Sharm el Sheikh, also referred to as the 'City of Peace', is one of the most popular Egypt travel destinations.

Spanning more than 70 km of open sea between the tip of Ras Muhammad and the Egyptian mainland at Hurghada, Sharm el Sheikh is renown for its idyllic beaches and diving sites .

Having been established in the 20th century as a small fishing village, Sharm el Sheik has grown over the years into a robust tourist centre with five-star hotels, water sports, shopping and entertainment. The region also boasts an extraordinary collection of marine life that includes sea turtles, dolphins and sharks.

Sharm el Sheikh is deemed one of the finest diving spots in the world; attracting millions of  travellers, mainly from Europe, North America and Middle East. Lack of intensive fishing on site coupled with big tidal movements, fascinating reefs and extraordinary marine life make Sharm El Sheikh one of Egypt's best dive sites.

Besides the incredibly wide array of colourful reef species, there are dolphins, sea turtles and sharks. The reefs are not only appealing but they also offer the best opportunity to swim with the sharks in the northern Red Sea.

Egypt travel aficionados have a variety of exciting Sharm el Sheikh tours to choose from; all of which can easily be organised from the city. They include, among many others, interesting tours to Ras Mohammed National Park, Abu Galam Protected Area and Mount Moses.

Ras Mohammed National Park, located at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, is the first and most famous of all national parks in the Red Sea region. The park was founded in 1989 and declared a National Marine Park, occupying 350 square metres of water body. Ras Mohammed is today one of the leading locations for snorkelling and diving in the world.

The national park is also famed for its coral reef ecosystems – recognized internationally as one of the world's best due to the park's diversity of flora and fauna as well as the reef's proximity to the shorelines. The colourful reefs are a sharp contrast to the arid neighbourhood.

Sharm el Sheik hotels and resorts organise full day excursions to the park. These excursions gives visitors the option of touring the Sharm el Sheik by land or by sea. Travelling overland takes visitors to one of the fascinating beaches where they swim or snorkel by the picturesque coral reefs. On the other hand, sailing into the sea takes boat-riding enthusiasts to some quiet bay where they can enjoy swimming and snorkelling in this beautiful underwater world.

Abu Galum Protected Area is also a fascinating comprising a natural park that is located between Dahab and Nuweiba. Boasting granite mountains that end suddenly on a narrow coastal plain fronted by rich coral reefs, Abu Galum is one of Egypt's most beautiful protected areas.

The area also encloses narrow sinuous valleys,  coastal sand dunes, gravel alluvial fans and low-lying semi sabkha. Excursions to the area take you to breathtaking sights of the desert and sea. Dozens of small, winding rivers run down from the mountains of Abu Galum to plunge into the sea.

Reachable only with off road vehicles, Abu Galum's only inhabitants are Bedouins - one of the best known groups from Jordan’s population - who live in huts by the beach. Abu Galum is said to contain the largest number of Nubian Ibex, Hyrax, Red Fox and Striped Hyena.

Excursions to St Catherine’s Monastery – the historical site built around Moses' burning bush – is a must in Sinai. Placed at the foot of Mount Moses, St Catherine Monastery was constructed by the order of the Emperor Justinian between 527 and 565 AD.

St Catherine Monastry provides a spectacular setting for priceless works of art, including Arab mosaics, Greek and Russian icons, Western oil paintings, paintings on wax, marbles, enamels, reliquaries and a large collection of illuminated manuscripts.

The monastery is the starting point of Mount Moses climbing adventurers. The excursion normally starts in the middle of the night so as to be to reach the peak of the mountain by sunrise. Mount Moses climbing adventure is quite easy as there is a smooth path to the top. The trek up the mountain is about two hours long.

Sharm el Sheik weather is dry year-round and this attracts tourists throughout the year. The red Sea region is famed for its consistent weather that enabling visitors from all over the world to escape their   winter or summer.

Access to Sharm el Sheik is usually through the town's international airport although a number of visitors prefer using Cairo International airport – the busiest airport in Egypt.