8-Day Cairo & Marsa Alam Snorkeling Vacation
Eight days that start with the Giza Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum and finish with snorkeling at Marsa Alam. Hotels, the domestic flights and every excursion are included.
The short answer
8-Day Cairo & Marsa Alam Snorkeling Vacation 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 $1,782 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Most people have to pick between ancient Egypt and the Red Sea. This vacation does both, in that order. You spend three nights in Cairo: a felucca ride at sunset on the Nile, a full day at the Giza Pyramids, Saqqara and Memphis, and a third day at the Grand Egyptian Museum and Coptic Cairo.
On day 4 you fly to Marsa Alam, a quiet stretch of the southern Red Sea coast. Over the next three days you take three snorkeling trips: Samadai Dolphin House by boat, Abu Dabbab Bay, and the Hamata and Qulaan islands. Each trip is one outing with the rest of the day left for the beach or the pool. We book the flights, the transfers and the hotels. You choose the hotel standard, and the plan stays the same.
What lingers
- 01A sunset felucca ride on the Nile on your first evening in Cairo
- 02Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis in one full day with a private Egyptologist
- 03Grand Egyptian Museum with the Khufu solar boat, then Coptic Cairo on day 3
- 04Samadai Dolphin House by boat, with snorkeling gear and lunch on board
- 05Abu Dabbab Bay, a snorkeling spot known for turtles and dugong sightings
- 06A full-day boat trip to the Hamata and Qulaan islands with lunch on the boat
- 07Domestic flights both ways between Cairo and Marsa Alam, plus all airport transfers
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentialfrom $1,7823★ hotels | $1,782May–Sep: from $1,762 | ||
| Comfortfrom $2,0054★ hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsJewel Sport City | $2,005May–Sep: from $2,242 | |
| Classicfrom $2,3845★ hotels | Marsa Alam · 4 nightsSENTIDO Reef Oasis Suakin Resort | $2,384May–Sep: from $2,415 | |
| Prestigefrom $2,6975★ deluxe hotels | $2,697May–Sep: from $2,692 | ||
| Luxuryfrom $3,4665★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Marsa Alam · 4 nightsSteigenberger Coraya Beach (Adults Friendly 16+) · Pickalbatros Vita Resort Portofino | $3,466May–Sep: from $3,341 |
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
A representative meets you at Cairo Airport and drives you to your hotel, about an hour's journey. Settle in and rest. Later in the day you head to the river for a felucca ride, the traditional sailboat of the Nile. It is a gentle way to see Cairo's skyline turn gold as the sun goes down. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are not part of today.
- 2
Your Egyptologist collects you from the hotel for about eight hours on the road with a private vehicle. First stop is the Giza complex, where you see the great pyramids and the Sphinx beside its Valley Temple. A drive through green farmland takes you south to a countryside lunch. In the afternoon you reach Saqqara, home of the first pyramid, and Memphis, Egypt's first capital.
Then you return to your hotel.
- 3
Two half-day visits fill today, each around four hours with an Egyptologist and a private vehicle. The Grand Egyptian Museum comes first: the Hanging Obelisk, the Grand Hall, the Tutankhamun galleries, the staircase of statues and the museum holding Khufu's solar boat.
Then you cross to Coptic Cairo, with the Hanging Church, the Greek Orthodox church of St George, the Church of Abu Serga and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, and finish with mint tea and a pastry. It is a full day, so expect some tired feet.
- 4
After breakfast a private transfer takes you from your Cairo hotel to the airport for the domestic flight to Marsa Alam, about an hour in the air. The airline sets the flight time, and the transfers are arranged around it. On landing, a driver takes you to your Red Sea hotel. The rest of the day is yours to swim, sunbathe or walk along the shore. Your 23 kg of luggage allowance is included.
- 5
Your hotel pickup takes you to the boat for a full day of about eight hours at Samadai, known as the Dolphin House. The vehicle and the boat are shared with other guests. You snorkel with mask, snorkel, fins and a life jacket, all provided, and lunch is served on board with tea, coffee and water. The marine park fee is included. Dolphins here are wild, so sightings are likely but never guaranteed.
The captain can change or cancel a sailing if the weather or sea is poor.
- 6
A shorter outing today, about five hours door to door. You ride in an air-conditioned vehicle shared with other guests to Abu Dabbab Bay, a sheltered beach where you snorkel from the shore with a guide, using mask, snorkel and fins that are provided. The bay is known for sea turtles and sometimes dugong, which are wild animals, so there is no promise of seeing either.
Beach entrance and bottled water are included. The afternoon is free.
- 7
This is your last full day on the coast: about eight hours on a boat shared with other guests, heading out to the Hamata and Qulaan islands. You stop to snorkel over the reef with the mask, snorkel and fins we provide, and take lunch on the boat, with tea, coffee and water. A guide and crew are with you throughout. Trips run when the weather and sea allow, and the captain makes the call.
- 8
After breakfast you check out and a driver takes you to Marsa Alam airport for the domestic flight to Cairo, about an hour. The airline sets the time. The tour ends when you land in Cairo. If you connect to an international flight the same day, leave a generous gap, and read the answer in our FAQ about missed connections before you book that flight.
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 Marsa Alam hotel, with breakfast
- Airport arrival transfer in Cairo with meet-and-assist
- Domestic flights Cairo to Marsa Alam and Marsa Alam to Cairo, each with 23 kg of luggage and taxes
- All airport and hotel transfers listed in the itinerary
- Sunset felucca ride on the Nile
- Private full-day tour of the Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis, with an Egyptologist guide, private vehicle and lunch
- Grand Egyptian Museum half day, including general admission and the Khufu solar boat, with Egyptologist guide
- Coptic Cairo half day 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 snorkeling trip with mask, snorkel, fins, beach entrance and bottled water
- Hamata and Qulaan islands boat trip 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
- Egypt entry visa
- Dinners, and drinks beyond those listed on the boat trips
- Tips for guides, drivers and boat crews
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Ask your guide to plan the Giza day so you reach the plateau early, then keep Saqqara and Memphis for the hotter midday hours.
- 02
At the Grand Egyptian Museum, see the Khufu solar boat first while you are fresh, then wander the galleries at your own pace.
- 03
Wear reef-safe sun protection and a long swim top at Abu Dabbab, where turtles feed close to the shallows.
- 04
Dolphin sightings at Samadai are never guaranteed, so treat any encounter as a bonus and respect the marine park distance rules.
Tailor it
Make it yours
Choose your hotel standard when you book. Ask us about an extra night in Cairo at the end, to give you a margin before an international flight.
All requests handled by your dedicated specialist before booking.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- First-time visitors who want Cairo's great sights and a few days of snorkeling in one week. Suited to couples, friends and families with older children who are happy on boats and in the water.
Maybe not, if
- Travelers who need step-free access everywhere, who dislike boats, or who want a slow, single-base trip. Day 2 is about eight hours.
Honest assessment
Real trade-offs from our experience managing this tour.
Highlights
- Pyramids, Saqqara, Memphis, the Grand Egyptian Museum and Coptic Cairo, then a quiet Red Sea coast
- Both domestic flights, all transfers and snorkeling gear arranged for you
Things to Consider
- Days 2 and 3 in Cairo are long on foot
- The tour ends on landing in Cairo on day 8, so connecting flights need a wide margin
- Wildlife sightings at sea cannot be guaranteed
Where it fits
A good first trip to Egypt for anyone who wants the pyramids and some time in the sea. It ends in Cairo, so plan your flight home with care.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many operators sell Cairo and a Red Sea beach week as separate bookings. This tour joins them, with both flights, the transfers, the Cairo guiding and three snorkeling trips set up for you. Hotel standard is your choice; the sightseeing and boat trips stay the same.
Compare
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On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Cairo sightseeing plus Red Sea snorkeling 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 · Domestic flights Cairo to Marsa Alam and back · 3 snorkeling trips with gear · Egyptologist-guided Cairo sightseeing
- Best for
- First-time visitors · Travelers who want history and the sea in one trip
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 visa or travel documents
- Swimsuit and a quick-dry towel for the boat and beach days
- Sun hat, sunglasses and reef-friendly sun cream
- A rash vest or light long-sleeved top for long hours in the sun on the water
- Reusable water bottle and cash for tips
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip for Cairo sites
- A light jacket for the breeze on the boat
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothing for Cairo, with shoulders and knees covered when you enter churches and mosques
- Closed shoes for Giza, Saqqara and Memphis, where the ground is uneven
- Swimwear under a light cover-up on snorkeling days
- Sandals or water shoes for getting on and off boats and entering the sea from the beach
Children & families
Children are welcome, but there are two kinds of day. On the Cairo days we price transport, guiding and entrance tickets according to the child's age, and give you the exact figure when you tell us the age at booking. On the boat days the operator confirms age limits, life-jacket sizes and any fee for each trip when you book. A child should be happy in the water and on a boat for several hours. Tell us how old your children are and we will say honestly which days will suit them.
Accessibility
Who can join this
Cairo days involve a fair amount of walking on uneven stone and sand at Giza, Saqqara and Memphis, plus steps and long corridors at the Grand Egyptian Museum and in the old churches of Coptic Cairo. Vehicles are air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site. At Marsa Alam you step on and off boats, and beach entries can be rough underfoot. The boats and vehicles on the snorkeling days are shared with other guests. Tell us your needs when you book and we will say honestly which parts will work for you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
This vacation uses two domestic flights, road transfers and motor boats, so we make no claim about carbon savings. Guides, drivers, boat crews and the Marsa Alam marine park fee all go to local people and the park that protects the reef. Please do not stand on coral, touch turtles or dugong, or chase dolphins, and ask your guide if you are unsure about sun cream near the reef. Bring a refillable water bottle.
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
01Are the domestic flights included?
Yes. The flight from Cairo to Marsa Alam on day 4 and the flight from Marsa Alam to Cairo on day 8 are booked for you, each with 23 kg of checked luggage and taxes. International flights are not included. The airline sets the flight times.02Will I make my international flight?
Domestic and international tickets are separate bookings, so a delayed flight from Marsa Alam to Cairo can cost you the connection. This tour ends when you land in Cairo on day 8, so allow a wide margin: if you must connect the same day, choose a late-evening or night international departure. We prefer one more night in Cairo, and can add it. Take travel insurance that covers missed connections.03Do I need to be a strong swimmer?
Snorkeling gear is provided on each trip, and a life jacket is included on the Samadai Dolphin House trip. You should still be happy in the sea and comfortable breathing through a snorkel. If you are nervous, tell your guide and boat crew at the start. Ask us before you book if you have a health condition.04Will we see dolphins, turtles or dugong?
They are wild animals and sightings cannot be guaranteed. Samadai is known for dolphins, and Abu Dabbab Bay for sea turtles and sometimes dugong. Guides know where and when sightings are most likely, and we do not allow chasing or touching.05What happens if the sea is rough?
The boat trips run weather and sea state permitting. The captain can change or cancel a sailing for safety, and the decision is final. Our cancellation text on this page sets out what applies if you cancel your booking; it does not promise a refund for a trip the captain cancels.06How busy are the days?
Days 2 and 3 in Cairo are full: about eight hours on day 2, and two half-day visits on day 3. After that each Marsa Alam day is one outing with the rest of the day free. Day 1 and day 4 are lighter, and day 8 is travel.07Which meals are included?
Breakfast is served at 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 neither are drinks other than the tea, coffee and water mentioned on the boat trips.08Where do the Marsa Alam trips pick me up?
Pickups cover Marsa Alam town, Port Ghalib and the resorts in between. El Quseir can be arranged on request. Tell us your hotel and we will check 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. The Cairo sightseeing on days 2 and 3 is with your own Egyptologist and 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