Snorkelling in Hurghada for beginners: what actually matters
Never put your face in the water before? That is fine. Here is what actually happens on a snorkelling trip, what to bring, and what to do if you cannot swim.
Most people who snorkel in Hurghada for the first time have never snorkelled anywhere. That is the normal case here, not the exception, and the trips are built around it.
Do you need to be able to swim?
No. Life jackets are available to everyone and always free, and plenty of guests snorkel wearing one the whole time. The jacket keeps you afloat with no effort; all you do is put your face in the water and look. The guide is in the water and can stay with you.
If you are genuinely nervous, say so at the first stop rather than the last. Nobody will make anything of it, and the first stop is always the calmest.
How the day actually runs
- Hotel pickup early in the morning. The exact time is on your booking confirmation and depends on where your hotel is.
- Departure from the harbour, then a crossing that varies with the destination.
- Two or three snorkelling stops, with time on the boat between them.
- Lunch on board on most trips.
- Back in the afternoon, then the drop-off at your hotel.
What to bring
- Sunscreen, ideally reef-safe. You are in the water for hours and the glare off the surface doubles your exposure.
- A towel, and swimwear already on under your clothes. Changing on a moving boat is nobody's idea of a good time.
- A light long-sleeved shirt. The thing that burns backs is floating face-down for an hour.
- Small cash for any marine park fee collected on the ground — we list those on each trip page before you book, so they are never a surprise.
Mask and snorkel are on the boat. If you own one, bring it — a mask fitted to your own face leaks less.
Which trip suits a first time
Orange Bay and Magawish Island are both comfortable first choices: sandy beach, shallow calm water, and time on land if you want out. Dolphin House is a different thing altogether — more spectacular, but deeper water and better once you have done it at least once.
One rule that does not bend
Do not touch the reef and do not stand on it. Coral is a living animal that grows extremely slowly, and one touch kills what took years to form. Guides here are strict about it, and that is in everybody's interest — including whoever comes after you.
Every sea trip and its dates are on the trips page, with the seats left on each one.