Shopping in Sharm el-Sheikh - where and what to buy

Shopping in Sharm el-Sheikh

As in any resort in Egypt, tourist shopping in Sharm el-Sheikh is very developed. We can even safely say that in addition to relaxing on the beaches and relaxing in an all-inclusive hotel bar, shopping is the main entertainment and evening pastime for most holidaymakers in Sharm el-Sheikh. However, in this seemingly simple matter, there are features, without knowing which it is easy to buy some completely useless nonsense or greatly overpay for purchases. We will tell you about what to buy in Sharm el-Sheikh and how to do it so as not to be deceived.

What do tourists buy in Sharm el-Sheikh?

Sharm el-Sheikh is the second most popular and largest resort in Egypt after Hurghada, respectively, you can buy almost anything here. Traditional souvenirs such as magnets and key chains, souvenir plates, papyri, beautiful bottles with sand paintings, figurines of cats and pharaohs, scarab beetles and much more are especially popular among vacationers. You can also buy aromatic or cosmetic oils, inexpensive natural Egyptian cosmetics. From the food you can bring spices, exotic fruits and oriental sweets, special varieties of tea and coffee. Inexpensive Egyptian medicines have been especially popular with experienced "vacationers" in Sharm el-Sheikh for a long time, because the price for them here is several times lower than at home. Well, just for the sake of profit, you can buy inexpensive products from local cotton and textiles, these are T-shirts, shirts, bed linen.

But we will not describe everything in detail about purchases, since we have already told all this in the article – What to buy and bring from Egypt and all about Egyptian shopping.

The best places to shop and where to buy souvenirs in Sharm el-Sheikh

Sharm el-Sheikh is a very large city, its districts stretch for more than 30 kilometers along the coast. Moreover, the peculiarity of the resort city is that most of the tourist areas are separated from each other and isolated from the rest of the city by wastelands. Because of this, some areas, especially the newest ones, are not very suitable for full-fledged shopping. If you decide to fully engage in shopping, we advise you to visit these places:

• Old Market in the area of Sharm el-Maya in the south of the city. This is perhaps the most popular point for tourist shopping. Everything and everyone is sold here, brisk trade is conducted from street stalls and boutiques, in souvenir shops and jewelry salons. They even take vacationers from hotels to the old market in the form of an evening excursion, because it is also a local landmark, perhaps the most colorful place in the whole of Sharm el-Sheikh.

  You can visit the old market with an evening excursion from the hotel, get there yourself by taxi or by local minibuses. Almost all minibuses in the city go to The old market, as it is the final stop and a very important point for the landmark. Read more about transportation in Sharm el-Sheikh and how to use it for tourists here.

• Naama Bay is the most developed and one of the most popular tourist areas of Charm. It is compact, and trade here is conducted everywhere and from everywhere, although of course not as active as in the old market. The streets of Hessein Salem, Malek al Bahrain and Al Sultan Qabos are especially good for shopping.

  Naama Bay is located almost in the geographical center of the city, and almost all fixed-route taxis pass through it along the main El Salam road. So just get on the first bus in the right direction and tell the driver that you have to go to Naama Bay.

• Souvenir shop at fixed prices Fix Price is located on Al Sultan Qabos Street in Naama Bay district. In our opinion, this is the best place to buy inexpensive souvenirs for those who do not like and do not know how to bargain. Prices here are strikingly low compared to what is usually offered to tourists in the markets. In Fix Price, the price for all products is indicated in Egyptian pounds, and at the checkout, if desired, you can pay with dollars or a bank card.

• Shop with fixed prices Mango Market is another low–price store that is suitable for those staying in the Hadaba area, which includes the tourist areas of El Fanar and Sharm el-Maya. Here you can buy not only souvenirs, but also other goods popular with tourists, such as fruits and clothes. The prices on the price tags here are about two times less than those that you will be called on the market. Of course, if you want and know how to market, you can bargain up to a lower price, but for this you need to know it, and you can find out just by visiting Mango Market.

  Mango Market is located on Al Benouk Street in El Fanar district. Minibuses do not go here, and therefore you will have to take a taxi or walk about two kilometers from the Old Market.

• Carrefour Supermarket is the largest supermarket in Sharma. Here you can buy groceries and manufactured goods, clothes, but there are no souvenirs. But you can buy fruits at the lowest price in the city, something interesting from local products and semi-finished products, inexpensive olive oils and sauces, cosmetics, sweets, spices, coffee and tea. You can pay for purchases here only with Egyptian pounds or a bank card.

  Carrefour is located between the districts of Hadaba and Naama Bay quite far from hotels and tourist areas, but you can get here inexpensively by any minibus along the main street of El Salam, just tell the driver what you need in "Carefour".

• Soho Square is an entertainment complex, a place for walking and shopping near the airport. It is believed that this is the cleanest, most beautiful and modern place in Sharm el-Sheikh, and guides advise you to go here, including for shopping. We do not agree with this, and we think that shopping there is too expensive. But it's worth a trip to have fun or just take a walk.

  You can also get to Soho with an evening excursion from hotels, by taxi, or by city minibuses. In a taxi or in a minibus, just tell me what you need in Soho Square.

• Souvenir shop in the Old Market
• One of the modern supermarkets in Charm

And this is actually not a supermarket, but an ordinary local store.

There are many more large and small shops, markets, shopping centers in Sharm el-Sheikh, and above we have listed only the most popular and familiar ones. If you have something to add, we will be glad to receive new information in the comments or forum posts.