Sharm El Sheikh City Tour, Local Markets & Hidden Gems

Most visitors to Sharm El Sheikh see the inside of a resort and the inside of a dive boat, and very little else. This guided tour is the fix: three of the places locals would actually send you, with a driver and an air-conditioned car so you are not haggling with taxis in the heat. Farsha Cafe. Built in stages into the cliff face at Hadaba, Farsha is a warren of cushioned terraces, lanterns and salvaged furniture stacked down towards the water. It is the best view in Sharm and the most photographed spot in town. Go for the view and a drink rather than a full meal. The Old Market. Sharm's original commercial quarter, and where prices drop noticeably compared with the resort strip. Spices, cotton, silver, alabaster and papyrus are the things worth carrying home. Haggling is expected and good-natured; a reasonable opening move is roughly half the first price quoted. Your guide can tell you what a fair figure looks like before you start. Soho Square. The modern counterpoint: a pedestrian square of fountains, restaurants, an ice bar and evening entertainment. It comes alive after dark, so this is usually the last stop. How it works. You are collected from your hotel and the tour runs privately for your group, so you can spend longer wherever you are enjoying yourself and skip anything that does not appeal. Bottled water is included. Meals, drinks and anything you buy at the stops are not, and gratuities are at your discretion. When to go. Late afternoon into the evening is the right call. The Old Market and Soho Square are both better after sunset, and the cliffside terraces at Farsha are uncomfortable in full midday sun between May and September.