Glass Bottom Boat Trip in Sharm El Sheikh with Hotel Transfers

The day begins at your hotel in Sharm El Sheikh, where your driver collects you in a private air-conditioned vehicle. The transfer to the marina is short by Egyptian standards, and it is a pleasant chance to see a little more of the town than the inside of your resort.

Sharm El Sheikh grew up on a coastline of bays and headlands at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, and its reefs are the reason it exists as a resort at all. Divers began arriving decades ago for the fringing reefs that run right up to the shore, and much of the coast nearby is protected, including the celebrated Ras Mohammed National Park at the peninsula's tip.

At the marina, the crew welcomes you aboard the glass boat. The design is simple and clever: a hull with a viewing gallery set below the waterline, lined with large glass panels, and an open deck on top for sightseeing. Take a moment to find a seat that suits you, keep a light layer handy for the breeze, and make sure everyone in your group knows where the stairs between decks are.

Once the boat is under way, head down to the lower viewing deck. Benches run alongside the glass, and as the boat slows over the reef the view opens up like a giant aquarium, except that everything you see is wild and the fish come and go as they please.

The Red Sea's reefs are known for their density and color. Look for the branching shapes of staghorn-type corals, the rounded brain corals with their maze-like grooves, and the flat tables of plate coral sheltering small fish beneath. Soft corals sway in pinks and purples where the current runs. Around them move schools of bright reef fish: blue-and-yellow angelfish, chunky parrotfish with beak-like mouths, and darting clouds of tiny orange anthias.

The light below deck is filtered and gentle, and children tend to press their noses to the glass from the first minute. For photographs, turn off your flash, hold your phone flat against the glass to cut reflections and shoot slightly downward. If the boat rocks a little, keep your eyes on the horizon now and then rather than staring at the moving water for too long.

As the boat drifts over the reef areas, your guide points out the notable coral formations and the species passing beneath the glass. This commentary is what turns a pretty view into a real introduction to a remarkable marine environment.

The Red Sea is an unusual body of water. It is warm, salty, and almost enclosed, with few rivers flowing into it, which keeps the water clear and has helped produce a high share of species found nowhere else. Its corals are also considered more resilient to warming water than many reefs elsewhere, which has drawn the attention of marine scientists around the world.

Ask questions. Your guide can explain how coral is actually an animal living in partnership with algae, why some fish change sex over their lives, and which creatures are best admired from a distance. You will also hear why the reefs around Sharm are protected: anchoring, trampling, and souvenir collecting once did real damage, and the rules that now govern boats and visitors are part of what keeps the reef in good health for the next generation of visitors.

After the underwater session, climb up to the upper deck for a completely different view. Up here the scale of the setting becomes clear: the sea runs from pale green over the shallows to deep cobalt offshore, and behind the coastline the bare mountains of South Sinai rise in layers of brown and rust.

Find a spot at the rail and enjoy the breeze as the boat continues its gentle cruise. This is the time for wide photographs of the coast, the hotels strung along the bays and the mountains beyond. On clear days the light here is intense, so sunglasses, a hat and high-SPF sunscreen are essential, and it is easy to forget how quickly the sun works on the water even when the wind feels cool.

Keep an eye on the surface as well. Sea birds work the water, and on some trips passengers spot dolphins in the distance, though wildlife sightings depend entirely on the day and are never guaranteed. For many travelers, this quiet stretch on deck becomes a restful part of the morning: no schedule to keep, just the sound of the water and the shape of the Sinai coast drifting past.

When the cruise is complete, the boat turns back toward the marina. This final stretch is a good time to go below for one last look through the glass if the boat passes back over reef, or to stay on deck and watch the harbor come into view.

Sharm's marinas are busy, colorful places, with dive boats, day-trip yachts and fishing vessels moored side by side and crews hosing down decks and loading tanks. Watching the harbor at work gives you a sense of how central the sea is to the town's daily life and economy.

Before you disembark, check under the benches for hats, phones, and sunglasses; they are the items most often left behind. Step carefully on the gangway, especially with children, as decks can be wet. Lunch at a local restaurant is included in your day, and your guide or driver will confirm when and where it fits into the schedule. If you have particular dietary needs, it helps to mention them at the time of booking so they can be arranged in advance rather than on the spot.

Your driver is waiting at the marina to take you back to your hotel in the same private air-conditioned vehicle. The ride is short, and you will likely be back in time to enjoy the rest of the day at the pool or on the beach.

The glass boat makes a good first outing at the start of a Red Sea holiday. Having seen the reef from below, many travelers feel more confident about trying snorkeling later in the week, and children who were wary of the sea often want to get closer to the fish they have just watched. Others are perfectly happy to have seen it in comfort and leave it at that.

If you do plan to swim on your hotel's house reef afterward, remember what your guide explained: enter only at marked points, never stand on coral and wear reef-safe sunscreen. And if the trip has sparked an interest, the coastline around Sharm El Sheikh offers plenty of other ways to explore the sea, from snorkeling boat trips to introductory dives, all of which we can help you plan.