Ras Mohammed or Tiran Island for Snorkeling

Ras Mohammed or Tiran Island: which snorkeling day to pick

Three ways to snorkel the southern Sinai reefs from Sharm El Sheikh, and the one question that decides between them.

Discovery Tours Egypt editorsUpdated September 27, 20264 min readReviewed by Discovery Tours Egypt

In short

Pick the Tiran Island boat day or the Ras Mohammed boat day if you are happy on the water; they run the same way, 8 hours from an 08:00 hotel pick-up, with lunch on board, fins included and a boat shared by up to 40 guests. Pick the Ras Mohammed road day if you get seasick or want to see the park on land: 6 hours by minibus, 16 guests at most, snorkeling from the shore at two beaches and a float in the Magic Lake. For a first trip, choose by how you handle boats, not by the reef.

The two boat days are both 8 hours with an 08:00 pick-up, a boat shared with up to 40 guests, and lunch on board.
The Ras Mohammed road day is the one to choose if boats make you sick, because you snorkel from the beach and never leave land.
On the Tiran Island trip you do not land on the island; all the time is spent in the water or on the boat.
The Ras Mohammed boat day adds a walk on the White Island sandbar, but only when the tide has uncovered it.
Sea trips can be stopped by the port authority in bad weather, and in that case they are moved or refunded.

The honest answer is that the reef is not what separates these three trips. All of them put you over healthy southern Sinai coral with a mask and snorkel, and the sea and the sun on the day matter more than the name on the itinerary. What separates them is how you get there, how many people share the day, and whether you want a boat or a beach.

If you are comfortable on a boat, you can pick either the Ras Mohammed boat day or the Tiran Island boat day and be happy. If boats are a problem for you, or for someone in your group, the Ras Mohammed road day is the only one of the three that keeps you on solid ground. Read on for the details that tip the choice.

Ras Mohammed and White Island by boat

This is an 8-hour day. We pick you up at your hotel at 08:00, drive to the jetty, and sail south for about 75 minutes to Ras Mohammed National Park at the tip of Sinai. There are two snorkeling stops on park reefs with a guide in the water, and lunch on board with soft drinks and water. The park fee, mask, snorkel and fins are all included.

The extra is White Island. When the tide is low, a sandbar shows above the surface and you can wade and walk on it. When the tide is high, it is not there, and you simply do not get that stop. The boat is shared with up to 40 other guests, and you are back at your hotel around 16:00.

Tiran Island by boat

The Tiran day is also 8 hours with an 08:00 pick-up. The sail north-east into the Straits of Tiran takes about an hour, so you reach the water earlier. There are two or three snorkeling stops: a first reef with the guide, a second stop in a shallow turquoise lagoon, and a third stop or a free swim depending on the sea. Lunch on board, mask, snorkel, fins and marine park fees are included.

One thing to know before you book: landing on Tiran Island itself is not permitted, so this is a day on the boat and in the water, not a day on a beach. The straits can be rougher than the water close to Sharm, so this is the one to think about twice if you are prone to motion sickness. Water sports sold on the boat are extra.

Ras Mohammed by road

The road day is 6 hours and built for people who prefer land. A minibus with at most 16 guests picks you up at 08:00 and drives into the national park, stopping at the Gate of Allah, the mangrove channel and the earthquake crack, and then the Magic Lake, a salt lagoon where you float easily. You then snorkel from the shore at two beaches, with the reef drop-off a few meters out.

A picnic lunch with water is included, along with the mask, snorkel and park fee. Fins and reef shoes are not included and can be rented. You are back at your hotel by about 14:30, which leaves an afternoon free. For anyone who gets seasick, or travels with a parent who does, this is the trip.

How to choose

Get seasick easily: the Ras Mohammed road day.
Want the most time in open water with fins and a guide: either boat day.
Want a land landscape as well as a reef: the Ras Mohammed road day, or the boat day with the White Island sandbar.
Want the shortest day: the road day, at 6 hours.
Prefer a smaller group: the road day, with 16 guests at most against 40 on the boats.

Weather and what can change

Sea trips depend on the port authority. If the port is closed for wind or waves, the trip is moved to another day or refunded. Even on a sailing day, the wind can decide whether the third snorkeling stop happens and how clear the water is. Winter water needs a wetsuit for most people, and the boat days list wetsuit rental as an extra, so ask us in cooler months.

Booking is simple. Most of these trips can be booked online up to 48 hours before; inside that, send us a request. Cancel 3 or more days ahead for a full refund, between 3 days and 24 hours for half, and inside 24 hours or on a no-show there is no refund. For current prices, see each trip page, since the price depends on the date and the party.

Children and mixed groups

On shared trips, children under 2 travel free, ages 2 to 11 pay half the adult price, and ages 12 and over pay the adult price. If one of you snorkels and one does not, the boat days work better than the road day, because someone can stay on deck. Ask us about the minimum age for your trip before you book with very young children.

Plan with us

Ras Mohammed or Tiran Island: which snorkeling day to pick

Ras Mohammed boat, Ras Mohammed by road or Tiran Island boat from Sharm El Sheikh: how each day runs and which one suits you.

Speak to a specialist →View tours

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for a first-time snorkeler, Ras Mohammed or Tiran?

Neither is harder than the other. A guide goes in the water with you at every stop on the boat days, and fins are included. If you want to learn in calm water close to land, the Ras Mohammed road day lets you walk in from the shore, which many first-timers find easier.

Can I do Ras Mohammed if I get seasick?

Yes, by road. The Ras Mohammed national park day uses a minibus and you snorkel from the beach, so there is no sailing. The two boat days involve roughly an hour or more each way on the water, so take a tablet and sit toward the middle of the boat.

Do we get to walk on Tiran Island?

No. Landing on the island is not permitted. The Tiran day is spent on the boat and in the water, over coral gardens and a shallow lagoon. If a landscape on foot matters to you, the White Island sandbar on the Ras Mohammed boat day or the road day are better choices.

Is lunch included on all three trips?

Yes. The boat days include lunch on board with soft drinks and water. The road day includes a picnic lunch with water. Gratuities, towels, underwater photos and a wetsuit in winter are not included on the boat days, so bring cash for those.

What happens if the weather stops the boat?

Sea trips stopped by the port authority for weather are moved to another day or refunded. If the port is open but the sea is rough, the guide may shorten a stop or change the order. The Ras Mohammed road day does not depend on the port.