Sharm el Sheikh Diving | The best diving centers, dive sites and liveaboards
Sharm el Sheikh is a favorite Egyptian diving destination. Located at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, Sharm el Sheikh offers an excellent diving experience ranging from easy entry-level diving to the most challenging dives and fast drifts along the Straits of Tiran’s reefs.
Divers all over the world travel to Sharm el Sheikh just to have a glimpse of the colorful corals and the abundance of marine life like clownfish and their anemones, parrots, and lionfish, trevallies and batfish, gorgonian fans, moray eels, triggers, Spanish dancers, nudibranchs, Napoleon wrasse, shoals of barracudas, turtles, dolphins, as well as sharks and rays.
Recommendations for Sharm el Sheikh diving
To experience the best conditions in Sharm el Sheikh Diving, it is best to visit from May to early October. The spring and transitional autumn seasons in Sharm wl Sheikh are perfect for scuba divers due to the warm water temperature, the best visibility conditions under the waters, and it is when marine life comes closer to the surface at these times.
Liveaboards Sharm el Sheikh
The best way to explore all the best dive sites around Sharm el Sheikh is by liveaboard!
There are many liveaboards available to explore the Sharm el Sheikh dive sites, but we recommend the Sea Serpent Grand liveaboard. This vessel offers both great diving facilities as well as comfortable cabins for a reasonable price. A trip with the Sea Serpent Grand can be booked starts at EUR 150 per day. The latest prices and availability can be checked here.
Diving center Sharm el Sheikh
As Sharm el Sheikh one of the most popular diving destinations, many diving centers are located in this area. For a (day) diving trip, we recommend to book with one of the below mentioned diving centers. Personally, we had a great diving experience with Emperor Divers.
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operators
Reef Oasis
Sheikh Coast
Pyramids Diving Center
Emperor Divers
Best diving centers in Sharm el Sheikh
As mentioned before, Sharm el Sheikh is known as one the most popular diving destinations in Egypt. As a result, many diving centers are located here which makes it more difficult to choose. In this section, we have outlined our recommendations for the best diving centers in Sharm el Sheikh.
Diving center 1: Reef Oasis
Reef Oasis dive club is a 5 star PADI IDC diving center that offers a complete range of PADI scuba diving courses and day trips. They are located in two locations in Sharm el Sheikh (the Reef Oasis Blue Bay resort and the Reef Oasis Beach resort). If you are looking for buying some gear in Sharm el Sheikh, they also run a dive shop next to their diving center.
Scuba diving Courses
As Reef Oasis is a PADI 5 star IDC diving center, they offer various scuba diving courses ranging from the PADI Open Water up to Go Pro courses such as the PADI IDC Instructor course. The PADI Open Water course is offered for EUR 320.
Scuba diving day trips
Reef Oasis offers various scuba diving day trips including shore and boat diving packages, the SS Thistlegorm, diving in Dahab and Ras Mohammed. A dive is offered for EUR 38 excluding scuba gear. Scuba gear can be rented with Reef Oasis.
The latest prices and availability with Reef Oasis can be checked here.
Diving center 2: Sheikh Coast
Sheikh Coast Diving Center is a PADI diving center which offers scuba diving courses and scuba diving day trips. Sheikh Coast is located in Domina Coral Bay resort in Sharm el Sheikh.
Their boats are located at a private jetty/harbor. This is great as you don’t have any hassle with finding the right boat and carrying your luggage in the Sharm el Sheikh harbor. In addition, this will also reduce your travel time and thus contribute to your diving experience. In addition, they also offer gear rinsing areas, a classroom and charging stations.
Scuba diving courses
Sheikh Coast offers various recreational scuba diving courses such as the PADI Open Water course. Besides these PADI courses, they also offer UTD technical diving courses and professional courses.
Scuba diving day trips
Sheikh Coast offers various scuba diving day trips. Contact Sheikh Coast for the itineraries, latest prices and availability.
Diving center 3: Pyramids Diving Center
Pyramids Diving Center is a 5 star PADI diving center that offers a complete range of PADI scuba diving courses from beginner to intermediate levels. Besides scuba courses, they also offer various day diving trips to the Sharm el Sheikh reefs.
Pyramids Diving Center is located at 10 different resorts in Sharm el Sheikh: Charmillion Hotels & Resorts, Garden Resort, Iberotel Mercato, Iberotel Palace, Island View Resort, Jaz Fanara, Jaz Miribel, Rixos Premium Seagate, Rixos Sharm el Sheikh and Steigenberger Alcazar. Normally you don’t have to be a guest of a resort to dive with the diving center. Just walk in and go diving with them!
For their scuba diving courses and diving trips, they use their own boats (five). For the die-hard divers, they also offer liveaboard trips one of their three liveaboards.
Scuba diving courses
As mentioned, you can get certified with Pyramids Diving Center (e.g. the PADI Open Water course or the Advance course). Prices are unknown for the majority of the PADI courses, but you can check this with Pyramids Diving Center and compare the prices with other diving centers.
Scuba diving day trips
Pyramids Diving Center offer various packages such as the Red Sea Adventure Package (10 dives / 5 days) for EUR 450 which includes Tiran island, Ras Mohammed National Park, Dahab and 2 night dives. They also offer the Red Sea Extravaganza Package (11 dives / 5 days) for EUR 550 which also includes the Thistlegorm wreck. A 2 days diving package, both shore and boat dives, is offered for EUR 120. All packages are excluding gear.
Diving center 4: Emperor Divers
Emperor Divers is a PADI 5 Star (Instructor Development Centre) diving center and is located in three cities: El Gouna, Marsa Alam and Sharm el Sheikh. Emperor Divers provides scuba diving courses and trips since 1992.
Besides using daily boats for their day trips, Emperor Divers also offers some of the best liveaboards in the Red Sea. They have four liveaboards: The Emperor Echo, Emperor Superior, Emperor Elite and the Emperor Asmaa (sorted on lowest price to highest price).
During our trip with Emperor Divers in Sharm el Sheikh, we noticed that they take the safety of their customers serious. They also try to give you the best diving experience on the Sharm el Sheikh’s reefs.
Scuba diving courses
As a PADI 5 star Instructor Development Centre, you are in good hands do get your certification with Emperor Divers. They offer entry level (PADI Open Water) certifications, but also Advanced, Rescue and other (specialty) courses. The PADI Open Water course (4 days) is offered for EUR 379 which is a reasonable price.
Scuba diving day trips
Emperor Divers offers various diving packages. Daily diving is offered for EUR 60 per day (2 dives). Discounts apply when more than 4 days are booked. They also offer the Thistlegorm wreck, Dahab and Dunraven wreck trips. Note that scuba gear is not included in the prices. This can be rented with Emperor Divers.
Best liveaboards Sharm el Sheikh
As Sharm el Sheikh is one of the main Egypt diving destinations, many Sharm el Seikh liveaboards are offered. Below, we have included our selection of the best Sharm el Sheikh liveaboards. All available Egypt liveaboards can be found here.
If you are looking for a liveaboard near Sharm el Sheikh, look for the ‘’North & Tiran’’ or ‘’North & Wrecks’’ itinerary.
Liveaboard 1: MY Sea Serpent Grand
The MY Sea Serpent Grand is a 41 meter long vessel which can house up to 28 guests in 14 cabins. There are 8 double and twin cabins located on the lower deck, 1 suite on the main deck, and 4 twin cabins and a suite on the sun deck. En-suite bathrooms are available in each cabin as well as air-conditioning, a music system and a fridge.
The Sea Serpent Grand has great facilities, both for diving and non-diving. The Sea Serpent Grand is equipped with a spacious diving deck and offers free Nitrox. The vessel is also equipped with a Helium/Oxygen blend station which is great for tech divers.
The indoor seating area can be used for relaxing moments. The Sea Serpent Grand also has a great outdoor seating area, great for relaxing after diving! For those who would like to stay connected – free internet is also available.
Price: a trip with the Sea Serpent Grand can be booked starts at EUR 150 per day. The latest prices and availability can be checked here.
Liveaboard 2: Snefro Love
The Snefro Love is a 37 meters long vessel and can house up to 20 guests in 10 cabins. This liveaboard is great for smaller groups or divers who like to a cozy liveaboard.
Compared to the MY Emperor Superior, a Sharm el Sheikh liveaboard is a good deal for the price offered. Although the facilities/cabins are a little less fancy, the diving facilities are still great. The Senfro Love offers free Nitrox, a spacious dive deck and a nice relaxing area for after diving. Other facilities are free internet, en-suite bathrooms in the cabins, and an indoor air-conditioned saloon.
Price: a trip with the Snefro Love can be booked from EUR 118 per day. The latest prices and availability can be checked here.
Liveaboard 3: The South Moon
The South Moon liveaboard is a 27 meter long vessel which can house up to 16 guests in 8 cabins.
If you are looking for a less expensive liveaboard, you should definitely consider the South Moon liveaboard! The South Moon offers everything for a comfortable diving trip. The South Moon diving facilities include Nitrox, a spacious dive deck, rinsing areas for underwater cameras, and charging stations. There are also two zodiacs available which make it easy to reach the dive sites.
The cabins are equipped with an en-suite bathroom and air-conditioning. Other facilities of the South Moon include a sun deck, free internet, and outside showers.
Price: a trip with the South Moon can be booked from EUR 106 per day. The latest prices and availability can be checked here.
Best dive sites Sharm El Sheikh
Scuba diving around Sharm El Sheikh is very dynamic. Reef, wall, and wreck diving opportunities are readily available whether you are a beginner or an experienced diver. Two spots which you should have on your bucket list are Ras Mohammed National Park and the ship wreck ‘’SS Thistlegorm’’. You can find below more information on these destinations.
Dive site 1: Thistlegorm Wreck
The Thistlegorm Wreck is located on the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula, 40 kilometers away from Sharm el Sheikh. The Thistlegorm is a 126.5 meters long British wartime materials transport ship. It sank vertically on a plain, sandy seabed 15 - 35 meters underwater after being hit by two bombs launched by German Heinkel HE III bombers on October 6, 1941.
Jacques Cousteau discovered the shipwreck and cited it in a February 1956 National Geographic Magazine published article but did not disclose the actual whereabouts of the wreck. It was re-traced with the help of an Israeli fishing boat captain in 1991 and became a world-famous WWII relic dive site in an instant.
Due to its depth and hard diving conditions, we recommend to be at least a certified advanced diver. If desired, you can descend with one of the mooring lines to the top of the Thistlegorm. Once arrived, you can swim around the shipwreck and explore the stunning canons. If the conditions are good, it is possible to enter the shipwreck. Make sure that your buoyancy is perfectly balanced as the space within the wreck can be very limited.
You should definitely watch out for the jeeps, motorbikes, and other WOII stuff which is still present. Make sure that you don’t touch anything!
Tip: Around the SS Thistlegorm, locomotives / trains can still be found. Note that the locomotive is located out of sight so you should swim around 50 meters away from the Thistlegorm to find this train.
Dive site 2: Jackfish Alley (Ras Mohammed)
Jackfish Alley got its name obviously from the frequent visitors of this dive site, the Jack Fish. Ranging at 0 to 18 meters average depth, this intermediate-level dive site is composed of a white sand road found between a coral ledge and a satellite reef parallel to the coast located south of Ras Mohammed. The northern tip of the Jackfish Alley dive site features a descending slope porous wall and several caves where you can swim through. Jackfish Alley offers a drift dive where you can look out for jackfish, gorgonians, glassfish, stingrays, trevally, triggerfish, whitetip reef shark, and other predators.
Dive site 3: Shark Observatory (Ras Mohammed)
Shark Observatory is located at the foot of the observatory cliff in the north. This dive site has an average depth of 5 to 18 meters and good water visibility of around 10 to 30 meters. This intermediate wall dive site stuns divers with various species of pelagic predators and a fabulous steep wall decorated with some overhangs and caves. Completing the admirable grandiose environment deep under are alcyonarians, barracudas, gullies, glassfish, groupers, jackfish, hatchet fish, sea wrasses, snappers, trevallies, turtles, and several types of shark visitors.
Dive site 4: Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef (Ras Mohammed)
The Shark reef and the Yolanda reef are two world-famous underwater island dive sites. The dive sites are located closely to each other and therefore we have combined these dives sites. Shark Reef is a 70-meter vertical reef wall drop that is covered with multi-colored soft corals. Yolanda Reef on the other hand features a wide plateau of the coral garden with lots of pinnacle corals. The depth of these dive sites ranges between 10 and 35 meters.
Note that currents can be strong in this area so these dive sites are more suitable for advanced divers. Diverse marine biodiversity here includes the batfish, crocodile fish, groupers, turtles, scorpionfish, tuna, big moray eels, napoleon wrasse, red snappers, unicornfish, barracudas, and the blacktip shark pelagics.
Dive site 5: Far Garden
Far Garden is a 5 to 45-meter deep house reef situated in the northern part of Naama Bay. This dive site is an authentic underwater hanging garden decorated with varied coral formations and a series of massive coral pinnacles. From a gentle slope, an 18-meter steep wall and a small cave of some marvelous knotted fan corals will be revealed. Gorgonian fans, glass fishes, lionfishes, as well as mantas, and turtles are the regular sightings in this dive site.
Dive site 6: The Temple
The Temple is a dive site situated north of Sharm El Sheikh Harbor. With an average depth of 5 to 30 meters, it is suitable for all diver levels. It is a sloping reef notable for its three pinnacles. The pinnacles are separated by sand channels and characterized by sheer walls that are shrouded with soft and hard corals as well as fan corals.
All three pinnacles showcase a surprisingly rich color of corals and a wide variety of marine species that colonize the reef. Lionfish, camouflaged stonefish, and schools of glass sweepers are just some of the reef animals that you can spot here.
How to get to Sharm el Sheikh
As mentioned before, Sharm el Sheikh is located in the south of the Sinai peninsula. Below, we have included the two easiest ways to reach Sharm el Sheikh.
Option 1: By airplane
The most easiest and comfortable way to reach Sharm el Sheikh is by airplane. Sharm el Sheikh international airport is just located outside of the city. Direct flights from the majority of European and Middle East countries heading to Sharm El Sheikh International Airport are readily available. Availability and prices of flight prices can be checked here.
Upon arrival at the airport, you will have to take a 30-minute bus or taxi ride to reach the center of Sharm El Sheikh.
Option 2: By car / ferry
A 4x a week ferry trip can help you get to Sharm El Sheikh from Hurghada in just 90 minutes. The ferries usually depart from Hurghada early in the morning.
Sharm el Sheikh can also be reached by car. Just take the road southwards from Suez or Taba.
Accommodations in Sharm el Sheikh
Accommodation 1: Rixos Premium Seagate ($$$)
Rixos Premium Seagate is a luxurious 5-star resort in Sharm El Sheikh that offers an Ultra All Inclusive Concept. It is located in front of the sea with a private beach, 7 swimming pools, 1 indoor pool, and an aqua park.
This accommodation is equipped with awesome amenities, including 7 restaurants, beach food courts, 9 bars serving imported alcohol, and a VIP executive lounge.
Wi-Fi is accessible in the entire hotel. All rooms come with a feature of a balcony, a terrace with a pool, or a garden view. Each room has a flat-screen TV, a safety box, a mini-bar, including a bathroom.
Price: Starting from EUR 374 for one night. The latest prices and availability can be checked here.
Accommodation 2: Four Seasons Resort ($$$)
Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh is a resort with great facilities – perfect for your diving holiday!
Four Seasons Resort offers 4 swimming pools, a spa, and 5 different restaurants. All room accommodations at Four Seasons feature a balcony or a terrace overlooking the Red Sea, the garden, and the resort. Each room has an flat-screen TV, a seating area, and a mini-bar
Price: Starting from EUR 369 for one night. The latest prices and availability can be checked here.
Accommodation 3: Steigenberger Alcazar ($$)
Steigenberger Alcazar is a five-star resort with a private beach, 3 swimming pools and 2 main restaurants and 5 à-la-carte restaurants. You can order your favourite drink at one of the different bars such as the 2 lobby bars, beach bar or swimming pool bar.
Various room are available including a deluxe room with garden view, a swim-up room, and various luxurious suites.
Price: Starting from EUR 256 for one night. The latest prices and availability can be checked here.
