Sahl Hasheesh snorkeling is mostly a shore affair. The bay is sheltered from the heavy waves that hit the open coast, there are fringing reefs to the north and south, and most hotels have built a jetty out to the outer reef edge, so you can swim off it on any calm morning. The one shore site non-guests talk about is the man-made Sunken City, an artificial reef and not an ancient ruin.
There is no public marina, so every Giftun, Orange Bay or Dolphin House day starts with a minibus to Hurghada Marina, about half an hour up the road.
- Type
- Resort bay south of Hurghada; hotel jetties to the outer reef and the man-made Sunken City
- Depth
- Mostly 14 m or less; the Sunken City is waist-deep to the first columns at low tide
- Conditions
- Bay sheltered from heavy waves; currents possible at the Sunken City
- What you see
- Fringing reefs north and south of the bay; artificial reef at the Sunken City
- Getting there
- 30 min by road
- Entry
- From hotel jetties and the Sunken City pier; obey closures and flags
- Facilities
- Hotel beaches; non-guests may pay day use
- Fee
- Sunken City free; neighbouring hotels may charge non-guests
- Best for
- No-boat snorkelling for Sahl Hasheesh guests
- Protection
- Abu Hashish island nearby is a local protectorate; the bay's own protected status is not published
Source: en.wikipedia.org ↗
Sahl Hasheesh house reef: snorkeling from the hotel jetty
A jetty is the right way onto a fringing reef. The inner reef flat is often under a metre deep, and walking on it breaks coral; the jetty carries you over it to the drop-off, where the coral and fish begin.
How to do it well:
- Use the jetty or a buoy-marked gap, never the reef flat. Beach staff usually point out the entry.
- Wear fins or reef shoes, and keep hands and feet off the bottom. Stonefish, scorpionfish and lionfish live in the shallows.
- Go in the morning. Afternoons are windier everywhere on this coast, and the water near the shore turns milky in wind.
- Snorkel in pairs and stay inside the swimming area the hotel marks out.
Hotel descriptions use "house reef" loosely, so ask before you book: is there a jetty to the reef, when is it open, and can you borrow fins? For the best-documented house reefs on this coast, look at Makadi Bay, a little further south.
The Sunken City: man-made, shallow and free
The Sunken City is a man-made "ruin" of concrete arches, columns and statues set in the shallows of the bay, reached from a long pier. Corals and fish have settled on it, which makes it a real artificial reef. It is not Heracleion or any other ancient site.
At low tide you can wade waist-deep to the first columns, which makes it good for children and nervous swimmers who want to put their face in the water without a boat ride. Currents can run around the structures, so stay close to children and do not let them hang on the statues.
Entry is free, but access depends on the beach of the neighbouring hotel, and hotel construction can affect the way in. Go with a plan B: if the gate is closed, your own hotel's jetty will do.
Abu Hashish: the island of the bay
Abu Hashish is the island in the middle of the Sahl Hasheesh bay and a local protectorate. Its lagoon is shallow, with cornetfish, reef squid, cuttlefish and table corals; outside it a shelf at 15–22 m holds turtles and rays, with caves at about 30 m for divers.
From Sahl Hasheesh it is close. From Hurghada it is about 90 minutes by day boat and the crossing is often too rough, so it is not a standard stop on Hurghada island trips; treat any listing that promises it as weather-dependent.
- Type
- Island and reef tongue in the wide bay off Sahl Hasheesh
- Depth
- Shallow lagoon; shelf at 15–22 m; caves about 30 m
- Conditions
- Site sheltered, but the crossing from Hurghada is rough and often impossible
- What you see
- Lagoon: cornetfish, reef squid, cuttlefish, table corals; shelf: turtles, rays
- Getting there
- 90 min by yacht
- Entry
- From the boat, calm weather only
- Facilities
- None
- Fee
- No separate fee known
- Best for
- Calm days; not a standard Hurghada day-trip stop
- Protection
- Local protectorate (Abu Hashish island)
Source: egyptdivers.com ↗
Boat time from Hurghada Marina
- Sahl Hasheesh30 min by road
- Makadi Bay40 min by road
- Soma Bay50 min by road
- Utopia Island50 min by road
- Safaga50 min by road
- Abu Hashish90 min by yacht
Typical one-way times in calm sea; the north wind makes the open-water crossings slower and bumpier.
Sahl Hasheesh to Hurghada snorkeling trips: what changes
Almost every boat day you can book in Sahl Hasheesh is a Hurghada departure with a pick-up, and three things change for you.
The early start. The drive to Hurghada Marina is about 30 minutes on an empty road, but the minibus collects guests at several hotels, which adds 15–40 minutes. Pick-up times are confirmed the evening before (one seller sends them at 22:00), and from Sahl Hasheesh expect a window of up to 90 minutes.
The surcharge. Some sellers include Sahl Hasheesh, some charge for it:
| Seller | Sahl Hasheesh pick-up |
|---|---|
| Royal Cruise Hurghada, Orange Bay trip | $50 instead of $45 from Hurghada |
| Go Shalabi | $15 transfer on top |
| Egypt Divers (Makadi Heights) | free, as for Hurghada and Makadi |
| Colona Divers (Zahabia) | €7 a day |
| James & Mac | free pick-up only from Hurghada city hotels |
| Some Headout and Tiqets listings | $5–10 or €10 per person, often cash |
The cash. On top of any transfer fee, check whether the Giftun park fee (USD 5, sellers usually ask about €5) is in the price; some operators add a coast-guard fee of about €5 per person.
| What | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| "Environmental fee" on hotel-desk island trips | about €5 | TUI / Travco island trips: not included, paid in cash at the marina (local currency, USD, EUR, GBP or CHF accepted). tui.co.uk ↗ |
| "National Park fees and VAT" on some platform listings | EUR 10 | Per person, cash on the day, listed as not included on several Headout and Tiqets Hurghada boat trips. Read the listing's "not included" line. |
| Coast-guard fee (dive-centre island and Dolphin House trips) | EUR 5 | Per person, not included in Egypt Divers' trip prices. No official marina fee for day passengers is published. egyptdivers.com ↗ |
| Colona Divers — mandatory reef tax | EUR 5 | Per day, on top of boat and dive prices. colona.com ↗ |
| Blue Paradise — environmental & entertainment tax | EUR 6 | Per person per day, paid on the spot; lunch (€6) is also extra on its snorkel day. blueparadise.be ↗ |
| James & Mac — permit fee | EUR 7 | Per day for non-divers and divers on its boats. james-mac.com ↗ |
Checked on 20 October 2026. Many boat trips include the island or park fee, many don't: read the listing.
Pick-up window opensWait at the main road entrance of your hotel; drivers wait only a few minutes
Arrival at Hurghada MarinaAbout 30 minutes' drive, longer with other hotels on the route
Boat leavesSome boats sail at 09:00; bring your passport or a clear copy for the coast-guard list
First reef stopMask, fins and a guide; ask how many guides are on board
Second reef stopUsually on the sheltered west or south side of Giftun
LunchOn board on most full-day yachts
Beach timeFrom about 1 hour on the cheapest trips to about 2 hours on others
Back at the marinaMost boats return between 15:30 and 16:30
Back in Sahl HasheeshDrop-offs in reverse order
Two of the best-rated shared yachts, HRG: Orange Bay Island with Snorkeling, Lunch and Drinks and Hurghada: Luxury Cruise Trip to Orange Bay with Lunch, run this kind of day from Hurghada Marina; check whether the Sahl Hasheesh pick-up is included on the option you choose. For a family with small children the semi-submarine is shorter and calmer: Safaga/Makadi Bay: Panorama Submarine with Snorkeling Tour runs in Makadi Bay and picks up in Sahl Hasheesh, so you skip the drive to Hurghada altogether.
GetYourGuide3 hFrom Sahl Hasheesh
Sahl Hasheesh Elite Beach Dive & Coral Reef Experience
4.9 (125)
from $38Check dates
GetYourGuide2 hFrom Makadi Bay
Safaga/Makadi Bay: Panorama Submarine with Snorkeling Tour
4.5 (853)
from $18Check dates
GetYourGuideFull dayOrange Bay
HRG: Orange Bay Island with Snorkeling, Lunch and Drinks
4.9 (6,122)
from $26Check dates
GetYourGuideFull dayOrange Bay
Hurghada: Luxury Cruise Trip to Orange Bay with Lunch
4.9 (7,075)
from $53Check dates
HeadoutFull dayDolphin House (Sha’ab El Erg)
Dolphin House: Dolphin Watching Boat Tour with Snorkeling, Lunch & Optional Transfers
4.7 (78)
from $21Check dates
GetYourGuideFull dayDolphin House (Sha’ab El Erg)
Hurghada: All-Inclusive Elite VIP Dolphin House & Massage
4.9 (854)
from $50Check dates
See all trips on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 20 October 2026
Sahl Hasheesh diving: the shore intro dive
The best-rated activity sold under the Sahl Hasheesh name, Sahl Hasheesh Elite Beach Dive & Coral Reef Experience, is a beach intro dive, not a snorkel trip: you walk in from the shore with an instructor and breathe from a tank over the reef. It is rated 4.9 from 125 reviews and lasts about 3 hours.
Before you book, know the rules:
- Ratios. From the shore a PADI Discover Scuba Diving programme may run with one instructor for two guests; from a boat, Egyptian rules require one instructor per intro diver. Ask which you are getting.
- Age and depth. Discover Scuba is open from age 10, to a maximum of 12 m.
- Health form. You fill in a medical questionnaire first; asthma, heart conditions, recent surgery or pregnancy need a doctor's sign-off.
- Flying. Leave 12 hours after one dive and 18 hours after several before your flight home — do it early in the holiday.
For Sahl Hasheesh dive sites beyond the bay, Hurghada dive centres pick up here: see the diving guide and check any centre in the CDWS directory of diving centres before you pay.
Sharks, flags and safety in Sahl Hasheesh
In early July 2022 two women — an Austrian aged 68 and a Romanian in her forties — were killed by sharks off Sahl Hasheesh, within about 650 m of each other, and the Red Sea governor suspended activity in the area for several days (NBC News). On 8 June 2023, after a fatal attack off a Hurghada beach, swimming and snorkeling were banned for two days on the coast from El Gouna to Soma Bay (Egyptian Streets).
Attacks are rare, and the fatal cases near Hurghada all involved swimmers off resort beaches. Swim inside the marked areas and obey red flags; closures come from the governor or the ministry, not your hotel (FCDO advice).
The sheltered bay helps on windy days, but the water is no warmer than in Hurghada: coldest in February and March (about 22.5 °C), warmest in August (about 29 °C). A shorty wetsuit makes winter snorkeling far more pleasant — see best time to go.
Our verdict on snorkeling from Sahl Hasheesh
Spend your first calm morning on your hotel jetty and at the Sunken City; it costs nothing and shows how much you enjoy reef snorkeling. Then book one boat day to Giftun for the better reefs, with a seller that includes the Sahl Hasheesh pick-up and the park fee.
For the other resorts on this coast, see Makadi Bay, Safaga and Soma Bay and the resorts overview.
Is there good snorkeling in Sahl Hasheesh?
Yes, from the shore. Most hotels have a jetty to the outer reef, the bay is sheltered from big waves, and the man-made Sunken City is free. The best coral in the area is still on the Giftun reefs, a boat day from Hurghada Marina.
Does my Sahl Hasheesh hotel have a house reef?
Ask the hotel directly whether it has a jetty to the reef and when it is open. We have no reliable hotel-by-hotel list, and "house reef" is used loosely in hotel descriptions.
Is the Sunken City in Sahl Hasheesh ancient?
No. It is a man-made set of concrete arches, columns and statues in shallow water. It works as an artificial reef, and at low tide you can wade waist-deep to the first columns.
How far is Sahl Hasheesh from Hurghada Marina?
About 30 minutes by road with no stops. On a shared trip the minibus collects other guests, so expect a pick-up window of up to 90 minutes.
Do snorkeling trips pick up from Sahl Hasheesh?
Most Hurghada boat trips do, some free and some for a surcharge ($5 on Royal Cruise's Orange Bay trip, $15 with Go Shalabi, $5–10 or €10 on some platform listings). Check the pick-up area before you pay.
Is the Sahl Hasheesh beach dive a snorkeling trip?
No. It is a shore intro dive with an instructor and a tank, about 3 hours long. Snorkelers who do not want to dive should book a boat day or use their hotel jetty.
