8-Day Cairo & Marsa Alam Snorkelling Holiday
Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum and Coptic Cairo, followed by four nights at Marsa Alam and three days of snorkelling. Hotels, both internal flights and every excursion are included.
The short answer
8-Day Cairo & Marsa Alam Snorkelling Holiday is an 8-day, 7-night trip to Cairo and Marsa Alam: 3 nights in Cairo and 4 in Marsa Alam. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £1,317 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Many visitors feel they must choose between ancient Egypt and the sea. You needn't. This holiday begins in Cairo, with a sunset felucca on the Nile, a full day among the pyramids, Saqqara and Memphis, and a third day given to the Grand Egyptian Museum and Coptic Cairo. That is three nights in the city.
On day 4 you fly south to Marsa Alam on the quieter end of the Red Sea coast, and the pace changes. Three days follow, each built around a single snorkelling outing: Samadai Dolphin House by boat, Abu Dabbab Bay, and the Hamata and Qulaan islands. Afterwards the day is yours for the beach. We book the flights, the transfers and your hotels, and you pick the standard of hotel when you book.
What lingers
- 01A felucca on the Nile at sunset to open your stay in Cairo
- 02A full day with your own Egyptologist at Giza, Saqqara and Memphis
- 03The Grand Egyptian Museum, including Khufu's solar boat, and Coptic Cairo on day 3
- 04Samadai Dolphin House by boat, with snorkelling kit and lunch on board
- 05Abu Dabbab Bay, a beach where turtles and dugong are sometimes seen
- 06A day-long boat trip to the islands of Hamata and Qulaan, lunch on the boat
- 07Internal flights from Cairo to Marsa Alam and back, with every airport transfer
Choose your comfort level
Prices are per person in GBP, from 2 people sharing a double room, including accommodation at the properties listed or similar.
| Comfort level | Where you stay or similar | Per personfrom, Oct–Apr | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentialfrom £1,3173★ hotels | £1,317May–Sep: from £1,302 | ||
| Comfortfrom £1,4824★ hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsJewel Sport City | £1,482May–Sep: from £1,657 | |
| Classicfrom £1,7625★ hotels | Marsa Alam · 4 nightsSENTIDO Reef Oasis Suakin Resort | £1,762May–Sep: from £1,785 | |
| Prestigefrom £1,9935★ deluxe hotels | £1,993May–Sep: from £1,990 | ||
| Luxuryfrom £2,5625★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Marsa Alam · 4 nightsSteigenberger Coraya Beach (Adults Friendly 16+) · Pickalbatros Vita Resort Portofino | £2,562May–Sep: from £2,469 |
You'll stay in these properties, or a similar choice of the same quality. Choose your date in the booking panel for the exact price.
- New
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
8 Days / 7 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Great Sphinx · Saqqara · Grand Egyptian Museum · Coptic Cairo
- 1
Our representative greets you in the arrivals hall and drives you to your Cairo hotel, a journey of around an hour. Take a little time to settle in. As the evening draws in, you go down to the Nile for a ride on a felucca, the old-style sailing boat of the river, and watch the city light up from the water. No meals are included on this first day.
- 2
Today is about eight hours with your own Egyptologist and a private vehicle. You start at Giza, walking up to the pyramids and the Sphinx and its Valley Temple. The road then runs south through farmland to a lunch in the countryside. After the meal you visit Saqqara, where the first pyramid was raised, and Memphis, the first capital of a united Egypt. By late afternoon you are back at your hotel.
- 3
Two half-day tours share this day, each lasting around four hours, with an Egyptologist and a private vehicle. At the Grand Egyptian Museum you see the Hanging Obelisk, the Grand Hall, the Tutankhamun galleries, the Grand Staircase and the building that houses Khufu's solar boat.
Coptic Cairo follows, with the Hanging Church, St George's Greek Orthodox church, the crypt church of Abu Serga and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, ending over mint tea and a pastry. It is a full day on your feet.
- 4
After breakfast you are driven privately from your Cairo hotel to the airport and board the internal flight to Marsa Alam, which takes about an hour. The airline decides the departure time and we plan the transfers around it. A driver meets you on arrival and takes you to your seaside hotel. The rest of the day is free for a swim or a stroll by the water. Your 23 kg luggage allowance is included.
- 5
You are collected from your hotel for around eight hours at Samadai, called the Dolphin House. The vehicle and the boat are shared with other guests. Out on the reef you snorkel with the mask, snorkel, fins and life jacket provided, and lunch, tea, coffee and water are served on board. The marine park fee is paid for you. Dolphins here are wild: we say sightings are likely but not certain.
The captain may alter or cancel a sailing if the sea or weather is against it.
- 6
A lighter outing of around five hours in all. An air-conditioned vehicle, shared with other guests, takes you from your hotel to Abu Dabbab Bay. You snorkel off the beach with a guide, wearing the mask, snorkel and fins we supply. People come here hoping for sea turtles and sometimes a dugong; both are wild, and neither can be promised.
Beach entrance and bottled water are included, and the afternoon is yours.
- 7
For your last full day you spend about eight hours aboard a shared boat, bound for the islands of Hamata and Qulaan. The crew moors at reef spots for snorkelling with the kit we provide, and lunch is eaten on the boat with tea, coffee and water to go with it. A guide and crew stay with you all day. Sailings depend on the weather and sea, and the captain has the final say.
- 8
Once you have had breakfast and checked out, a driver takes you to Marsa Alam airport for the internal flight to Cairo, which lasts about an hour. The airline sets the time. Our holiday finishes when you land in Cairo. If you are catching an international flight the same day, give yourself a wide margin and read our FAQ on missed connections before you book it.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Three nights in a Cairo hotel and four nights in a Marsa Alam hotel, with breakfast
- Arrival transfer in Cairo with meet and assist
- Internal flights from Cairo to Marsa Alam and back, each with a 23 kg allowance and taxes
- Every airport and hotel transfer listed in the itinerary
- Sunset felucca ride on the Nile
- Full-day private tour of the Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis, with Egyptologist guide, private vehicle and lunch
- Half day at the Grand Egyptian Museum, with general admission, Khufu's solar boat and an Egyptologist guide
- Half-day Coptic Cairo tour with guide and private vehicle
- Samadai Dolphin House boat trip with mask, snorkel, fins, life jacket, marine park fee, lunch, tea, coffee and water
- Abu Dabbab Bay snorkelling trip with mask, snorkel, fins, beach entrance and bottled water
- Boat trip to the Hamata and Qulaan islands with mask, snorkel, fins, lunch, tea, coffee and water
- Guide and entrance fees on the Cairo sightseeing days
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egyptian entry visa
- Dinners, and drinks beyond those listed on the boat trips
- Tips for guides, drivers and boat crews
- Travel insurance
- Personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Start the Giza day at the plateau gates and leave Saqqara and Memphis for later, when the sun is at its highest.
- 02
Head for the Khufu solar boat first at the Grand Egyptian Museum, then browse the other galleries without rushing.
- 03
Use reef-friendly sun cream and a rash vest at Abu Dabbab, as turtles graze in the shallow sea-grass.
- 04
Samadai dolphins come and go as they please, so enjoy the reef either way and keep to the marine park rules.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel when you book. Ask about an extra night in Cairo at the end, which gives you a safer margin before an international flight.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- First-time visitors who want Cairo's great sights and a few days snorkelling in a single week. Suits couples, friends and families with older children who are happy on boats and in the water.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access everywhere, who dislike boats, or who prefer one slow base. Day 2 lasts about eight hours.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- The pyramids, Saqqara, Memphis, the Grand Egyptian Museum and Coptic Cairo, then a quiet stretch of Red Sea coast
- Both internal flights, every transfer and snorkelling kit sorted for you
Things to Consider
- Days 2 and 3 in Cairo involve a lot of walking
- The holiday finishes on landing in Cairo on day 8, so onward flights need a wide margin
- Wildlife at sea cannot be guaranteed
Where it fits
A good first visit to Egypt for anyone who wants the pyramids and time in the sea. It ends in Cairo, so plan your flight home carefully.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many operators sell Cairo and a Red Sea beach stay as separate bookings. This holiday links them, with both flights, the transfers, the Cairo guiding and three snorkelling trips organised for you. The hotel standard is your choice; the sightseeing and boat trips stay as they are.
Compare
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On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Cairo sightseeing with Red Sea snorkelling trips
- Accommodation
- Cairo and Marsa Alam hotels, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Great Sphinx · Saqqara · Grand Egyptian Museum · Coptic Cairo · Marsa Alam · Samadai Reef · Abu Dabbab Bay · Hamata · Qulaan Islands
- Includes
- 3 nights in a Cairo hotel and 4 nights in a Marsa Alam hotel, with breakfast · Internal flights from Cairo to Marsa Alam and back · 3 snorkelling trips with kit · Egyptologist-led sightseeing in Cairo
- Best for
- First-time visitors · Travellers who want history and the sea in one holiday
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Cairo International Airport (CAI), Arrivals HallMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any visa or travel documents
- Swimming costume and a quick-drying towel for boat and beach days
- Sun hat, sunglasses and reef-friendly sun cream
- A rash vest or light long-sleeved top for hours in the sun on the water
- A refillable water bottle and small notes for tips
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip for the Cairo sites
- A light jacket for the breeze at sea
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothes in Cairo, with shoulders and knees covered for churches and mosques
- Closed shoes at Giza, Saqqara and Memphis, where the ground is uneven
- Swimwear under a loose top on snorkelling days
- Sandals or water shoes for stepping onto boats and into the sea from the beach
Children & families
Children are welcome, though the two halves of the trip work differently. In Cairo, transport, guiding and entrance tickets are priced by the child's age, and we give you the exact figure once you tell us the age at booking. On the boat days, the operator confirms age limits, life-jacket sizes and any charge for each trip when you book. A child needs to be happy in the water and on a boat for hours at a time. Tell us their ages and we will say honestly which days will suit them.
Accessibility
Who can join this
Days in Cairo mean plenty of walking over uneven stone and sand at Giza, Saqqara and Memphis, plus steps and long galleries at the Grand Egyptian Museum and narrow lanes in Coptic Cairo. The vehicles are air-conditioned, though we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site. At Marsa Alam you climb on and off boats, and some beach entries are rough underfoot. Boats and vehicles on the snorkelling days are shared with other guests. Tell us what you need when you book and we will say honestly which parts will suit you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The holiday uses two internal flights, road transfers and motor boats, so we claim no carbon saving. Guides, drivers and boat crews are local, and the marine park fee supports the protected reef. Please never stand on coral, touch turtles or dugong, or swim after dolphins, and ask your guide before using sun cream near the reef. A refillable water bottle is a good idea.
Licensed Egyptologist guides
State-licensed, and people we have worked with for years
Fair wages on the ground
Drivers + guides paid above market
Site preservation
We follow the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' site rules: marked paths, no touching reliefs
Local teams, real help
Our own offices in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh
If plans change
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, your refund depends on how soon you let us know and on the kind of holiday. See our current cancellation and refund terms
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01Are the internal flights included?
Yes. The flight from Cairo to Marsa Alam on day 4 and the flight back to Cairo on day 8 are booked for you, each with a 23 kg luggage allowance and taxes. International flights are not included. The airline fixes the flight times.02Will I make my international flight?
Internal and international tickets are separate bookings, so a late flight from Marsa Alam could cost you your connection. This holiday ends when you land in Cairo on day 8, so allow plenty of time. If you must connect the same day, pick a late-evening or night international departure. We would rather you had one more night in Cairo, and we can add it. Please take travel insurance that covers missed connections.03Do I have to be a strong swimmer?
Snorkelling kit is supplied on every trip, and a life jacket comes with the Samadai Dolphin House outing. You should still feel at ease in the sea and happy breathing through a snorkel. If you are anxious, say so to your guide and the crew at the start. If you have a medical condition, ask us before you book.04Will we definitely see dolphins, turtles or dugong?
No. They are wild animals, and sightings are likely at best. Samadai is known for dolphins, and Abu Dabbab Bay for sea turtles and the occasional dugong. Our guides know when your chances are best, and we do not allow chasing or touching.05What if the sea is too rough to sail?
Boat trips go ahead only if weather and sea state permit. The captain may change or cancel a sailing for safety, and that decision stands. The cancellation text on this page covers what happens if you cancel your booking; it does not promise a refund for a trip the captain calls off.06How full are the days?
Days 2 and 3 in Cairo are the longest: about eight hours on day 2 and two half-day tours on day 3. Each day at Marsa Alam then has one outing and free time afterwards. Days 1 and 4 are lighter, and day 8 is a travel day.07What meals are included?
Breakfast comes with your hotel on days 2 to 8. Lunch is included on day 2 and on the boats on days 5 and 7. Dinners are not included, and nor are drinks beyond the tea, coffee and water listed on the boat trips.08Where are the Marsa Alam pickups?
Pickups cover Marsa Alam town, Port Ghalib and the resorts between them. El Quseir can be arranged on request. Tell us your hotel and we will confirm the pickup before you travel.09Are the Marsa Alam trips private?
No. The vehicles and boats on days 5 to 7 are shared with other guests. Your sightseeing in Cairo on days 2 and 3 is with your own Egyptologist in a private vehicle.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-425595
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days · 7 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → Marsa Alam
- Nights
- 3 Cairo · 4 Marsa Alam
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers