Nestled along the picturesque coastline of the Sinai Peninsula lies one of the most beautiful dive sites in the world – the Blue Hole Dahab.
While it’s mostly popular with free divers looking to explore the depths of their abilities, the Blue Hole of Dahab is so much more than a diving spot. Framed by coral reef walls teeming with marine life, the Dahab Blue Hole is one of the most beautiful snorkelling sites in Egypt and arguably in the world.
Snorkelling at the Dahab Blue Hole is easily one of our top favourite experiences we’ve ever had on our travels! I would never get tired of the incredible marine life and snorkelling opportunities you get here!
So if you’re looking to visit the Blue Hole, in this guide I’ll share everything you need to know. From details about how to get there to finding the breathtaking snorkelling route that many miss.
Let’s help you plan an incredible trip to the Blue Hole of Dahab.
Prepare for your trip to Dahab
🏡 Book your accommodation in advance – find the best hotel deals for Dahab here.
🤿 Find the best tours in Dahab – book your adventures in Dahab in advance.
☂️ Travel Insurance – make sure you’re covered before your trip! I always use SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance which is super affordable and flexible. They have now added adventure activities cover which is perfect for water activities in Dahab!
💳 Travel cards – Get a Wise or Revolut bank cards to avoid overseas charges and save money on your travels.
Details about the Blue Hole Dahab
Situated approximately 10 km north of Dahab, the Blue Hole is easily accessible by a short 15-20 minute car ride.
What makes this one of the most famous dive sites in the world is its depth of 100 metres with the notorious Arch lying between 52 and 56 metres. Unfortunately, due to its depth and complexities associated with the dive, the dive through the Blue Hole Arch has taken many lives of freedivers over the years, attempting the dangerous dive. It’s definitely not something to be taken lightly!
However, if you’re coming to the Blue Hole of Dahab simply to enjoy the spectacular marine life, the surrounding reef is perfect for snorkelling, recreational freediving and scuba diving, with vivid corals and an array of thousands of fish.
On the shore you’ll find local Bedouin-run restaurants where you can enjoy a delicious lunch and a cold drink. We have been to Blue Star Restaurant multiple times and the food has always been good. All restaurants have similar food offerings though, so you whichever one you choose you wouldn’t go wrong!
How to get to the Blue Hole of Dahab
There are two ways to get to the Blue Hole from Dahab and Sharm El-Sheikh, either by taxi or via an organised tour.
Getting to the Blue Hole isn’t difficult but depending on which option you choose it may take some extra preparation.
So here are the best ways to get to the Blue Hol Dahab:
1. Day trip from Sharm El-Sheikh to the Blue Hole
The easiest and most hassle-free way to visit the Blue Hole from Sharm El-Sheikh is by joining an organised day trip.
This full day-trip by jeep not only takes you to the Blue Hole for some incredible snorkelling, but also to other must-visit sites near Dahab.
The tour includes a visit to the Coloured Canyon in Dahab, an 800m gorge forming a vibrant labyrinth of sandstone cliffs in shades of yellow, purple, red, and gold.
After arriving at the Blue Hole and Abu Galum Nature Reserve, apart from snorkelling and enjoying a delicious bedouin-style lunch by the sea, the tour also includes a camel ride along the sea.
And if you’re feeling extra adventurous, you have the option to do an ATV quad bike ride along the shore and mountains of Dahab.
Book your day trip from Sharm to the Blue Hole here.
Day Trip Sharm El-Sheikh to Blue Hole Details
🕰️ Time: 8 hours; from 8am till 4pm
💵 Cost: $26-35 depending on the season
📍 Location: Pick up from your hotel in Sharm El-Sheikh
🌍 Extras included: Jeep safari, camel ride, bedouin lunch
🤿 Booking link: Click here
2. Day trip from Dahab to the Blue Hole, Abu Galum and Blue Lagoon
If you’re staying in Dahab, this full day trip which includes a visit to the Blue Hole, Abu Galum and Blue Lagoon is the perfect option for you.
After arriving at Blue Hole for some spectacular snorkelling. You take a boat ride to Ras Abu Galum Nature Reserve where you get to experience less busy but still just as scenic snorkelling sites.
Afterwards you get to enjoy a delicious local lunch at one of the seaside camps. Followed by a visit to the stunning Blue Lagoon with the bluest crystal clear water and magnificent Sinai mountains in the background.
This trip is the perfect way to tick off some of Dahab’s must visit spots and best snorkelling sites in one day while not having to worry about your transport and logistics.
Book your day trip from Dahab to Blue Hole here.
Day Trip Dahab to Blue Hole Details
🕰️ Time: 8 hours; from 8am till 4pm
💵 Cost: $52-55 depending on the season
📍 Location: Pick up from your hotel in Dahab
🌍 Extras included: Snorkelling equipment, boat ride, lunch on board, bottled water
🤿 Booking link: Click here
3. Self-organised trip from Dahab to the Blue Hole
There is also the option to visit the Blue Hole Dahab by yourself without an organised tour. Though keep in mind that this takes a little more effort and preparation before you go.
While officially you’re meant to have a guide with you for safety, we’ve heard that this is rarely being checked.
Steps to visit the Blue Hole of Dahab without a tour:
- Arrange a taxi or flag one down from the street
- Pay a vehicle fee to the army office in Dahab – important!
- Pay 10 USD (300 EGP) entrance fee at the Blue Hole checkpoint
- Getting a taxi back to Dahab
Here’s detailed information about each step.
Taxi from Dahab to Blue Hole
Firstly, you’ll need to take a taxi from Dahab to the Blue Hole. Getting a taxi from Dahab is quite easy and straightforward as you can just flag one down from the street.
You can also pre-arrange this if you know a local or someone who can connect you to a driver. The price of this will depend on your haggling skills but it’s usually between 100-200 EGP one way.
Pay vehicle fee at the army office
Next, you need to pay a car fee of 310 EGP to the army office in Dahab before you head to the Blue Hole.
You can ask your taxi driver to arrange this for you in advance (if you have pre-booked your taxi). If you have flagged down a taxi, you can tell them to take you to pay the army fee for Blue Hole.
Most taxi drivers know where to take you and they can also help you pay the fee. The location is here on Google Maps, near the Dahab hospital.
The fee is per vehicle rather than per person, so if it’s more of you it works out better value.
Blue Hole entrance fee
After you’ve got the permit from the army office, you can then head to the Blue Hole of Dahab.
When you arrive at the check point you’ll be asked to present the paperwork from the army office as well as pay 10 USD per person to enter the Blue Hole natural reserve. You can also pay in Egyptian pounds, the fee is 300 EGP.
After that you’re free to snorkel and enjoy the Blue Hole!
getting a taxi back to Dahab
Once you’re ready to leave the Blue Hole, you can easily grab a taxi from the parking area on the way out. There’s always multiple cars there, so you don’t have to worry about pre-booking your taxi back to Dahab.
The cost should be similar, 100-200 EGP depending on what you negotiate with the driver and where in Dahab you’re based.
Self-organised trip conclusion
All in all, visiting the Blue Hole without a tour is possible but involves a bit more hassle to get all your paperwork and fees sorted before you visit. Like a lot of things in Egypt, sometimes the processes are quite unclear and confusing, and can change without warning.
If you can’t be bothered with all the complexities of the solo trip, going to Blue Hole with an organised tour might be a better option for you.
In terms of costs, doing a self-organised trip doesn’t always work out cheaper either. Considering tour groups involve more people which help with saving on permit fees and transport.
However, the main benefit of organising the trip yourself is the complete freedom and flexibility it gives you to do the trip as you like.
You can go and leave when you wish to and spend as much time snorkelling or relaxing as you want. So all the hassle to get here does have its perks!
You might also like these posts:
➙ Digital Nomads in Dahab Guide
➙ Egypt Visa Extension in Sharm El-Sheikh
Activities at the Blue Hole of Dahab
The Blue Hole is one of the most popular diving and snorkelling sites in Dahab, attracting countless tourists on a daily basis.
Snorkelling at the Blue Hole
Snorkelling at the Blue Hole is really easily accessible as the coral reef is right by the shore. You literally just need to jump in the water to find yourself amongst the otherworldly underwater life. It’s literally one of the most beautiful experiences ever!
While most people snorkel inside the Blue Hole, the best snorkelling is actually on the outer side of its walls. My advice is, don’t enter through the main shore right in the Blue Hole where everyone is.
The best way to snorkel here is to a side entrance referred to as “the gate” which takes you on the outer edges of the Blue Hole where there is an abundance of coral and colourful reef fish.
This is where “the gate” is on Google maps, its location is marked as El Bells – Blue Hole. If you’re going with an organised tour, they will definitely show you the way. If you’re going by yourself, you can always ask one of the local restaurant owners to show you the way.
You may also spot other snorkelers and scuba divers preparing to get in the water through the tunnel behind the gate.
Renting snorkelling equipment
Some group tours provide snorkelling equipment that you can use or rent for a small fee. If not, then you can rent masks, snorkels and flippers at one of the restaurants ashore at the Blue Hole.
You’ll definitely be approached by vendors shouting out that you can rent it from them or you can simply ask inside. We usually bring our own masks but last time we rented flippers from the Blue Star restaurant on the beach where we also left our belongings while swimming.
The prices are around 50 EGP for a mask and snorkel and 50 EGP for flippers. You can also rent a life jacket for 50 EGP as well as rubber rings if you want some extra support.
Freediving and Scuba diving at the Blue Hole
The Blue Hole, reaching down to 70m, is popular with freedivers due to the lack of current and the depth directly accessible from shore.
There are multiple ropes going down to different depths that you’ll see freedivers using to test their abilities and practice their depth diving.
On the other hand, most scuba divers do their dives on the outer edges of the wall surrounding the Blue Hole where it gets down to more than 100 meters deep. Here the marine life is more abundant making it an excellent scuba diving spot.
We’ve just completed our free diving course but we’re yet to do any training at the Blue Hole. However, we’ve heard that you could arrange with a diving school in Dahab to do your scuba or freediving lessons here if you want to change it up.
Adventure Travel Insurance
Before going diving, one thing you should always remember is to take out travel insurance that covers you for adventure activities.
There’s nothing better than knowing you’re covered and you can have peace of mind while enjoying yourself in the water, that’s why I trust SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance 2.0 for all my travels which covers you for different adventure activities including scuba diving. Which is perfect if you’re planning to do some diving in Dahab!
The best thing about the Nomad Insurance 2.0 is that it’s super affordable and covers you in 175+ countries (including Egypt). It’s also very flexible, meaning you can start or stop your policy at any time as and when you need it. You can learn more about it here.
Disclaimer: If you are a US resident, please be aware that this product is currently unavailable. However, it’s anticipated that it will become available in the coming months.
Final thoughts
Visiting the Blue Hole is one of the best activities in Dahab that you should do during your trip.
Whether you come for snorkelling, freediving or scuba diving, Blue Hole Dahab is a must visit for anyone coming to Dahab or Sharm El-Sheikh.
I can (almost) guarantee you that you will fall in love with the vibrant corals and abundance of marine life, easily becoming the highlight of your trip to Dahab! With all that said, I hope you enjoy your trip and have an amazing experience exploring this beautiful nature gem!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments or send me a message on Instagram at @voyagewithmel.
Omg these photos are insane and now I need to add the Blue Hole to my bucket list! Thanks for all of the great detailed information, I really hope to make it some time.
Thank you Lita! I really hope you make it here sometime, it’s absolutely gorgeous for snorkelling and diving!