Wadi El Gemal Snorkeling & Boat Trip from Marsa Alam: Honest Review
The dolphins showed up just as my husband and I were saying out loud that we probably would not see any. Someone on the boat started shouting, and a pod of at least twenty came swimming past.
This is our honest review of the full-day Wadi El Gemal boat trip from Marsa Alam, with snorkeling stops. We booked it locally in Egypt, not through a travel agency. Many people are afraid to book this way, but you do not need to be: in our experience Egyptians organize safe, enjoyable and fairly priced trips, as long as you use common sense.
Highlights of the Wadi El Gemal boat trip
- A full day on the Red Sea inside Wadi El Gemal National Park, on a boat with about 20 guests.
- Two snorkeling stops over long, unbroken coral reefs with plenty of fish.
- A pod of at least 20 dolphins, and a short swim with them.
- Grilled chicken, pasta, salads and rice for lunch on board, with drinks included.
- About an hour on a white sand island, reached by rubber boat.
- €95 per adult in October 2026, with hotel transfer, snorkel gear, lunch and drinks included.
Contents
- Why We Chose This Trip
- Booking and What It Costs
- The Early Start and the Drive South
- The Boat
- Snorkeling the Reef
- Swimming with the Dolphins
- Lunch on Board
- The White Sand Island
- Doing It with a Toddler
- What Could Be Better
- Practical Tips Before You Go
- Is It Worth It?
- Wadi El Gemal Boat Trip FAQ
- More Marsa Alam Guides
| Operator | Wanderlust Blue, a dive center in Marsa Alam |
| Trip | Full-day Wadi El Gemal snorkeling and boat trip |
| Our trip | Early October 2026, six of us, including a 3-year-old |
| Pickup | Around 6:00 to 6:15 a.m. from our resort |
| Drive to the harbor | 1 to 2 hours south, toward Sudan |
| On the boat | About 9:00 to 9:30 a.m. until roughly 4:00 p.m. |
| Back at the hotel | Around 6:00 p.m. |
| Boat size | About 20 guests |
| Price | €95 per adult in October 2026, child free (our 3-year-old) |
| Included | Hotel transfer, snorkel mask and fins, lunch, drinks |
| Not included | Photos (about $50 to $60 for the six of us) |
| Good to know | Very windy on deck |
Why We Chose This Trip
We went for the dolphins. We were staying at Amarina Jannah in Marsa Alam, and this was the trip we chose mainly because of them.
It also promised reefs, a white sand island and lunch on the boat.
Wadi El Gemal is a national park on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, south of Marsa Alam. It protects coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves along the shore, with desert and dry river valleys, called wadis, inland. It is best known as a home for dugongs and green turtles.
We only saw the park from the water. Our day was entirely by boat, so I can only tell you about the sea side of it: the reefs, the dolphins and the islands. I cannot say what the inland part is like.
Booking and What It Costs
We booked with Wanderlust Blue, a dive center in Marsa Alam. I asked a person at our hotel, who helped us arrange it.
The price was €95 per adult in October 2026, and our son was free. That covered the hotel transfer, the snorkel gear (mask and fins), lunch and the drinks on board. We only drank water, and there was no alcohol on the boat and nothing else to buy.
The one extra was the photos. The crew took photos of us during the day, and we paid about $50 to $60 for the six of us. I do not remember the exact amount.
The Early Start and the Drive South
The day starts early. They picked us up between 6:00 and 6:15 a.m. at the diving center at our resort.
We stopped at another place to pick up the food and the equipment before heading to the harbor.
From Marsa Alam we drove south, toward Sudan, for one to two hours. I do not know the exact location of the harbor, but it was on the coast at the edge of the national park. We boarded around 9:00 to 9:30 a.m.
The Boat
There were about 20 guests on board. The boat has a lower and an upper deck, and everyone takes their shoes off when boarding.
Downstairs you find the restroom, and coffee, cola, Fanta and water were set out for everyone. Upstairs there are seats and two tables, and at the front of the boat is an artificial-grass area where you can lie down. A narrow walkway also runs around the lower deck.
We felt comfortable on the boat, but it was very windy. My son spent a lot of time under a towel. The sea and the views were beautiful.
Snorkeling the Reef
There were two separate snorkeling stops, apart from the dolphin swim and the time on the island. A rubber boat took us to each one.
The reefs were gorgeous: long, unbroken stretches of coral and an enormous amount of fish. The guides led us in two groups.
My mother is not a confident swimmer, so the crew helped her with a life vest and a ring. That way she could look around in the water too.
She skipped the second stop, and I went with my husband. We had a great swim and saw a lot.
Swimming with the Dolphins
I was starting to get discouraged. We had come for the dolphins, and the hours were going by. My husband and I were just talking about it when people on the boat started shouting: a big pod had appeared, at least twenty dolphins by my estimate.
We got our gear ready quickly and had a short time in the water with them. It was wonderful. Dolphin encounters are brief and every minute matters, so it helps if everyone in your group is ready to jump in fast.
Afterward we watched them from the boat as well. They jumped and played, and there were smaller and bigger dolphins among them.
The crew clearly worked hard to find them. They told us that on other trips they sometimes meet dolphins several times in one day. We had one encounter, and we were very happy with it.
I also saw a turtle from the boat, but we did not swim with turtles on this trip.
Lunch on Board
After the dolphins we had lunch on the boat: grilled chicken, a pasta dish, salads and rice. The chicken was especially good, and the lunch really hit the spot.
The food and the drinks were included in the price.
The White Sand Island
After lunch we stopped at a beautiful white sand island out in the Red Sea. A rubber boat took us there too.
We spent about an hour on the island. You can walk, sunbathe and take photos, and the crew took plenty of photos of us.
There is coral near the island as well, so you can snorkel there. I stayed on the sand with my son instead, who loved it and played in the white sand the whole time.
Doing It with a Toddler
Our son is three. He slept on the boat during the snorkeling stops, and since there were six of us, someone could always stay with him.
He loved the rubber boat rides, and so did I. When we got back to the harbor, he was thrilled by the many tiny crabs along the shore.
It is a long day, about 12 hours from pickup to drop-off, so plan around your child’s nap.
What Could Be Better
The wind was the only thing that bothered us. The tour company cannot do anything about it, and it is simply what this part of the Red Sea can be like.
Practical Tips Before You Go
- Bring something windproof and a towel. It was very windy on deck, and my son was under a towel much of the day.
- Wear shoes that come off easily. Everyone removes their shoes when boarding.
- Ask about the pickup time and place the evening before, so the morning goes smoothly.
- Have some cash ready for the photos if you want them. We paid about $50 to $60 for six people.
- Say so early if someone is not a strong swimmer. The crew helped my mother with a life vest and a ring.
- Be ready for the dolphins. Keep your mask and fins close, because the encounter is short.
Is It Worth It?
It was a wonderful day. The reefs, the huge numbers of fish, the dolphins, the white sand island and the rubber boat rides are what we remember most, and the crew was very kind and did everything to make the day great.
The honest part is that dolphins are never guaranteed. The crew told us they often meet them several times, and we met them once, so go for the whole day, not for one animal.
Wadi El Gemal Boat Trip FAQ
How long is the Wadi El Gemal boat trip?
Our day ran from a pickup around 6:00 to 6:15 a.m. to a return to the hotel around 6:00 p.m. We were on the boat from about 9:00 to 9:30 a.m. until roughly 4:00 p.m.
What is included in the price?
For €95 per adult in October 2026, the price included the hotel transfer, the snorkel mask and fins, lunch and the drinks on the boat. Photos cost extra, and our toddler was free.
Can non-swimmers join?
Yes, with help. My mother is not a confident swimmer, and the crew gave her a life vest and a ring so she could see the reef.
Are dolphins guaranteed?
No. The crew told us they often meet dolphins several times on a trip, but we met them once. We were very happy with that one encounter.
Is it suitable for a toddler?
It worked well for our 3-year-old. He slept on the boat during the snorkeling stops, and with six of us there was always someone with him. It is a long day, though, about 12 hours.
Is alcohol served on the boat?
No. There was coffee, cola, Fanta and water, and nothing else to buy on board.
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