10 Exciting things to do in Dahab, Egypt. (#8 will surprise you)
Regardless of the many exciting things to do in Dahab and it being a spectacular vacation area, it is still greatly under-visited by travelers. While the vast majority of tourists are quite familiar with Sharm el Sheik and Hurghada, a few make a decision to vacation at Dahab.
Dahab is located nine hours from Cairo City by bus and 1 hour by flight to the Sharm el-Sheik airport. The one hour drive from Sharm el Sheik airport by taxi keeps you anxious to see what Dahab offers.
It is perfectly geographically located along the red sea and surrounded by the beautiful mountains of Sinai that provide a perfect view to anyone intending to have a great time relaxing. The tranquility of this beautiful area makes it a great place for a vacation. Perfectly for me, I had the golden opportunity to explore this small growing town of Dahab.
Do not be fooled by the size of this town, it has a lot of exciting activities to be done and that’s where this post comes in, to give you details on what to do in Dahab plus places to visit in Dahab.
Caution
Some people visit with the intent of staying in Dahab for a few days but end up extending their stay for weeks, months or even years. Some make it their second home and a few get a job there and end up staying permanently.
Exciting things to do in Dahab
1. Snorkeling at the blue hole
Located to the north of Dahab on the coast of the Red Sea, the Blue hole is believed to be one of the most deadly dive centers in the world. With the hole being 100 m deep, it is believed that this gorgeous dive site has claimed the lives of over 100 people. And it is, for this reason, the Egyptian authorities only allow snorkeling and diving is only acceptable for qualified divers who go along with certified diving instruction.
However much the blue hole is mostly famous for diving, a lot of people go for snorkeling to experience and see the beauty of underwater. The underwater species at the blue hole include but not limited to Red sea clownfish, sea Goldie, corals, and many others
My experience at the blue hole
This might give you chills if you are planning to go snorkeling at the blue hole, but don’t freak out – I am just a very apprehensive person when it comes to deep waters.
Having heard scary stories of how the blue hole had claimed some people’s lives immediately before heading underwater, you can imagine the anguish I had. I was going ballistic but I somehow convinced myself that I could do it. Even as I write this now, I am freaking out a little bit lol.
Got my life jacket & fins on and headed for the blue hole “ yay here I come blue hole, I thought to myself”.
How it went down?
It started out all fun seeing the beautiful underwater species until I saw the deep “sinkhole”. I got a panic attack immediately, started yelling to everyone who cared to listen about how I wanted to leave the water.
I was extremely terrified. Can I just mention that this is more of a one-way route!! You can’t go back from where you came from, you have to swim your way to the “exit”. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about how I could be the next person to die from this deadly blue hole.
I Clung onto some people’s float ( a family from Nigeria, – If you ever read this, thank you guys). The float helped me gain my cool a little bit. I decided the only way I was going to survive this “terror” was to just swim without looking down until I got out of the water.
By the time people were appreciating all the beauty underwater, I was cursing why I came to the blue hole and impatiently waiting to leave.
Needless to say, I was crazy to go for my very first snorkeling adventure at the blue hole. But at least I can brag that I’ve ever gone snorkeling there.
However much I had a bad experience at the blue hole, this is one of the exciting things to do in Dahab that every water lover longs for. So if you’re ready to enjoy snorkeling in the blue hole, don’t forget to book your spot from here.
Related post: Scuba diving in Blue Hole, Belize
Pro tip* If you’ve never gone snorkeling, do not start with the blue hole.
2. Snorkeling at the blue lagoon
Wondering what to do in Dahab Egypt? Then snorkeling in the blue lagoon should be added to the list. The blue lagoon has a nice beach with different shades of blue perfect for sunbathing and snorkeling. Having had a terrible experience at the blue hole, that didn’t stop me from having a great snorkeling experience at the blue lagoon.
Snorkeling had been on my bucket list for so long to just give it up like that. The underwater species were breathtaking and I shocked myself by how calm and relaxed I was and ended up enjoying it. I can totally see myself snorkeling again at the blue lagoon – of course not at the blue hole.
Pro tip* Most snorkeling centers in Dahab are free. You just need to own a snorkel and glasses but if not, there are many rental places around the coast. And if you are not sure about which snorkel to buy or rent, here is the ultimate guide to the best snorkel
Related post: best place to visit in Cairo (& not just the Giza pyramids)
3. Diving
Diving is definitely one of the fun things to do in Dahab and some tourists travel to Dahab with the sole purpose of diving. Dahab offers a lot of diving centers.
Some of the most famous ones in no particular order are;
- 1. Scuba seekers
- 2. Shams diving center
- 3. Sea dance diving center
- 4. Deep blue diver
- 5. Poseidon divers
You can as well book your diving adventure from here.
Other water activities to do;
- Kite surfing
- Windsurfing
- Boat cruise
- Jetski
4. Ride on a Camel
A trip to Dahab is not complete without riding on a camel. The most popular camel safari in Dahab is the trip from the Blue hole to Ras Au Galum which takes approximately 1.5 hours taking you along the beautiful mountains and the coast of the Red Sea. This can be incorporated in the trip to the Blue hole.
5. Quad Biking in the mountains
If you are in to enjoy the thrill of driving through the mountains of Dahab and enjoy the scenic views of the desert areas, this is one of the things to do in Dahab Egypt.
Do you enjoy taking control of the wheels and speeding away, rising up the dust into space? This is one of the Dahab activities that you shouldn’t miss out on.
I had never driven a quad-bike (aka ATV) before and I found Dahab to be the ideal place to start.
Booked a quad bike trip with the quad bike center in the evening hours (so as to catch a sunset in the mountains.)
Started the drive at the quad-center, drove to wadi connections in the inner mountains.
Stopped at wadi toilat to relax and have refreshments for a few minutes.
Embarked on the drive through the desert and to the shores of blue lagoon and back to Dahab town.
Simple facts about quad biking in Dahab
- Anyone from the age of 15 can quad bike alone
- No license is needed
- A tour guide is provided during the trip
- Quads are maintained before the journey
- A brief lesson on how to drive is given before the trip
- You don’t need to know how to drive a car to drive a quad although experience is an added advantage.
Related post: The ultimate guide to traveling to Egypt
6. Biking at the beach.
Saddling up on a bike and enjoying an outdoor adventure on the beach is one of the major Dahab activities.
With many paved bikeways along the sea, biking is the easiest and common means of transportation within Dahab town. And another fun way to exercise while on vacation.
Renting a bicycle in Dahab goes for approximately 15 Egyptian pounds for an hour or 90 Egyptian pounds for a day.
7. Relaxing at the beach.
Wondering where to go in Dahab on a chilly day? Why not hit the beach! I mean what is a vacation in Dahab without spending a day ( or two, three…) on the beach? On a sunny day, clear blue skies in the afternoon, get the swimsuit ready, sunglasses, sunscreen, towels in check and head over to the beach.
With the feet in the sand and the laps on the balencia chaise, what better way to spend a day on the beach than this. The beach is one of the best places in Dahab to relax and cool off from all the endless activities
8. Walk on water (literally) – walk through the red sea.
One of the cool things to do in Dahab is to walk through the red sea. I know what you are thinking, that it is crazy and impossible!! I am not judging, that’s what I thought when I first heard about it. I only believed after doing it myself.
The water levels at the blue lagoon are extremely shallow that you can walk from one side of the red seashore to the other.
9. Interact with the locals.
Dahab is a small town and everyone seems to know everyone. Because of this, the locals are super friendly and always willing to have a chat with the tourists. It’s worth getting to know them and particularly this one family I met. They owned a small restaurant I ate at one time.
And what started as friendly hello turned out to be a great friendship with the whole family for the entire stay in Dahab. And they occasionally invited me to have tea with them for free. They taught me so much about the Egyptian culture, we shared stories and generally made me feel welcome in Dahab.
10. Enjoy the nightlife of Dahab
Taking a walk is one of the best things to do in Dahab at night. This is a fun way to see the entire town and get the feel of how the locals enjoy the Dahab nightlife. In Dahab, people mostly take walks at night around 7 pm. This is the time when kids come out to play, locals gather and share stories while drinking tea and smoking shisha.
Enjoy the happy hour- The happy hour starts from 7 pm at a few restaurants that sell alcohol. Sip on cocktails as you enjoy the music.
With all these exciting things to do in Dahab, your next trip to Egypt should feature Dahab in it as there is so much to do and you will have the best time of your life.
Have you participated in any of these Dahab activities or you’re just planning a trip to Dahab? Share with me in the comment section what you enjoyed most about Dahab or what you hope to do when you reach there.
Check out some of the best tours to go to while in Dahab.
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- Essential Africa tips for first-time visitors
- Best landmarks to visit in Egypt
- How to spend 2 days in Cairo
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Amazing and very informative post! Dahab is also my favorite city in Egypt
Thank you, I am glad you found the post helpful, I agree, Dahab is an incredibly beautiful city though undermined compared to Sharm el Sheikh.
I want to do snorkeling in Dahab too during my upcoming trip to Egypt. I am not sure since I am a beginner in swimming and has little to no experience in snorkeling and swimming. Any suggestions for me on what to try out in Dahab?
Hey Xiao,
You actually don’t have to be an expert in swimming to go for snorkeling! The time I went snorkeling in Dahab, I was a beginner in swimming too and that was my very first time to go snorkeling. And you can always rent a life jacket from one of the many rental stalls to be more comfortable.
I’d just advise you to start snorkeling at the blue lagoon and when you’re comfortable enough with snorkeling, then you can do it from the Blue hole.
You can also go for quad biking in the mountains.
I hope that helps and enjoy your trip to Dahab! You’ll definitely love it because it’s a beautiful beach town with amazing people.
If you have any other inquiries, don’t hesitate to ask me!
I loved all the things you mentioned to do in Dahab. I myself love to do no 8 and have tried my hands on Quad biking. Its fun.
Dahab look so gorgeous! There is so much to see and do. It looks like a really beautiful drive. You captured awesome pictures on your travel trip. Thanks for sharing your travel experience with us.
Thank you so much for aprreciating. Sometimes i feel like my photos didnt do it justice because it’s way beautiful
Dahab looks an amazing place for an adventure tourist. Snorkeling site, blue hole, looks very dangerous with its toll on 100 lives or so. I like the ideal of walking over red sea.
It is indeed amazing. Yes dahab is mostly dangerous for divers thats why most people go there for only snorkelling and Walking through the red sea is truly a great experience
Definitely right up our alley since we are scuba divers. We would love to dive and explore that Blue Hole.
Sounds like an amazing adventure! I never visited Egypt but always wanted to. After reading your post, I want to – even more 🙂
I am glad I’ve inspired you to even think of traveling to Egypt. I really hope you do because I am sure you will love it.
I’ve been to Egypt before, but I’d love to go again to experience more of these wonderful places.
Not so many people know of Dahab but you will definitely enjoy it when you go
Sounds like a fun place! can do so many thing
It is so much fun
The place seems so much fun! I would definitely ride camels and go diving there 😀
It is so much fun.You can add even snorkeling on top of diving. They are both such amazing experiences
Looks great! It’s nice to see Egypt to get back on track after all those horrible incidents.
Yes true, they revived themselves so much and the Egyptian tourism is getting back to where it used to or even better
I am sold with snorkeling! It looks like inside an aquarium, so gorgeous 😀
Snorkeling is amazing and the underwater species are breathtaking. It’s something i believe everyone should do at one point in life.
That is true. The beauty underwater is s precious and magnificent. I am so glad that this is still protected well in Dahab.
yes they’ve done a great job to protect it. I wish everyone could see this beauty atleast once
While I won’t ride a camel, I love snorkelling – adding the Blue Hole and Blue Lagoon to my must-see list now!
I would say riding a camel was really fun but if you are not apprehensive like me, you will definitely enjoy snorkeling at the blue hole.
Looks like a great place to get stuck into the outdoor activities. From beach to bike. The ATV and Camel ride would be have been very cool. Seems like a great spot for a holiday
It is an amazing place, moreso for some one who is all about adventure given the many outdoor activities that can be done
I’ve not heard of Dahab before but looks like a fun place. Snorkelling and seeing the red sea clown fish would be really cool!
Most people are more familiar with sharm el sheikh but Dahab is a beautiful small growing town that is worth vacation at. It is indeed a lovely fun place
I loved my stay in Egypt but didn’t go snorkeling in the Red Sea. I admit I have mixed feelings about the Blue Hole!!! Glad to know about Dahab not being crowded with tourists as Sharm el Sheikh!
Trust me i would never go snorkelling in the blue hole again-i don’t want another panic attack. I am glad you enjoyed your stay in Egypt
Wow, this sounds like a fantastic vacation. I would love to visit the red sea one day. You really captured the culture there and made it seem so relaxing!
I love how many things you can do! I would especially loooooooove snorkeling. 🙂
I would say Dahab is one the best place for snorkeling, the experience is amazing
I never really know thid place existed or never even heard of Dahab before. This is cool as i was reading it, THE ATV which im familiar with is called quad biking here and i will definitely try that!!!
Never really heard of Dahab before but this post really enlighten me. I love adventures and most specially the ATV part. I always find it fun to do and was surprise you can do it here!!! I really am gonna put this on my where to go to next list
I have never heard of Dahab before but seems like a good place to travel! I also love adventures and ATV driving which i cant believe you can do here too!!!! Now this will be part of my to go to next. Thanks!
I would so love to snorkel at the Blue Lagoon!!!
It is so beautiful there, the underwater species are breathtaking. You have to try it if you ever travel to aDahab
Wow!A lot of fun things to do. I love snorkeling and experience the corals. Also, I want to experience the read sea and walk in the water. I’ve always wanted to see the red sea.
I hope you het to see the red sea
I’ve never been snorkeling, something definitely on my list! It looks so fun!
Amazing place for sure…thank you for providing such beautiful information with lovely pics..
God bless you
Thank you very much, i hope my post can inspire you travel to Egypt one time as it is an amazing country
Sounds fun! Never been to Egypt but now I’ll see when I can go!
I hope you can travel to Egypt one time as it offers so much value, from the ancient history in Cairo to the beautiful beaches in Dahab
thanks alot for making us know places where we uave never reached God bless
It is my pleasure, I am glad you enjoyed the article