Marsa Alam
Egypt
The far south of Egypt’s Red Sea coast, where the reefs are quieter and the resort is the town
Photo by geoff trodd on Unsplash
Photos by Ahmad Ajmi, Peter Nicola, Ahmad Ajmi and Pascal van de Vendel on Unsplash
Best time to visit all of Egypt
October to December, March to May (the winter is windy and the water cooler)
Climate month by month
The next sixteen daysOpen-Meteo
Average high and low · °C
Rainfall · mm per month
Best months to visit This month · wettest 1mm in May
Where it is
25.07°N, 34.89°E Open in Google Maps
Things to do
A week easily- Snorkel Abu Dabbab for the green turtles grazing the seagrass, early before the day boats arrive; the dugong it was famous for is now rarely seen
- Dive Elphinstone if you are experienced — strong currents, a wall, and the oceanic whitetips that come in from open water
- Take the long boat day to Sataya to swim with the resident spinner dolphins, and follow the rules about not chasing them
- Go into Wadi el Gemal with a licensed guide for the desert, the acacias and the old emerald mines
- Choose a hotel by its house reef rather than its pool — the best ones let you snorkel the reef from the beach every day
Marsa Alam travel tipsthe general rules
Currency budget Egypt
Mid-rangeResorts and dive centres quote in euros and give a poor rate for them; pay in pounds where you can, and check the rate the week you travel because the pound moves. Bring clean, unmarked notes. Tipping is constant, so keep small pounds for the boat crews and the guides.
ATMs & cards
Machines are few: Port Ghalib marina and Marsa Alam town have bank machines, and the larger resorts have one in the lobby. Most visitors pay the hotel and the dive centre by card and only need cash for tips and excursions, so one withdrawal at the start usually does it.
Avoid these
- the machines inside resort lobbies, which charge and offer a poor rate
- paying in euros at the hotel’s own rate
Use these instead
- Banque Misr
- CIB
- NBE
There are few machines on this coast. Take out what you need for tips and excursions in one go, and decline the conversion offer.
Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.
Safety all of Egypt
SafeRemote, quiet and heavily checked: there are security checkpoints on the coast road, and the UK FCDO names Marsa Alam among the Red Sea resorts it considers generally low risk. The risks that matter are in the water. Oceanic whitetip sharks come in to the offshore reefs, shark incidents have killed swimmers on this coast in recent years, and beaches are closed after them — follow the closures and the dive briefing. Hospitals are a long drive away on this coast, so dive conservatively.
Where to walk, and where to pay attention (7 areas)
Comfortable, including after dark
Worth more attention
- Swimming outside the reef or alone from the beach, where sharks have attacked swimmers on this coast; follow any beach closure
- Elphinstone Reef — strong currents and depth, for experienced divers only
- Coral, urchins and stonefish at the shore entries — wear fins or reef shoes
- Driving the coast road at night, which is unlit and used fast by lorries
Our own assessment, not a sourced index.
Entry & visa Egypt visa rules
e-Visa requiredup to 30 days$25 single entry
Also available on arrival at the airport for the same price, paid in cash dollars. If you are only visiting Sharm el-Sheikh or Dahab, a free Sinai-only permit covers up to 15 days but does not allow travel to Cairo.
Other passports
Visa required in advance
How to get it: Apply at visa2egypt.gov.eg — the only official site — or buy the sticker at a bank window in the arrivals hall before immigration.
Entry rules change often and depend on your passport, not where you live — the official page above is the authority, and the airline checks before you board.
Health & emergencies all of Egypt
Good but costlyRequired to enter
- Yellow fever certificate, but only if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is present
Jabs worth having, and what happens if you need a doctor
Worth having
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
- Tetanus up to date
- Rabies for longer stays
- Hepatitis B for extended stays
Getting treated
Private hospitals in Cairo are decent and cheap by European standards, and the international ones have English-speaking staff. Public hospitals are basic and overcrowded. Insurance is worth having; private facilities want payment up front.
Do not drink the tap water and avoid ice outside good hotels — stomach illness affects a large share of visitors. Summer heat at the pyramids is a genuine medical risk. Rabies is present in street dogs.
Orientation, not medical advice — entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history. Check with a travel clinic four to six weeks before you go.
Food tip
DecentAlmost everyone eats at their resort, usually on an all-inclusive plan, because there is very little outside it. In Marsa Alam town and Port Ghalib there are simple fish restaurants that grill what was caught that day, and they are worth one evening off the buffet.
Travel tipsGetting around
Car needed- UberWorks here
- CareemWorks here
- inDriveWorks here
- DiDiWorks here
- BoltNot here
- Against a taxi
- Far cheaper than a white taxi, whose meter is a suggestion, and removes the argument at the end.
Time zone and your working day
Africa/Cairo — 7 hours ahead of you
1 hour of overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are — 09:00–10:00 your time, 16:00–17:00 theirs.
No overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are. Working from here means one of you keeps odd hours — their day starts at 02:00 on your clock.
office hours both at once night
Their 09:00–17:00 is 02:00–10:00 on yours.
The difference from the UK, Europe, the US and ten more
Worked out against America/New York, which is where this request looks like it came from.
eSIM
A data eSIM for Egypt, installed before you fly and working the moment you land:
Works here
Works hereRevolutIn the app
Must-see
Travel tipsNearby day trips
Travel tipsSay a few words
Arabic
- Helloمرحبا — MarhabaMAR-ha-ba
- Pleaseمن فضلك — Min fadlakmin FAD-lak
- Thank youشكرا — ShukranSHOOK-ran
- Yes / Noنعم / لا — Na’am / LaNA-am / la
4 more phrases
- Excuse meعفوا — AfwanAF-wan
- How much is it?بكم — Bikam?bi-KAM
- The bill, pleaseالحساب — Al-hisabal-hi-SAB
- Welcomeأهلا وسهلا — Ahlan wa sahlanAH-lan wa SAH-lan
Inshallah, meaning God willing, follows nearly any statement about the future and is conversational rather than religious.
Travel tipsReligion
Sunni Muslim, with a Coptic Christian minority
Around 90% Muslim and 10% Coptic Christian, one of the oldest Christian communities on earth. Cover shoulders and knees at mosques and churches alike; women cover their heads at mosques.
Travel tipsDo's and don'ts
Do
- Use your right hand for eating, greeting and handing anything over
- Dress modestly away from resorts — shoulders and knees covered, and a scarf for women entering mosques
- Agree a price before accepting any service, including a photograph with a camel
- Carry small notes for baksheesh; it is expected constantly and is part of how the economy works
Don't
- Do not photograph military or police installations, bridges or airports — this is taken seriously
- Do not show the sole of your foot to anyone, or point with your feet
- Do not show public affection beyond hand-holding; it is illegal in some readings and always poorly received
- Do not accept an unsolicited guide at the pyramids who then demands a fee — say la, shukran, firmly and keep walking
Where to stay in Marsa Alam
No Holistay rentals in Marsa Alam yet — the platform is just opening up. Every listing here will have a video tour and the option to negotiate the nightly price directly with the host.
In the meantime, here is Marsa Alam on the sites that do have the inventory — each search is already filled in:
- Booking.com hotels, guesthouses and apartments — the widest coverage almost everywhere
- Airbnb whole homes and apartments, and the better option for a week or more
How to get there
Fly into Marsa Alam RMF
1hfrom the airport· 62 km as the crow flies
An hour south to Marsa Alam town; the resorts run along the coast either side.
Google Flights · Rome2Rio for the trains, buses and ferries as well as the flights
