In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Egypt
Marsa Alam
Spend 3–5 days in Marsa Alam for reef diving, snorkeling and relaxed beach time; a week if you want multiple dive trips.
Marsa Alam is a small Red Sea resort town with clear waters, quiet beaches and abundant marine life. Most activities centre on the sea, so a 3‑day stay covers the main dive sites and a day for a nearby excursion; longer stays suit multiple dive itineraries.
- Country
- Egypt
- Best months
- Mar–Nov
- Stay
- 3–5 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EGP
- Money
- Currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP, also written LE or £E). Hotels, cruise boats and larger restaurants take cards; taxis, markets, small cafés, tips and toilet attendants are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget EGP 300–450 excl. bed · Mid EGP 450–700 excl. bed · High EGP 700+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Orange, Etisalat (e&) and WE sell tourist SIMs at Cairo airport with passport; about EGP 500–1,000 for 20–40 GB — check.
- Emergency
- Police 122 · Ambulance 123 · Tourist police 126 · Fire 180
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European round-pin sockets.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% even when service is added (it rarely reaches staff).; Guide, full day: US$10–20 per person.; Driver, full day: US$5–10.; Cruise crew: About US$5–10 per person per day in the envelope.; Toilet, porter, small help: EGP 10–30.
- Water
- Tap water is chlorinated in cities but most visitors drink bottled; do not drink Nile water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; attendants at sites expect EGP 10–20. Carry tissue.
Get in
By air
- RMF · Marsa Alam International Airport
- —
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Town is compact; most sites reachable on foot. Taxis and service taxis available for trips to Hurghada, Edfu or Port Ghalib.
See and do
Known for
- quiet reefs
- dugongs
- diving and snorkeling
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Port Ghalib | Taxi or private transfer, about 60 km (37 mi) north on Coastal Highway 24Taxi or private transfer, about 37 mi (60 km) north on Coastal Highway 24 | ≈1 h |
| Hurghada | Bus from the north‑west bus station, about 275 km (171 mi) northBus from the north‑west bus station, about 171 mi (275 km) north | ≈4 h by bus |
Sleep
- Resort hotels near the beach
- Most are within walking distance of private or public beaches; suitable for short stays.
Language
Egyptian Arabic is the most widely understood Arabic dialect thanks to film and TV. English is common among guides, hotel staff and the young in cities; French less so.
- 'Salam alaykum' (hello), 'shukran' (thank you), 'bikam?' (how much?), 'la, shukran' (no, thank you), 'khalas' (enough/finished).
- WhatsApp is standard for drivers, guides and hotels.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Salam alaykum', handshake; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging strangers
- Eating: Right hand; accept tea; avoid: Refusing hospitality flatly
- Bargaining: Humour and patience; avoid: Anger
- Dress: Shoulders and knees covered in cities; avoid: Beachwear outside resorts
- Baksheesh: Keep small notes ready; avoid: Showing a thick wallet
- Photos: Ask; pay if agreed; avoid: Photographing police or military
Scams and watch-outs
- Seasonal flights only; check airline schedules before booking.
- Protect coral reefs: avoid stepping on them and use designated footbridges.
Marsa Alam is low‑risk; main concerns are sun exposure, marine life safety while diving, and occasional sand‑storm dust; follow local dive‑center briefings.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Marsa Alam yet. Suggested stay: 3–5 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- quiet reefs
- dugongs
- diving and snorkeling
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Marsa Alam coordinates: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123222
- Wikivoyage: Marsa Alam, revision 5340335 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5340335
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/marsa-alam). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.