Things To Do in Egypt

Pilgrims are drawn to St Catherine’s Monastery like bees to a honeypot. Looked after by the Greek Orthodox Church, it’s the oldest working Christian monastery in the world. Factor in a Mount Sinai home and a manuscript collection that gets historians’ pulses racing, and you'll understand why it’s not your average religious retreat. It may be a three-hour journey from Sharm El Sheikh, but thousands of people – both holidaymakers and pilgrims – take the trail every year.

If Noah had an aquarium instead of an ark, it would have looked a lot like Ras Mohammed National Park. This land and sea nature reserve, on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, spreads out for 480 square kilometres and almost three quarters of this is underwater. The dive sites out here have names like Shark Reef and Anemone City and, between them, they give a home to more than 1,000 species of fish and 150 different crustaceans.

The Red Sea Riviera is a dab hand at watersports. Whichever resort you’re headed for, you’ll find a great line-up, including windsurfing, sailing and kitesurfing. You can also do the fun stuff like banana boats and parasailing. Of course, it’s scuba diving that’s the biggest business. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, the PADI diving schools here cater for every level.

There are five kilometres of sand to play with on Taba Heights Beach, on the edge of the Sinai Peninsula. And when you want a break from sunbathing, the snorkelling and scuba diving is none too shabby, either. You only need to paddle a few metres from the shore to see the likes of sea horses and frog fish.

It’s no wonder Luxor has been dubbed the world’s greatest open-air museum. Built along the Nile, on the site of ancient Thebes, it’s the address of must-see sights like the Temple of Karnak – the largest religious site in the world. It’s also close to the Valley of the Kings, where Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered. The journey to Luxor takes two hours from Hurghada and three from Sharm El Sheikh, but it’s well worth going the distance.

Egypt’s capital is chaotic. We’re talking traffic jams with honking horns, street hawkers selling their wares and school kids calling out ‘hello’. It’s also home to three blockbuster sites – the ancient Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the Egyptian Museum, which houses relics from King Tut’s tomb. You can tick off all three in a daytrip from the Red Sea Riviera.

Literally meaning ‘sniffing the breeze’, this one celebrates the beginning of spring. It’s an ancient festival that’s thought to have started around 4,500 years ago when the pharaohs were around. It’s celebrated across Egypt though, in the Red Sea area, Hurghada’s the place to be. And it’s very much a family affair – you’ll spot people taking picnics in every available outdoor space, including the patches of grass by the road.

Forget posh beauty creams – head for Hurghada and take a dip in the salty pools dotted around Safaga's gold and black sand dunes for an all-natural spa treatment. These mineral-rich waters are famous for their skin-boosting properties, and the high saline levels are known to work magic on all sorts of health problems – from dry skin, to arthritis.

As far as dive sites are concerned, the Red Sea is home to the cream of the crop. Barracuda, butterfly fish, puffer fish and manta rays hang about here. Hundreds of dive centres operate in the region, so it can be tricky to know where to start, but a cluster of the centres with the best reputation are in the Three Corners Rihana Hotel and Resort in El Gouna.

The Red Sea has a seriously long list of underwater celebs – and we’re not talking about Nemo. You’ll find the fire engine-red Hurghada Star, the polka-dotted coral grouper and the egg yolk-yellow thorny seahorse. Ancient-looking giant turtles and moray eels cruise the warm waters, too. For a close-up without the snorkel, a glass-bottomed boat is the answer. Their transparent hulls give you a window to the reefs without getting wet.

You’ll feel out-of-breath just watching the athletes compete in this 12-day sports festival, which draws in sporty types from across the globe. First up is a triathlon, where participants test their mettle with running, cycling and swimming. After that comes the Mare Monti run, which makes the London marathon look like a stroll round Hyde Park. Competitors race each other for 46 miles in this off-road run – they peg it through the sea and up mountains. All that makes the half-marathon on the last day of the festival seem like a breeze…

There’s zero chance of getting bored on Sharm El Sheikh’s main stretch of sand. It’s backed by a promenade that runs the whole length of the bay, and squeezes in every shop, bar and restaurant you can think of. When the sun goes down, the neon lights make the whole place look like a city.

For a proper peek into Egyptian life, you can’t beat Hurghada’s downtown area, El Dahar. The original fishing village, it’s home to fish markets, the old harbour and traditional shops. The ultimate shopping experience, though, is in the labyrinth of stalls in the souk. Knowing where to start is mind-boggling, so just go with the flow and check out the spices, perfumes and food stalls as you wander.

Hurghada’s top beach is known as the Venice of the Red Sea. The sand here wraps around a series of lagoons, where you can see coral and Nemo-like clown fish. And at the bigger reefs in the Red Sea, you might come across green turtles or even a bottle-nosed dolphin.

There’s mile after mile of sand to explore in these parts, and how you do it depends on the pace you fancy. If you want to leave a trail of dust behind you, quad biking is the way to go. Or for an equally good adrenaline shot, minus the driving, tackle the dunes in a 4x4. Those who want to go slow, meanwhile, can take a trip on a camel.

If you’ve only got time to fit in one desert adventure, make it the Valley of the Camels – aka Wadi Gimal National Park – half an hour from Marsa Alam. Once upon a time, it was famous for its emeralds and gold and, although the loot is long gone, it still packs in plenty of treasures. Along with lunar-like scenery, you’ll find mangroves, mountains and acacia trees among its 6,000 square metres. It’s also home to wild gazelles – the last in Egypt, no less.

Sharks' Bay in Sharm is a no-brainer if you’re into scuba diving or snorkelling. Swim a few minutes from the shore and you’ll find coral gardens teeming with tropical fish. Head out a bit further and you might spot chunky Napoleon fish feeding around the deeper reefs. Back on dry land, there’s a relaxed vibe and a jetty to chill out on.