Several of Sharm's best-known destinations sit outside the city itself. Ras Mohammed National Park is the obvious day excursion for divers and snorkellers. Inland, Mount Sinai and St. Catherine's Monastery are usually visited together on a long night-and-morning trip from the resorts; the Coloured Canyon, Blue Desert, and End of the World Cinema are typical stops on a 4x4 desert circuit.
The town of Dahab, 90 minutes north up the Gulf of Aqaba, makes a worthwhile day or overnight trip — much smaller, more relaxed, and still a serious diving destination. Hurghada, across the Gulf of Suez by ferry, is the equivalent resort on the African mainland and is mostly useful as a transit point.