Choose a Sahl Hasheesh boat tour by its programme
A Sahl Hasheesh boat tour can be a private speedboat outing, a sunset yacht cruise or a full day built around diving. The useful distinction is what happens after boarding. An island stop and guided snorkeling make a different day from two instructor-led dives. Choose the activity you want before comparing transfers, meals and additions, so the boat is part of a programme that suits your interests.
Sahl Hasheesh is south of Hurghada on the Red Sea. Pickup at your accommodation is a land transfer to the departure point, while the central pier near Old Town is a separate waterfront landmark. Use the actual harbour and meeting instructions for the selected excursion. The wider excursion guide helps if you are also choosing between a day at sea and a day on land.
Our take
The private speedboat includes an island stop, while the dive boat offers two dives. The yacht cruise is a shorter outing on the water.
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Private speedboat to Magawish
- Island entrance fees
- One snorkeling stop
- Snorkeling equipment and life jacket
Book the pickup add-on for Sahl Hasheesh. The nature reserve fee is extra.
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Boat trip with two dives
- Two dives at different sites
- Dive Equipment for Introduction
- National Park Fee
Lunch is served on board. Transfers from Sahl Hasheesh carry an extra charge.
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Yacht cruise with snorkeling
- All snorkeling equipment
- Calamari, fish and chips meal
The boat cruise lasts three hours excluding transfers. Select the Sahl Hasheesh pickup option; the nature reserve fee is extra.
Check availability →Speedboat, sunset yacht and diving day
Compare an island speedboat with optional lunch, a three-hour sunset yacht cruise and a boat day with two dives; transfers from Sahl Hasheesh need the relevant arrangements.
Speedboat versus yacht
The private speedboat programme visits Magawish Island and includes island admission, a guide and one guided snorkeling stop. Snorkeling equipment and a life jacket are provided, along with water, soft drinks, snacks and fruit. Lunch on the island requires the lunch option, and parasailing is an addition. Sahl Hasheesh pickup is an extra booked separately from the Hurghada transfer included in the programme. The nature reserve fee is also extra.
This choice suits a party looking for a private boat with island time and a snorkeling stop. For private outings across different activity types, see private tours. The yacht option has a different emphasis: a defined cruise with a snorkeling session and a meal. Decide whether private boat use or the sunset programme is the stronger reason for your trip.
Sunset cruise with a snorkeling session
The sunset yacht programme provides three hours on the Red Sea, excluding pickup and return transfer time. Within that cruise is a 30-minute snorkeling session, with mask, snorkel, fins and life jacket supplied. Professional guides and crew are included, and the programme also provides a special guide for non-swimmers. Discuss participation with the team for this particular excursion when choosing it for a mixed group.
A calamari, fish and chips meal, bottled water, soft drinks, tea and coffee are included. Towels and underwater photographs are extra, as is the nature reserve fee. Sahl Hasheesh requires the longer-distance pickup option. When planning the evening, keep the three hours on the boat separate from the time spent reaching it and returning to your accommodation. Choose this excursion for its cruise and meal rather than treating it as the same programme as an island day.
The sunset theme describes this particular sea outing. For another style of time on the water, the snorkeling guide compares programmes with several guided stops and island time. Those comparisons help if entering the water matters more to your party than the timing of the cruise.
A boat day built around two dives
The seven-hour diving programme includes two dives at different sites, a professional dive instructor and introductory diving equipment. Lunch on board, snacks, soft drinks, tea, coffee and water are included, together with the national park fee. This is a diving programme: choose it for time underwater with an instructor rather than as a substitute for a snorkeling excursion.
Transfers within Hurghada are included. Sahl Hasheesh transfer costs extra, so include that part when comparing the overall arrangement. The diving page compares this day with a local beach introduction. That is the more useful comparison if you are deciding whether to spend a shorter session at the shore or commit to the boat programme and its two sites.
Transfer to the actual harbour
Give the precise name and address of your accommodation when arranging pickup, and keep the roadside meeting instructions with your booking. The private speedboat has a Sahl Hasheesh pickup addition; the sunset yacht uses a longer-distance pickup option; the dive boat charges extra for the Sahl Hasheesh transfer. These are three separate arrangements rather than a shared local shuttle promise.
For arrival at the accommodation itself, see airport transfers and getting there. Once on the water, follow HEPCA's conservation advice: respect marine life, avoid touching or standing on coral, leave shells and coral pieces in place and dispose of rubbish properly. A boat outing and a walk around the Old Town waterfront can be planned as separate activities without assuming the same departure point.
Boat tour questions
How long is the sunset yacht cruise?
There are three hours on the boat, including a 30-minute snorkeling session. Pickup and return transfer time are separate.
Does the private speedboat include lunch?
Lunch on the island comes with the selected lunch option. Water, soft drinks, snacks and fruit are included in the programme.
Which programme includes the national park fee?
The boat day with two dives includes the national park fee. The private speedboat and sunset yacht programmes charge their nature reserve fees separately.