Sindbad Submarines ran Hurghada's only real passenger submarines — vessels that actually dived, with viewing at about 25 m. On 27 March 2025 it sank off Hurghada with tourists on board, and six of them died. Trips were suspended and have not restarted. In one sentence: there is no Sindbad trip to review or book, and anyone still selling one is selling something that does not exist.
If you came here looking for a submarine trip in Hurghada, the honest answer is that what runs today is the semi-submarine — a boat with a windowed cabin about 3 m below the surface that never dives. That is a different product, explained below and in our submarine guide.
- Type
- Former real tourist submarine operator (dived to about 25 m), owned by the Sindbad hotel group
- Base
- Hurghada (Sindbad hotel area)
- Boats
- Two 44-seat submarines before the accident
- What they sell
- Nothing bookable: trips suspended after the fatal sinking of 27 March 2025
- Where to book
- None — not on GetYourGuide, Headout or Tiqets
- Prices
- No current prices; resellers still showing prices are out of date
- Status
- Not operating. Sank off Hurghada on 27 March 2025, six tourists died; captain convicted (reported January 2026)
Our scores
- Availability today
- 1/5Trips suspended since the sinking; listed as permanently closed
- Safety record
- 1/5Fatal sinking; the technical committee found negligence in maintenance and safety procedures
- Transparency
- 1/5Its website still shows a "Book Now" page and no notice about the accident
- Information for travellers
- 1/5Stale reseller pages still advertise it with prices
Pros
- Before the accident, the only real passenger submarine in Hurghada
- A real dive, with viewing at about 25 m
- Hotel transfers included in the old trip
Cons
- Sank on 27 March 2025; six tourists died
- Captain and maintenance manager convicted by a Hurghada court
- Not running; no announcement of a restart
- Resellers and agency sites still advertise it — those listings are out of date
The Sindbad Submarine Hurghada accident: what happened
On 27 March 2025, at about 10:00, the Sindbad tourist submarine sank off Hurghada, close to shore in front of a hotel, while it was preparing to dive. Fifty people were on board — 45 tourists and 5 crew. Six Russian tourists, two of them children, died; 39 tourists were rescued. Reports at the time gave different numbers of injured.
A technical committee found that water leaked in while the submarine prepared to dive, through negligence in maintenance and safety procedures. In January 2026 a Hurghada court sentenced the captain to two years and the maintenance manager to six months, as reported by the newspaper Okaz on 1 January 2026.
For the full account, see Al Jazeera's report and the Wikipedia summary of the disaster. Other causes suggested in the first days after the sinking were not confirmed; the court case rests on the committee's finding.
Is the Sindbad Submarine running now?
No. After the accident Sindbad Submarines suspended all excursions and cancelled upcoming trips. The company's place listing on map services is marked permanently closed. Its website is still online, but it shows no prices, no schedule and no notice about the accident, and its booking page no longer works. Sindbad is not sold on GetYourGuide, Headout or Tiqets.
There is no announcement that Sindbad trips will restart. Several reseller and agency sites still advertise a "Sindbad Submarine" tour with a price — including one Hurghada agency we review, Hurghada Excursions. Those pages are stale. Do not pay a deposit for one, and if a seller in your hotel or on the beach offers a "real submarine" trip, ask exactly which vessel it is: no real submarine trip is currently bookable in Hurghada.
Sindbad Submarine Hurghada price
There is no current price, because there is no trip. Prices you find on reseller pages, in old blog posts or in videos are from before March 2025 and should not be relied on for anything.
If what you want is the experience — looking at a reef through big windows without getting wet — the semi-submarines run several times a day and cost far less. Royal Seascope's own Hurghada page lists it at $15 without a transfer; with hotel pick-up the platform price is from about $21–22.
| Platform | Listing | Rating | Price | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headout | From Hurghada: Royal Seascope Submarine Cruise with Snorkeling & Optional Hotel Transfers · 2 h | 4.6 (124) | $21 Lowest | See on Headout |
| GetYourGuide | Hurghada: Royal Seascope Submarine Cruise with Snorkel Stop · 2 h | 4.4 (5,599) | $22 | See on GetYourGuide |
Lowest price per person in US dollars, checked on 20 October 2026. Boat, island, lunch, pick-up area and what is included differ between listings: open each one before you pay.
Today the Headout listing is a little cheaper than GetYourGuide for the Royal Seascope trip from Hurghada; check which pick-up area and extras each includes before you choose.
What the Sindbad submarine was
Sindbad Submarines ran two tourist submarines from Hurghada. NBC reported that the submarine belonged to the Sindbad hotel group, whose name it shared. Before the accident the operator described it this way:
- A real submarine, Finnish-built, with viewing at about 25 m.
- A climate-controlled cabin for 44 passengers plus crew.
- About 3 hours door to door, including the hotel transfer and the boat ride out to the submarine.
Visitor comments from before the closure, as summarised on map services, praised the friendly staff, the divers performing outside the windows and the coral views; some said there were few fish and that the time actually under water felt short, and that the photos were expensive. None of that matters now except as history.
Sindbad Club, the aqua park and the submarine
The name causes confusion. Sindbad Aqua Park is the aqua park inside the Sindbad Club hotel in Hurghada; it has nothing to book through this site and no public day-ticket information. The submarine was a separate business, Sindbad Submarines, which NBC linked to the same hotel group. Whatever a hotel offers its guests, the submarine trip is not available to anyone.
For a family day with children who want to see fish, our family guide compares the semi-submarine, the Grand Aquarium and calm island days.
What to book instead: semi-submarines
These are the comparable trips you can book today. They are not the same as Sindbad: they do not dive, they do not go deep, and they show you the shallow reef from about 3 m below the surface.
Royal Seascope is the brand of yellow semi-submarines run by Egypt Sun Marine. On its own Hurghada page the trip lasts 2 hours: about 15 minutes to the reef, about 45 minutes of viewing from the cabin about 3 m below the surface, then a 30-minute snorkel stop. Departures are at about 09:00, 11:00 and 15:00. Soft drinks, lifejacket, snorkel gear and a snorkel guide are included; the operator's Hurghada page lists the $5 national-park fee among the inclusions — on platform listings, check whether it is included. Boats take 40–77 guests. Bring your ID or passport. A photographer usually works the boat and sells pictures afterwards. Our Egypt Sun Marine review covers the company; the operator's site has the direct prices.
Semi-submarine trips instead of Sindbad
1
Hurghada guests, families with toddlers
Royal Seascope from Hurghada with a snorkel stop; the most-reviewed semi-submarine.
GetYourGuide2 h
Hurghada: Royal Seascope Submarine Cruise with Snorkel Stop
4.4 (5,599)
from $22Check dates
2
Booking on Headout
The same Royal Seascope trip with optional hotel transfers.
Headout2 h
From Hurghada: Royal Seascope Submarine Cruise with Snorkeling & Optional Hotel Transfers
4.6 (124)
from $21Check dates
3
A cheaper alternative
A panoramic semi-submarine with snorkeling; not Royal Seascope, and the listing does not name the boat company.
GetYourGuide3 h
Hurghada: Panoramic Semi-Submarine Cruise with Snorkeling
4.5 (1,353)
from $18Check dates
4
Makadi, Sahl Hasheesh or Safaga guests
A semi-submarine that runs from Makadi Bay.
GetYourGuide2 hFrom Makadi Bay
Safaga/Makadi Bay: Panorama Submarine with Snorkeling Tour
4.5 (853)
from $18Check dates
GetYourGuide2 h
Hurghada: Royal Seascope Submarine Cruise with Snorkel Stop
4.4 (5,599)
from $22Check dates
Headout2 h
From Hurghada: Royal Seascope Submarine Cruise with Snorkeling & Optional Hotel Transfers
4.6 (124)
from $21Check dates
GetYourGuide3 h
Hurghada: Panoramic Semi-Submarine Cruise with Snorkeling
4.5 (1,353)
from $18Check dates
GetYourGuide2 hFrom Makadi Bay
Safaga/Makadi Bay: Panorama Submarine with Snorkeling Tour
4.5 (853)
from $18Check dates
GetYourGuide2 hFrom El Gouna
From El Gouna: Royal Seascope Submarine with Snorkel Stop
4.2 (150)
from $18Check dates
GetYourGuide2 hFrom Safaga
From Safaga: Royal Seascope Submarine with Snorkeling
4.5 (236)
from $22Check dates
Prices checked on 20 October 2026
Two departure tips. The El Gouna Royal Seascope (From El Gouna: Royal Seascope Submarine with Snorkel Stop) starts in El Gouna, not Hurghada. The "From Safaga" listing (From Safaga: Royal Seascope Submarine with Snorkeling) snorkels in Makadi Bay, so expect a drive. Read the meeting point on the voucher.
Is a semi-submarine safe?
A semi-submarine is a surface boat: the hull stays at the surface and only the windowed cabin sits below it. That is a very different risk from a vessel that dives. It is also the gentlest trip on the water around Hurghada — a 15-minute sail to the reef — which makes it the usual choice for non-swimmers, toddlers and the seasick.
Still, incidents do happen on Red Sea tourist boats, so travel insurance and a known operator matter. Book through a platform or the operator itself, and carry your passport — passenger names go on a coast-guard list. Our operators directory explains how to check a Hurghada seller, and the platforms guide explains what happens if a trip is cancelled.
Is the Sindbad Submarine in Hurghada still running?
No. It sank on 27 March 2025, trips were suspended, and there is no announcement of a restart. No real submarine trip is currently bookable in Hurghada.
What happened in the Sindbad Submarine Hurghada accident?
The submarine sank off Hurghada while preparing to dive, close to shore in front of a hotel. Six Russian tourists, two of them children, died; 39 tourists were rescued. A technical committee blamed water leaking in through negligence in maintenance and safety procedures, and a Hurghada court sentenced the captain and the maintenance manager.
How much is the Sindbad Submarine in Hurghada?
Nothing — there is no trip to buy. Prices still shown by resellers are out of date. A Royal Seascope semi-submarine costs $15 direct without transfer, or from about $21–22 with pick-up on the platforms.
Is Royal Seascope the same as the Sindbad Submarine?
No. Royal Seascope is a semi-submarine run by Egypt Sun Marine: it stays on the surface, with a viewing cabin about 3 m down. Sindbad was a real submarine of a different company.
Is the Sindbad submarine part of Sindbad Club and its aqua park?
The aqua park is inside the Sindbad Club hotel. The submarine was run by Sindbad Submarines, which NBC linked to the same hotel group; it is not running.