Egypt hotels · Dahab
Dahab Hotels
Where to stay in Dahab – a dive and kite town on the Gulf of Aqaba, 80 kilometers north of Sharm, with the Blue Hole on the reef, a promenade of cushion restaurants above the water, and Mount Sinai an hour up the desert road.
- Type
- Dive and kite town
- Star range
- 2-star to 4-star
- Nights
- 5–10 typical
- The Blue Hole
- 10 min north
- To Mount Sinai
- 1 hour by road
- Airport
- Sharm (SSH) or Cairo
The decision
Where to stay in Dahab
Dahab is a small town on the Gulf of Aqaba with a character unlike anywhere else on the Egyptian coast. The promenade – a string of cushion-restaurants built low to the water – is where most of the social life happens, and the dive schools are close enough together that you can walk between them in ten minutes. It runs quieter and cheaper than Sharm, and divers and free-divers tend to stay longer.
Assalah and the promenade
First-timers and those who want to be in the center
The main tourist district along the beach – dive shops, restaurants on the water and the oldest guesthouses in town. The most activity, the most sociable, the least quiet.
Mashraba
Those who want the character without the noise
The central street running behind the promenade – quieter guesthouses, cheaper cafes and a more residential feel while still walking distance from the reef.
The Laguna
Kite surfers and windsurfers
The flat-water bay at the southern end of the promenade – the consistent north wind makes it one of the better kite spots in Sinai. Small, focused hotels and camps cluster here.
North of the promenade
Divers who want the Blue Hole close and the town at a distance
Scattered Bedouin camps and small dive lodges north of Assalah, quieter than the promenade, closer to the Blue Hole and Eel Garden. The most remote option in Dahab.
What the stars mean here
Star ratings in Dahab
Dahab runs on guesthouses, dive packages and simple hotels. Here is what each level means.
The Dahab standard: simple rooms, usually with a dive-school package included, right on or one street back from the promenade. Basic comfort, excellent reef access, and the social life just outside the door.
A step up in hot-water reliability and room size, usually with a small pool and a breakfast terrace. Still close to the promenade, still dive-focused.
The handful of larger hotels away from the promenade – better facilities and quieter rooms, though away from the Dahab atmosphere that most guests come for. Good for those who want the location without the guesthouse.
From the collection
Hotels we book in Dahab
A sample of the Dahab hotels and dive camps we book. Tell us your dates and whether you're here to dive, kite or take it slow, and we'll match it.
Tropitel Dahab Oasis Hotel
Tropitel Dahab Oasis is a good-value Dahab pick on Blue Hole Road, with sea-view rooms for travelers who want their stay to feel connected to the coast. Room options include Standard Rooms with Sea View and Standard Rooms with Garden View, and balconies are available across room types. Some room options sleep up to four, making the hotel a practical choice for small groups as well as couples. Its location also puts Blue Hole and Dahab Lighthouse among the places to consider during your stay.
The Bedouin Moon Hotel Dahab
The Bedouin Moon Hotel Dahab is a good-value choice on Blue Hole Road in Asalla, with room options for couples, solo travelers, and families. Some rooms have sea views, while others offer mountain views; room features across the options include balconies, terraces, kitchens, and living rooms. Family-size options include a room type that sleeps up to five, giving larger groups more flexibility. Dahab Lighthouse and the Blue Hole are among the nearby places to plan around.
Swiss Royal Dahab Hotel
Swiss Royal Dahab is a good choice in Dahab for travelers who want a four-star stay with sea-view suites and spacious villa options. On New Mashraba Street next to NBE Bank, it offers suites and family-size or villa-style accommodations, with some room types featuring a terrace, kitchen, or living room. The largest option sleeps up to 10, making it a practical pick for larger families or groups who want room to spread out.
Swiss Inn Resort Dahab Hotel Stay
Swiss Inn Resort Dahab gives you a Dahab Resort Area base with sea-view rooms and a choice of suites and family-size stays. Its range of sea- and garden-view rooms, including a Deluxe Suite Sea View and family-size options, suits travelers who want more room choices than a basic hotel stay. Some room types include a balcony or terrace, and the resort is positioned for exploring Dahab and Blue Hole by arranging your own transport. It is one of the more expensive hotel options in Dahab.
Sheikh Ali Dahab Resort
Sheikh Ali Dahab Resort is a good-value choice in Mashraba, with suites that give groups more room than a standard hotel stay. Its Two-Bedroom Suite sleeps up to five, making it a practical base for families or friends traveling together. Balconies add outdoor space, and Dahab Lighthouse in Assalah is a short walk away. For travelers who want a suite and an easy walk to the lighthouse without choosing one of Dahab’s more expensive hotels, this 3-star resort is a straightforward option.
Safir Dahab Resort Hotel Stay
Choose Safir Dahab Resort for a five-star stay in Dahab’s Laguna area, with a family-size option for travelers who want room to spread out. The resort has a suite and a family-size room type, and its largest rooms sleep four. Some room types include a balcony or living room, giving couples and families different ways to make their stay feel more spacious. It is one of just two five-star hotels in Dahab, making it a distinctive choice for travelers prioritizing a higher-end resort stay in the area.
Retac Qunay Dahab Resort & Spa
Choose Retac Qunay Dahab Resort & Spa for a sea-facing stay in Dahab with a spa and rooms that make the most of the setting. It is a mid-priced 5-star option in a city with only two 5-star hotels among the options we sell. Room choices include a One-Bedroom Executive Suite with a sea-view terrace and living room, as well as Deluxe Sea Front Rooms with terraces. The hotel is on Al Tahrir Street, with Dahab Lighthouse and Blue Hole among the places to explore around Dahab.
JAZ Dahabeya Hotel
Choose JAZ Dahabeya for a Dahab stay with sea-view rooms and suites, including family-size options with garden views. Its room choices suit couples wanting a suite as well as families who need space for up to four. Sea views, balconies, and terraces add an outdoor feel to the stay, while the range of room styles makes it easier to choose between a garden outlook and a view toward the sea. It is one of the more expensive hotels in Dahab, so it fits travelers who value those room options.
Dahab Paradise Hotel
Choose Dahab Paradise for a mid-priced 3-star stay on Blue Hole Road in Dahab. It offers a practical base for travelers who want to explore the area without paying for a higher-priced hotel. Room options include single, twin, double, and triple rooms, with balconies or terraces among the room features. A family-size room type is also available, and the largest room sleeps three, making this a straightforward choice for solo travelers, couples, or small families.
Acacia Dahab Hotel
Acacia Dahab Hotel is a good-value choice in Dahab for travelers who want a small hotel within a short walk of Dahab Lighthouse. This 3-star hotel has 15 room types, including family-size options, and some rooms have sea or pool views, balconies, or terraces. Its address on Mashraba Street gives you a base in Dahab without paying for a more expensive hotel. The Blue Hole is another place to visit from here, though it is not a walk-from-the-hotel outing.
From your door
What you can do from a Dahab hotel
Dahab sits between the Gulf of Aqaba and the Sinai desert – the reef is in front and the mountain is an hour behind.
The Blue Hole
The world's most famous free-diving site, ten minutes north of the promenade by taxi – a circular sinkhole in the reef dropping to 130 meters, with a swim-through arch at 56 meters. Snorkelers use the outer lip; divers go deeper.
Mount Sinai dawn climb
A night drive to St Catherine, a two-hour climb up the mountain of Moses, and a sunrise from the summit – back at your Dahab hotel by mid-morning. The classic Sinai night out.
St Catherine monastery
The oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery in the world, one hour from Dahab in the Sinai interior – the burning bush, the 6th-century basilica and a library second only to the Vatican.
Desert and Bedouin camp
Into the Sinai desert on quad bikes or by camel – the sandstone canyons, a Bedouin camp dinner and a sky that clears the moment you leave the coast.
Before you book
Booking a Dahab hotel, practically
A few things worth knowing before you pick a Dahab hotel.
How many nights
Five to ten for a dive visit – the Blue Hole, the canyon sites, Eel Garden and the offshore sites fill a week. Most guests planning three nights end up staying longer; the pace and the reef keep people.
Getting in from the airport
Dahab has no airport. The nearest is Sharm El Sheikh (SSH), about 90 minutes south by private transfer. Cairo (CAI) is about 7 hours by road – some travelers fly to Cairo and take the bus or a private car. We arrange the transfer whichever way you arrive.
The Blue Hole is free to snorkel, the diving needs a guide
The Blue Hole reef is open to snorkelers at no charge from the shore. For the arch at 56 meters and the deeper sites, a local guide and PADI-certified dive center are necessary. The Dahab schools are experienced with the site; we can connect you to the right one.
Dahab is cash-based
Most restaurants, dive schools and guesthouses on the promenade operate in cash – Egyptian pounds or US dollars. Card machines exist at some of the larger hotels but are unreliable. ATMs are available in the town center.
Common questions
Dahab hotels, answered
01What is Dahab like and is it good for beginners?+
Dahab is a small dive and kite town on the Gulf of Aqaba – cushion-restaurant promenade, reef two minutes from most guesthouses, and a relaxed pace that suits beginners and experienced divers alike. The schools here know the reef well, Eel Garden is a good shallow site for an open-water course, and the prices run 30–50% below Sharm.
02What is the Blue Hole in Dahab?+
The Blue Hole is a circular sinkhole in the reef about ten minutes north of Dahab town – roughly 300 meters wide and dropping to 130 meters, with a swim-through arch at 56 meters. Snorkelers use the outer reef wall above the arch; certified divers swim the arch with a guide. It's one of the most recognisable dive sites in the world, and a short taxi ride from any Dahab hotel.
03Can I climb Mount Sinai from Dahab?+
Yes – it's one of the most common day or overnight trips from Dahab. The drive to St Catherine takes about an hour; you arrive in the evening, sleep or rest, and start the night climb to reach the summit by dawn. Back in Dahab by mid-morning. We arrange the transport and the guide.
04Is Dahab cheaper than Sharm El Sheikh?+
Yes, noticeably – guesthouses, dive packages and restaurants on the promenade run 30–50% cheaper than comparable Sharm options. Dahab has fewer big resorts and no polished all-inclusive strip. Guests who want the reef without the resort price tend to pick Dahab; guests who want the full beach holiday tend to pick Sharm.
05How do I get to Dahab from Cairo or Sharm?+
From Sharm El Sheikh airport (SSH), Dahab is about 90 minutes by private transfer. From Cairo, the drive is around 7 hours – or fly to Sharm and transfer. We arrange the private transfer whichever route you take.
Reservations
Find your room in Dahab
Tell us your dates, whether you want to be on the promenade or near the Laguna kite bay, and what you want from the reef – snorkel, dive, free-dive or the Blue Hole – and we'll send hand-picked Dahab options. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.