Marsa Alam is the quiet end of Egyptβs Red Sea coast, and the excursions here are built around the reef rather than around the town. UK visitors searching for βMarsa Alam excursionsβ usually want one of three things: snorkelling with turtles and dugongs, a boat trip to see dolphins, or a way to reach Luxorβs temples from the resort. This guide covers all three, with approximate 2026 prices, and links each option to bookable listings on GetYourGuide with free cancellation on most trips.
Marsa Alam sits about 200 km south of Hurghada, so almost every excursion starts with a short transfer from your hotel to a bay, marina or reef. Resorts at Port Ghalib, Abu Dabbab and the southern bays are all within roughly 20 to 90 minutes of the main sites. If you are still choosing between the two resorts, our Hurghada vs Marsa Alam comparison explains which suits which kind of holiday.
Marsa Alam Excursions: Prices at a Glance
| Excursion | Duration | Best for | Approx. price per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dabbab dugong and turtle snorkel | 4-5 hrs | Non-divers, families | from $35 |
| Dolphin House boat trip | 6-8 hrs | Dolphins, snorkelling | from $45 |
| Wadi El Gemal National Park day | 8-10 hrs | Wildlife, quiet beaches | from $50 |
| Elphinstone Reef two-dive day | 8-9 hrs | Advanced divers | $80-110 |
| Desert and Bedouin safari | 4-5 hrs | Sunset, quad bikes | from $35 |
| Luxor day trip from Marsa Alam | 14+ hrs | Temples | from $90 |
Prices are per person in USD as of 2026 and rise in peak season (October to April). Booking online or directly with an operator is typically cheaper than a hotel excursion desk.
1. Abu Dabbab Dugong and Turtle Snorkelling
Marsa Alam: Abu Dabbab Snorkelling with Turtles and Dugongs (from approximately $35 per person)
Abu Dabbab Bay lies about 30 km north of Marsa Alam town and is the most popular half-day excursion on the coast. The bayβs shallow seagrass beds feed green sea turtles and, with luck, a resident dugong. Entry is gradual from the beach, so confident and nervous swimmers can both manage it, and most operators supply snorkel gear and a guide.
Sightings of turtles are very reliable. Dugongs are not: they graze slowly, move on without warning and are best looked for early in the morning, so expect a patient, calm swim rather than a guaranteed encounter. Keep a respectful distance and never touch or chase the animals. If you want to compare the other snorkel sites in detail, see our Marsa Alam diving and snorkelling guide.
Duration: 4-5 hours including transfer | Difficulty: Easy
Best time: Morning, and October to May for the calmest water
Includes: Transfer, snorkel gear, guide, usually a drink or lunch
2. Dolphin House (Shaab Samadai) Boat Trip
Marsa Alam: Dolphin House Snorkelling Boat Trip (from approximately $45 per person)
Shaab Samadai is a horseshoe-shaped reef roughly 25 km offshore with a sheltered inner lagoon where a pod of spinner dolphins rests between feeding trips. Most excursions combine a boat crossing, a snorkel session in the open half of the lagoon and a second reef stop, with lunch on board.
The dolphins are wild and the reef is protected, with part of it closed to swimmers. Go in the morning, when the pod is most likely to be resting inside, and follow the guideβs instructions on how to enter the water. Some days the dolphins stay outside the lagoon, so treat the reef itself, which has healthy coral and plenty of fish, as the guaranteed part of the day.
Duration: 6-8 hours | Difficulty: Easy to moderate (boat crossing, open-water swimming)
Best time: Morning departures; calm days between October and May
Includes: Boat, snorkel gear, guide, lunch
3. Wadi El Gemal National Park
Marsa Alam: Wadi El Gemal National Park Day Trip (from approximately $50 per person)
Wadi El Gemal, the Valley of the Camels, begins roughly 60 km south of Marsa Alam and mixes coast, mangroves and an inland wadi with acacia woodland. Day trips typically combine a jeep drive through the wadi, a Bedouin stop for tea, and a snorkel on one of the parkβs quieter beaches, where turtles feed on seagrass. A park permit is usually included in the tour price or paid on the day.
Visitor numbers are low compared with the northern Red Sea, which is the point: there are few other boats, few umbrellas and a lot of empty coastline. Bring sun protection and plenty of water, since there is little shade.
Duration: 8-10 hours | Difficulty: Easy
Best time: October to April; summer heat makes inland stops tiring
Includes: Jeep or minibus, park permit (check listing), snorkel gear, lunch
4. Elphinstone Reef Dive Day
Marsa Alam: Elphinstone Reef Diving Day Trip (approximately $80-110 per person)
Elphinstone is a reef plateau about 30 km offshore, known for oceanic whitetip sharks and, in the right season, hammerheads. It is an advanced site with strong, unpredictable currents, and dive centres generally ask for Advanced Open Water certification and recent logged dives. Snorkellers should not book it as a snorkel trip.
A typical day covers two dives with a surface interval and lunch on the boat. Book through a PADI or SSI centre, and be honest about your experience: guides will turn people down for safety. For the full list of sites, including Brothers Islands liveaboards, see our Marsa Alam diving guide and the wider Red Sea diving overview.
Duration: 8-9 hours | Difficulty: Advanced, Advanced Open Water minimum
Best time: Year-round; shark sightings vary by season
Includes: Boat, two dives, guide, tanks and weights, lunch
5. Desert and Bedouin Safari
Marsa Alam: Desert Safari by Jeep or Quad with Bedouin Camp (from approximately $35 per person)
The Eastern Desert starts a few kilometres behind the resorts. An afternoon safari by jeep or quad heads into rocky wadis, stops at a Bedouin camp for tea and bread, and ends with sunset over the Red Sea Hills. Some operators add a barbecue dinner and stargazing, and the night sky here is far darker than on the Hurghada strip.
Quad bikes need a degree of physical confidence on rough ground, and children usually ride only as passengers. Closed shoes and a scarf for dust are worth packing.
Duration: 4-5 hours | Difficulty: Moderate
Best time: October to April; avoid midday in summer
Includes: Jeep or quad, Bedouin camp stop, sunset viewpoint
6. Luxor Day Trip from Marsa Alam
Luxor Day Trip from Marsa Alam (from approximately $90 per person)
Marsa Alam is not a natural base for the Nile, but a coach or private-car day to Luxor is available. The road runs inland through the Eastern Desert and takes roughly four to five hours each way, so the day lasts 14 hours or more. Standard programmes cover the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Karnak.
We would only do this once. If temples matter to you, a private transfer to Luxor with one night there lets you see Karnak in the morning light and avoids the exhaustion. Check whether entry fees are included and whether the guide is a licensed Egyptologist. For the Hurghada version of the trip, with comparison of coach and private car, see our Hurghada to Luxor guide.
Duration: 14+ hours | Difficulty: Easy but tiring
Best time: October to April; Luxor is very hot in summer
Includes: Transport, guide, usually lunch (entry fees often extra)
How to Choose
Travelling with children or non-swimmers: Abu Dabbab from the beach, plus a Wadi El Gemal day. Both are gentle and short on boat time.
Confident snorkellers: Dolphin House is the headline trip, and Abu Dabbab fills a second morning.
Certified divers: Elphinstone for sharks, then a quieter reef day at a nearer site. Liveaboards to the Brothers Islands suit experienced divers with a week to spend.
First visit to Egypt: Pair one reef day with one temple day. Luxor works better as a separate stay than as an excursion; our Red Sea and Sinai itinerary shows how to combine the two.
When to Book Marsa Alam Excursions
October to May is the main season, with comfortable air temperatures and calm seas. Summer is very hot, around 38-42 degrees Celsius inland, though the water stays warm and clear. Water temperature ranges from roughly 22 to 28 degrees Celsius through the year, so a thin wetsuit or rash vest helps in winter.
Book Dolphin House and Elphinstone a day or two ahead in high season, and book any Luxor trip with enough notice to arrange a licensed guide. Pick-ups from the southern resorts add travel time, so check the departure time on your listing rather than assuming a standard 08:00 start.
Bring reef-safe sun cream or a long-sleeved rash vest, a hat and a towel. Please do not stand on or touch coral, and do not feed or chase turtles, dugongs or dolphins. Reef damage and crowding are the main threats to the sites that make Marsa Alam worth the journey.
Where to Stay and Next Steps
Most visitors base themselves at a beach resort, since the coast has little beyond the hotels. Our Marsa Alam hotels guide covers dive resorts and all-inclusive options, and you can search hotels in Marsa Alam on Booking.com. For a broader overview, see the Marsa Alam travel guide and things to do in Marsa Alam. Browse every option on GetYourGuide for Marsa Alam.
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