"How much should a Ras Mohammed trip cost?" is one of the first questions people ask in Sharm El Sheikh, and the honest answer is: it depends what's in the box. A boat day that includes the park fee, snorkel gear, lunch and hotel pickup is a different product from one where you pay for the fee and the mask on the day. This guide explains what moves the price, lists starting prices from the trips on daynight (they update automatically with the live listings), and goes through the extras worth checking before you pay anyone, wherever you book.
What decides the price of an excursion
- Time and fuel. A full day at sea to Ras Mohammed or Tiran burns far more fuel and crew hours than an hour on a glass-bottom boat.
- What's included. Lunch, the national park fee, snorkel gear, a guide in the water and hotel pickup can each be in the price or not.
- Shared or private. Most trips are priced per person on a shared boat or vehicle. A private speedboat is priced for the whole boat, by the hour.
- The ticket you choose. Many trips have options: an intro dive on a snorkelling boat, a buggy instead of a quad, a flight instead of a coach.
- The boat itself. A big day boat, a sailing yacht and a speedboat to the same reef are different days, with different lunches and different numbers on board.
Starting prices on daynight, and what they include
These are the current starting ticket prices for a selection of trips, in US dollars and per person unless the row says otherwise. Read them together with the last column: that is where the real comparison is.
| Trip | From | Included | Not included or worth checking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ras Mohammed & White Island boat trip | $50 | Boat, guide, two snorkel stops, gear, lunch, park fee, hotel pickup | The intro dive is a separate ticket ($62) |
| Ras Mohammed snorkelling trip by bus | $24 | Bus from your hotel, park fee, snorkel gear, guide, water | Lunch |
| Ras Mohammed boat day: snorkel or dive | $32 | Hotel pickup, boat, lunch, marine guide | Park fee (cash on the day), snorkel gear and wetsuit hire |
| Tiran Island snorkelling trip | $36 | Boat and crew, lunch on board | Snorkel gear isn't listed: check the trip page or bring your own |
| Quad & buggy desert safari | $22 | Quad, helmet, goggles, scarf, two guides, Bedouin tea, camel ride, hotel pickup | The buggy is a separate ticket |
| Parasailing over Naama Bay | $24 | Crew, life jacket, harness, boat from the jetty | Getting to the jetty |
| Glass-bottom boat over Naama Bay reefs | $12 | The boat trip over the reef | Getting there |
| Private speedboat to Tiran | $108 per hour, whole boat, up to 5 guests | Skipper, fuel, life jackets, snorkel gear, hotel pickup | How many hours you need |
| Pyramids & Grand Egyptian Museum | $119 by bus, $292 by flight | Egyptologist guide, Giza and Sphinx entry, museum tickets, Nile boat ride, lunch, hotel pickup | A full Egyptian visa |
You can see every trip, with prices, on the boat trips and water sports, quad safari and karting and horse riding and canyons pages. For the long day to Giza, our Sharm to Cairo guide explains the visa point in the last row.
The extras that change the total
The Ras Mohammed park fee
Ras Mohammed is a national park with an entry fee per person. Some trips include it and some don't. The Ras Mohammed boat trip and the trip by bus include it; on the Ras Mohammed boat day and the sailing-yacht day, the operator lists it as not included and payable in cash on the day. It is a small amount, but it is exactly the kind of difference that makes two prices look further apart than they are.
Snorkel gear and wetsuits
Masks, snorkels and fins are included on some boats, hired per piece on others, and on one Ras Mohammed boat you are asked to bring your own. In winter, when the sea is cooler, a wetsuit is worth having, and it is usually a hire item. If you plan several sea days, a mask of your own that fits well is a good investment.
Dives, photos, drinks and tips
An intro dive or two dives for certified divers are sold as separate tickets on some boats. Photo sessions are included on some trips and sold on site on others. Soft drinks are often included; other drinks usually aren't. Tipping guides and crews is customary in Egypt and always optional: a little cash in small notes at the end of the day is appreciated.
Hotel desk, street or online
At the hotel
The excursion desk in your hotel is convenient and knows your pickup point. It usually sells trips run by outside operators. Ask which operator runs the trip, what exactly is included, and what the cancellation terms are.
On the street
In Naama Bay and the Old Market you will be offered trips at kiosks and on the pavement. Prices are often negotiable and some sellers are perfectly decent, but it is harder to know who runs the boat, what's included and what happens if the sea is too rough. The UK government's travel advice notes that standards among boat and dive operators vary. If you book this way, ask for the details in writing and the operator's name before you hand over money.
Online and in an app
Booking ahead lets you compare inclusions calmly, see the operator's name and read the cancellation terms before you pay. On daynight, prices are in US dollars, you see yours before you pay, and you pay by card in the app. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure, and bookings close 24 hours before departure. Every trip is on the things to do in Sharm El Sheikh page.
A short checklist before you pay
- Who runs the trip, and is their name on your booking?
- Is the price per person, per boat or per hour?
- Is hotel pickup included, and at what time?
- Park fee, gear, lunch: in or out?
- What happens if the sea is too rough to sail?
- Until when can you cancel for free?
Trips people often compare
questions, answered
What should a fair excursion price include?
Whatever the listing says, and you should be able to read that before you pay. For a full boat day, look for the boat, a guide, lunch and pickup, and check whether the park fee and snorkel gear are in or out.
What extras should I expect?
On some trips, the Ras Mohammed park fee in cash, snorkel gear and wetsuit hire, intro dives, photos and drinks. Tips are customary but optional.
Can I pay in cash or by card?
On daynight you pay by card in the app, in US dollars. Extras that a trip page lists as not included, such as the park fee on some Ras Mohammed boats, are paid in cash on the day.
Can I cancel?
On daynight, yes: cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure, from your booking in the app.
Is it safe to book excursions on the street?
It can be fine, but you have less to go on. Ask for the operator's name, the inclusions and the pickup time in writing, and what happens if the trip is cancelled for weather, before you pay.
Are prices per person?
On most trips, yes. Private speedboats are priced for the whole boat by the hour, and the trip page always says which.
