8-Day Cairo & Hurghada Diving Vacation
Three nights seeing Cairo, then a flight to the Red Sea for an intro scuba dive day and two snorkeling boat trips. Hotels, transfers and your domestic flight are included.
The short answer
8-Day Cairo & Hurghada Diving Vacation is an 8-day, 7-night trip to Cairo and Hurghada: 3 nights in Cairo and 4 in Hurghada. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at $1,569 per person, two sharing (Comfort, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
This trip splits the week in two. The first half is Cairo: a Nile dinner cruise on arrival, a full day at the Giza Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, and a third day in the Egyptian Museum and the old streets of Islamic Cairo. All of it is led by a licensed Egyptologist.
On day 4 you fly to Hurghada and switch to sea time. There are three boat days. One is an intro scuba day with two guided dives, one is a Dolphin House snorkeling trip, and one is a beach day at Paradise Island. Boat days are long, so each day is a single excursion with the rest of the time free. Intro dives are a first taste of diving, not a certification course.
What lingers
- 01A Nile dinner cruise with a live show on your first evening
- 02Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum in one guided day
- 03The Egyptian Museum and a walk through Islamic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili
- 04An intro scuba day from Hurghada with two guided dives and a certified instructor
- 05A snorkeling boat trip to Dolphin House, where dolphins may be seen
- 06A beach day at Paradise Island with a sunbed, parasol, snorkeling and lunch on board
Choose your comfort level
Prices are per person in USD, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortfrom $1,5694★ hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsJewel Sport City Hurghada · 4 nightsSwiss Inn Resort Hurghada | $1,569May–Sep: from $1,598 | |
| Classicfrom $1,5755★ hotels | Hurghada · 4 nightsAMC Royal Hotel & Spa | $1,575May–Sep: from $1,598 | |
| Prestigefrom $2,1025★ deluxe hotels | Hurghada · 4 nightsHilton Hurghada Plaza | $2,102May–Sep: from $2,323 | |
| Luxuryfrom $3,0305★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsSt. Regis Cairo | $3,030May–Sep: from $3,095 |
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 · Grand Egyptian Museum · Egyptian Museum · Islamic Cairo
- 1
A representative meets you at Cairo Airport and drives you to your hotel. Take the evening easy until you are collected for a Nile dinner cruise. The boat spends about two hours on the water with an open buffet, live entertainment and a seat for the show, then brings you back to your hotel.
- 2
This is a full day of about eight hours. Your English-speaking Egyptologist guide meets you at the hotel and takes you to the Giza Plateau for the pyramids and the Great Sphinx. Lunch follows at a restaurant with a view. In the afternoon you walk through the Grand Egyptian Museum. Entrance fees and the air-conditioned vehicle are included, and you are driven back to your hotel.
- 3
Your Egyptologist guide takes you to the Egyptian Museum for a guided visit of about four hours, with a skip-the-line entrance to the main galleries and a coffee or tea break. The Mummies Room is not part of the entrance. After that you walk Al-Muizz Street and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, a tour of three to four hours. Guide, entrance fees and transport are included.
Lunch is not included, so eat in the bazaar at your own cost.
- 4
After breakfast you are driven to Cairo Airport for the domestic flight to Hurghada, which is booked for you. A driver meets you at Hurghada Airport and takes you to your seaside hotel. The rest of the day is free to swim, rest or walk along the shore.
- 5
You are picked up at your hotel for a day on a shared dive boat, about eight hours in all. A certified instructor guides you through two intro dives, and the boat carries the full scuba equipment. You complete a medical questionnaire first, and the dives suit beginners but not everyone, for example people with heart conditions, asthma, ear problems or pregnancy.
Lunch with soft drinks and water is on board, and marine park fees are included. Sailings run as sea and weather allow, and the captain can change or cancel a trip for safety. This is an intro experience, not a diving course.
- 6
Today is a boat day of about eight hours, shared with other guests. A snorkeling guide goes with you, and mask, snorkel and fins are provided. The boat heads for Dolphin House, a reef where dolphins are sometimes seen. They are wild, so we cannot promise a sighting. Lunch with soft drinks and water is served on board and marine park fees are included.
The captain decides each morning whether the sea is fit to sail.
- 7
Your last full day is another boat trip of about eight hours. Paradise Island entrance is included, with a sunbed and parasol for you on the beach. A snorkeling guide leads you on the reef, and mask, snorkel and fins are provided. Lunch with soft drinks and water is on board and marine park fees are included. As on the other sea days, the trip runs if the weather allows.
- 8
After breakfast you check out of the hotel. A driver takes you to Hurghada Airport for your onward flight, and your trip ends there. Breakfast is included, and the morning is unhurried. Leave a margin before your departure time, and send us your flight details beforehand so the pickup time suits it.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what isn't
Included
- Three nights in a Cairo hotel and four nights in a Hurghada hotel, with breakfast
- Domestic flight from Cairo to Hurghada
- Airport and hotel transfers by air-conditioned vehicle
- Nile dinner cruise with an evening show
- Licensed Egyptologist guide and entrance fees on the Cairo sightseeing days
- Lunch on the Giza and Grand Egyptian Museum day
- Intro scuba dive day with two guided dives, full scuba equipment, lunch and marine park fees
- Dolphin House and Paradise Island boat days with mask, snorkel and fins, lunch on board and marine park fees
- All service charges and taxes
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egypt entry visa
- Gratuities for guides, drivers and boat crews
- Meals and drinks other than those stated
- The Mummies Room at the Egyptian Museum
- Travel insurance and personal expenses
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Tell your dive guide about any ear or sinus trouble before the intro dives; equalizing gently on the way down makes the day far more comfortable.
- 02
Avoid flying for 24 hours after your last dive; the flight home is at the very end here, so keep the diving days before it.
- 03
At Dolphin House, slip in quietly and let the dolphins approach you; swimmers who stay calm are rewarded with the longest encounters.
- 04
Pack a rash vest and sun hat for the Paradise Island day; breeze on the boat deck hides how strong the sun is.
Tailor it
Make it yours
Choose your hotel standard when you book. Ask us about extra nights in Cairo or Hurghada, or adding sights such as Luxor.
All requests handled by your dedicated specialist before booking.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- First-time visitors who want Cairo's main sights and a taste of Red Sea diving in one trip. Suited to couples, friends and solo travelers who are comfortable with a flight and with full days on boats.
Maybe not, if
- Travelers with heart conditions, asthma, ear problems or pregnancy who want to dive, those needing step-free access everywhere, or anyone who wants a slow pace in Cairo.
Honest assessment
Real trade-offs from our experience managing this tour.
Highlights
- Pyramids, two museums and Islamic Cairo before the beach
- A beginner-friendly intro dive day, plus two snorkeling boat days
- Hotels, transfers, the domestic flight and marine park fees handled for you
Things to Consider
- Boat days are long, about eight hours each, and run weather permitting
- Intro dives are not a certification and are not for everyone
- Wildlife sightings, including dolphins, are never guaranteed
Where it fits
A good fit for a first trip to Egypt that mixes history with time on the water. It is not a diving course, so look elsewhere if you want certification.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many trips sell Cairo sightseeing and a Red Sea dive stay separately. This one joins them in a single booking with the flight and transfers handled for you. The dives are an intro experience, not a certification course.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided city sightseeing plus Red Sea boat and dive days
- Accommodation
- Cairo and Hurghada hotels, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Great Sphinx · Grand Egyptian Museum · Egyptian Museum · Islamic Cairo · Al-Muizz Street · Khan el-Khalili · Hurghada · Dolphin House · Paradise Island
- Includes
- 3 nights in Cairo and 4 nights in Hurghada, with breakfast · Domestic flight Cairo to Hurghada · Intro scuba day with two guided dives · Dolphin House and Paradise Island boat trips · Licensed Egyptologist and entrance fees on Cairo days · All transfers by air-conditioned vehicle
- Best for
- First-time visitors who want Cairo and the Red Sea · Beginners curious about scuba diving · Travelers who like sightseeing followed by beach and boat time
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 required travel documents
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Swimsuit and a quick-dry towel
- Reef-safe sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any personal medication
- Small day bag
What to wear
- Lightweight, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for the museums and uneven ground in Cairo
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees for mosques and Islamic Cairo
- A swimsuit and a light cover-up for the boat days
- A light jacket or wrap for the boat, where the wind can be cool
Children & families
Children are welcome on the Cairo days and the snorkeling boat trips. Every child takes a seat in the vehicle, so transport and guiding are charged at the adult rate at any age. Hotel and boat prices depend on the child's age, so we give you the exact figure when you tell us the age at booking. The operator confirms age limits for the intro dives when you book, and children who do not dive can usually stay on the boat.
Accessibility
Who can join this
Cairo days involve a lot of walking on uneven stone, steps and busy streets, and the Giza Plateau has little shade. Islamic Cairo is a walking tour on old paving. The Hurghada boat days need you to board from a jetty and to move around a moving deck, and the intro dives need a reasonable level of fitness and a medical questionnaire. Vehicles are private and air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site or on the boats. Tell us your needs when you book and we will say honestly which parts suit you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The trip uses one domestic flight, private road transfers and shared day boats, and vehicle types vary, so we do not claim a carbon saving. Marine park fees on the boat days are included, and the boats are shared with other guests. Guides, drivers and boat crews are local, so much of what you spend stays in Cairo and Hurghada. We ask you not to touch or stand on coral and to use a reef-safe sunscreen.
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 early you tell us and on the type of trip. Read our current cancellation and refund policy
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01Do I need diving experience?
No. Day 5 is an intro dive day for beginners. A certified instructor guides each of the two dives and the boat provides the full equipment. It is a first taste of diving, not a certification course.02Who should not do the intro dives?
People with heart conditions, asthma, ear problems or pregnancy should not dive. You fill in a medical questionnaire first. The operator confirms any age limits when you book.03Is the domestic flight included?
Yes. The flight from Cairo to Hurghada on day 4 is booked for you and included. Flight times follow the airline schedule. International flights are not included.04Will I see dolphins at Dolphin House?
Maybe. The dolphins are wild and come and go, so a sighting is likely at best and never guaranteed. The reef is worth snorkeling either way.05What if the sea is rough?
Boat trips run when sea and weather allow. The captain can change or cancel a sailing for safety. If that happens we will talk you through the options, and any refund follows our cancellation text.06Is snorkeling gear included?
Yes. On the Dolphin House and Paradise Island days, a mask, snorkel and fins are provided, with a snorkeling guide. Scuba equipment is provided on the intro dive day.07Will I make my international flight?
This tour ends at Hurghada Airport, so you can fly out from there. Domestic and international tickets are separate bookings, so if you connect through Cairo a delay can cost you the connection. Leave a generous margin, and take travel insurance that covers missed connections.08Is every day packed?
In Hurghada each day is one excursion with the rest of the day free. Cairo days are fuller, especially days 2 and 3.09What is not included?
International flights, the Egypt visa, tips for guides and drivers, drinks other than those stated, lunch on day 3, the Mummies Room at the Egyptian Museum and travel insurance.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-728983
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days · 7 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → Hurghada
- Nights
- 3 Cairo · 4 Hurghada
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers