Semi-Submarine Trip in Sharm El Sheikh with Hotel Transfers

The day starts at your own hotel. A private air-conditioned vehicle collects you in Sharm El Sheikh and takes you to the marina, where the semi-submarine is moored and the crew is waiting to bring you aboard.

Sharm El Sheikh is spread along a long stretch of coast, from Nabq Bay in the north through Naama Bay to the older harbor district around Sharm El Maya, so the drive varies with where you are staying. Either way it is a short, easy ride on good roads, and you arrive without having to deal with taxis or haggle over fares.

A few things are worth packing before you leave the room. Bring sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen for the deck section, a light layer in case the air conditioning below is cool, and a phone or camera with plenty of free space. You will not get wet, so there is no need for swimwear, though comfortable flat shoes help on the gangway and the steps between decks. Keep a small bag for your water bottle and valuables, since space in the viewing cabin is limited.

Once aboard, you go down a short flight of steps into the submerged viewing cabin, the heart of the vessel. Seats run along both sides facing large panoramic windows set below the waterline, so you look straight out into the sea rather than down through a glass floor.

This design is what separates a semi-submarine from a true submarine. The boat never dives; the cabin simply sits below the surface while the upper hull stays in the air, which keeps the ride stable and quiet and removes any pressure change. That makes it a sensible choice for young children, pregnant travelers, and anyone with ear or breathing concerns about diving, though you should mention any medical condition when you book.

The underwater viewing lasts about an hour. Take a seat near the middle of the cabin if you can, where the windows give you the widest field of view, and switch sides partway through to see both edges of the reef. For photos, turn off your flash, which only bounces off the glass, and hold the lens close to the window to cut reflections.

As the boat glides along the reef, the scene outside the windows changes constantly. The Red Sea is one of the clearest bodies of water in the world, partly because almost no rivers flow into it, and that clarity is why Sharm El Sheikh built its reputation on coral.

Look for the shapes of the hard corals first: rounded brain corals, flat table corals, and branching formations that shelter smaller fish. Soft corals sway with the current in shades of pink, orange, and purple. Among them you may see shoals of small orange anthias, striped sergeant majors, angelfish, butterflyfish, and parrotfish, which you can sometimes hear crunching on coral when divers are nearby. Many of these species are found only in the Red Sea or are especially abundant here.

No two trips are identical, because the fish move with the light, the season, and the tide, but the reefs around Sharm are rich enough that the windows are rarely empty. Children tend to enjoy keeping a running count of the different species they spot, and a fish identification card from a local shop makes the hour even more engaging.

After the underwater session, you climb back up to the open upper deck and the trip turns into a gentle coastal cruise around Sharm El Maya Bay. The contrast is part of the appeal: after an hour of filtered blue light, you are back in the sun and sea breeze with a wide view of the coast.

Sharm El Maya is the old heart of the town, the natural harbor around which the resort grew, and from the water you can see how the shoreline curves between low cliffs and beaches. Behind it rise the mountains of South Sinai, bare granite peaks that turn from gray to warm copper as the light changes. The water shifts color as well, from pale turquoise over sand to deep navy where the seabed drops away.

This is the best moment for photographs, so keep your camera ready. The deck has little shade at midday, so wear your hat, reapply sunscreen and drink some of the bottled water provided. If the wind picks up, hold on to loose items; caps and scarves are easily lost over the rail.

When the cruise is complete, the semi-submarine heads back into the marina. Use these last minutes on deck for a final look at the coastline and a few more photos of the boats and the mountains beyond the harbor.

Disembarking is simple, but take your time on the gangway, particularly with small children or if the deck is wet from spray. Check under the seats in the viewing cabin and on the upper deck before you leave; sunglasses and phones are the items most often left behind.

If the trip has sparked an interest in the reef, this is a good time to ask the crew about the marine life you saw. Many visitors who start with a semi-submarine go on to try snorkeling later in their stay, and Sharm El Sheikh offers plenty of options for that. Any additional excursions are booked separately and are not part of this trip, but your guide can point you in the right direction if you want to plan the rest of your vacation.

Your guide walks you to the waiting air-conditioned vehicle for the drive back to your hotel in Sharm El Sheikh. Lunch at a local restaurant is included in the trip, and your guide confirms how it fits into the day when you are picked up.

Because the excursion is short and undemanding, you return with plenty of energy for the pool or the beach. Many families pair it with a lazy afternoon at the hotel, which makes it an easy choice for the first or second day of a vacation, before longer trips into the desert or out to Ras Mohammed.

Tipping is not included and is customary in Egypt. Small amounts for the boat crew and your driver are appreciated, and keeping some low-denomination Egyptian pounds on hand makes this easier, since change for large notes can be hard to find. If you have any feedback about the trip, the end of the drive is a natural moment to share it.