Ras Mohammed National Park is Egypt’s first national park, protected since 1983, at the very southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula just south of Sharm El Sheikh. The best way to see it is a full-day boat trip: three snorkeling stops on some of the Red Sea’s best-known reefs, a BBQ lunch on board and a swim at White Island, a sandbar ringed by shallow turquoise water. You don’t need to be a strong swimmer — with a life jacket you float without effort, and there are dry alternatives if you’d rather not get in at all.
What is Ras Mohammed National Park?
Ras Mohammed sits where the Gulf of Suez meets the Gulf of Aqaba. It was declared a protected area in 1983, the first in Egypt, and the rules are taken seriously: no collecting shells or coral, no fishing, no feeding the fish and no standing on the reef.
On land there are desert tracks, viewpoints, mangroves and the Magic Lake, a very salty lagoon by the shore. Underwater is the part people travel for: reef walls covered in hard and soft coral, clouds of small orange fish, parrotfish and butterflyfish. Nobody can promise you a turtle, but the reef on its own is worth the trip.
The reefs: Shark, Yolanda and the rest
Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef
The most famous names in Ras Mohammed are Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef, two coral pinnacles side by side at the tip of the peninsula. The walls fall away into very deep water, so the colours change from bright yellow and pink near the surface to deep blue below you. Yolanda is named after a cargo ship that hit the reef; part of its cargo still lies on the seabed at diving depth.
How the stops are chosen
Here’s the honest part: no captain can guarantee a particular reef. The tip of the peninsula is exposed to wind and current, so the crew decides on the day where it is safe and pleasant to snorkel. On calm days that can mean the Shark and Yolanda area; when the sea is lively, the boat heads for more sheltered spots. A sheltered reef in clear water beats a famous one in rough chop every time.
White Island: a sandbar in the middle of the sea
White Island is a long strip of white sand in the Ras Mohammed area that you can only reach by boat. Around it the water is shallow and impossibly turquoise, and its shape shifts a little from one visit to the next as the sea moves the sand. It’s one of the highlights of our White Island & Ras Mohammed boat trip.
The boat anchors close by and you swim or wade across. A few practical points:
- There is no shade on the island, so take a hat and put sunscreen on before you go.
- Water shoes help — the sand can be hot and there are bits of broken coral at the edges.
- Leave shells and coral pieces where they are; you are still inside a protected park.
- If you’re not a confident swimmer, keep your life jacket on for the crossing from the boat.
Boat trip or land visit?
Ras Mohammed can be visited by sea or by road, and they are honestly two different days out.
| By boat | By road | |
|---|---|---|
| What you see | Reef walls from the water, three snorkeling stops, White Island | Bays, viewpoints, the Magic Lake and the mangroves |
| White Island | Yes | No — boat only |
| Food | BBQ lunch and soft drinks on board | Bring your own |
| Best for | Snorkelers, families, anyone who loves the sea | People who get seasick, photographers who want the coastline |
| How to go | A full-day boat trip with hotel pick-up | A private car with driver by the day |
For most first-time visitors the boat is the right choice: the reef walls and White Island are what make Ras Mohammed famous, and you only see them properly from the water. If you go by road, carry your passport for the checkpoint.
A typical day on the Ras Mohammed boat trip
Every day at sea is a little different, but this is how our Ras Mohammed boat trip typically runs:
| Roughly when | What happens |
|---|---|
| Early morning | Hotel pick-up in an air-conditioned car or minivan; the exact time depends on your hotel area and is confirmed on WhatsApp. |
| Morning | Arrival at the marina and port registration (this is why you need your passport or a copy). |
| Mid-morning | Sailing south along the coast, with the Sinai mountains sliding past. |
| Late morning | First snorkeling stop, after a short briefing on the reef and the current. |
| Around midday | Second snorkeling stop, then BBQ lunch and soft drinks on board. |
| Early afternoon | White Island: swimming, wading and photos in the shallow water. |
| Afternoon | Third snorkeling stop if conditions allow, then the sail back. |
| Late afternoon | Back at the marina and drop-off at your hotel. |
The order of the stops can change with the wind, the current and how busy each mooring is.
Snorkeling tips for beginners and non-swimmers
Plenty of guests on this trip have never snorkeled before, and some can’t swim at all. That’s fine. What makes the difference:
- Wear a life jacket if you’re unsure in the water. It keeps you floating face-down without effort, so all you do is breathe and look. Ask the crew to tighten it — a loose one rides up around your ears.
- Practise at the ladder first. Hold the ladder, put your face in the water and breathe slowly through the snorkel until it feels normal. Then let go.
- Check the mask seal. Press the mask to your face without the strap and breathe in gently through your nose — if it stays on, it fits. Rinse it in sea water just before you get in to stop fogging. If you own a mask that fits well, bring it.
- Use fins only where the crew says so, and keep your kicks small near the reef. One careless kick can break coral that took decades to grow.
- Never touch or stand on the coral. It is alive, it is protected, and some of it stings.
- Cover your back. The classic Red Sea mistake is a sunburnt back from floating face-down for an hour. A rash guard or an old T-shirt solves it.
- Stay with the group and keep the boat in sight. If you get tired, just lie still — the life jacket does the work.
Local tip: if you tend to get seasick, take whatever you normally use before you board, not once the boat is already moving. Sit outside, look at the horizon and keep your phone in your pocket on the way out.
Prefer to stay dry?
If open water isn’t for you, or you’re with small children or older relatives, two easy alternatives still show you the reef. A glass-bottom boat trip lets you watch coral and fish through the hull with shade on board, and the semi-submarine takes you down into an air-conditioned lower cabin with big windows right next to the reef.
What to bring
- Passport or a copy — needed for port registration on the morning of the trip.
- Reef-safe sunscreen, applied at the hotel before you leave.
- Towel and swimwear — wear your swimsuit under your clothes to save time.
- Rash guard or T-shirt for snorkeling, plus a hat and sunglasses for the deck.
- Water shoes for White Island.
- A light jacket from December to March: the sail back can feel cool once you’re wet.
- Cash for tips for the crew — tipping is customary in Egypt, and Egyptian pounds, US dollars and euros are all accepted in tourist areas.
- A waterproof phone pouch if you want photos at White Island — and leave other valuables at the hotel.
Best time of year and sea conditions
You can snorkel at Ras Mohammed all year. The sea is at its coolest around February, when it sits at about 21–22°C, and warmest in August at around 27–28°C. For most people, March to May and October to November are the sweet spot: warm water, comfortable days on deck and plenty of sunshine.
Summer (June to September) is hot — 35–40°C or more on land — but the breeze on the boat helps and the water feels like a warm bath.
Winter (December to February) brings mild days and occasional strong wind. The crossing can be bumpy, and on the windiest days the port authority can keep boats in harbour. In winter, book the boat trip early in your stay so there’s room to move it if the weather turns, and bring a shorty wetsuit if you feel the cold. For a month-by-month picture, read our guide to the best time to visit Sharm El Sheikh.
Booking Ras Mohammed with Mido Tours
The Ras Mohammed and White Island boat trip is one of the most-reviewed trips on our site and the day we recommend to almost anyone who wants just one day at sea. Mido Tours is a family-run Sharm team with more than ten years in South Sinai, and we handle the hotel pick-up and drop-off.
Send your date, the number of people and your hotel on WhatsApp at +20 10 1868 1624 and you’ll get a clear quote, usually within minutes. Travelling with children? Our guide to Sharm El Sheikh with kids has more family ideas.
