Experiences · Sea & water
Under the Red Sea, on it, and on the wind.
About these experiences
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.
Side by side
Comparing 3 of 3
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 |  A boat of your own for the day 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. | Starting priceUSD 174 per boatPer boat for your party; the boat's size sets the quote.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices. |
| Where it starts | Aswan | El Gouna, Soma Bay, Dahab or Ras Sudr | Hurghada |
| Activity | Sailing | Kite & wind | Boats & water sports |
| Skill or certification | None | None; balance and core strength help | None; snorkelling gear and life jackets on board |
| Minimum age | All ages | Set by the school | All ages, with life jackets for children |
| Time actually doing it | 1–2 hours on the water | Lessons as the wind allows | As much or as little time in the water as you like |
| Total time | About 2 hours | Several days | About 7 hours |
| Best season | Year-round; sunset comes early in winter | Depends on the beach; our kitesurfing guide compares them | Year-round; calmer in the morning |
| What you see | Elephantine, the granite islands and the west bank at sunset | A shallow lagoon, with the wind doing the work | Island beaches, shallow reefs and sometimes dolphins |
| 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. | Very little: sun, sea and an easy climb on and off the boat. Tell us about anyone who cannot swim so that life jackets are ready. |
| What we confirm first |
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| Next step | Request a quote Add to my trip | Request a quote Add to my trip | Request a quote 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.
- Time
- Full day by boat
- Needs
- None; a medical questionnaire comes first
Starting priceUSD 59Read more : Your first dive in the Red SeaWhat 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
Comparison full (3) Add to my trip: Your first dive in the Red SeaScuba diving · Sharm El Sheikh
The Thistlegorm
A British supply ship sunk in 1941, with its motorcycles and trucks still in the holds.
- Time
- Full day by boat
- Needs
- A certification suited to about 30 m, and recent dives
Starting priceUSD 93Read more : The ThistlegormWhat 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
Comparison full (3) Add to my trip: The ThistlegormBoats & 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.
- Time
- About 7 hours
- Needs
- None; snorkelling gear and life jackets on board
Starting priceUSD 174 per boatRead more : A boat of your own for the dayWhat 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.
- Time
- 2–3 days
- Needs
- None; you must swim 200 m non-stop
Starting priceUSD 232Read more : One breath in DahabWhat 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
Comparison full (3) Add to my trip: One breath in DahabKite & 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.
- Time
- Several days
- Needs
- None; balance and core strength help
Starting priceUSD 418Read more : Your first kiteWhat 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.
- Time
- About 2 hours
- Needs
- None
Starting priceUSD 25 per boatRead more : A felucca at sunset in AswanWhat 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 for your date, wind conditions, accessible boarding and the weather-change policy
Tours
Red Sea day trips by boat
SharedReef dayGiftun Island Snorkelling Trip from HurghadaFull day · about 8 hours · The Red Seafrom USD 39
PrivateTemples, then the sea8 Days in Egypt: Cairo, Luxor and the Red Sea at Hurghada8 days · 7 nights · Cairo, Luxor and Hurghadafrom USD 1,175
SharedDolphins on their termsDolphin House Snorkelling Trip from HurghadaFull day · about 8 hours · The Red Seafrom USD 48
SharedWhere two gulfs meetRas Mohammed National Park and White Island Boat Trip from Sharm El SheikhFull day · about 8 hours · The Red Seafrom USD 50
SharedThe deep southSataya Dolphin Reef Snorkelling Trip from Marsa AlamFull day · about 9–10 hours · The Red Seafrom USD 71
PrivateThe pyramids from the Red SeaCairo and the Pyramids in a Day from Hurghada, by FlightFull day · about 12 hours · Hurghada and Cairofrom USD 320
PrivateThe pyramids from SinaiCairo and the Pyramids in a Day from Sharm el-Sheikh, by FlightFull day · about 12 hours · Sharm el-Sheikh and Cairofrom USD 360
PrivateThebes from SinaiLuxor in a Day from Sharm el-Sheikh, by FlightFull day · about 12 hours · Sharm el-Sheikh and Luxorfrom USD 380
PrivateSinai by nightMount Sinai at Sunrise and St Catherine's Monastery from Sharm el-SheikhOvernight · about 15 hours · Sharm el-Sheikh and South Sinaifrom USD 180
Photography credits (8)
Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY 3.0; Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sovernigo, CC BY-SA 4.0; Alexander Vasenin, CC BY-SA 3.0; Hesham Farouk Ragab, CC BY-SA 4.0; Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0; Djehouty, CC BY-SA 4.0; Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and cropped for display.
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Questions?
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)
Wikicomman, CC BY-SA 4.0; Igorgalli, CC BY-SA 4.0; cattan2011, CC BY 2.0; Lars Plougmann, CC BY-SA 2.0; Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0; Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY 3.0. Resized and cropped for display.
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