Red Sea North & Wrecks (8 Days / 7 Nights - 21 Dives)
Trip highlights: dolphins, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas wrecks (Giannis D, Carnatic, Kimon M, Chrisoula K), Dunraven, Ras Mohamed: Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef
Day 1
As a guest on the Golden Dolphin II, your cruise starts in Hurghada with a welcome from the liveaboard's team. They will help you get acquainted with the boat's facilities, show you to your cabin, and outline the upcoming trip plans. You'll have a relaxing dinner in the saloon before your first night on the water, ahead of the next day's initial dive.
Core Days
The liveaboard safari heads south to the renowned waters off the Sinai Peninsula. The first highlight is Ras Mohammed Marine Park, a world-class destination where sites like Shark and Yolanda Reef dazzle scuba divers with vibrant hard and soft corals, massive fish schools, and the potential for exciting shark encounters, particularly on early dives.
The Golden Dolphin II tour through maritime history begins with the SS Thistlegorm, an unmissable wreck lying at 32 metres. This time capsule from the Second World War is stocked with an incredible array of military supplies. Further exploration leads to the Dunraven, a British steamer whose inverted hull creates a spectacular swim-through, where shafts of sunlight pierce the darkness for a truly spectacular effect.
The final dive region is Abu Nuhas, a notorious reef that has created a "Ship's Graveyard." Here, you will encounter multiple wrecks like the Giannis D, famous for its aquatic life and intact stern, and the ancient, coral-encrusted Carnatic. These sunken vessels are now artificial reefs teeming with life, including glassfish, scorpionfish, and large pelagics.
The Golden Dolphin II liveaboard adventure wraps up with 2 dives on the final day as you cruise back to port in Hurghada.
Day 8
After breakfast on the final day in Hurghada, you can check out, say your goodbyes to the crew and be transferred to the airport or hotel.
St. John's Reefs (8 Days / 7 Nights - 21 Dives)
Trip highlights: dolphins, manta rays, dugongs/manatees, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, very popular, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: St. John's reef system: Big Habili, Small Habili, Umm Erug, Umm Hararim; Fury Shoals: Shaab Claudio, El Malahi, Abu Galawa Soraya; Shaab Sharm
Day 1
Upon arrival in Port Ghalib and stepping aboard the Golden Dolphin II liveaboard, you will be greeted by the crew and the tour leader. They will show you around the boat, allocate your cabin, and detail the crucial information and the itinerary for your holiday. Please enjoy dinner in the air-conditioned saloon before retiring: diving commences tomorrow.
Core Days
The Red Sea’s deep south is home to excellent dive locations, notably St. John’s Reefs, which stand out as the most colourful and healthy sites in Egypt. The features here include: incredible drop-offs, caves, tunnels, pinnacles, canyons, and amazing hard coral. You can also expect prolific marine life, such as barracuda, reef sharks, and sometimes mantas and dolphins.
Umm Hararim, often called the Cave Reef, is a shallow dive site in the Red Sea's St. John's area famous for its complex network of light-flooded caverns, grottoes, and swim-throughs. The reef is heavily perforated, creating an underwater maze where sunlight penetrates the openings, producing mesmerizing beams of light. The formations are adorned with colourful soft corals and sea fans, providing shelter for glassfish and other small reef dwellers. It is a unique exploration and photography dive, generally suitable for all levels, focusing on topography rather than large pelagic life.
Small Habili is a small, towering, isolated reef - a pinnacle (or habili in Arabic) - that rises steeply from the deep seabed. It is renowned for its exceptional, healthy density of hard and soft corals that cover almost every surface. Due to its exposure to strong currents, this site is a magnet for pelagic action. Divers frequently encounter schools of large snappers and groupers, as well as grey reef sharks and white-tip reef sharks patrolling the drop-offs. It is a thrilling, exposed dive best suited for experienced divers, offering outstanding visibility and a vibrant marine ecosystem.
Furthermore, this itinerary visits the Fury Shoals, where the reef system provides exceptional scuba diving opportunities on some of Egypt’s most pristine reefs.
Shaab Claudio is a large, horsesho-shaped reef characterised by its main attraction: a shallow, labyrinthine network of interconnected grottoes, tunnels, and caverns on the eastern side. Divers typically penetrate the reef structure, exploring the spacious grottoes where the light plays beautifully, before exiting to the outer reef wall. While the outside reef features thriving hard coral formations and encounters with turtles and snappers, the true highlight is the architectural exploration inside the reef structure itself.
Abu Galawa Soraya is a popular and relaxed dive site combining a beautiful reef with an accessible wreck. Its main features are a very colourful, healthy sloping reef covered in hard and soft corals, and the remains of a small, 17-metre-long sailing yacht that sank in the 1980s. The well-preserved wreck lies at a shallow depth of around 18 metres and is beautifully colonised by corals and teeming with glassfish. The site offers excellent conditions for all dive levels, boasting calm seas and great visibility, making it a frequent stop for a check dive or a final shallow dive on deep south liveaboard itineraries.
There will only 2 dives on the last day before disembarkation as the boat will then sail back to port.
Day 8
Following breakfast on your final morning, check-out time is approximately 10:00 hours. You will then bid farewell to the crew before being transferred to the airport or your designated hotel in Port Ghalib.
Egypt Red Sea - Route Open (8 Days / 7 Nights - 21 Dives)
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Route not yet decided. First booking of 2 customers will determine the route: Ras Mohamed & Tiran; North & Wrecks; Brothers; Brothers, Daedalus Reef & Elphinstone; or St. John's.
Itinerary details dependent upon route selected.
Red Sea North, Wrecks & Safaga (8 Days / 7 Nights - 21 Dives)
Trip highlights: dolphins, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas wrecks (Giannis D, Carnatic, Chrisoula K), Ras Mohamed: Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef, Salem Express, North Safaga
Day 1
Upon landing in Hurghada you will be met at the arrival terminal and given assistance with your visa on arrival. A 20 minute air-conditioned van ride will take you to the marina where the Golden Dolphin 2 is moored. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.
Core Days
The SS Thistlegorm is by far the best-known wreck in the Red Sea. It sits upright on the sea-floor at a maximum of 32m depth. You can see and dive around its cargo of tanks, motorcycles, trucks, weapons, railway carriage and 2 railway engines. The Abu Nuhas reef is renowned for its 4 wrecks, which draw in divers from around the globe. They are now encrusted with beautiful corals attracting numerous reef fish. Thousands of glassfish lurk in shallow sections insider the wreck. The Ras Mohammed marine park promises excellent diving, particularly at Yolanda reef and Shark reef. Both feature excellent hard and soft coral coverage, large numbers of fish and sharks, especially on early morning dives. The Salem Express is one of the largest accessible wrecks in the Egyptian Red Sea and diving it is a must for every experienced scuba diver, as long as you can handle the recent nature of the tragedy.
Normally you can expect 3 or 4 dives a day in the red Sea marine parks; 2 morning dives and a 3rd in the afternoon. On the last day before disembarkation, there will only be 2 dives before the boat sails back to port.
Dining gets underway with a full cooked breakfast each morning (eggs cooked to order, pancakes, cheese, sausages, cereal and toast). Buffet-style lunch and dinner includes plenty of fresh vegetables, rice, noodles, fresh fish, chicken and beef. Dishes are mostly international fare plus a number of local delicacies. There is also a barbecue night each trip which goes down well among the guests. Snacks such as fresh fruit, cookies and juice are always available.
Day 8
After breakfast on the final day you can check out, say your goodbyes to the crew, and be transferred to the airport or hotel.
Red Sea South & St. John's Reefs (8 Days / 7 Nights - 18 Dives)
Trip highlights: dolphins, dugongs/manatees, great macro life/ marine diversity
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, very popular, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Daedalus Reef, Zabargad, Rocky Island, St. John's reef system: Big Habili, Small Habili, Umm Erug, Umm Hararim
Day 1
Upon landing in Hurghada you will be met at the arrival terminal and given assistance with your visa on arrival. A 3 hour air-conditioned van ride will take you to Port Ghalib marina where the Golden Dolphin 2 is moored. During the journey you will be served a lunch box and drinks. Otherwise you can fly to Marsa Alam Airport which is only 10 minutes away from Port Ghalib. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.
Core Days
In the Red Sea’s deep south among the best sites are St. John’s Reefs. These are among the most colourful and healthy sites in Egypt. Here there are fantastic drop offs, caves and tunnels, pinnacles, canyons and amazing hard corals. The prolific marine life includes barracuda, reef sharks, sometimes even mantas and dolphins. At Daedalus the reefs are full of myriad tropical fish plus schools of trevallies, fusiliers and surgeonfish. Sharks here are more likely to be hammerheads, oceanic whitetips and threshers. You can also see manta rays in the summer time.
Rocky Island’s year-round currents promote healthy specimens of soft coral, gorgonians, sponges and black coral trees. Marine creatures seek shelter here including grey reef sharks and silvertips, manta rays, dolphins and turtles. Zabargad island is an excellent dive destination with drop-offs, walls and brightly-lit coral gardens inhabited by soldierfish, wrasses, and schools of snappers.
Normally you can expect 3 dives a day in the red Sea marine parks; 2 morning dives and a 3rd in the afternoon. On the last day before disembarkation, there will only be 2 dives before the boat sails back to port.
Dining gets underway with a full cooked breakfast each morning (eggs cooked to order, pancakes, cheese, sausages, cereal and toast). Buffet-style lunch and dinner includes plenty of fresh vegetables, rice, noodles, fresh fish, chicken and beef. Dishes are mostly international fare plus a number of local delicacies. There is also a barbecue night each trip which goes down well among the guests. Snacks such as fresh fruit, cookies and juice are always available.
Day 8
After breakfast on the final day you can check out around 10:00 hrs, say your goodbyes to the crew and be transferred to the airport or hotel.
Red Sea South (8 Days / 7 Nights - 17 Dives)
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, very popular, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Daedalus Reef, Zabargad, and Rocky Island
Day 1
Upon landing in Hurghada you will be met at the arrival terminal and given assistance with your visa on arrival. A 3 hour air-conditioned van ride will take you to Port Ghalib marina where the Golden Dolphin 2 is moored. During the journey you will be served a lunch box and drinks. Otherwise you can fly to Marsa Alam Airport which is only 10 minutes away from Port Ghalib. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.
Core Days
At Daedalus the reefs are full of myriad tropical fish plus schools of trevallies, fusiliers and surgeonfish. Sharks here are more likely to be hammerheads, oceanic whitetips and threshers. You can also see manta rays in the summer time. Rocky Island’s year-round currents promote healthy specimens of soft coral, gorgonians, sponges and black coral trees. Marine creatures seek shelter here including grey reef sharks and silvertips, manta rays, dolphins and turtles. Zabargad island is an excellent dive destination with drop-offs, walls and brightly-lit coral gardens inhabited by soldierfish, wrasses, and schools of snappers.
3-4 dives a day are the norm in the Red Sea deep south, with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon and a night dive that ends each amazing day of underwater discovery. On the last day before disembarkation, there will only be 2 dives before the boat sails back to port.
Dining gets underway with a full cooked breakfast each morning (eggs cooked to order, pancakes, cheese, sausages, cereal and toast). Buffet-style lunch and dinner includes plenty of fresh vegetables, rice, noodles, fresh fish, chicken and beef. Dishes are mostly international fare plus a number of local delicacies. There is also a barbecue night each trip which goes down well among the guests. Snacks such as fresh fruit, cookies and juice are always available.
Day 8
After breakfast on the final day you can check out around 10:00 hrs, say your goodbyes to the crew and be transferred to the airport or hotel.
Red Sea North, Wrecks & Brothers (8 Days / 7 Nights - 19 Dives)
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, very popular, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Big Brother, Little Brother, Aida II wreck, Numidia wreck, Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas wrecks (Giannis D, Carnatic, Kimon M, Chrisoula K), Dunraven, Ras Mohamed: Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef. Cruises that use Port Ghalib may also dive at Elphinstone.
Day 1
Upon landing in Hurghada you will be met at the arrival terminal and given assistance with your visa on arrival. A 20 minute air-conditioned van ride will take you to the marina where the Golden Dolphin 2 is moored. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.
Core Days
The famous Brother Islands are among the best loved sites of the Red Sea. They are 2 exposed promontories which act as a magnet for marine life. You can dive along walls festooned with soft corals, anemones and brightly coloured sponges. Sharks are frequently sighted here: scalloped hammerheads, silvertips, whitetips and grey reef sharks being the most numerous. At Big Brother there is a wreck called the Numidia which lies in the shallows and is bedecked in hard and soft corals and gorgonians fans. The SS Thistlegorm is by far the best-known wreck in the Red Sea. It sits upright on the sea-floor at a maximum of 32m depth. You can see and dive around its cargo of tanks, motorcycles, trucks, weapons, railway carriage and 2 railway engines. The Abu Nuhas reef is renowned for its 4 wrecks, which draw in divers from around the globe. They are now encrusted with beautiful corals attracting numerous reef fish. Thousands of glassfish lurk in shallow sections insider the wreck. The Ras Mohammed marine park promises excellent diving, particularly at Yolanda reef and Shark reef. Both feature excellent hard and soft coral coverage, large numbers of fish and sharks, especially on early morning dives.
Normally you can expect 3 dives a day in the Red Sea marine parks; 2 morning dives and a 3rd in the afternoon. On the last day before disembarkation, there will only be 2 dives before the boat sails back to port.
Dining gets underway with a full cooked breakfast each morning (eggs cooked to order, pancakes, cheese, sausages, cereal and toast). Buffet-style lunch and dinner includes plenty of fresh vegetables, rice, noodles, fresh fish, chicken and beef. Dishes are mostly international fare plus a number of local delicacies. There is also a barbecue night each trip which goes down well among the guests. Snacks such as fresh fruit, cookies and juice are always available.
Day 8
After breakfast on the final day you can check out, say your goodbyes to the crew, and be transferred to the airport or hotel.
Red Sea North, Wrecks & Tiran Straits (8 Days / 7 Nights - 21 Dives)
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas wrecks (Giannis D, Carnatic, Kimon M, Chrisoula K), Dunraven, Ras Mohamed: Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef; Straits of Tiran: Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon reefs
Day 1
Upon landing in Hurghada you will be met at the arrival terminal and given assistance with your visa on arrival. A 20 minute air-conditioned van ride will take you to the marina where the Golden Dolphin 2 is moored. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.
Core Days
The SS Thistlegorm is by far the best-known wreck in the Red Sea. It sits upright on the sea-floor at a maximum of 32m depth. You can see and dive around its cargo of tanks, motorcycles, trucks, weapons, railway carriage and 2 railway engines. The Abu Nuhas reef is renowned for its 4 wrecks, which draw in divers from around the globe. They are now encrusted with beautiful corals attracting numerous reef fish. Thousands of glassfish lurk in shallow sections insider the wreck. The Ras Mohammed marine park promises excellent diving, particularly at Yolanda reef and Shark reef. Both feature excellent hard and soft coral coverage, large numbers of fish and sharks, especially on early morning dives. The Straits of Tiran are one of the most famous diving areas in the Red Sea. The strong current brings plenty of nutrients and schooling fish to the reef, tempting pelagic fish in from the open water. Large schools of barracuda and jacks are common here, as are larger predators including several species of shark.
4 dives a day are the norm in the Red Sea, with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon and a night dive that ends each amazing day of underwater discovery. There will only 2 dives on the last day before disembarkation as the boat will then sail back to port.
Dining gets underway with a full cooked breakfast each morning (eggs cooked to order, pancakes, cheese, sausages, cereal and toast). Buffet-style lunch and dinner includes plenty of fresh vegetables, rice, noodles, fresh fish, chicken and beef. Dishes are mostly international fare plus a number of local delicacies. There is also a barbecue night each trip which goes down well among the guests. Snacks such as fresh fruit, cookies and juice are always available.
Day 8
After breakfast on the final day you can check out around 10:00 hrs, say your goodbyes to the crew and be transferred to the airport or hotel.
Red Sea North, Wrecks, Tiran & Dahab (8 Days / 7 Nights - 20 Dives)
Trip highlights: turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Shaab El Erg, Gubal Island, Straits of Tiran, Gordon Reef, Jackson Reef, Thomas Reef, Ras Mohamed: Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef, Jackfish Alley, Dahab: Blue Hole, Dahab Canyon, Dahab Habili, Thistlegorm, Kingston Wreck / Shag Rock, Abu Nuhas wreck: Giannis D, Siyul Kebir, Umm Gamar, El Mina Wreck
Day 1
Upon landing in Hurghada you will be met at the arrival terminal and given assistance with your visa on arrival. A 20 minute air-conditioned van ride will take you to the marina where the Golden Dolphin 2 is moored. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.
Core Days
The SS Thistlegorm is by far the best-known wreck in the Red Sea. It sits upright on the sea-floor at a maximum of 32m depth. You can see and dive around its cargo of tanks, motorcycles, trucks, weapons, railway carriage and 2 railway engines. The Abu Nuhas reef is renowned for its 4 wrecks, which draw in divers from around the globe. They are now encrusted with beautiful corals attracting numerous reef fish. Thousands of glassfish lurk in shallow sections insider the wreck. The Ras Mohammed marine park promises excellent diving, particularly at Yolanda reef and Shark reef. Both feature excellent hard and soft coral coverage, large numbers of fish and sharks, especially on early morning dives.
You will also dive the world renowned Blue Hole of Dahab, and the 4 famous reefs of the Strait of Tiran. These magnificent formations, rising from the depths, are often frequented by large pelagics due to the abundance of currents.
Normally you can expect 4 dives a day; 2 morning dives, a 3rd in the afternoon, and a night dive or sunset dive. On the last day before disembarkation, there will only be 2 dives before the boat sails back to port.
Dining gets underway with a full cooked breakfast each morning (eggs cooked to order, pancakes, cheese, sausages, cereal and toast). Buffet-style lunch and dinner includes plenty of fresh vegetables, rice, noodles, fresh fish, chicken and beef. Dishes are mostly international fare plus a number of local delicacies. There is also a barbecue night each trip which goes down well among the guests. Snacks such as fresh fruit, cookies and juice are always available.
Day 8
After breakfast on the final day you can check out, say your goodbyes to the crew and be transferred to the airport or hotel.
Fury Shoals & Elphinstone (8 Days / 7 Nights - 21 Dives)
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, dugongs/manatees, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, very popular, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Fury Shoals: Shaab Claudio, El Malahi, Abu Galawa Soraya, Abu Galawa Kebir, Shaab Maksur, Shaab Sataya (Dolphin Reef); Shaab Sharm, Elphinstone, Shaab Sharm, Shilineat
Day 1
Upon landing in Hurghada you will be met at the arrival terminal and given assistance with your visa on arrival. A 3 hour air-conditioned van ride will take you to Port Ghalib marina where the Golden Dolphin 2 is moored. During the journey you will be served a lunch box and drinks. Otherwise you can fly to Marsa Alam Airport which is only 10 minutes away from Port Ghalib. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.
Core Days
This Red Sea diving tour visits the Fury Shoals. This reef system offers amazing scuba diving opportunities with some of the most pristine reefs in Egypt, including small caves, reef blocks, plateaus, canyons, coral gardens and drop-offs, not to mention resident pods of dolphins. Elphinstone has steep current-swept walls and exposed points, making it perfect for encounters with big marine life like oceanic whitetip sharks. Other creatures you could encounter on this tour include dugongs, mantas, turtles and Napoleon wrasse.
4 dives a day are the norm in the Red Sea deep south, with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon and a night dive that ends each amazing day of underwater discovery. On the last day before disembarkation, there will only be 2 dives before the boat sails back to port.
Dining gets underway with a full cooked breakfast each morning (eggs cooked to order, pancakes, cheese, sausages, cereal and toast). Buffet-style lunch and dinner includes plenty of fresh vegetables, rice, noodles, fresh fish, chicken and beef. Dishes are mostly international fare plus a number of local delicacies. There is also a barbecue night each trip which goes down well among the guests. Snacks such as fresh fruit, cookies and juice are always available.
Day 8
After breakfast on the final day you can check out, say your goodbyes to the crew, and be transferred to the airport or hotel.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
