The Red Sea is home to over 1,000 species of fish, vibrant corals swarming with colourful fish, world-class wreck diving, mantas, tuna, wrasse, dolphins, dugongs, and a variety of sharks including hammerheads, grey, and white tip. Add to that the myriad walls and pinnacles to explore, and you'll understand why it's impossible to see everything in just one trip. Liveaboard diving offers access to offshore Marine Parks and the Red Sea’s more remote locations. Four of our dive partners operate in the region, and each offers a unique and unforgettable experience

Egypt Red Sea

What to expect

Itinerary Highlights

• Brother Islands: The northernmost part of Egypt's offshore marine park comprises two islands 60 km from the coast and 140 km south of Hurghada. Big Brother, the larger island, (complete with a lighthouse from 1883) is 400 meters long with a spectacular plateau on the southeast corner, dotted with coral mountains, and famous for thresher and grey reef shark sightings. On the western side of Big Brother are two impressive wrecks both positioned almost vertically beside the reef. The most spectacular is the Numidia, a large cargo steamer that sank in 1901 and now lies at the northern tip of the island between 10-80 meters, is covered in soft corals and frequented by large pelagic predators. The smaller wreck of the Aida was a lighthouse authority supply vessel that sank in bad weather in 1957 and now rests on the northwest side of the island between 28-60 meters. Small Brother Island is a little over 200 meters long but hosts an incredible concentration and variety of marine life. There is a pristine fan coral forest, a massive collection of hard and soft corals, and compelling overhangs to explore. The main attraction is the abundant pelagic marine life with regular, seasonal sightings of hammerhead, thresher, grey reef, and oceanic whitetip sharks.

    

• Daedalus Reef: This huge tear-drop-shaped reef rises from the sea bed in the middle of the Red Sea, 80km offshore and more than 300km south of Hurghada. Easily recognized by its zebra-striped lighthouse, this reef offers some of the most amazing dives in the Red Sea. The sheer walls are covered in overgrown hard coral formations and a variety of reef fish. Napoleon wrasses and turtles are often seen cruising by, but be sure to keep your eyes on the blue too! Daedalus is one of those places where anything can happen. Oceanic white tip, grey reef, and thresher sharks are often spotted here, but Daedalus is most famous for the scalloped hammerhead sharks which can often be seen in large schools out in the blue during the summer months. The sheer size of this reef means that you can do several dives here and never get bored!

       

• Elphinstone: A Red Sea legend, this isolated, long, finger-shaped reef, lies in an open ocean 12 kilometers offshore between Port Ghalib and Marsa Alam. Due to its location and exposed nature currents are to be expected, which are often strong and can be unpredictable, but with them come rich rewards. With north and south plateaus covered in hard and soft corals and stunning walls reaching depths of 40+ meters, diving here can be challenging and exhilarating. Grey reef sharks and Napoleon wrasses are regularly spotted in the summer, and occasionally Scalloped Hammerheads and oceanic whitetip sharks often congregate in vast numbers during late autumn.

Itinerary Sample 

 A typical diving day is scheduled as follows:

Briefing & dive 1.

Breakfast, relaxation period, briefing & dive 2.

Lunch, relaxation period, briefing & dive 3.

Snack, relaxation period, briefing & dive 4 Dinner.

Unfortunately night dives are not permitted in the marine parks

Land Tour

After breakfast, check out. Visit the wondrous Valley of the Kings, a vast city of the dead, where the magnificent tombs of 62 pharaohs have been discovered. The tombs were carved deep into the desert rock, richly decorated and filled with treasures for the afterlife of the pharaohs. Visit several of the tombs.

Next, visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. This beautiful monument to the reign of the only female pharaoh rises out of the desert plain in a series of terraces and merges with the sheer limestone cliffs that surround it. On the way back stop at the famed Colossi of Memnon, two 66ft, 1 thousand ton statues of Amenhotep III. These colossal statues were known by the ancient Greeks to emit haunting voices at dawn. Though damaged by nature and ancient tourists, the statues are still impressive

Morning optional sightseeing, perhaps visit the souk.

Boat will set sail in the afternoon to Edfu. Enjoy tea on the sun deck while the shores of the Nile pass by

Enjoy visiting Edfu Temple. Afternoon tea during sailing to Kom Ombo. Visit the Temple shared by the two gods Sobec and Haroeris in Kom Ombo. Sailing to Aswan.

Today visit the Unfinished Obelisk, the Aswan Dam and Philae Temple. Overnight onboard

After breakfast disembark. You will have the opportunity to visit Abu Simbel, one of the amazing engineering feats of the 1960s during the creation of Lake Nasser.

Later, return to Cairo and hotel overnight