The Dahab Blue Hole is known as one of the best diving and snorkelling sites in the world. Before visiting I assumed it would be like a lot of other snorkelling experiences we’ve had, where you need to go with a tour group or guide. If you prefer independent travel, you’ll be happy to know that’s not the case!
It’s actually easy to make the trip on your own if you know what to do in advance - there was more to it than we initially thought! The snorkelling blew us away and far exceeded my expectations. It instantly shot into my top 3 snorkelling experiences of all time, it really is an unmissable Red Sea experience.
When it comes to diving, officially you are meant to go with a guide for safety and someone should be checking this. In practice, we visited the Blue Hole twice and there was no one was checking anything. We were never asked if we were diving or snorkelling. I am not saying this will always be the case, but that was our experience.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Dahab’s Blue Hole without a tour and what you need to know before your trip.
Things to know before visiting Dahab’s Blue Hole
1. It’s very easy snorkelling
In terms of entering the water and then the experience in the water, it’s my all time favourite off the shore snorkel experience. For starters, it’s only a few steps from the shore before it gets deep enough to swim off.
There are a few small rocks, but nothing particularly slippery. Normally, the worst part about snorkelling straight from land is traversing all the ground before it gets deep and fretting about stepping on coral. You don’t need to worry about that at the Blue Hole as it’s just a few steps and then you’re in deep unobstructed water, with the coral far below you. Honestly, it was a dream.
I could swim to my heart’s content without ever accidentally touching anything, which made for a really relaxing and memorable experience.
The water was lovely and calm until the edge of the coral shelf, when it started to get wavy, but that left plenty of room for snorkelling and a huge amount of coral reef to explore.
2. But it’s not so easy for divers
Although I know nothing about diving, I do know that the Blue Hole does have an area which can be hazardous for divers, which is known as the Arch. This is a highly technical spot which trips up even the most experienced divers and has led to over 100 deaths, earning it the title of the most dangerous dive site in the world.
If you don’t dive deeply into the hole, it’s not said to be more dangerous than other dive sites around the Red Sea. However, most people come here to dive deep. I am not going to focus on diving in this guide because I don’t have the knowledge, so this post will stick to the logistics of visiting.
3. You can rent gear cheaply and easily
Whatever you need for your trip can be rented cheaply and easily in Dahab, and also at the Blue Hole itself. We chose to rent from Dahab assuming it would be cheaper, but it was actually cheaper at the Blue Hole - at just 30 EGP for a mask, but it was pretty crappy as you would expect for that price.
We were charged 50 EGP (USD $2) for a day’s rental of a mask and tube in Dahab. It would have been the same cost again for flippers. Life jackets at the Blue Hole were 40 EGP. You could also rent rubber rings if you’re nervous and want extra support.
Both scuba diving and free diving equipment can also be rented, but I’m guessing it would probably require shopping around in Dahab as it’s more important that this kind of equipment is in good condition.
My snorkel mask wasn’t the best to be honest, but I didn’t expect more for the price. We usually bring our own, but hadn’t on this occasion and it was so cheap that the only reason to bring your own is if you want higher quality.
It’s worth noting that when you rent the gear in Dahab, they will require your passport or driving license (even for a 50 EGP mask). If you are renting for more than one day, they like you to send them a Whatsapp to let them know in the evening that you’re back safe and sound. Quite sweet really : )
4. You can combine the Blue Hole with the Blue Lagoon (again without a tour)
The gorgeous turquoise lagoon at Ras Abu Galum Reserve is a wonderful swimming spot close to the Blue Hole. It’s also a better place to chill than the Blue Hole with its sandy beach (the surrounds of the Blue Hole are not very appealing).
The best and most cost effective way to visit the lagoon is on the same day as the Blue Hole so you don’t have to pay all the fees and taxi ride again. To get to the Blue Lagoon from the Blue Hole you can either take a boat or walk and then take a short ride in a pick up truck. The boat ride takes 10-15 minutes. We were charged 200 EGP (USD $8) for the ride one way, but we didn’t barter. I doubt this is the cheapest price.
The alternative is to walk along the dedicated hiking trail, which is easy and runs for 5.1 km directly from the Blue Hole. We preferred to take the boat one way and walk one way to experience both options.
5. There are plenty of cafes at the Blue Hole
We had no idea what to expect from the area surrounding the Blue Hole and were surprised to find there were loads of cafes.
You definitely don’t need to bring a lot with you in terms of food and water - although the cafes were charging higher prices than those in Dahab. They all looked like much of a muchness, with low cushioned seating and the typical menus. We just had drinks so can’t comment on the food.
Places were charging to use the toilet which was 10 EGP (USD $0.40). They aren’t the greatest and you might want to bring toilet paper with you.
6. You’ll have to pay an entry fee and get a permit from the army
This is where organising your trip can get a little confusing as there are a few fees you have to pay to go snorkelling at the Blue Hole. Although visiting the reserve used to be free, if you’re a foreigner you’ll now have to pay a USD $10 entry fee (per person) to the national park office when you get there. There’s a booth and you’ll be stopped as you drive in. You can pay in Egyptian pounds.
However, it’s the other fee that no one seems to talk about that really caught us out. As of January 2022, If you are visiting the Blue Hole independently, you’ll also have to pay a fee to the army, yes the army. It’s pretty hefty at 310 EGP (USD $12.70) and you’ll need the paperwork to show the officer when you drive through.
To be quite honest, we thought this was a scam as there’s no mention of it anywhere online. However, the army officer literally told us we had to go back to Dahab and wouldn’t let any foreigner pass through without this paperwork.
In the end our taxi driver went back for us and came back with the paperwork (we were allowed into the reserve while he did this). We still thought this was a scam, but had no choice as we were literally told we’d have to return to Dahab.
However, when we returned our snorkel masks, the dive shop said it’s legit and you actually do have to pay 310 EGP. We have since verified this with a trusted tour guide too so it’s definitely now the case. This fee is per vehicle not per person, so the more people you have with you the better ‘value’ it is.
To get the paperwork you’ll need to go to this spot on Google Maps (it’s near the hospital). Most taxi drivers will know where the army office is for a permit and will help you pay your fee.
7. You’ll need to hire a taxi
To get to the Blue Hole you’re going to need to take a taxi. How much this costs will depend on your haggling skills. It will likely be anywhere between 100-150 EGP (USD $4-6) one way from Dahab (If you’re coming from Sharm it will be considerably more and may not be worth your while).
I used to be the queen of haggling, I really enjoyed it and liked trying to get a good price. However, on this trip (and considering the downturn in tourism in Egypt) I did not really haggle hard at all. For our taxi ride, I actually didn’t haggle and just paid the 150 EGP they asked for.
You don’t need to pay for someone to wait for you, as there are plenty of taxis when you get there - having said that, no one in Egypt has ever asked for waiting time, it just seems to be a price to get there and you can take as long as you like.
8. It’s not necessarily cheaper to do a DIY trip
Given the fact that tour groups can go with quite big numbers (saving on transport and the permit fee) it’s not necessarily cheaper to organise your own trip to the Blue Hole. However, what it does do is give you complete freedom.
You can go and leave when you like, snorkel as long as you want, and visit when it’s less busy. For us that makes it worth it. We prefer to do things by ourselves and this option suited us perfectly, but it’s not really a cheap way of doing things - unless you’re looking at tour prices in an expensive hotel in which case it probably is cheaper!
Where to stay in Dahab
Le Meridien
Le Meridien is an oasis of tranquility in Dahab, it was perfectly quiet - which is incredibly rare in Egypt. As it’s set a little way out of town, it means you’re away from the hustle and bustle, but the drive in only takes 10 minutes and costs about 50 EGP ($2 USD) one way - do not use the hotel’s taxi service though which is very over priced. You’ll want to grab the number of a driver from town and then call or Whatsapp them for lifts.
The deluxe rooms are comfy, quiet, spacious and some come with an outdoor shower, which was my absolute favourite way to end the day. The resort also has 3 pools (2 saltwater, 1 fresh), its own beach and pretty grounds. It’s one of the best hotels we stayed in in Egypt and if you visit out of peak season, you can snag a great deal.
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