What to Pack for a Marsa Alam Snorkeling Day Trip: Complete List

If you read nothing else, bring these six things and you will have a good day. Everything below is detail on why.

Most of what people over-pack for a Marsa Alam snorkeling trip is already on the boat. The things that genuinely matter are sun protection, something dry to change into, and a little cash.

Every full-day trip we run includes the kit, so leave it at home unless you have a strong preference for your own.

Snorkel mask, fins and life vest are provided and sized on board. Lunch, water, tea and soft drinks are included. Hotel pickup and drop-off is arranged, so you do not need to organise transport or carry taxi money.

The one exception worth considering: if you own a mask that fits your face well, bring it. Mask fit is the single biggest factor in whether you enjoy snorkeling, and a familiar mask that does not leak beats a borrowed one every time. Fins are rarely worth the luggage space.

This is where a good day goes wrong most often, and it is worth more attention than the rest of the list combined.

You are on open water for eight hours with reflection off the surface. The Red Sea sun in July is not comparable to a beach day at home, and a burnt back on day two of a holiday is a genuinely miserable outcome.

Use reef-safe (mineral) sunscreen, not ordinary sunscreen. Oxybenzone and octinoxate — in most standard formulas — damage coral. At a protected site like Samadai, with hundreds of visitors a week, the cumulative effect is not trivial. Look for zinc oxide or titanium dioxide on the label. Many Egyptian resorts sell it, but buying before you travel is safer.

A long-sleeved rash top beats reapplying sunscreen. It is the single most effective thing you can bring. You will be face-down in the water for long stretches with your back and shoulders fully exposed, and that is exactly where people burn. A cheap lycra top solves it entirely.

Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before you get in, not on the boat. It needs time to bind, and applying it wet does almost nothing.

Put your swimsuit on under your clothes before pickup. Changing space on a small boat is limited and this saves a queue at the first stop.

Over the top, wear something light and loose you do not mind getting salty. Flip-flops or sandals are ideal — you will be barefoot on deck most of the day and shoes just take up space.

Bring a light layer for the return journey. This surprises people: after eight hours in the water and wind, the ride back can feel genuinely cold even in summer, and an air-conditioned minibus afterwards makes it worse.

Keep it small. Deck space is shared and a large suitcase-sized bag is a nuisance for everyone.

A towel — a microfibre one packs down far smaller than a hotel towel and dries faster. A dry change of clothes in a plastic bag, so the salt does not get into everything else. A refillable water bottle if you prefer — water is provided, but a bottle you can keep beside you is convenient.

Cash in small notes. Tipping the crew is customary and appreciated, and there is no card machine on a boat. Bring a little more than you think for any extras.

A dry bag or ziplock for your phone. Not for underwater use — simply to keep it away from splash and spray. Phones die on boat trips more often than anything else.

The crossing to Samadai is about 45 minutes each way, and Sataya is longer at roughly two hours. Most people are completely fine, but if you know you are susceptible, handle it properly.

Take tablets before you leave your hotel, not when you start feeling unwell. Most motion sickness medication needs 30–60 minutes to work, and once nausea has started it is far less effective.

On board, stay on deck in fresh air and look at the horizon rather than down at a phone. Eat something light beforehand — travelling on a completely empty stomach tends to make it worse, not better.

If you are worried about the boat at all, the Abu Dabbab trip involves a road transfer and beach entry rather than a crossing, and is the gentler day by some margin.

You do not need an underwater camera to enjoy the day, and chasing a photograph is the most reliable way to miss the moment.

If you do bring one, a floating wrist strap is worth more than the camera. Things dropped in open water are gone. A cheap strap has saved more phones and GoPros than anything else we see on board.

No flash near the animals. It is prohibited at protected sites and it startles them. Natural light in the Red Sea shallows is excellent anyway.

Worth saying plainly: guests who spend the encounter looking through a screen consistently report enjoying it less. The dolphins pass in minutes. Watch them.

Ordinary sunscreen — as above, it damages coral and many operators will ask you not to use it.

Valuables and jewellery. There is nowhere secure on a small boat, and rings slip off cold fingers in salt water more easily than you would think.

Large bags and hard suitcases. Deck space is shared.

Your own food, unless you have a dietary requirement — in which case tell us when you book and we will handle it rather than you carrying a packed lunch.

The core list does not change much, but two things do.

Summer (June–September): water around 28–30°C, no wetsuit needed. Double down on sun protection — this is when people get burnt. An extra litre of water and a hat you can actually keep on in wind are worth more than anything else.

Winter (December–March): water around 22–24°C. Perfectly swimmable, but if you feel the cold, a shorty wetsuit makes a long day much more comfortable. Bring a warmer layer for the boat ride back — this is when the return journey genuinely bites.