SOHO Square: Sharm El Sheikh Travel Guide (4.5★)

A square that wakes up late

SOHO Square opens when the beach crowd is still under parasols. At the moment the gates open at 1pm and stay open until 3am, every day of the week. That schedule tells you what the place is for. It’s an evening destination that happens to be open in the afternoon.

The layout is simple. A paved central plaza with fountains sits at the middle. Restaurants, cafés and lounges ring it with outdoor seating facing the water. The Sinai mountains stand behind the low buildings, and the whole thing was planned as a resort leisure complex rather than a town square that grew up over centuries.

It’s one of the most-reviewed attractions in Sharm El Sheikh and is consistently well rated. Expect company. This is a stop on almost every hotel’s evening excursion list, not somewhere you’ll have to yourself.

When the fountains take the stage

The fountains are the reason most people come after dark. In daylight they’re a cooling feature you walk past on the way to lunch. Once the sky goes black, they’re set to music and lit in colour, and the terraces around them fill with people who’ve timed dinner around the show.

Show times are not something to guess at, and they can shift with the season. Ask at your hotel desk or at the square itself which evenings and hours the music runs. Then pick a table with a direct line of sight to the water before the plaza fills.

• For the show: a terrace table facing the central fountains
• For quiet: a lounge on the edge of the square, away from the plaza speakers
• For photos: the open paving around the fountain basins, where the lit jets frame against the dark hills

An ice rink in South Sinai

There’s real novelty in skating in a desert resort town. SOHO Square’s ice rink is one of its best-known draws, and it gives families something to do on an evening when everyone is tired of sand. It’s also the simplest answer for teenagers who’ve had enough of snorkelling.

The rink is indoors, so the chill is a genuine contrast to the warm air outside. Bring socks if you’re arriving in sandals, and a light layer if you plan to stay on the ice for a while. Check skating session times and rental details at the rink desk when you arrive.

Eating, smoking shisha and lingering

The restaurants are the square’s main business. Expect a broad mix aimed at an international resort crowd: Middle Eastern grills, Italian, Asian, cafés for dessert and coffee. Lounges with outdoor seating sit among them, and shisha is part of the evening for many tables.

Prices sit at resort level rather than local-street level. Each venue posts its own menu, usually at the entrance or on the table, so read before you sit. If you want cheaper Egyptian food, save it for the Old Market in Sharm El Maya and treat SOHO as the place you pay for the setting.

The late close changes how people eat here. Dinner rarely starts early. Many visitors drift in after an evening at the hotel, eat, wander and finish with coffee or shisha close to midnight.

Getting there from Naama Bay and the hotel strip

SOHO Square sits north of Naama Bay, in the stretch of large resorts towards Sharks Bay and the airport. It’s beside several big hotels, and guests staying in those can often walk over. From Naama Bay or further south, it’s a taxi ride rather than a stroll.

Your options:

• Hotel shuttle: many resorts in Sharm run evening buses to SOHO; ask at reception
• Taxi: the most flexible choice, especially for leaving late
• Organised excursion: often bundles transport with the fountain show

From the airport it’s a short drive, which makes it a realistic first-night or last-night stop if your flight times allow.

Taxis, tables and tipping at SOHO

A little local practice makes the evening smoother. Sharm taxis generally don’t run meters in a way visitors can rely on. Agree the fare with the driver before you get in, both on the way there and for the return. Leaving after midnight, the drivers waiting at the entrance know exactly how few alternatives you have.

At the restaurants, cards are widely accepted, but carry some Egyptian pounds for small purchases and tips. Bills often already include a service charge; check the bottom of yours. Leaving a little extra in cash for your waiter is normal and appreciated.

Booking isn’t usually needed for most tables. If you want a front-row seat for the fountain show at a specific restaurant, though, ask in the afternoon. Since the square opens at 1pm, you can walk over, reserve, and return after sunset.

Dress is resort-casual. Swimwear belongs at the pool, not here; shorts and a shirt are fine. Many families visit, so the mood stays relaxed rather than nightclub-loud on the main plaza.

Building a Sharm day around it

SOHO works best as the last stop on a full day. Its afternoon opening time means you can fold it into almost any plan.

• Morning: a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park, or snorkelling at Sharks Bay
• Late afternoon: rest at the hotel through the hottest hours
• Evening: SOHO Square for dinner, the fountains and perhaps the ice rink
• Another night: Naama Bay’s promenade or the Old Market and Al Sahaba Mosque for a different side of town

Give the square two to three hours. Longer only if you’re skating, eating a full meal and staying for coffee.