Dahab

Dahab began as a Bedouin fishing settlement and became a backpacker and diver hangout in the 1980s. It has grown since, but it still feels very different from Sharm el-Sheikh: low-rise hotels and guesthouses, a seafront walkway lined with cushioned cafes, and dive centres where you walk in from the shore rather than take a boat. The Gulf of Aqaba is deep right off the coast, so colourful reefs begin just metres from the cafes.

The town has a few distinct parts. Masbat (the Lighthouse area) and Mashraba form the busy centre along the promenade, with restaurants, shops and the Lighthouse Reef. Assala, to the north, is the more local Bedouin and Egyptian neighbourhood. To the south, the Laguna is a shallow lagoon backed by larger hotels and famous for windsurfing and kitesurfing. North of town, a coast road leads to the Canyon and the Blue Hole, and beyond to the protected area of Ras Abu Galum.

Travel advice for the Sinai Peninsula differs between regions and from the rest of Egypt, and it changes, so check Smartraveller before booking and make sure your insurance covers Dahab. Our Sharm el-Sheikh and South Sinai guide covers the wider region, including Ras Mohammed and St Catherine's Monastery.

Top things to see in Dahab

The Blue Hole

A sinkhole beside the shore about 8 km north of town, dropping more than 100 m. The rim and the reef around it are superb for snorkelling. A deep arch below it lies beyond recreational diving limits and has claimed many lives, as the memorial plaques on shore attest; dive only within your training and with a reputable guide.

The Canyon

A popular dive site between town and the Blue Hole, where a narrow crack in the reef leads into a canyon with shafts of light falling from above. The shallow reef above it is also good for snorkelling.

Lighthouse Reef and Eel Garden

Right in town, these shore sites make Dahab one of the easiest places in Egypt to learn to dive. At Eel Garden, just north of Assala, garden eels sway from the sandy slope in their hundreds.

Three Pools

A trio of shallow lagoons on the southern coast road, sheltered by the reef and ideal for relaxed snorkelling and first dives. It is quieter than the Lighthouse area.

Ras Abu Galum

A protected area north of the Blue Hole, reached on foot, by camel or by boat, with no road access. Bedouin camps sit beside quiet reefs, making it a lovely day trip or overnight under the stars.

The Laguna

A shallow, sandy lagoon at the southern end of town where steady wind and flat water create excellent conditions for windsurfing and kitesurfing lessons. It is also the safest spot for children to swim.

Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery

About two to two and a half hours inland, Mount Sinai (about 2,285 m) is climbed overnight for sunrise, usually followed by a visit to St Catherine's Monastery. Most trips leave Dahab around 11pm, and you are back by lunchtime.

Coloured Canyon

Near Nuweiba, about 1.5 hours north, this narrow sandstone slot canyon has banded walls of red, yellow and purple. It is reached by 4WD with a Bedouin guide and walked in two to three hours.

In-depth sight guides

• Blue Hole: Dahab's Blue Hole is a vertical sinkhole in the reef, more than 100 metres deep, right beside the shore about 8 km north of town.…
• Ras Abu Galum: Ras Abu Galum is a roadless protected area on the Gulf of Aqaba coast north of Dahab's Blue Hole, where Bedouin camps sit beside…
• Coloured Canyon: The Coloured Canyon is a narrow sandstone slot canyon inland from Nuweiba in South Sinai, its walls banded in red, orange, yellow…

Unforgettable experiences

• Snorkelling the rim of the Blue Hole, then lunch at a cliffside café
• A night climb of Mount Sinai for sunrise, with a Bedouin guide
• Learning to dive from the shore at the Lighthouse or Three Pools
• A freediving course in one of the world's best-known freediving centres
• Walking or riding a camel to Ras Abu Galum for a day at a Bedouin camp
• A windsurfing or kitesurfing lesson on the flat water of the Laguna

When to visit Dahab

Spring (March to May) and autumn (October to November) bring warm days of about 25–32°C and sea temperatures of about 23–27°C, ideal for both diving and the Mount Sinai climb. Summer is very hot, often 35–40°C, though the sea breeze helps on the coast. Winter (December to February) has pleasant days of about 20–23°C and cooler water around 21–22°C, so bring a 5 mm wetsuit for diving. Nights on Mount Sinai can drop below freezing in winter and are cold even in spring and autumn.

How long to spend in Dahab

Four nights lets you snorkel or dive the main sites and do the Mount Sinai climb with a rest day afterwards. Five or six nights allows Ras Abu Galum, the Coloured Canyon or a dive course. Many divers and freedivers stay a week or more.

Getting there

Fly to Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport (SSH), about an hour from Cairo, then drive about 1–1.5 hours north through the mountains. The road passes security checkpoints, so carry your passport. From Australia, connect in Cairo or, at the time of writing, via a Gulf hub that serves Sharm directly; check current routes. Overland from Cairo takes about 8–9 hours via the tunnel under the Suez Canal and is rarely worth it. St Catherine is about 2–2.5 hours inland, Nuweiba about 1.5 hours north.

Specialist tips

• Check Smartraveller for Sinai before booking and again before travel, and confirm your insurance covers Dahab
• Carry your passport on every road trip; Sinai has frequent checkpoints
• Wear reef shoes for shore entries; most sites have a rocky or coral edge
• Never attempt the Blue Hole arch; stay within recreational limits
• Pack a beanie, gloves and a warm jacket for the Mount Sinai summit
• Dress modestly away from the promenade, especially in Assala