The best family trip depends on your youngest child. For under 5s, choose the semi-submarine, which lets everyone watch the reef from a dry, seated cabin. For children of 6 and over, add the quad bike and camel outing. For confident swimmers, the Tiran Island boat day gives a full day of snorkelling in shallow water. Most of these trips are shared, so children pay less than adults.
The rules are simple. On shared trips, children under 2 travel free, children aged 2 to 11 pay half the adult price, and from 12 they pay the adult price. The current price is listed on each trip page. Some activities set a minimum age, and a few do not, so the sections below say which is which and what to bring.
Toddlers and young children
The semi-submarine is built for this age. You collect your hotel pick-up for the 09:00, 11:30 or 14:00 sailing, board at the jetty after about 40 minutes and then spend about 90 minutes on the water. The underwater cabin follows the reef wall, and a soft drink and water are included. It is easy for non-swimmers, grandparents and pushchairs at the jetty to manage. Passports or copies are needed at the jetty.
For toddlers, the long boat days are hard work. There is no minimum age on the Ras Mohammed and Tiran boat days in our trip details, but eight hours on a boat with a nap missed is a lot. Ask our team about your child's age before you book, and keep the longest trips for when they are older.
Ages 6 to 11
The quad bike and camel ride at Echo Valley has a minimum age of 6. It lasts about three hours, with a briefing and practice lap, a convoy ride of about an hour through the valleys to the rock walls, a stop to hear the echo, a short camel ride and Bedouin tea. Quads are one per rider, or two on one bike on request. Bring closed shoes, long trousers and sunglasses.
At this age the Tiran Island boat day starts to work. Lunch is on board, the guide is in the water with the group and the lagoon is shallow. Children who snorkel well will love it. Children who get tired easily may prefer a half-day option. The Dahab jeep day and the Mount Sinai night have a minimum age of 8, but both are long and tiring.
Mixed ages and splitting up
Families rarely have one age. A sensible pattern is to share the easy days, such as the semi-submarine and a boat day, and split for the demanding ones. Older children and one parent can take the quad bikes or the dive while the others rest at the hotel or the pool. Our hotel pick-ups cover Naama Bay, Sharks Bay, Nabq, Hadaba and the Old Market.
Teenagers
Teenagers can do almost everything. The intro scuba dive has a minimum age of 10 and is a good choice for a teenager who wants to try something new. The Tiran Island and Ras Mohammed boat days work well for this age, as do the evening desert safari and the Dahab jeep day. If they want a long day, the Cairo flight trip is a big one.
Picking by age at a glance
- Under 5 and grandparents: the semi-submarine, about 90 minutes on the water, with three hours in total including transfers.
- Ages 6 to 9: the Echo Valley quad bike and camel ride, about three hours, with a helmet and a briefing before you start.
- Ages 8 and over: the Dahab jeep day and the Mount Sinai night, both long.
- Ages 10 and over: the intro scuba dive day.
- Confident swimmers of any age: the Tiran Island boat day, about eight hours, with lunch on board and a shallow lagoon stop.
School holidays and the heat
Family holidays are tied to school breaks, which are also the busiest weeks. In February, at Easter and in October the weather is comfortable for outings. In July and August the air is very hot and the desert outings should be in the morning or at sunset, while boat days are cooler. Book hotels, flights and trips as soon as your dates are fixed, because the family-friendly slots fill first, and check the pick-up time so that the day does not clash with a nap.
You can book online until 48 hours before departure, and after that you send a request. A full refund applies if you cancel three or more days ahead. Sea trips stopped for weather are moved or refunded, which matters when you have children waiting.
Plan with us
Sharm El Sheikh with children: what works at each age
What works in Sharm El Sheikh for toddlers, primary-age children and teenagers, with trip ages, timings and school-holiday advice for British families.