Experiences · Sea & water
Under the Red Sea, on it, and on the wind.
Diving, snorkelling, freediving, kitesurfing and sailing ask very different things of you. Filter by what you want to do and where you are staying, then put up to three side by side: the skill each needs, the time you actually spend in the water, and what you will see.
What do you want to do, and where are you staying?
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Starting prices are the lowest to expect; times are our planning estimates. Every detail is confirmed before anything is arranged.
Clear the comparison A felucca at sunset in Aswan Remove |  Your first kite Remove | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Starting priceUSD 25 per boatPer boat for your party; longer sails cost more.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices. | Starting priceUSD 418Per person for a beginner course with equipment.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices. |
| Where it starts | Aswan | El Gouna, Soma Bay, Dahab or Ras Sudr |
| Activity | Sailing | Kite & wind |
| Skill or certification | None | None; balance and core strength help |
| Minimum age | All ages | Set by the school |
| Time actually doing it | 1–2 hours on the water | Lessons as the wind allows |
| Total time | About 2 hours | Several days |
| Best season | Year-round; sunset comes early in winter | Depends on the beach; our kitesurfing guide compares them |
| What you see | Elephantine, the granite islands and the west bank at sunset | A shallow lagoon, with the wind doing the work |
| What it asks | Nothing but an easy step aboard. There is little shade, and the wind decides the speed. | Balance, strength in the core and legs, and days: wind decides how quickly you progress. |
| What we confirm first |
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| Next step | Ask about it Add to my trip | Ask about it Add to my trip |
Scuba diving · Hurghada
Your first dive in the Red Sea
No licence needed: a try-dive from a day boat with an instructor beside you, on a reef chosen for beginners.
Starting priceUSD 59- Place
- Reefs off Hurghada, Red Sea
- Time
- Full day by boat; one or two dives of about 30–45 minutes
- Needs
- None; a medical questionnaire comes first. 10 and over (PADI's standard).
What we confirm before you go
- A dive centre licensed through CDWS, and an instructor-to-beginner ratio agreed in advance
- Your answers to the medical questionnaire, and a doctor's sign-off where it asks for one
- The reef, the boat and whether national park fees are paid on the day
- A 24-hour gap between diving and any flight
Scuba diving · Sharm El Sheikh
The Thistlegorm
A British supply ship sunk in 1941, with its motorcycles and trucks still in the holds.
Starting priceUSD 93- Place
- Near Ras Mohammed, South Sinai
- Time
- Full day by boat; usually two dives
- Needs
- A certification suited to about 30 m, and recent dives. Set by your certification and the dive centre.
What we confirm before you go
- A dive centre licensed through CDWS, with a guide who dives the wreck regularly
- Your certification level and your last dive
- Weather and current on the day; the boat may not go
Boats & water sports · Hurghada
A boat of your own for the day
Your party, your crew and your pace: island beaches and snorkelling stops around the Giftun islands, without the crowded day boats.
Starting priceUSD 174 per boat- Place
- The Giftun islands, off Hurghada
- Time
- About 7 hours; as much or as little time in the water as you like
- Needs
- None; snorkelling gear and life jackets on board. All ages, with life jackets for children.
What we confirm before you go
- The boat's licence, life jackets for every size in your party and a working radio
- Island and national park fees, and whether Orange Bay's beach charge is included
- Lunch, drinks and dietary needs
- The wind forecast: the captain decides the route on the day
Freediving · Dahab
One breath in Dahab
A beginner freediving course in one of the world's freediving towns, down a line on a single breath.
Starting priceUSD 232- Place
- Dahab, South Sinai
- Time
- 2–3 days; theory, shallow-water sessions, then line dives
- Needs
- None; you must swim 200 m non-stop. Set by the school and the course standard.
What we confirm before you go
- A school teaching an internationally recognised course, with its instructor ratio
- Your medical statement, and what the school requires
- Course days that fit your route
Kite & wind · El Gouna, Soma Bay, Dahab or Ras Sudr
Your first kite
A kitesurfing course chosen beach by beach: the depth, the wind and the rescue boat.
Starting priceUSD 418- Place
- El Gouna, Soma Bay, Dahab or Ras Sudr
- Time
- Several days; lessons as the wind allows
- Needs
- None; balance and core strength help. Set by the school.
What we confirm before you go
- A licensed school at the exact beach you choose
- Lesson length, instructor ratio and the rescue arrangements
- Enough days for the wind to give you lessons
Sailing · Aswan
A felucca at sunset in Aswan
Sail, not engine: an hour or two on the Nile between the granite islands, as the light goes gold over the west bank.
Starting priceUSD 25 per boat- Place
- The Nile at Aswan, around Elephantine Island
- Time
- About 2 hours; 1–2 hours on the water
- Needs
- None. All ages.
What we confirm before you go
- A sailing felucca, not a motor launch, with a licensed captain
- Life jackets on board, and the length of the sail
- A departure time that catches the sunset for your date
Tours
Red Sea day trips by boat
Guided days with transport and the arrangements taken care of, each on request.
The Red SeaGiftun Island Snorkelling Trip from HurghadaFull day · about 8 hours
The Red SeaDolphin House Snorkelling Trip from HurghadaFull day · about 8 hours
The Red SeaRas Mohammed National Park and White Island Boat Trip from Sharm El SheikhFull day · about 8 hours
The Red SeaSataya Dolphin Reef Snorkelling Trip from Marsa AlamFull day · about 9–10 hours
Photography credits (3)
Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sovernigo, CC BY-SA 4.0; Alexander Vasenin, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Ask us
Not sure which sea & water experience fits?
Tell us where you are staying, when, and who is coming. We reply with what fits, the price for your party and what we confirm first. Nothing is booked until you accept.
Photography credits (6)
Igorgalli, CC BY-SA 4.0; Wikicomman, CC BY-SA 4.0; cattan2011, CC BY 2.0; Lars Plougmann, CC BY-SA 2.0; Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0; Przemyslaw "Blueshade" Idzkiewicz, CC BY-SA 2.0
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