The best Egypt liveaboards | Scuba diving in the Red Sea
There are plenty of incredible Egypt dive sites you must visit at least once in your lifetime. Although some of them are reachable on day trips arranged by dive centers, including Dahab, Sharm El Sheikh, Marsa Alam, and Hurghada; the most fascinating ones, like the Brother Islands and St. John’s Island, are only accessible via liveaboards.
Moreover, the distances between the dive sites are so great, it’ll take a good time, effort, and money to go from one place to another. Some locations are also very remote, you’ll hardly find the right scuba diving infrastructure and equipment to aid your adventures.
Joining an Egypt liveaboard will not only save you from these hassles but give you a more comfortable and convenient diving experience. You’ll also find that liveaboards in Egypt are more affordable compared to the liveaboards in the different dive sites around the world. Egypt liveaboards also offer a wide array of choices in terms of budget and features, and they are easily accessible to divers of all levels.
Recommendations – Best Liveaboards Red Sea Egypt
There are various possibilities for a magnificent diving liveaboard in the Red Sea, Egypt. Below, we have outlined our recommendations for a Egypt liveaboard. A full overview of the Egypt liveaboards, including prices and availability, can be checked here.
Note: when booking a liveaboard in the Red Sea, it should be checked whether your diving experience is suitable for this trip (this can be checked with the tour operator). Some of the trips/dive sites are only accessible for experienced divers (in general >50 dives).
Liveaboard 1: Sea Serpent Grand ($$$) – North route
The Sea Serpent Grand is an excellent choice to discover the Red Sea if you are looking for the best quality-to-price ratio. The Sea Serpent Grand can accommodate a maximum of 28 guests in 14 cabins. The diving facilities includes (free) Nitrox, a spacious diving deck and technical diving (blending station).
Price: A trip with the Sea Serpent Grand in the Red Sea, Egypt starts at EUR 181 per day. Latest prices and availability can be found here.
Liveaboard 2: Royal Evolution ($$) – all Red Sea areas
The Royal Evolution is a great option if you are looking for a luxurious diving trip. The Royal Evolution can accommodate a maximum of 24 divers. The facilities includes, among other things, a dive deck, nitrox, and a jacuzzi.
Tip: the ‘’Deep South’’ route and/or the ‘’Sudan’’ route includes beautiful dives sites as these trips includes the famous ‘dives sites ‘’St. Johns’’ and/or ‘’Elba Reef’’.
Price: A trip with the Royal Evolution starts at EUR 151. The latest prices and availability can be checked here.
Liveaboard 3: Amelie ($) - Hurghada area
If you are looking for a Red Sea Egypt liveaboard on a lower budget, the Amelie liveaboard is a great choice. With only a maximum of 12 guest, this vessel is great if you are looking for a relaxing, not too crowded trip. It should be noted that there a 6 cabins available with 2 shared bathrooms. In addition, the Amelie offers all the facilities you need on a diving holiday such as a diving deck, sun deck, and Nitrox.
Price: A trip with the Amelie liveaboard in the Red Sea starts at EUR 94 per day. The latest prices and availability can be checked here.
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Best Liveaboards in Egypt
Liveaboards 1: Sea Serpent Grand
The Sea Serpent Grand liveaboard is a diving and snorkeling vessel that can accommodate up to 28 guests in comfortable cabins. The cabins are equipped with private bathrooms, showers and ample storage space for personal belongings. The vessel features a large salon and dining area, as well as a sundeck that offers a great spot to relax and take in the views of the Red Sea. The diving facilities include a diving deck, gear storage area, compressor for refilling tanks, camera charging station and Nitrox for certified divers. The crew is experienced and knowledgeable about the local dive sites, and will provide guests with detailed briefings before each dive.
Here are some fun facts about the Sea Serpent Grand liveaboard:
• It offers trips to some of the most famous dive sites in the Red Sea, such as the Ras Mohammed National Park and the Thistlegorm wreck.
• The boat is named after the sea serpent, a mythical creature often depicted in ancient Egyptian art and mythology.
• The Sea Serpent Grand is equipped with an onboard diving tender, which allows guests to reach dive sites quickly and comfortably.
• The liveaboard is known for its well-maintained and high-quality diving equipment, as well as its experienced and friendly crew.
Price: A trip with the Sea Serpent Grand in the Red Sea, Egypt starts at EUR 181 per day. Latest prices and availability can be found here.
Liveaboard 2: Royal Evolution
The Royal Evolution liveaboard offers comfortable and well-appointed accommodations for guests. The boat has a total of 12 cabins, each with en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, and plenty of storage space. The boat features a variety of on-board amenities, such as a dining area, a sun deck, and a jacuzzi. The jacuzzi is located on the upper deck, providing guests with a relaxing and enjoyable way to unwind after a day of diving.
The diving facilities on board are modern and well-maintained. The dive deck is equipped with tanks and gear storage, and there is also a compressor on board for filling tanks. The boat is equipped with nitrox, and diving equipment rental is also available for guests who need it. The boat also has a camera room, where divers can store and charge their photography equipment. The dive guides are professional, experienced and attentive to the divers needs and will make sure to show the best of the Red Sea diving.
Overall, the Royal Evolution is an excellent choice for divers looking for a high-quality liveaboard experience in Egypt's Red Sea, with comfortable accommodations, great facilities and attentive service, and also it's a great way to relax after a day of diving.
Price: A trip with the Royal Evolution starts at EUR 151. The latest prices and availability can be checked here.
Liveaboard 3: Amelie
The Amelie Safari liveaboard is designed for a personal diving experience, accommodating the Red Sea with a limit of only 12 passengers on-board. Guests will be accommodated in 6 comfortable cabins that are located on the lower deck. Each cabin is equipped with twin bunk beds, ample storage space, charging area, and port-hole windows, along with 2 shared bathrooms with freshwater showers.
The social areas of the liveaboard include a warm indoor saloon, a dining room, and a drinks station, where the guests will be served delicious Egyptian cuisine in buffet-style. The top deck of the liveaboard is an open area with an outdoor covered lounge, 3 different sunbathing areas, including the front deck and high deck, which are equipped with comfortable mattresses for lounging in between dives.
Price: A trip with the Amelie liveaboard in the Red Sea starts at EUR 94 per day. The latest prices and availability can be checked here
Best Egypt Liveaboard Routes & Dive Sites
There are various possibilities to discover Egypt by boat. In general, there are three regions available for diving: North, Middle and the South region. Below, we have outlined these regions in more detail, including the best dive sites in the relevant region.
Liveaboard route 1: The North region
The North route, also known as the wreck route, is mainly covering the area around Sharm-el-Sheikh. Depending on the departure port of the liveaboard, divers can start their diving trip either from Hurghada or Sharm-el-Sheikh.
The northern route for diving in Egypt includes some of the country's most famous dive sites, such as the Ras Mohammed National Park, the Straits of Tiran, and the Thistlegorm wreck. The Ras Mohammed National Park is located at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula and is known for its diverse marine life, including sharks, tuna, and barracudas. The park also has a number of coral reefs, including Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef.
The Straits of Tiran are located between the Sinai Peninsula and Saudi Arabia, and are known for their clear waters and strong currents, which attract a wide variety of marine life, including reef sharks, tuna, and barracudas.
The Thistlegorm wreck is a sunken World War II cargo ship located in the Straits of Gubal, near the Gulf of Suez. The wreck is a popular dive site and is known for its abundance of marine life and the variety of cargo still visible on the ship, including motorcycles, trucks, and tanks. Other notable dive sites in the northern route include the Abou Nuhas shipwrecks, Dunraven wreck and the SS Rosalind.
See also our Sharm-El-Sheikh page for more information about the North route dive sites!
Liveaboard route 2: The Middle region
The middle region covers various Egypt liveaboard routes such as the famous Brother Islands, Daedalus reef, Elphinstone reef. Depending on the departure port, divers can start their trip from Hurghada, Safaga, Marsa Alam or Port Ghalib.
The Middle region is mostly interesting for the possibility to dive with the bigger marine life such as sharks, turtles and mantas. However, these dive sites are also famous due to its colorful reefs with plenty of fishes.
The Brother Islands are a pair of small islands located in the Red Sea, around 60 miles (100 km) from the Egyptian mainland. They are known for their clear waters, strong currents, and abundant marine life, including hammerhead sharks, tuna, and barracudas. At the Brother Islands, there is a high chance that you can experience sharks which are cruising at 40 meters deep. As the current split on the island (mostly the northern side), sharks are awaiting for their food. Divers can also explore the wreck of the Aida II, which lies on the seabed near the southern island.
Elphinstone Reef is located on the southern tip of Egypt's Red Sea, and is known for its diverse marine life and excellent diving conditions. The reef is home to a wide variety of tropical fish, as well as reef sharks, rays, and dolphins.
Daedalus Reef is located approximately 110 miles (180 km) southeast of Elphinstone Reef, and is known for its strong currents, which attract a wide variety of marine life, including reef sharks, tuna, and barracudas. The reef is also home to a large population of Napoleon wrasse and other large fish species. At the southern part of the island, you will have the chance to spot thresher sharks.
For more information about the dive sites in the middle region, see our pages Hughada and Marsa Alam.
Liveaboard route 3: The South region
The south region covers the area from Port Ghalib/Marsa Alam to the southern border with Sudan. The south trip is mainly known for its stunning dive sites such as the St. John's, Zabargad, Rocky Island and the Fury Shoals. Most diving liveaboards departs from Port Ghalib as these dive sites are still a few days travelling by boat from Port Ghalib. Therefore, no/limited liveaboards will leave from other ports such as Hurghada.
St. John's Reef is a chain of coral reefs located in the southern Red Sea, near the Sudanese border. The reefs are known for their clear waters, diverse marine life, and healthy coral formations, which are home to a wide variety of tropical fish and other marine life, including reef sharks, rays, and dolphins.
Fury Shoals is a group of small coral reefs located in the southern Red Sea, near the Sudanese border. The reefs are known for their clear waters, diverse marine life, and healthy coral formations, which are home to a wide variety of tropical fish and other marine life, including reef sharks, rays, and dolphins.
Rocky Island is located near the southern tip of Egypt's Red Sea, and is known for its excellent diving conditions and diverse marine life. The island is home to a wide variety of tropical fish, as well as reef sharks, rays, and dolphins. The island also features a number of wrecks and other underwater features that divers can explore.
Zabargad Island is located in the southern Red Sea, and is known for its crystal clear waters, healthy coral formations and diverse marine life. The island is home to a wide variety of tropical fish, as well as reef sharks, rays, and dolphins. The island also features a number of wrecks and other underwater features that divers can explore.
Depending on your wishes, it is possible to discover various dive sites during a liveaboard. However, when booking a trip, have a look at the route as not all dive sites will be included in the itinerary. Famous liveaboard routes are the ''Deep south & St. John's'', ''Zabargad & Rocky Island'', ''Daedalus, Zabargad & Rocky Island'', ''Fury Shoals'' and ''St. John's & Fury Shoals''.
Recommendation: We highly recommend to book the St. John's and/or the Fury Shoals trip. From our experience, this is one the best diving routes in the Red Sea Egypt! Among others, the following vessels can be booked for a trip to the St. John's / Fury Shoals:
On our Marsa Alam page, more information is included about the dive sites!
How to get to your Egypt Liveaboard
Depending on the departure port of the liveaboard, the best way is to travel to the nearest airport (most of the cities have an (international) airport). From the airport, grab a taxi to the port where the Liveaboard is located.
Recommended: Arrange the transportation via the tour operator. They will pick you up from the airport and bring you directly to the liveaboard. As some of the ports can be quite big/busy (with other Liveaboards leaving), it can be challenging for a taxi driver to find your liveaboard.
