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Voykit pocket guide · Egypt
Nuweiba
نويبع
Spend 2–3 days for beach, diving and cheap camps; longer only if you plan multiple treks or a ferry to Aqaba.
Nuweiba is a small Red Sea town on Sinai with cheap camps, easy ferry links to Jordan and decent diving. Most activities fit in a short stay; add a day for a camel trek or a visit to Castle Zaman.
- Country
- Egypt
- Local name
- نويبع
- Best months
- Oct–Apr (cooler, less wind)
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (hot, occasional sandstorms)
- Stay
- 2–3 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 LE 150–250 excl. bed · Mid LE 300–500 excl. bed · High LE 600+ 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.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Fish sandwich (beach stall) | LE 30–50 |
| Camel trek (hour) | LE 25 |
| Taxi (port‑city, 5 km (3.1 mi))Taxi (port‑city, 3.1 mi (5 km)) | LE 5–10 |
| Ferry foot‑passenger (one way) | US$80 |
| Bottle of water (1 L) | LE 5–8 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ETM · Ramon Airport (Eilat, Israel)
- About 2 h by taxi + border crossing; check visa rules.
- SSH · Sharm el-Sheikh International
- About 2.5 h by bus or taxi.
Typical fares
- Port → Tarabin taxi
- about LE 5–10, 5 min (check)
- Ferry Nuweiba → Aqaba (foot)
- US$80, 3 h crossing (check)
- Taxi to Castle Zaman
- about LE 15–20, 10 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Taxis from the port to the city or Tarabin cost about LE 5–10; negotiate. Blue‑white taxis are the only reliable ones. Walks between city and Tarabin take ~20 min. No public bus inside town.
See and do
Known for
- Red Sea beach
- budget camps
- ferry to Aqaba
- diving and snorkeling
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Castle Zaman | Taxi north from Nuweiba, ~10 min | ~30 min total |
| Colored Canyon (via 4WD) | Hire 4WD from Tarabin camps, ~1 h drive | ~2 h total |
| Aqaba (Jordan) ferry | Daily 1 pm ferry, 3 h crossing | ~4 h total (including waiting) |
Sleep
- Tarabin camps (e.g., Petra Camp, Blue Bus)
- Basic huts 5–60 LE per night; close to beach and camel‑trek operators.
- Nuweiba Port hotels (e.g., Nakhil Inn)
- Mid‑range rooms ~US$60/night, some with diving centre.
- City resorts (e.g., Swisscare Nuweiba Resort)
- More comfort, 48 suites on the beach, higher price.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | عفوًاʿafwan |
| Thank you | شكرًاshukran |
| How much? | بكم؟bikam? |
| Where is the toilet? | أين الحمام؟ayna al‑ḥammām? |
| Can I pay by card? | هل أستطيع الدفع بالبطاقة؟hal astaṭīʿ al‑dafʿ bil‑biṭāqa? |
| I need a taxi | أحتاج تاكسيaḥtāj tāksī |
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
- Last ferry to Aqaba may arrive 2–4 am; plan accommodation accordingly.
- Taxis can be scarce; agree price before boarding.
- Security warnings for Sinai apply; stay updated via the Egypt article.
Sinai’s security situation is stable for tourists; keep to main routes, dress modestly, and avoid night travel outside the town.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Nuweiba yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Red Sea beach
- budget camps
- ferry to Aqaba
- 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 – Nuweiba: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123456
- Wikivoyage: Nuweiba, revision 5241948 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241948
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/nuweiba). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.