The 8 Best Guided Tours and Day-Trips from Marsa Alam

The 8 best guided tours and excursions in Marsa Alam. What are the best guided tours and day-trips from  Marsa Alam? And above all, what are the most interesting and beautiful places of the Red Sea and Egypt that can be reached from Marsa Alam with day-trips leaving Marsa Alam in the morning and coming back the same afternoon or evening? Where to go, which tour to choose and how to book? The detailed description of the 8 best tours and day-trips you can book in Marsa Alam to reach the greatest beaches of the Red Sea and some of the most spectacular and interesting attractions in all of Egypt. The sea turtles at Abu Dabbab bay: shared boat tour to one of the most beautiful beaches on the coast of Marsa Alam. Sataya Reef dolphin house: boat day-trip from Marsa Alam to swim with dolphins. Quad biking in the desert: group excursion in the Eastern Desert personally driving a Quad with dinner included. Luxor and Valley of the Kings: small group day-trip to visit Luxor and the tombs of the Valley of the Kings from Marsa Alam in one day. Luxor private tour: excursion to Luxor from Marsa Alam with private car and exclusive guide. Cairo by plane: guided tour to see the Pyramids and Cairo from Marsa Alam going and returning by plane in one day. Dugongs and turtles: boat tour to Marsa Mubarak bay near Port Ghalib. Sharm El Luli: excursion from Marsa Alam to the wild and white beaches of Wadi El Gemal National Park in the extreme south of the Egyptian Red Sea. With my comment, all pros of each tour, the useful information to organize the excursion and direct links to check prices and book easily online by credit card.

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

What Are the Best Excursions and Guided Day-Trips from Marsa Alam?

The Most Interesting Excursions from Marsa Alam to Red Sea Beaches, the Desert, to Visit Luxor, Cairo and the Pyramids

Are you going to Marsa Alam and would you like to take a tour to reach some of the most beautiful beaches of the Red Sea? To see turtles and may be swim with dolphins? Would you like to personally drive a Quad in the middle of the desert? Or are you looking for a guided tour to visit the fabulous temples of Luxor and enter the tombs of the Valley of the Kings? Are you wondering if it is possible to go to see the Pyramids of Giza and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo from Marsa Alam in one day?

• I have selected tens of tours and day-trips from Marsa Alam organized by locally based travel suppliers and sold online, and have chosen 8 different tours.

• These are not the only ones you can book but in my opinion they are among the best and most complete tours and guided day-trips available on the market to explore Egypt and the Red Sea leaving Marsa Alam in the morning and returning in the afternoon or, for longer tours, in the evening.

• All guided tours are described below, in a very detailed way, with my considerations, some suggestions, the useful information and all the pros of each tour.

• You can book all these tours easily by credit card through GetYourGuide and Viator. For the great majority of tours you get instant confirmation, while for some, tour confirmation is subject to availability and will be given within 48 hours of your booking.

• Keep in mind that, not always but often, the cost of the excursions booked online is generally lower than the same tour booked directly at the hotel, at least if you are staying in one of the luxury resorts. Read carefully, evaluate and see if there is something you like.

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

The 8 Best Tours and Guided Day-Trips from Marsa Alam

The Sea Turtles at Abu Dabbab: Boat Day-Trip to One of the Most Beautiful Beaches of the Marsa Alam Coast

Would you like to swim alongside sea turtles? Just 30 kilometers south of Port Ghalib and 38 km north of Marsa Alam, the beautiful bay of Abu Dabbab, also known as Abu Dabab or Abu Dahab, is one of the best places along the southern coast of the Red Sea to get up close with the magnificent Green Turtles, the large sea turtles that can grow up to one and a half meters, as well as dozens of species of fish, of all shapes and colors. And if you’re lucky, even dugongs.

Not only that, the bay of Abu Dabbab is characterized by a magnificent crescent-shaped beach of almost white sand, and access to the sea is directly from the beach without necessarily having to use piers, which is common for the vast majority of resorts on the coast of Marsa Alam. Furthermore, the water slopes gently, so you can see the coral reef from just a few steps away even without knowing how to swim and even without putting on a mask! Especially along the left side of the bay. This makes Abu Dabbab beach particularly recommended for families.

If things haven’t suddenly changed, the tour is carried out by minivan and boat, with 2 different stops for snorkeling plus a long final stop on the beach of Abu Dabbab. Transfers from all hotels in Marsa Alam and Port Ghalib, as well as snorkeling equipment, are included.

• Duration of the tour: the full day, calculate about 8 hours, then it depends on the position of your hotel along the coast line.

• Guide: German, English, Italian, Russian and French.

• Tour features: group tour by minivan and boat, generally with a maximum of 30 participants; the local supplier is the very well appreciated Egyptra Travel Services.

• Pros: not only you see the turtles up close, in Abu Dabbab it is really easy to spot them, but you also enjoy several hours on one of the most beautiful beaches on the whole coast of Marsa Alam, the beach is equipped with umbrellas and deck chairs.

• Price, info & Booking: GetYourGuide | Marsa Alam: Snorkeling Boat Trip with Sea Turtles and Lunch

• A different excursion: Abu Dabbab beach is also the destination of this different tour bookable with Viator | Abu Dabbab Beach Full Day Trip with Turtles, the local supplier is the well-known Marsa Waves and unlike the previous excursion, the bay is reached directly by minivan; the tour includes two guided snorkeling sessions, the first one on the right side of the bay to see the turtles and a second to swim along the coral reef, in the middle, and afterwards, you can enjoy the beach for hours; transfers and snorkeling equipment included, while the entrance fee to the bay is paid on site.

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

Dolphins of Sataya Reef: Minibus and Boat Tour from Marsa Alam to Swim with Dolphins

In the deep south of the Egyptian Red Sea coast, about fifteen kilometers off Berenice, an hour and a half by road south of Marsa Alam and 2 abundant hours south of Port Ghalib, Sataya Reef is one of the best places to the entire Red Sea where you can swim in close contact with dolphins.

And this tour, despite being very long and not always comfortable (you should not suffer from seasickness) is absolutely one of the best excursions departing from Marsa Alam to swim with the dolphins. The tour includes transfers from hotels all over the coast, two different snorkeling sessions, both guided. The first one swimming in the middle of a pod of dolphins, you can usually see dozens of them; the second one to calmly explore the coral reef. Snorkelling equipment, i.e. mask, snorkel and fins is included.

Before booking this tour, consider some aspects: an early morning pick-up from your hotel; long hours on the minivan to reach and then return from the marina where you embark; between 3 and 4 hours in the open sea with waves and often strong wind, a characteristic of the area; and the remote possibility that the dolphins might not show up in the end.

Lunch is included and plentiful, but breakfast is not. Ask your resort the previous day to have you find a packed breakfast to take with you the following morning.

• Duration of the tour: between 8 and 10 hours depending on the location of your hotel.

• Guide: English, German, Russian.

• Tour features: transfers and group boat trip with other participants.

• Pros: it’s not every day that you get to swim just a few meters away from dozens of dolphins as they gracefully move through the water around you.

• Price, info & Booking: GetYourGuide | Marsa Alam: Sataya Reefs Dolphin Snorkel Cruise with Lunch

• Other boat tours to swim with dolphins: two excursions similar to the previous one, including transfers to and from Marsa Alam hotels, a boat trip with two snorkeling sessions and lunch, these are the links to compare programs and costs; the first one is Viator | Sataya Dolphin House Snorkel Trip – Marsa Alam, has a maximum of 25 participants and the local operator is Marsa Waves; the second one is offered instead by the Egyptian subsidiary of the highly rated OceanAir Travels agency, based in the United Arab Emirates, and bookable with GetYourGuide | Marsa Alam: Snorkeling Trip to Satayh Dolphin Reef, for this last tour the pick-up is provided not only from Marsa Alam and Port Ghalib but also from the El Quseir resorts.

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

Quad Desert Safari: Excursion to the Eastern Desert Driving a Quad/ATV with Dinner Included from Marsa Alam

Endless rocky, barren and rugged mountains as far as your eyes can see. Don’t expect sand dunes although there is some sand. If you want to get an idea of what the Eastern Desert, between the Nile Valley and the Red Sea, is like, this is the right tour that allows you to get close to it.

It’s a fun experience. You drive your own Quad Bike for almost 2 hours, covering just under 20 km in the desert, led by a guide and making several stops at the most beautiful panoramic points. There’s also a visit to a Bedouin village with a stop for a cup of tea and a short camel ride, mainly for a picture opportunity. The barbecue dinner with water and soft drinks is already included, during the dinner you can attend a show with traditional dances and music. Then get on the Quad again, drive back to the base in the evening through the desert, and continue by van to your hotel.

The helmet is provided by the local supplier, but don’t forget your sunglasses. It’s worth buying a Bedouin shawl for a few euros/usd to protect your head and face from the sand and sun. Transfers from all hotels in Marsa Alam and Port Ghalib area are included.

• Duration of the tour: approx. 7 hours, from when they pick you up to when they bring you back to the hotel.

• Guide: English, German, Italian, Russian, the local supplier is the well-known Egyptra Travel Services.

• Tour features: group tour, usually no more than 30 participants.

• Pros: instead of admiring it from the window of a jeep, here you experience the desert in person, spending little money; and it is true that the show during dinner is a bit fake, but the tour is very well planned, the staff puts in all their effort and attention to ensure that things go well. One of the tours not to be missed in Marsa Alam.

• Price, info & Booking: GetYourGuide | Marsa Alam: Sunset Safari by ATV Quad w/ BBQ Dinner and Show

• A similar Quad Bike excursion in the Marsa Alam desert: is offered by Viator | Super Safari By ATV Quad and Sunset, Camel Ride Bedouin Dinner – Marsa Alam, you can compare the itinerary and the price.

• Morning Quad Bike desert safari: if you want to spend less and visit the desert in the morning, this is the right safari for you; the tour is similar to the previous one but takes place in the morning and obviously does not include dinner; here is the link to check the price and book: GetYourGuide | Marsa Alam: Morning Quad Bike Desert Safari. The excursions lasts about 3 hours in total, the Quad Bike tour is just under 2 hours and covers almost 20 kilometers, maximum 10 participants, transfers from and to the hotels in Marsa Alam and Port Ghalib are included. 

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

Luxor Small Group Tour: Guided Day-Trip to Luxor from Marsa Alam by Minibus in One Day

If you go to Marsa Alam on vacation, are not sure if you’ll ever have the chance to go on a trip to the Nile valley in the future, but al least you would like to get an idea of the incredible wonders of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, then this is a tour not to be missed. The emotion you feel when you enter one of the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings is something very special…

Of course, Luxor is far away from Marsa Alam, the tour takes a long time, expect at least 5 abundant hours of travel to go and the same to return. But the landscapes that flow out the window are magnificent. First there is the desert, then the greenery of fields and palm trees explodes as soon as you reach the lush Nile valley. And what awaits you once you arrive in Luxor is well worth both the early wake-up call and the price, however very reasonable, you pay for this trip.

The excursion program includes a guided tour of the 3 most spectacular attractions of Luxor, namely the Karnak temple, the second largest temple complex on the planet, the fabulous Valley of the Kings with the entrance and visit of 3 tombs, ending with the splendid funerary temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, overlooked by a scenic and imposing rocky wall. Don’t even miss a stop at the Colossi of Memnon.

Transfers to and from your hotel in Marsa Alam, as well as lunch in a restaurant overlooking the Nile and the (expensive) entrance tickets to all the temples described in the itinerary are already included in the cost. If things have not changed, it is mandatory to give the passport details at time of booking, or alternatively to send a photocopy of the passport page showing the photo and personal data at least 48/72 hours before the day of the excursion.

• Duration of the tour: approx. 18 hours, departure from Marsa Alam between 4 and 5 in the morning with return between 10 and 11 pm.

• Guide: Spanish, English, French, German, Arabic, Russian and Italian.

• Tour features: small group tour that takes place in minivan or microbus, maximum 20 participants, usually less; the agency that actually operates the tour is Agypten Ausfluge By FTS Travels, the reviews are excellent.

• Pros: if you consider the length of the excursion, the wonders you see, and that both lunch and above all the entrance fees to the archaeological sites are already included, well the quality/price ratio of this tour is phenomenal.

• Price, info & Booking: GetYourGuide | From Marsa Alam: Day Trip to Luxor by Bus

• Another option: a guided Luxor day-trip from Marsa Alam is also bookable with Viator | Day Tour to Luxor from Marsa Alam, the tour is arranged by Excursies Egypte-Day Tours, and often customers ended up with a private car and guide instead of a group tour, the price already includes all entrance tickets to the temples described in the itinerary.

Photo Credit: Viator

Luxor Private Tour: Day-Trip from Marsa Alam to Visit Luxor and Valley of the Kings by Private Car in One Day

A private car with a driver, and once you arrive in Luxor, a guide reserved just for you, at your complete disposal. To see what you want and at your own pace. The guide suggests and advises, but it’s up to you to decide where to go, what to do, and how long to stay at each temple and attraction.

In addition to the Karnak Temple and Hatshepsut Temple, you can choose to visit some of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings that are usually not included in group tours and are not part of the basic admission ticket, from Tutankhamun’s tomb to the fabulous tomb of Seti I, the grandest and most spectacular of all the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Or visit the Luxor Temple and take a stroll in the bazaar.

The price you pay, in my opinion, is very reasonable and includes a private car, driver, an expert guide in Egyptology, and lunch; any admission tickets to temples and archaeological sites are not included, so you can freely decide which temples to visit. Usually, the guide will go to the ticket office to buy the tickets for you, you just need to tell them what you want to see. This tour is particularly recommended for families and small groups of friends, confirmation is immediate upon booking.

• Duration of the tour: approx. 18 hours, departure before dawn and return to Marsa Alam in the evening.

• Guide: German, Russian, Japanese, English, Italian, French and Spanish; you select the guide during the booking process, the transfers will be with the driver only, you usually meet the guide as soon as you arrive in Luxor.

• Tour features: tour on strictly private basis, with car and guide reserved only for you; the local supplier is Luxor Egypt Tours, based in Luxor with a branch in Marsa Alam, I happened to use this agency for a private transfer from Luxor to Marsa Alam and they proved to be more than perfect, punctual pick-up, tidy and clean car, kind and polite driver, very valid agency.

• Pros: avoiding wasting time in picking up/dropping off the participants in the various hotels at the start and on arrival, the possibility of only seeing what interests you most, and above all being able to manage the trip at your own pace, without having to rush, if you want staying half an hour longer in a temple you can do it freely.

• Price, info & Booking: Viator | Luxor Day Trip from Marsa Alam (Private)

• Other tours to Luxor from Marsa Alam on a private basis: there are several Egyptian agencies that offer tours with a private car and guide to visit Luxor from Marsa Alam, try to investigate Viator | Luxor Private Tour from Marsa Alam by Private Car or GetYourGuide | From Marsa Alam: Private Day Trip to Luxor by Car. Read the description carefully and compare how the price behaves depending on the number of participants, keep in mind that these tours are not always operational.

• 2-Day Tour to Luxor from Marsa Alam: a very interesting tour, with a private car, driver, and guide, including transportation from Marsa Alam, 1 night in a 3-star hotel in Luxor with breakfast, 2 lunches, and a guided tour including entrance tickets to the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Karnak Temple, and the Luxor Temple. Here’s the link to book: Viator | 2 Day Trip To Luxor From Marsa Alam. The great advantage of this tour is that you can amortize the long return journey between Marsa Alam and Luxor in 2 days instead of going in a single day, which means having much more time available in Luxor and making visits in a more relaxed way. Just keep in mind that the tour is not always operational.

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

Cairo & Pyramids Air Tour: Guided Day-Trip to Visit Cairo and Giza Pyramids from Marsa Alam by Plane

The Pyramid of Cheops, the Pyramids of Chephren, Menkaures, and the Sphinx. In addition to a guided tour of the Egyptian Museum, a walking tour through the splendid Khan el-Khalili bazaar, the view of the Nile, and an orientation tour of the boundless city of Cairo. All in one, long but extremely rewarding day-trip by plane from Marsa Alam.

Taking place by plane the tour is obviously expensive, but if you go to Marsa Alam and do not want to miss the opportunity to see the famous pyramids of Giza in person then this becomes an excursion not to be missed. Also because the cost is not excessive, you certainly won’t go bankrupt! Especially when you consider what you go to see.

The tour includes transfers by private car with driver from all hotels along the coast of Marsa Alam, Port Ghalib and Quseir to Hurghada airport (1.5 to 3 hours travel time depending on the location of your hotel), airline tickets from Hurghada to Cairo and back, a guided tour of the Pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian Museum and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar located in the heart of Islamic Cairo accompanied by an Egyptologist guide, as well as lunch at a local restaurant.

At the time of the last update of this post, but things could change, when you book, you can choose whether to pre-pay the entrance fees or pay them directly on site. In either case, if you want to enter one of the Pyramids, you will need to purchase an extra ticket at the ticket counter when you arrive at Giza. Entry to the interior of the Pyramids is extra compared to the main ticket to access the archaeological area.

• Duration of the tour: it depends on the location of your hotel on the coast of Marsa Alam, but if you calculate 20 hours you do not go wrong, you leave in the middle of the night and return late in the evening.

• Guide: Spanish, English, German, Russian, Italian and French.

• Tour features: generally, this is an individual tour, both the transfers from Marsa Alam to reach the Hurghada airport, and the guided tour in Cairo take place with a private car and a guide reserved only for you; only in very exceptional cases you can be grouped with someone else, but never more than 8 participants.

• Pros: visit Cairo and the Pyramids with a private guide expert in Egyptology.

• Price, info & Booking: GetYourGuide | Marsa Alam: Ancient Cairo & Giza Pyramids Day Trip by Plane

• Other Cairo & Pyramids tours from Marsa Alam by plane: among the different air tours from Marsa Alam that take you to visit Cairo and the Pyramids, I would like to highlight two other different excursions. The first one is Viator | Cairo Tour from Marsa Alam by Flight, it is offered by Marsa Alam Tours and it is on a private basis with an exclusive vehicle and guide. Alternatively, check out Viator | Day trip to Cairo by plane from Marsa Alam, this tour is usually arranged in small groups and, if things have not changed, it is bookable at a very attractive price, the local provider is Book Tour Egypt, entrance tickets are included.

Photo Credit: GetYourGuide

Dugongs and Turtles Tour: Guided Snorkeling Boat Day-Trip to Marsa Mubarak Bay from Marsa Alam and Port Ghalib 

The sandy bay of Marsa Mubarak can be an alternative to the excursion to Abu Dabbab if you want to get up close and personal with sea turtles and dugongs.

Marsa Mubarak is located very close to Port Ghalib, no more than 25 minutes by boat, and is known for hosting a nearly permanent colony of sea turtles and dugongs, the latter being close relatives of manatees. Turtles are easily visible, while some luck is needed to see dugongs.

The excursion includes transfers by minivan from and to the hotels, a boat tour departing from the tourist harbor of Port Ghalib, two snorkeling sessions with a guide, the first to look for turtles and dugongs and the second to see the coral reef, equipment (masks, snorkels, and fins), lunch as well as a snack, bottled mineral water, coffee and tea.

• Duration of the tour: the excursion takes between 7 and 8 and a half hours depending on the location of your hotel along the coast of Marsa Alam.

• Guide: German, Arabic, Russian, English, Italian, French, Dutch.

• Tour features: group tour by minivan and boat, with a maximum of 30 participants. The local provider for the tour is the excellent local agency Marsa Waves.

• Pros: if you are staying in the Port Ghalib area, this excursion allows you to minimize travel and maximize instead the time dedicated to snorkeling and marine life.

• Price, info & Booking: Viator | Marsa Mubarak Snorkeling with Dugong and Turtles – Marsa Alam

• Another option: the boat tour to Marsa Mubarak is also organized by OceanAir Travels and can be booked with GetYourGuide | From Marsa Alam: Marsa Mubarak Sea Snorkeling Boat Trip, compare program and prices before booking.

• Video: the very close-up images of the dugongs, turtles and underwater life of Marsa Mubarak in this video by pepa2862:

Sharm El Luli Tour: Excursion to the Wild and White Beaches of the Wadi El Gemal National Park from Marsa Alam

A fairytale place. For those who love nature, without beach chairs and sun umbrellas. In one of the most beautiful and pristine stretches of the entire Egyptian Red Sea coast, currently still almost devoid of hotels and any tourist settlements.

The destination is Sharm El Luli beach, also known as Ras Hankorab, located within the Wadi El Gemal National Park, about halfway between Marsa Alam and Berenice, 135 km south of Port Ghalib, in the far south of Egyptian Red Sea.

The beach of Sharm El Luli is at least partially sheltered from the prevailing winds by a small promontory immediately north of the beach and often semi-deserted, the sea in front is often calm, a perfect and wonderfully colored lagoon for swimming, which can be seen from satellite images on Google Map. The sea looks like an aquarium, it is easy to see turtles, Napoleon fish, Groupers and Butterfly fish.

In addition to the beach of Ras Hankorab, the excursion, carried out by private car, includes a visit to two other beaches. The beach with mangroves of the Qala’an Reserve, and the tiny but suggestive natural pool of Al-Nayzak, in order to have a more complete idea of the natural environment of Wadi El Gemal National Park and this stretch of Red Sea coast.

• Duration of the tour: between 6 and 8 hours depending on the location of your hotel, if you are staying south of Marsa Alam you can reach Sharm El Luli much faster than from hotels in Port Ghalib area.

• Guide: English.

• Tour features: private excursion with exclusive car and guide.

• Pros: if you love deserted places, the beach of Sharm El Luli is magnificent. It may not be like the Maldives, but the sea has stunning colors, and it allows you to swim directly from the beach, just like seeing the Red Sea thirty years ago.

• Price, info & Booking: Viator | Wady El Gemal National Park Marsa Alam

• Video: the spectacular white sandy beach of Sharm El Luli in this video by Marsa Alam Tours:

Important!

• Before booking please read the full description of the tour you like in the official page of Viator and GetYourGuide carefully, please check what is included and what is not, meeting points, times of departure and cancellation policies.

• After booking, if you have any queries or doubts, immediately contact Viator or GetYourGuide customer service in order to receive assistance.

• Shortly before the excursion you will usually be contacted with an email or a message on your phone by the organizer. But if not, you, at least the day before the excursion, reconfirm the tour with the local supplier, it is always very wise do so, with the exact place and time of departure/pick-up. Usually, your hotel can help.

• Read the reviews. If the majority of the reviews are positive that’s a good thing. And always check all the info you read here in the official page of each tour, things change and the official site provides the latest updates.

Published: June 2nd 2023

Front cover photo credit: Sataya Reefs Dolphin Snorkel Cruise Day Tour from Marsa Alam by GetYourGuide.