With crystal clear water and sheltered from the waves, Dahab’s Blue Lagoon is the perfect place to go for a dip. It’s often referred to as the Maldives of Egypt, which we personally think is pushing it a bit, but it is a lovely spot.
It’s located in the Ras Abu Galum Reserve, with beautiful views out to the surrounding mountains. It’s best combined with some snorkelling at both the reserve, and the Blue Hole, which is one of Egypt’s most spectacular snorkel spots.
It’s easy to visit the lagoon without a tour and there are a few different ways of doing it, all of which we’ll cover in this guide.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Dahab’s Blue Lagoon.
Visiting the Blue Lagoon in Dahab
What to expect at the Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon was much bigger than I was expecting! There is so much space that I am pretty sure you could visit at any time of day and still find you have plenty of room to have a swim or laze in the water without feeling it’s overly busy.
The lagoon is sheltered from the open sea, so it’s lovely and calm. It’s generally a pretty windy area and it was very windy on our visit, but it only creates very small waves - nothing that would make swimming difficult.
The water starts off very shallow and then gets deeper the further out you swim. The bottom is sandy, so it’s easy to get in and out of the water.
The water is very blue, but it’s best to visit earlier in the day than we did to see it at its best. We visited when the sun had dipped behind the distant mountains, so we didn’t experience the water at its bluest.
The one thing I hadn’t realised before visiting is that it’s surrounded by lots of low key beach huts, where you can buy drinks and snacks. There are also plenty of huts you can rent if you want to stay the night. Depending on what you’re looking to do at the lagoon, that can be a good or bad thing.
I think because we visited fairly close to sunset, we came at a time when everyone was sitting around playing music, rather than swimming. I was actually the only person in the water, so I did feel a bit self conscious surrounded by all the groups.
However, I am sure earlier in the day most people would be swimming and it would be a different vibe. I expect it’s also much quieter in the early mornings.
In terms of changing areas, there weren’t any, but there were lots of huts in secluded spots you could get changed behind.
How to get to the Blue Lagoon without a tour
Although there are a few stages to getting to the Blue Lagoon, it’s quite easy if you know what to expect. The first thing you’ll need to do is take a taxi to the Blue Hole, this should cost anywhere between 100-150 EGP (USD $4-6) one way.
You can easily pick up another taxi for the return journey, but most drivers will ask you to give them a call so they can come and get you (if you don’t have a sim the local cafe staff will always happily call for you).
Once you’re at the Blue Hole you have three options for the next leg of the journey:
Take a boat the whole way to the lagoon. We don’t recommend this option because for whatever reason it’s not commonly done and they charge a lot for it. Some boat drivers wouldn’t even take you and we were quoted four times the price of option two.
Take a boat to Ras Abu Galum Nature Reserve, which takes between 10 and 15 minutes. The standard rate for this is 100 EGP (USD $4). This was the rate we were offered without bartering and it’s per person one way. Once you arrive at the reserve you need to take a pick up truck (which leave on demand) and take another 10 - 15 minutes. Our driver waited for us at the lagoon, but you can also negotiate a pick up time if you’re going to be there quite a while. The standard rate offered for this journey is 300 EGP (USD 12) for the car, not per person.
We paid 250 EGP, which I am sure is still well over the odds, but we were short on time, and didn’t want to end up missing the lagoon.
Option 3 is the option we chose. And that is to walk one way and get the boat back. We loved this option because the 5.1km coastal walk between the Blue Hole and the reserve was gorgeous. Note that you will still need to use a pick up truck for the final leg to the lagoon - I mean you could walk - but it’s another 5ish kilometres, and it’s not a walking track, it’s a sandy road.
Tips for visiting the Blue Lagoon
1. Give yourself the whole day
The Blue Lagoon is great, but it’s not necessarily great enough to visit it in isolation in my opinion. You want to visit in conjunction with the Blue Hole, and if you love snorkelling, the Ras Abu Galum Reserve too. We won’t go into detail on the Blue Hole in this post, because we have an indepth guide, which you can read here.
If you also want to factor in the 5.1km coastal walk, then you’ll want the entire day. We didn’t realise how long everything was going to take and ran out of time. This meant we had to go back and visit the Blue Hole on a separate day, which meant we paid all the fees again. Which leads me on to point number two.
2. You’ll need to pay the conservation fee and get a permit
Whilst the Blue Lagoon itself has no fees, you need to go via the Blue Hole. The Blue Hole has a USD $10 (per person) national park fee. This is valid for one day only.
Prior to leaving Dahab you will also need to obtain a permit - this is easy if you know where to go! As of January 2022, If you are visiting the area 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.
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.
3. You can rent snorkel gear at the Blue Hole
You can choose to rent snorkel gear in Dahab or at the Blue Hole itself. Whilst there are no snorkelling opportunities at the Blue Lagoon, the snorkelling at the Blue Hole and by the boat dock at Ras Abu Galum is fantastic.
Rates for gear are very low and this is reflected in the quality, but it’s good enough for a few hours. Prices start at 30 EGP (USD $1.20) for a snorkel and mask at the Blue Hole. You can also rent flippers and life jackets for a fraction more than this.
4. There are plenty of cafes
There are plenty of cafes at both the Blue Hole and the Blue Lagoon. They are rustic, think low cushioned seating and basic menus. We didn’t try food at any of them, so can’t comment on that, but they all had similarish menus. Prices are higher than in Dahab, but not too expensive.
Most cafes also have basic toilets, although there isn’t always toilet paper, and you’ll need small change to pay for them (10 EGP).
5. Walk one way if you suffer from sea sickness
The boats that leave from the Blue Hole to the reserve go against the current and can be very bumpy. As someone who suffers from sea sickness, this was wholly unappealing.
You can avoid it by walking along the coastal path one way and getting the boat back. The boat on the way back goes with the current and was smooth and bump free. It was a gorgeous way to end the day.
6. Don’t miss the last boat back!
If you’re not going to walk back, then you will need to make sure you get the last boat leaving Ras Abu Galum for the Blue Hole. During our visit in winter this was just before sunset (4.45pm). I asked the boat driver and he said the last boat is always just before sunset, but do check when you first arrive so you don’t miss it.
The pick up truck drivers that take you to the lagoon will normally remind you anyway, but you don’t want to get caught out and have to walk the coastal path back in the dark.
7. You can stay overnight
If you love the idea of spending a night out under the stars, then you can actually sleep at the Blue Lagoon. There are a number of rustic wooden huts scattered right the way around the water.
We didn’t spend the night, but I did have a little peek and they are very basic. If you don’t mind that, it’s a good place to get away from it all. The facilities are basically non existent though, so I’d think of it a little like camping.
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.
Check the latest reviews & prices on:
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, that we will earn a small commission if you click through and decide to make a purchase. This helps towards the costs of running our website. Thanks for your support!
