Red Sea North Trips
The northern Red Sea of Egypt offers divers a remarkable concentration of world-famous wrecks and vibrant reef systems, making it a perennial favourite for liveaboard holidays. A standard week-long trip typically operates from Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada, taking in the region’s greatest hits. The SS Thistlegorm is the undisputed highlight, a wartime cargo ship whose holds still contain a fascinating cargo of lorries, motorbikes and rifles. You will also explore the 4 wrecks scattered across the Abu Nuhas reef, the Giannis D, Chrisoula K, Carnatic and Kimon M, each with its own story to tell. Between these historical sites, Ras Mohammed delivers classic wall dives with rich coral growth and frequent encounters with schooling fish, while Sha’ab el Erg, a horseshoe-shaped reef, often shelters a pod of spinner dolphins in its lagoon.
Some northern tours extend further afield, adding variety for return visitors or those with more time. Cruises that include the Straits of Tiran offer drift dives through current-swept channels where pelagic fish are more common. Egypt liveaboards may also head up the Sinai coast to Dahab, home to the famous Blue Hole and the Canyon, both distinctive formations that appeal to more experienced divers. The Blue Hole is a deep sinkhole with dramatic walls and the Arch at 56 metres for technical divers, the Canyon is a series of vertical fissures and swim-throughs that filter sunlight through the reef. The SS Turkia, a less-visited 90-metre cargo ship loaded with wartime supplies and lying off the Sinai coast, provides a quieter alternative to the Thistlegorm. Another option is a route that reaches south to Safaga, where the Salem Express, a large ferry resting on its side, has become an artificial reef encrusted with corals and home to schools of angelfish and butterflyfish.
The majority of northern Red Sea trips run for 7 nights, though shorter 3- or 4-night tasters are sometimes offered from Sharm El Sheikh. Diving conditions are generally settled between April and October, but the region operates year-round; outside these months, water temperatures are cooler and you may encounter stronger winds. The variety of sites means these cruises suit a broad range of experience levels. Sheltered reef dives and shallower wrecks are accessible for newer divers or those returning after a break, while deeper wrecks and current-prone channels provide more of a challenge for the experienced. Whether you are ticking off the Thistlegorm for the first time or seeking out quieter sites away from the main routes, the northern Red Sea has something to offer.
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Red Sea North Trips]
Combination Trips
For scuba divers who want to see more than one region in a single cruise, combination safaris offer a practical way to cover greater distances without the logistics of multiple bookings. These trips link the northern wrecks with Egypt's southern marine parks, providing a broader overview of the Red Sea.
The North & Wrecks with Brothers route is a 7-night trip that joins the classic northern sites with the Brothers Islands. This gives you the Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas, and Ras Mohammed, then pushes south to Big and Little Brother for wall dives and pelagic encounters. It is a good fit for divers who want a taste of both regions without committing to a full southern cruise. The tour typically includes multiple dives on the Thistlegorm, the wrecks of Abu Nuhas, the walls and Yolanda Reef at Ras Mohammed, and 2 days at the Brothers Islands for hammerhead and grey reef shark encounters. Conditions in the south are more exposed than in the north, so a minimum of 50 logged dives is recommended, and the trip operates year-round, with the best conditions between April and October.
