Red Sea diving trips: the complete liveaboard guide

Why a liveaboard (dive cruise)?

A liveaboard is a trip where you sleep, eat and dive from the same boat for a week. It is the only way to reach reefs far from the coast, such as the Brothers Islands, Daedalus, Rocky Island or St. John's, many hours away by boat: no day-trip boat goes that far.

• You dive more: up to 20 dives in a week, with three or four a day and night dives included.
• You are first in the water: sleeping next to the dive site, you do the first dive at sunrise, before the day boats arrive.
• Everything taken care of: accommodation, full board, guides, tank and weights included. You only unpack once.
• You level up: it is the perfect time to get your Advanced, Nitrox or Deep Diver specialty.

Read why to choose a liveaboard to dive the Red Sea →

The 7 routes: which one to choose

All our routes are 7 nights. The northern ones depart from Hurghada and combine wrecks and reefs; the southern ones go after the big pelagics in open water.

* On the northern routes, your certification determines which dives and maximum depth you can do. To complete the full programme you need an Advanced certification or equivalent.

• If it is your first liveaboard: North & Brothers: the Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas, Ras Mohammed and a full day at the Brothers Islands.
• If you want a bit of everything: Famous 5, with the Red Sea’s big five in one week.
• If you are looking for sharks in open water: South · BDE (Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone) or Dolphins & Sharks.
• If you want the most remote south: Deep South, with Rocky Island, Zabargad and St. John's.

See the 7 routes with their day-by-day itinerary and map →

The best dive sites in the Red Sea

• SS Thistlegorm: a British cargo ship sunk in 1941 with trucks, motorbikes and locomotives in its holds. One of the best wrecks in the world. Its story →
• Ras Mohammed: Egypt’s first national park, with Shark & Yolanda Reef and Jack Fish Alley.
• Brothers Islands: two islets in the open sea, with oceanic whitetip, hammerhead and grey reef sharks, and the Numidia and Aida wrecks.
• Daedalus: the reef furthest from the coast, famous for schools of hammerheads on the first dives of the day.
• Elphinstone: vertical walls and two plateaus off Marsa Alam; one of the best sites in the south to see the oceanic whitetip.
• Abu Nuhas: the ship graveyard of the Red Sea, with the Giannis D, the Carnatic, the Chrisoula K and the Kimon M.
• Sha'ab El Erg (Dolphin House): a horseshoe reef north of Hurghada, famous for its dolphins.

Read the guide to the best dive sites in the Red Sea →

What diving level do I need?

On the northern routes (North & Brothers, North & Wrecks, Famous 5 and Deep North) the minimum certification is Open Water; to complete the full programme you need an Advanced or equivalent. On the southern routes (BDE, Dolphins & Sharks and Deep South) the minimum certification is Advanced, because you dive in open water and currents can be strong.

If you don’t have your Advanced yet, you can get it on board during the week, as well as Nitrox or the Deep Diver specialty.

When to go? Water temperature month by month

You can dive the Red Sea all year round, and visibility is usually excellent all year. The water ranges from about 22 °C in February and March to about 29 °C in August: in the coolest months a thicker wetsuit is a good idea, and from July to September the water is warmer.

Approximate average surface water temperature in the Egyptian Red Sea; it can vary by 1–2 °C depending on the year and the area.

If you are looking for the oceanic whitetip, autumn is one of the best times at Elphinstone, and at Daedalus hammerheads are seen mostly on the first dives of the day.

See the 2026-2027 departure calendar →

How much does a Red Sea liveaboard cost and what is included?

Our departures are from €1,150 per person in a double cabin, 7 nights. Ask us about prices for groups and dive centres.

Included:

• 7 nights on board in a double cabin
• Full board
• 18–20 guided dives
• Nitrox for certified divers
• 12-litre tank, weight belt and weights
• Airport–boat–airport transfers
• Guides in Spanish, English, Italian and French

Not included: flights, hotels and visa, equipment rental and courses, dive insurance, alcoholic drinks, and marine park fees and tips.

How to pay: 40% of the cabin on booking and the remaining 60% two months before departure, by bank transfer. If you book less than two months before departure, you pay 100% of the cabin on booking. Marine park fees and tips, equipment rental and courses are paid on board, in cash and in euros.

Visa, insurance and documents

• Visa: bought at the arrival airport, before passport control. It costs 30 US dollars (USD) and allows a stay of up to 30 days. Bring the exact amount in cash.
• Passport: valid for at least 6 months.
• Dive insurance: mandatory to board; we will ask you for proof before departure. We also recommend travel insurance: why you shouldn’t travel to Egypt without it →
• Certification and logbook: bring your diving certification.

How to book your Red Sea diving trip

• 1. Choose your departure in the calendar and check its page: dates, places, cabins and itinerary.
• 2. Plan your week with the equipment rental and courses you need.
• 3. Send your request from the departure page. We confirm cabin availability and send you the details to pay the deposit.

You talk directly to the people who organise your trip, in your language. Meet Sayed and Estela →