What Is Included on a Marsa Alam Snorkel Trip — and What You Still Pay Extra

On our three boat days you should expect hotel pickup and drop-off along the Marsa Alam strip, air-conditioned transfer, snorkel kit, a life vest, a guide, buffet lunch, and water, soft drinks and hot drinks. That is the core. The extras that catch people are cash for tips, a south-of-town transfer on Samadai and Abu Dabbab, and on Sataya a EUR 15 governmental tax plus national park fees that are not in the ticket.

Prices on the site today: Samadai EUR 55 adult / 45 child; Abu Dabbab EUR 60 / 45; Sataya EUR 75 / 65. Those are the published adult and child rates, not a quote for every hotel in Egypt. If a number here and a number on the trip page ever disagree, trust the trip page.

Included: pickup and drop-off at Marsa Alam, vehicle transfer, the Dolphin House visit, guide, two snorkel sessions, equipment and vest, buffet lunch, drinks all day.

Not included: transfer from hotels south of Marsa Alam city — EUR 10, paid on the boat — gratuities, and an underwater camera. Seeing dolphins is not included as a promise. It is a possible wildlife encounter on a protected reef.

The day is about nine hours. Pickup from 07:00. Details: Samadai trip.

Included: pickup and drop-off, vehicle, national park fees, two stops and two guided sessions, kit and vest, guide, lunch, drinks.

Not included: transfer from hotels south of Marsa Alam city — EUR 8, paid on the boat. Gratuities are still cash, same as every boat.

The day is eight hours 30 minutes. Abu Dabbab trip.

Included: pickup and drop-off, air-conditioned transfers, the boat with two reef stops, snorkel equipment, lunch aboard, drinks through the day (as listed on the trip page).

Not included: national park fees, governmental taxes of EUR 15 per person paid locally, and the usual tips. Passport copies are required the day before — that is paperwork, not a fee, but it is still a condition of sailing.

Maximum 15 guests. About ten hours. Sataya trip. Whether that package is worth the extras is the Sataya worth-it piece.

There is no card machine on the boat. Small notes for tips and for those on-the-day transfers. How much to tip is a personal decision; it is customary and it is not hiding in the ticket.

Underwater cameras are an extra on Samadai’s published exclusions. If you bring your own, a floating strap matters more than the camera. Photography for snorkelers covers why most phone shots go blue, and why flash near animals is a bad idea.

Refunds, if you cancel, follow the windows on our refund policy: full if more than 72 hours before, 50% between 24 and 72 hours, none after that or for a no-show. If we cancel for weather or safety, you get a full refund or another date. That is the operator-side rule, not a guest no-show.