Launched in 2021 and extended in 2026, the 43.5-metre Golden Imperial liveaboard brings a contemporary standard of comfort to Red Sea diving. This steel-hull yacht accommodates 14 air-conditioned cabins, each with private bathroom and television, while generous saloon and deck spaces provide ample room for relaxation between dives. The Golden Imperial operates under the experienced Golden Dolphin Safari World fleet, a name with over 25 years of liveaboard operations in Egyptian waters.
The diving experience aboard the Golden Imperial is supported by a professional team of PADI-certified instructors and divemasters. These guides combine local knowledge with a commitment to safety and guest requests, ensuring each dive is both rewarding and secure. The vessel carries full safety equipment including oxygen, first aid, life rafts, and a defibrillator, with fire extinguishers and smoke detectors throughout.
For certified divers, nitrox up to 32% is available at no extra cost on the Golden Imperial liveaboard. The dive deck and platform offer generous space for preparation, and 2 zodiacs with outboard engines facilitate access to the Red Sea's renowned reefs. The boat's itinerary flexibility covers all classic routes, from the northern wrecks and Tiran Strait to the southern marine parks of Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone.
The Golden Imperial includes soft drinks, tea, coffee, and water in the cruise price, along with free Wi-Fi when within range of the mainland. Meals are served buffet-style with a selection of meat, poultry, fish, pasta, rice, and vegetables, with advance notice taken for dietary requirements. Alcoholic beverages are available at extra charge.
Operating from Hurghada and Port Ghalib, the Golden Imperial offers convenient transfers from both Hurghada and Marsa Alam airports. Check-in begins at 6 pm on the first day, with the boat departing the following morning. The final night may be spent onboard in harbour or at a hotel depending on the schedule, with check-out by 10 am on the last day.
With its modern build, included nitrox, and the backing of a fleet with over 2 decades of Red Sea experience, the Golden Imperial liveaboard presents a compelling option for divers seeking both comfort and value. Early booking is recommended, particularly for the popular southern routes.
There are 14 cabins, spread across all 3 levels of the Golden Imperial. There are 3 cabins on lower deck (2 of them with twin beds (95 x 195 cm) and 1 with a double bed (165/160 x 195 cm)), 8 cabins on main deck (6 with twin beds and 2 with double beds ), and 2 cabins on upper deck (1 twin beds and 1 with a double bed). All cabins have private bathrooms.
All the cabins have:
- Air-conditioning
- En-suite bathroom with hot water shower and hand basin
- Hand soap, 2 big towels, and bathrobe
- Daily housekeeping
- Television
- Reading lights
- Wardrobe, shelves and mirror
- Bedside cabinet
- 24-hour, 220V electricity with European/US-style sockets
- Fire warning system
- Life jackets and fire extinguishers
- Storage space for luggage
No. of bathrooms / showers - 14 / 14 - hot water
Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone (8 Days / 7 Nights - 17 Dives)
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, manta rays, 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, Daedalus Reef and Elphinstone
Day 1
Your adventure begins at Port Ghalib. Once aboard the Golden Imperial liveaboard, the crew and tour leader will show you to your cabin, conduct a full safety briefing, and outline the itinerary. Enjoy your first dinner in the saloon as the boat prepares for an early departure to the offshore marine parks.
Core Days
This route is designed for experienced divers seeking encounters with the Red Sea's most iconic pelagic species. The Golden Imperial navigates to the Brother Islands, 2 remote pinnacles rising from deep water approximately 60 kilometres off the Egyptian coast. Big Brother and Little Brother offer spectacular wall diving, with drop-offs plunging to 500 metres. The walls are encrusted with sponges, anemones, gorgonian fans and a kaleidoscope of hard and soft corals. Early morning and dusk dives here are particularly rewarding, with scalloped hammerheads, grey reef sharks, silvertips and whitetip reef sharks regularly patrolling the blue. Thresher sharks are also frequent visitors. At Big Brother, the wreck of the Numidia , a 150-metre steamer sunk in 1901, rests between 5 and 80 metres, now completely enveloped in corals and gorgonians. The Aida, an 82-metre steamer that sank in 1957, stands almost vertically on the sloping reef edge, its highest point at 25 metres and propeller at 57 metres, offering a uniquely challenging dive.
Daedalus Reef, surrounded by steep walls and a southern plateau, is another highlight. The plateau drops from 30 to 40 metres and is covered in vibrant vegetation, with turtles and schooling fish frequenting the area. The northwest tip offers the best chance of encountering hammerhead sharks, while the west side features a remarkable anemone colony spanning 10 metres wide and 5 to 30 metres deep. Schools of fusiliers, surgeonfish and jacks are exceptionally dense here. Thresher sharks are also known to patrol the plateau.
Elphinstone Reef, a long finger-like rock formation running north to south, completes the trio. Its steep east and west walls drop into the depths, while the north and south ends feature submerged plateaus. Sharks are common visitors, drawn by the abundant reef fish population. Manta rays are also frequently sighted, particularly during the summer months.
A typical day aboard the Golden Imperial includes 3 dives, with night diving not permitted within the marine parks. On the final day, 2 dives precede the return sail to port, ensuring a full schedule of underwater exploration.
Day 8
After a final breakfast on board, you'll check out and bid farewell to the crew. Transfers will be arranged to the airport or your local hotel.
Please note that some trips may use Hurghada marina as the departure or arrival port; check your specific booking for details.
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: northern or southern regions of the Egypt Red Sea.
The Golden Imperial liveaboard offers an exceptional degree of flexibility, with its itinerary ultimately shaped by the first booking of 2 guests who will determine the route from a vast selection across the Egyptian Red Sea. This bespoke approach means your group could explore the legendary northern wrecks, including the iconic SS Thistlegorm and Rosalie Moller, or embark on the classic 'Best of the Red Sea' safari, which combines the pelagic-rich waters of the Brother Islands, Daedalus Reef, and Elphinstone with the remote, current-swept dive sites around Rocky Island and Zabargad. Alternatively, choose the untouched reefs of the Deep South around St. John's, or a specialised itinerary focusing on the vibrant marine life and drift dives of Fury Shoals and the Straits of Tiran.
With its modern design and a full range of routes available, the Golden Imperial is an ideal platform for crafting your perfect Red Sea expedition, whether you are seeking dramatic wall dives, wreck penetration, or encounters with pelagic species. This liveaboard, as part of the renowned Golden Dolphin fleet, is prepared to deliver a premium diving safari no matter which direction you choose.
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
Your southern Red Sea adventure begins at Port Ghalib, just a short 10-minute transfer from Marsa Alam Airport. The crew of the Golden Imperial liveaboard will welcome you on board, show you to your cabin, and provide a comprehensive safety and itinerary briefing. After settling in, enjoy your first dinner in the air-conditioned saloon as the boat prepares for an early start to the pristine reefs of the south.
Core Days
This expedition takes you deep into the Fury Shoals, a vast reef system celebrated for its untouched hard and soft corals, dramatic topography and abundant marine life. The Golden Imperial navigates through a landscape of plateaus, canyons, coral gardens and drop-offs. At Shaab Maksur, you'll explore its distinctive 3-tiered plateaus and a small lagoon sheltering wreckage now claimed by the reef. Abu Galawa Soraya offers the chance to dive a 15-metre yacht, sunk in 1980, now enveloped in corals and home to glassfish, needlefish, blue-spotted stingrays and free-swimming giant moray eels.
The nearby Sataya reefs, Gota Soraya and Gota Kebir, are famous for their resident pods of spinner dolphins. At Gota Kebir, night diving is particularly rewarding, with Spanish dancers, flatworms and shrimps emerging after dark. During the day, the area's caves, overhangs and coral gardens shelter snappers, bigeyes, barbels and reef sharks. The constant currents sweeping through the Fury Shoals bring pelagic visitors too; barracuda, giant trevallies and dogtooth tuna are common, and oceanic whitetip sharks occasionally cruise the deeper drop-offs.
Further north, Elphinstone Reef delivers some of the most exhilarating diving of the trip. Its steep, current-swept walls and exposed points make it a prime location for encounters with large pelagics, including oceanic whitetip sharks, mantas and thresher sharks. Dugongs and turtles are also regularly sighted in the shallower seagrass beds, while Napoleon wrasse patrol the reef edges. The Golden Imperial liveaboard provides access to these sites at optimal times, maximising your chances of memorable encounters.
A typical day aboard the Golden Imperial includes 3 to 4 dives, with a night dive offered when conditions permit. On the final day, 2 dives precede the return sail to port, ensuring a full and satisfying itinerary.
Day 8
After a final breakfast on board, you'll check out and bid farewell to the crew. Transfers will be arranged to the airport or your local hotel, bringing to a close a remarkable liveaboard safari through one of the Red Sea's most pristine and wildlife-rich regions with the Golden Imperial.
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
Your northern Red Sea expedition begins at Hurghada marina, where you'll step aboard the Golden Imperial. The crew will welcome you, show you to your cabin, and conduct a full safety and vessel orientation. After settling in, enjoy your first dinner in the saloon as the boat prepares for an early departure towards the legendary dive sites ahead.
Core Days
This itinerary blends 2 distinct worlds: the historic shipwrecks of the northern Red Sea and the exhilarating drift dives of the Tiran Straits. The Golden Imperial liveaboard provides access to both, with a schedule designed to make the most of each location.
Wreck diving takes centre stage early in the trip. The SS Thistlegorm, resting upright at 30 metres, remains the undisputed jewel of the region. Her cargo of wartime vehicles, including trucks, motorcycles and a locomotive, is remarkably preserved. Nearby, the Victorian steamer Dunraven lies inverted, her hull now encrusted with hard corals and home to large moray eels and schools of goatfish. The reefs of Abu Nuhas hold four accessible wrecks: the Giannis D, Carnatic, Kimon M and Chrisoula K. These sunken freighters have transformed into vibrant artificial reefs, their interiors filled with glassfish and their exteriors draped in soft corals. Keep an eye out for crocodile fish, scorpion fish and groupers that have taken up residence among the wreckage.
The Golden Imperial expedition then shifts to the Straits of Tiran, where 4 reefs - Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon - deliver some of the Red Sea's most exciting diving. Currents sweep along these exposed pinnacles, bringing nutrient-rich water that supports dense coral growth and attracts pelagic species. At Jackson Reef, the wreck of the Lara lies scattered across the plateau, and hammerhead sharks are frequently sighted in the blue. Thomas Reef offers a spectacular canyon with rock bridges, gorgonian fields and black corals, though its strong currents and downwellings demand respect and experience. Gordon Reef's southern drop-off is known for the 'Sharkpool', a sandy depression where whitetip reef sharks and occasionally scalloped hammerheads gather. Between the reefs, divers can expect encounters with barracuda, eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse and schools of tuna.
The itinerary also includes the protected waters of Ras Mohamed National Park, where Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef provide dramatic wall dives. The scattered remains of the Yolanda wreck, including toilets and bathtubs, lie across a shallow plateau, now colonised by coral and reef fish.
A final 2 dives conclude the schedule before the Golden Imperial makes her way back to Hurghada.
Day 8
After a final breakfast on board, you'll disembark the Golden Imperial. Transfers to the airport or your local hotel will be arranged, marking the end of an unforgettable liveaboard safari.
[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].
The morning starts early on the Golden Imperial liveaboard, with coffee and tea available in the saloon from first light. Breakfast is served buffet-style in the lower deck dining area, offering a selection of hot dishes, breads, cereals, and fresh fruit. Dive briefings follow, and the first jump into the water usually happens by 8 am.
Between dives, the saloon becomes the social hub of the Golden Imperial. This is where soft drinks, water, tea, and coffee remain available throughout the day at no extra charge, and where snacks like cookies, crisps, and fresh fruit are put out to keep energy levels up. On some afternoons, a savoury treat like pizza might appear. For those wanting something stronger, beer and wine are available after diving at an additional cost.
Lunch and dinner are served buffet-style in the dining area, with a spread that might include meat, poultry, fish, pasta, rice, potatoes, and vegetables. The kitchen team can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and other dietary needs, provided they are notified in advance. Meals are occasionally served on the outside deck when conditions allow, offering a pleasant change of scenery.
The daily dive schedule on the Golden Imperial typically includes 3 to 4 dives during the sea days, with routes adapting to weather, conditions, and the group's skill level. On the last full day, 2 dives are scheduled before the boat returns to the marina. The on-board language is English, and the crew is always on hand to assist with equipment or answer questions.
When not diving, guests can relax in the spacious saloon with its comfortable sofas and media system, or head up to the sun deck and fly deck for some fresh air. Wifi is provided free of charge, though coverage depends on proximity to the mainland. Smoking is not permitted in cabins, the saloon, or on the dive deck, especially when dry suits are hanging or oxygen is in use.
Evenings are spent unwinding, reviewing the day's highlights, and preparing for the next. The Golden Imperial liveaboard is designed for divers who appreciate a balanced routine, good food, and ample time to recharge between dives. Special dietary requests, drink preferences, and any other needs are best communicated to our office before the trip, so the crew can make sure everything is ready from the moment you step on board.
