Dahab travel guide
Egypt
A laid-back Red Sea town on the Sinai coast, where coral reefs start a few steps from the promenade. Dahab grew from a Bedouin village into a base for divers, freedivers and long-stay travellers.
Essentials
- Language
- Arabic; English is widely spoken in the dive and tourist trade
- Currency
- Egyptian pound (EGP)
- Plugs
- Types C and F, 220 V
- Emergency number
- 122 for police, 123 for an ambulance, 126 for the tourist police
- Tipping
- Around 10% in restaurants is usual, and dive guides and boat crews are normally tipped.
Rough daily budget
Approximate spend per person per day, in US dollars:
- Backpacker: $20-40, with a hostel or shared room, street food and public transport.
- Mid-range: $50-90, with a private room and restaurant meals.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Where to stay in Dahab
- Lighthouse: the bay, the shore-entry reef and the busiest stretch of cafés.
- Masbat: the main promenade of restaurants, dive shops and sea views.
- Assalah: the original village area, more local and a little cheaper.
Getting around Dahab
The town is walkable along the seafront, and taxis or pick-ups run to the dive sites. Buses connect Dahab with Sharm el-Sheikh and Cairo.
Best time to visit Dahab
March to May and October to November; summer is very hot and winter evenings can be windy.
Top things to do in Dahab
- Snorkel the shore reef at the Lighthouse, straight off the promenade
- Snorkel along the shallow rim of the Blue Hole, keeping to the reef top
- Learn to dive or freedive with one of the many schools in town
- Reach the Ras Abu Galum protected area along the coast by camel, on foot or by boat
- Watch sunrise from the summit of Mount Sinai after a night climb
What to eat in Dahab
- Grilled fish: chosen by weight from the day's catch and cooked to order on the seafront
- Koshari: rice, lentils and pasta with tomato sauce and fried onions, cheap and filling
- Bedouin tea: black tea brewed with wild herbs such as sage, offered as a welcome
- Feteer: a flaky layered pastry, sweet or savoury
Day trips from Dahab
- Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery: a night hike for sunrise and one of the oldest working monasteries, about two hours by road
- Ras Abu Galum: a protected bay with Bedouin camps and reefs, a walk of an hour or two or a short boat ride north of the Blue Hole
- The Coloured Canyon: narrow, banded sandstone slots near Nuweiba, about an hour and a half away
Local etiquette
Swimwear is fine on the beach and at dive sites, but cover up in town and in the villages. Ask before photographing Bedouin women.
Staying connected
Egyptian SIM cards from Vodafone, Orange, e& and WE work well in town, and most cafés and guesthouses have Wi-Fi.
Staying safe
The sea is the main risk: dive within your training at the Blue Hole and watch for sea urchins and currents. Some governments advise against travel to parts of inland Sinai, so check your own government's current advice.
A local tip
Snorkel straight from shore at the Lighthouse reef, and leave the Blue Hole's deep arch to technical divers.
Visas:rules depend on your nationality and change often – check your own government's official travel advice before you go.
Meet people in Dahab on Waypacker
Waypacker is a free travel community: stay with ID-verified local hosts, join meetups and city groups, and ask people who live in Dahab for advice. We are new here, so if you live in Dahab, you could be one of the first hosts.
Questions about Dahab
- What currency is used in Dahab?
- Dahab uses the Egyptian pound (EGP).
- What is the emergency number in Dahab?
- In Dahab, call 122 for police, 123 for an ambulance, 126 for the tourist police.
- When is the best time to visit Dahab?
- March to May and October to November; summer is very hot and winter evenings can be windy.
- How much does a day in Dahab cost?
- Roughly $20-40 a day in US dollars on a backpacker budget (a hostel or shared room, street food and public transport), and $50-90 mid-range (a private room and restaurants). These are broad estimates, last reviewed October 2026.
- Is Waypacker free to use in Dahab?
- Yes. Joining is free and stays with hosts carry no nightly rate or booking fee.
- Are Waypacker hosts ID-verified?
- Every host's ID and selfie are checked by hand by a real person before they can host. Nothing is sent to an AI service.
- Can I meet locals in Dahab without staying with anyone?
- Yes. You can join meetups and city groups, or ask locals for tips, without booking a stay.
- Will anyone see my exact location?
- No. Hosts and meetups appear as a neighbourhood-sized area about a kilometre wide, and exact addresses are never stored.