Sharm El Sheikh: where to stay and how to get there from Ireland

Winter sun in Sharm El Sheikh for Irish families and couples: flights from Belfast, connections from Dublin, entry rules and where to stay.

Why go

Sharm El Sheikh sits at the southern tip of the Sinai, on the Red Sea. It is warm all year, and the sea rarely drops below 22°C. That makes it one of the few beach options for Irish school breaks in winter.

The real draw is under the water. Coral reefs start just off the beach in many places, and Ras Mohammed National Park is close by. You can snorkel straight from many hotels, so children get to see reef fish without a boat trip.

Getting there from Ireland

No airport in the Republic has direct scheduled flights to Sharm El Sheikh. From Dublin, the usual routes are via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, or via London Gatwick or Manchester with easyJet or TUI Airways.

From Northern Ireland, easyJet starts a direct route from Belfast International on 25 October 2026. The flight takes about 6 hours.

Check the times of both legs if you book a connection yourself. Separate tickets do not protect you if a delay makes you miss the second flight.

Before you go

Irish passports need at least 6 months’ validity from arrival. Stay only in Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba or Taba, for up to 15 days, and you get a free entry stamp on arrival. Travel beyond these resorts, or a longer stay, needs a visa, which you can buy on arrival.

The Department of Foreign Affairs rates Egypt as “high degree of caution” and advises arriving in Sharm El Sheikh by air. Read its full advice before you book.

When to go

Average daily highs in Sharm El Sheikh:

December to February: 22°C to 24°C. Warm, with the sea at about 22°C to 24°C. Evenings can be cool.
March and April: 25°C to 30°C. Very good beach weather, with the sea at about 23°C.
May to September: 34°C to 38°C. Very hot. The sea warms from 25°C to 29°C.
October and November: 32°C falling to 27°C. The sea is still 26°C to 28°C.

Air and sea temperatures come from the Sharm El Sheikh climate tables on Wikipedia. These draw on the World Meteorological Organization, seatemperature.org and Weather Atlas.

Where to stay

Naama Bay: the centre of the resort, with a beach promenade, restaurants and shops.
Sharks Bay: north of Naama, with hotels close to good reefs.
Nabq: further north again, near the Nabq protected area, with large resort hotels.
Ras Um Sid: south of Naama Bay, one of the resort’s main hotel areas.

Good for

Winter sun during Christmas, February midterm and Easter.
Families who want a warm sea and easy snorkelling from the hotel beach.
Divers, with Ras Mohammed and the Straits of Tiran nearby.
Couples who want a week of reliable sun and an all-inclusive hotel.

Late deal tip

Check whether your hotel has a house reef with direct sea access. Some hotels sit on sandy bays, and others have a jetty over the reef. If snorkelling matters to you, it can make a big difference to your week, so read the hotel’s own description before you book.