Old Market Sharm El Sheikh: Shopping, Food & Visitor Guide

Yes, for an evening. You get Al Sahaba Mosque lit up, lanes of spice, perfume, silver and souvenir shops, and good cheap Egyptian food and seafood. The area was renovated in 2022, so it is cleaner and more open than an old maze-like souk. It is not the place for brand-name shopping.

In Sharm El Maya, the old town in the south of Sharm El Sheikh, next to Al Sahaba Mosque. It is about 10 to 15 minutes by taxi from Naama Bay and about 20 minutes from the airport and from Sharks Bay. Ask the driver for "Sharm El Maya, Old Market" (Souk El Qadim).

The market lanes are a public area and open 24 hours. Most shops trade from about 10:00 to 01:00 every day, and restaurants until around midnight. Many stalls open properly only from late afternoon.

After sunset, roughly 18:00 to 23:00, when it is cooler, the lights and the mosque are lit and the cafes are full. For calmer bargaining, go on a weekday afternoon or late in the evening when the tour groups have left.

Good buys are spices and hibiscus tea, perfume oils in glass bottles, silver jewellery and cartouche pendants with your name, sand-art bottles, papyrus, galabeyas and scarves, lanterns and leather goods. Be careful with carpets sold as antiques, cheap "saffron", fake designer goods and labels that say "Egyptian cotton".

Prices are not fixed in most shops. Ask the price, answer with about 30 to 50 percent of it, and expect to settle around 60 to 80 percent of the first price. Stay friendly, agree the currency before you pay, and walk away politely if the price does not suit you. Some shops post fixed prices if you prefer not to haggle.

A taxi takes 10 to 15 minutes and costs about 100 to 150 EGP one way; agree the fare before you get in. Shared minibuses along the main road cost about 15 to 25 EGP per person and stop a short walk away. Many hotels run a free shuttle on set days, so ask at reception. A private car or guided tour includes the transfer.

Yes. It is a busy, well-lit tourist area with families walking around in the evening. Take normal care with bags and phones in crowds, and keep small notes handy so you do not show a large amount of cash.

Bring Egyptian pounds in cash: you get the best prices with them. Euros and US dollars are often accepted but at worse rates, and cards work mainly in the larger shops and restaurants. There are bank ATMs in and around the market.

Light clothes that cover the shoulders and knees are best, as the market is next to a mosque. To go inside Al Sahaba Mosque, women also need a headscarf and long sleeves, and everyone takes off their shoes.

Yes, outside the five daily prayer times and with modest clothing. Entry is free. Stay in the visitor areas and keep quiet inside.

Two to three hours is enough to walk the lanes, see the mosque and shop a little. Add an hour or two if you want a sit-down dinner or a shisha cafe.

Almost. Sharm El Maya is the old-town district; the Old Market is the shopping area inside it, around Al Sahaba Mosque. Locals use the names for the same place.

No. Farsha Cafe is on the Hadaba cliffs, about 15 to 20 minutes away by taxi. Many visitors do both in one evening: the Old Market for shopping and dinner, then Farsha Cafe.

Yes. Ask before you photograph people or the inside of a shop, and do not take photos inside the mosque during prayer. The mosque and the lit main street look best just after sunset.