Hamata islands
Snorkeling Trips from Marsa Alam
A full day by boat to white sandbanks and shallow turquoise lagoons, with two or three snorkel stops and lunch on board.
Reefs, dolphins & the Nile Valley
Marsa Alam is the quiet end of Egypt's Red Sea coast. The reef starts a few metres from the beach, the hotels are spread out along an empty shoreline, and the boat trips still go to places that feel wild: the Hamata islands with their white sand and shallow lagoons, Samadai reef where spinner dolphins come to rest during the day, and Abu Dabbab bay, where green turtles graze on the seagrass close to shore.
Inland, the Eastern Desert and Wadi El Gemal National Park are where the jeep and quad safaris go. Luxor and Aswan are about four hours away by road, close enough for a full day among the temples, and Cairo can be reached on a longer trip. On this page you will find all our Marsa Alam tours sorted by type: snorkeling trips, dolphin trips, diving, desert safaris, historical tours to Luxor and Aswan, and private trips.
Every excursion includes hotel pickup, there is no deposit to pay, and you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before.
Reefs, dolphins, desert and the temples of the Nile Valley. Every excursion picks you up at your hotel, with no deposit and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
On the water 4 tour typesSwipe →
A full day by boat to white sandbanks and shallow turquoise lagoons, with two or three snorkel stops and lunch on board.
Intro dives with an instructor, or boat dives on the southern reefs.
Desert & local life 3 tour typesSwipe →
Jeep and quad rides through the mountains behind the coast, ending with tea and dinner at a Bedouin camp.
Spices, cotton and gifts, with a guide who knows where to buy.
Nile Valley & ancient Egypt 4 tour typesSwipe →
Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut in one full day.
The Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum.
Plan your stay 3 optionsSwipe →
Your own car, driver and guide, on your timing. The easy choice for families and small groups.
Guide
Private cars between Marsa Alam airport, your hotel, Port Ghalib and Hurghada, at a fixed price.
Short answers from our team.
If you only take one boat trip, make it the Hamata islands or Samadai reef. Hamata has the clearest water and the whitest sand on this part of the coast, and Samadai is where you can snorkel near wild dolphins. Abu Dabbab bay is worth a morning for the turtles. For a change from the sea, a jeep safari into the desert ends with tea at a Bedouin camp. And if you have a free day, go to Luxor: Karnak and the Valley of the Kings are only about four hours away. See all snorkeling trips, dolphin trips and Luxor tours from Marsa Alam.
Prices depend on the trip. These are our starting prices per adult:
Hotel pickup in Marsa Alam is included in the price, and you pay on the day of the trip.
Yes. Both are about four hours each way by road through Edfu, so you leave before sunrise and get back in the evening. In Luxor the usual day covers Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut. In Aswan you see the High Dam, Philae Temple and take a felucca on the Nile. Cairo is much further, more than 700 km, so check each Cairo trip page to see how the journey is organised. See all Luxor tours and Aswan tours from Marsa Alam.
Dolphins live at Samadai reef, known as the Dolphin House, a horseshoe-shaped reef where spinner dolphins rest in the lagoon during the day. Part of the reef is closed to protect them, so you snorkel in the permitted area and let them come to you. Sightings are very likely but never guaranteed. For turtles, Abu Dabbab bay is the easiest place: green turtles feed on the seagrass in shallow water, often a short swim from the beach. See our dolphin trips from Marsa Alam.
Young children usually enjoy the semi-submarine most, because they see the fish without getting in the water. The Hamata islands are good for families too, with shallow, calm lagoons around the sandbanks. On a desert safari, children ride in the jeep or with a parent instead of driving their own quad. Luxor and Aswan mean eight hours on the road in one day, so they suit older kids better. See our submarine trips and snorkeling trips.
Yes. An intro dive needs no licence: an instructor explains the equipment, stays next to you the whole time and takes you down to a shallow reef. Certified divers can go further, to the offshore reefs. Elphinstone, the most famous one, has strong currents and is for experienced divers only. See our diving tours from Marsa Alam.
Marsa Alam is about 270 km south of Hurghada, around three and a half hours by road. Many guests fly into Marsa Alam airport, which is close to Port Ghalib. We run private transfers from both airports and between hotels along the coast, at a fixed price agreed before you travel. See our transfers from and in Marsa Alam.
Yes, pickup and drop-off from your hotel in Marsa Alam are included. Hotels here are spread along a long coast, so pickup times differ from hotel to hotel. To book, send us your hotel name, the date and the number of adults and children on WhatsApp at +20 120 290 5255. We confirm availability and your pickup time, and you pay on the day.
English
Deutsch
Français
Polski
Čeština
Italiano
Română
Русский
Español
Türkçe
Nederlands
Magyar
Українська
Português
српски