach has a colony of garden eels swaying in the current. For anyone who came to Sharm for the reef, this is the day that justifies the trip.
The honest part is that Ras Mohammed is a wild protected park, not a serviced beach, and you should arrive ready for that. There are no clubs, no rows of loungers and very little shade or food inside the gate, so the comfortable resort day you get at Naama is simply not on offer here. You pay a park entry fee, foreign visitors need a passport at the barrier, and you carry your own water, snacks, sun cover and snorkel gear. Treat it as an expedition to the reef rather than a lazy beach day and you will love it.
On value, the maths is simple. A shared snorkelling tour by boat or minibus usually folds the entry fee, lunch and gear into one fair price and takes you to the boat only reefs you cannot reach on foot, which is the easy choice for most visitors. If you are a group, a taxi to the gate split between you, plus your own fees and a packed cooler, can come in cheaper and lets you linger at the shore sites. Either way the coral is free once you are in the water, so spend on getting there and on protecting the reef, float over it and never touch it, and let the fish do the rest.
Clubs on this beach
Ras Mohammed is a protected park with no beach clubs on the sand, so the way in is a tour or a private boat. We describe the options honestly and route enquiries through our directory, never inventing fees or amenities.
Shared snorkelling and diving day trips
The standard way to see the park, a shared boat or minibus from Sharm that bundles park entry, lunch and gear and reaches the boat only reefs at Shark and Yolanda. Verdict: the easiest value for most visitors, with the cost spread across the group and the planning done for you, with the price and exactly what is included to be confirmed.
Private taxi to the shore sites
A taxi to the gate and your own entry fee, then the shore reefs at Main Beach, Aqaba Beach and the Mangrove on foot. Verdict: cheaper for a group splitting the car and freeing you to linger, but you must bring all your own water, food, shade and gear and you miss the boat only reefs, with fees to be confirmed.
Ras Mohammed lies about thirty to forty minutes south of Sharm El Sheikh by road, reached on a shared tour, a private taxi or a dive boat from the marinas. Most visitors come on an organised snorkelling trip that handles the park entry, the transport and the boat reefs in one, while a group with its own car can drive to the gate, pay the fee and explore the shore sites. Foreign visitors should carry a passport for the checkpoint, and any Sinai only visa stamp may not cover the park, so check before you set off.
Pack as if there is nothing for sale inside, because there very nearly is not. Bring plenty of water, food, sun cover, a mask and reef shoes, and treat the coral as the treasure it is, floating over it and never standing on it. The water is calmest and clearest in the morning before the wind builds, the park closes in the late afternoon, and the sun is fierce with almost no shade, so an early start is both cooler and cheaper on your energy. Get the logistics right and this is the best value reef day in Sharm.
Plan a day at Ras Mohammed
Tell us your date and party and we will point you to the right reef trip and beach options at Ras Mohammed and across Sharm El Sheikh, from a shared snorkel tour to a quiet shore day. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
Is Ras Mohammed worth visiting from Sharm El Sheikh?
Yes, for the snorkelling and diving it is the best day out from Sharm. Ras Mohammed National Park sits at the southern tip of Sinai, about thirty to forty minutes away, and its reefs at Shark and Yolanda are world famous. It is a wild protected park rather than a serviced beach, so come for the coral and the wildlife, not for loungers and a bar.
How much does Ras Mohammed cost?
There is a park entry fee per person plus your transport, and foreign visitors need a passport to enter. A shared snorkelling tour by boat or minibus is the cheap way and usually folds entry, lunch and gear into one price, while a private taxi plus your own fee can also work. Exact fees change, so treat any figure as to be confirmed.
Can you visit Ras Mohammed without a tour?
Yes, you can take a taxi to the gate and pay the entry yourself, then explore the shore sites like Main Beach, Aqaba Beach and the Mangrove channel on foot. It is cheaper for a group sharing a car, but there are almost no facilities inside, so bring your own water, food, shade and snorkel gear. The boat reefs need a tour or a dive boat.
What is the best snorkelling at Ras Mohammed?
Shark and Yolanda Reef is the star, a pair of coral walls dropping into deep blue with huge schools of fish, reached by boat. From the shore, Main Beach has a stunning drop off and Aqaba Beach has a garden eel colony. Float over the reef and never stand on it, and remember conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Is Ras Mohammed good for families?
It suits families with confident swimmers and older children who want to snorkel, but it is a wild park with deep drop offs and few facilities, so it is not a paddling beach for toddlers. Bring everything you need, watch children closely near the reef edge, and pick a calm shore site like the shallows of Main Beach. We make no swimming safety promise.
When is the best time to visit Ras Mohammed?
Sharm is a winter sun star, so November to April gives warm comfortable days and a warm sea, while the shoulder weeks of October, November, March and May add the best value and calmer water. Summer is very hot with no shade in the park, so go early and carry plenty of water. See our Sharm El Sheikh when to go guide for the detail.
