There are few places in the places we’d love to come back to again and again, and Dahab is one of them. But what is it that makes the sleepy beach town of Dahab so special to us and many other travellers? This is why we fell in love with Dahab, Egypt. And why you will, too.
In this travel guide, we will tell you all about our love for Dahab, why we came the first time, why we returned to live in Dahab for a full year and why we will be back very soon.
Today, we are spilling the tea on where to stay, what to do and how to plan the perfect Dahab trip as a fellow backpacker and digital nomad.
Key Takeaways
- We fell in love with Dahab for its relaxed vibe, stunning Red Sea diving, nearby mountains, and strong community feel.
- Choose Dahab over Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada for authentic local culture, fewer tourists, and a laid-back atmosphere.
- In Dahab, you can dive the Blue Hole, hike Mount Sinai, explore desert canyons, and enjoy fresh seafood.
- Stay in budget-friendly hostels, boutique hotels, or beach resorts depending on your style and comfort needs.
Table of Contents
The 3 Best Hostels in Dahab for First-Time Visitors
Are you still putting together your Dahab itinerary? We’ll help you out finding the right hotel for your stay in Dahab. These are the 3 best hotels for first-time visitors at 3 drastically different price points:
Type | Name | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
Hostel | Rafiki Hostels | from $ 16 per night | |
Boutique | NEOM Hotel | from $ 125 per night | |
Resort | Dahab Paradise | from $ 94 per night |
A Quick Introduction to Dahab, Egypt
Dahab, Egypt, is a small coastal town on the southeast coast of the Sinai Peninsula, originally a Bedouin fishing village. Over time, it has developed into a popular centre for world-class scuba diving, especially at the Blue Hole, a natural sinkhole over 120 meters deep. Similarly, it has developed into the world’s leading destination for free diving instruction.
Today, Dahab attracts digital nomads with its affordable accommodation, good coffee, welcoming community and what many describe as a bohemian vibe. Located about an hour’s drive, or 80 kilometres from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, it offers easy access to the South Sinai Desert, the Red Sea, and Sinai mountains.
Why We Fell in Love with Dahab
Dahab is not the kind of place to make tier list of the best travel destinations. Instead, it grows in popularity thanks to word of mouth. Somebody heard from someone that Dahab is great, gave it a go for the hell of it and fell in love with it. And the circle continues. Some like to call it ‘Dahab’s calling’.
For us, it was Nancy who heard about it first in 2021 and brought me back to it in 2023. Both of us didn’t expect much when we first went to Dahab. We just sort-of tagged along with others and were blown away when we arrived to Dahab. So what was it, that blew us away?
There is not one single reason why we fell in love with Dahab, but there are at least five good reasons that contributed to it:
- The simplicity: Dahab lacks large hotel chains, international restaurant brands and sometimes even electricity and running water. All that makes life in Dahab simpler. Rental contracts are still agreed with a handshake, fresh produce sold at the market, and restaurants run by real people and families.
- The freedom: In Dahab, most of the activities are incredibly accessible. Most of the diving Dahab is known for, is shore diving, meaning you can discover coral reefs and marine life without booking costly tours. Other activities are within just a few minutes away, and often times very affordable.
- The Red Sea: Without a doubt, the Red Sea is the main reason for anyone to come to Dahab. Its coral reefs and marine life are beyond spectacular and the Blue Hole alone makes a trip to Dahab worthwhile. In Dahab, we fell in love with diving and did our first certifications.
- The Sinai Mountains: While Nancy is all for the sea, I am a mountain lover. In Dahab, we got both the sea and the mountains just minutes from on another. We will never forget watching the sun rise over Saudi Arabia from the Sinai Mountains, before going for a morning swim at Assalah beach.
- The community: If we have learned one thing, it is that people make places special. Dahab is no exception to this rule with its strong local and expat community. In Dahab we not only made dozens of friends we are still in touch with years later, but also learned invaluable lessons from them.
Why We Chose Dahab over Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh
Without a doubt, there are other more popular destinations along the Red Sea Coast such as Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada, or even Marsa Alam. So, why go the extra mile and spend your time on the Red Sea coast in Dahab? The short answer: Because Dahab is unlike any of the other place on the Red Sea coast.
And the long answer? Dahab offers a completely different way of experiencing Egypt and the Red Sea. Instead of an isolated resort stay where every interaction with locals is manufactured, you get to be part of a real community in Dahab.
Scrap the superficial experiences. Scrap the replaceable all-inclusive meals. And, quite frankly, scrap some of the comfort. Instead, venture out to a little Red Sea town that has not been commercialised beyond recognition and learn what Egypt is really like on the Sinai Peninsula.
5 Things You Need to Know Before Travelling to Dahab
Has Dahab made your Egypt itinerary? Great choice. You will not regret it. Before you head out to Dahab, however, there are a few things to consider.
In short, these are five things your need to know before travelling to Dahab:
- How to Get There: The most straightforward travel route to Dahab consists of taking a direct flight to the closest airport in Sharm El-Sheikh and taking a private transfer from Sharm El-Sheikh Airport to Dahab. Alternatively, you can take an overnight bus from Cairo to Dahab taking up to 12 hours.
- The Visa Situation: If you enter Egypt via the Sinai Peninsula (e.g. Sharm El-Sheikh, Nuweiba and Taba), you may opt for the Sinai entry stamp. This special visa is completely free and permits stays of up to 14 days on the Sinai Peninsula. Alternatively, you can use the general $25 Visa on Arrival.
- The Best Travel Time: While driving conditions are generally good all year round, air temperature often don’t drop below 30°C (or 86°F) in the summer months from June to August. The best seasons to travel to Dahab are spring, from March to May, and fall, from September to November.
- What to Bring: While Dahab might be a remote desert town, it is well-equipped in terms of everyday items and diving equipment and overland deliveries from Cairo are possible. Do bring enough cash in EGP, however, as ATMs tend to run dry often during high season.
- How to Connect: Your time in Dahab will be infinitely better, if you find the right people to connect with. Get a head start by joining one of Dahab’s various Facebook groups and WhatsApp chats such as ‘Dahab Digital Nomads’ and tag along with some of the activities organised on there.
Planning your first trip to Dahab? Check out our in-depth guide on what you need to know as a first-time visitor to Dahab.
Where We Stayed in Dahab, Egypt (And Where You Should Stay)
Whenever we stay in Dahab, we opt for long-term rentals as they offer more space and flexibility for us as digital nomads and often cost less than traditional hotel bookings. Within Dahab, we enjoy the neighbourhoods of Lighthouse and Assalah the most.
The Lighthouse area puts you closest to Dahab’s central dive sites and most of its popular cafés, restaurants and shops, while the Assalah area, on the other hand, is much calmer than the center and more local in many ways.
Within Assalah, people often distinguish between Zarnouk and Assalah. While Zarnouk is closest to the sea and dominated by hotels, guesthouses and beach cafes, Assalah is still dominated by the local Bedouin community with standalone apartments for tourists dotted all throughout.
For a long-term stay in Dahab, we highly recommend renting directly with Bedouin owners in Lighthouse or Assalah. This is an easy way to give back to the local community, while staying in a calmer, more local neighbourhood with lower prices.
Planning to stay long-term? We have a bulletproof guide on how to find the right long-term rentals for your time in Dahab. Check it out!
Where to Stay in Dahab as a First-Time Visitor
If you are visiting Dahab for the first time, finding a good long-term rental can be quite tricky. Listings often look better online and basic services such as running water, electricity and internet connectivity should always be checked onsite.
For this reason, we recommend booking a hotel stay in Dahab first. This way, you can first dip your toes in the water and see, if Dahab is your vibe. If you like what you’re seeing, you can still extend your stay in Dahab and check out weekly or monthly rentals yourself.
In Dahab, you can find a hotel for every budget, from affordable hostel to boutique beach hotels and full-fledged resort hotels. These are three hotels in Dahab we can vouch for:
Rafiki Hostels (The Budget Pick)
For backpackers and budget travellers, Dahab’s hostel scene has several budget-friendly options for less than $ 15 per night to offer. Our favourite budget hostel in Dahab is Rafiki Hostels in Assalah, without the shadow of a doubt. But what is so special about it?
A Rafiki Hostels, preciously little feels low-budget apart from the bund beds you can book for as little as $ 16 per night. The hostel is as close to the definition of a community hub as it can be, offering community breakfasts and dinners and organising affordable groups tours all week round.
Name | Best for | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
Rafiki Hostels | Backpackers, Solo Travellers | from $ 16 per night |
Already fully-booked? Find alternative hostels in our extensive Dahab hostel guide, such as My Hostel Dahab and the newly-opened Rafiki Oasis.
NEOM Hotel (The Comfort Hotel)
Located right on Assalah Beach, the NEOM Hotel is one of the newest additions to Dahab’s growing boutique hotel scene. The NEOM Hotel offers comfortable air-conditioned rooms, a swimming pool and a complimentary breakfast. But that’s not all.
More than just a hotel, NEOM is a community hub in Dahab. It draws plenty of daily visitors to its family-friendly restaurant and beach café, hosts regular yoga sessions on its rooftop terrace and even occasionally host international free diving competitions in other pool.
Name | Best for | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
NEOM Hotel | Couples, Families | from $ 125 per night |
Dahab Paradise (The Resort Stay)
While it may not be the most traditional resort stay, we swear by Dahab Paradise, a spacious, calm beach resort just outside of Dahab. As the only real beach resort north of Dahab, Dahab Paradise offers the easiest access to nearby attractions such as the Blue Hole, the Blue Lagoon and Ras Abu Galum.
Nearby attractions aside, the hotel itself also delivers. Dahab Paradise features air-conditioned rooms, a spacious pool area, breakfast service and its own beach bar just a few steps from the hotel compound. The hotel does not offer all-inclusive packages, but you can have all your meals and drinks onsite.
Name | Best for | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
Dahab Paradise | Couples, Families | from $ 94 per night |
Haven’t found your match yet? Check out our in-depth Dahab hotel guide to find the right hotels for your stay in Dahab.
Our Perfect Day in Dahab
Overall, we have spent well over a year of our life in Dahab, both in summer and in winter. Therefore, we can confidently say that we know a thing or two about how to have a good time in Dahab. If you were to ask us, what a perfect day in Dahab would look like, we would say something like this:
Start Your Day with a Sunrise Hike
Start your perfect day in Dahab bright and early with a sunrise hike in the Sinai Mountains. Just outside of Dahab to the north, the small mountains juts out from the Sinai Mountains, offering an unobstructed view of the sunrise over the Gulf of Aqaba the mountains of Saudi Arabia.
The sunrise hike itself is quite short. If you are staying in Assalah, it will take you no more than 30 minutes to reach the sunrise point from your doorstop. Use this location tag on Google Maps to find the sunrise point more easily. Afterwards head down to Assalah Beach for a beach stroll as the sun begins its climb.
Have Breakfast at One of Dahab’s Best Cafes
Along Assalah Beach, you can find some of the best breakfast spots Dahab has to offer. Our favourite breakfast cafés in Dahab you cannot miss out on are Shanti in Assalah, Ralph’s German Bakery in Lighthouse and Schoenemann’s in Lighthouse.
Order your breakfast spread and fuel up on caffeine, before start your day of exploring. Use your digestive walk after breakfast to check out Dahab’s local shops. Dahab supports a bustling scene of souvenir and boutique stores run by both local Bedouins and expat entrepreneurs.
Explore Dahab’s Coral Reefs
A perfect day in Dahab would not be a perfect day, if it didn’t include at least one dive. If you already have experience diving, book a dive trip at one of the local dive centers. If you’re still new to the sport, start easy by snorkelling at one of Dahab’s shore dive sites.
For the easiest entry, opt for the Lighthouse dive site right in the center of Dahab. There, you can rent snorkel equipment at one of the dive shops nearby and simply start your dive from the sandy Lighthouse beach. At Lighthouse, you will find an impressive wall dive with plenty of corals and colourful marine life.
Our personal favourite, however, is the Islands dive site, which is located halfway between Dahab and Laguna Beach. This dive site has a very shallow shore entry before opening up into a vast underwater landscape that is characterised by its coral pinnacles that resemble underwater islands.
Get to the Islands dive site by walking along the beach for approximately 30 minutes or hire a local Bedouin taxi from Lighthouse Square for 50 to 100 EGP. Bring along water shoes and snorkel equipment and check the tide beforehand. Ideally, you want to dive at Islands during high tide and slack water.
Have Dinner at One of Dahab’s Fish Restaurants
It’s hard to say which dinner options are the best in Dahab. After all, Dahab seems to have it all: fish and seafood, Egyptian food, Beoduin staples, Northern African tajines, Western-style dishes, even Indian food. For your perfect day, however, we recommend heading to a fish restaurant in Dahab.
In Dahab, the best fish restaurants are not found on the touristy boardwalk in the Lighthouse area, but deep in Assalah. While most swear by Darwish Fish Market, we personally prefer Miami Fish. Both places are located very close to each other, so you might as well check out both before making a choice.
Visit Tota’s Open Mic
Remember us telling you that the community is what makes Dahab truly great? Well, if you haven’t made new friends yet while hiking, munching and diving, this is your time to shine. Head to Tota’s Open Mic at Tota Restaurant in the Lighthouse area.
Tota Open Mic is a weekly community event, taking place at Tota Restaurant on Tuesday and Saturday. This event is not only a blast because of the shier talent presented, but also a great way to get to know travellers and expats currently staying in Dahab. Even if you come alone, we guarantee you will not leave alone.
What Else to Do in Dahab, Egypt
Once you have fallen in love with Dahab, which we are certain of, you will want to stay around longer and venture beyond the limits of this small town. Luckily for you, there is plenty to do on the Sinai Peninsula.
These are some of the best things to do in and around Dahab:
Join a Diving Course in Dahab
Dahab is one of the best places in the world to get into scuba diving. Not only can you find plenty of certified dive schools with international-grade instructors, but courses are also much more affordable than in other places, all while the reefs are in great condition and visibility is very high.
Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or veteran, in Dahab you can find the right PADI course for your level and even instructor courses, if you’re ready to take the next step. If you’re looking for a new challenge, you can even get into the basics of free diving in Dahab.
Thinking about diving in Dahab? From dive centers, to dive shops and drive sties, this 5-minute Dahab Divers’ Guide tells you everything you need to know about scuba diving in Dahab.
Snorkel in The Blue Hole
Many divers’ sole reason for staying in Dahab is diving in the infamous Blue Hole of Dahab. Located some 10 kilometres north of Dahab, the Blue Hole is considered a Mecca of Free Driving and the most popular dive site in and around Dahab by a mile.
Accessible to snorkelers, scuba divers and free divers alike, the Blue Hole is a 100-meter deep natural sinkhole just meters off the coast of the Sinai Peninsula. It is one a few places in the world, where you can reach a depth of 100+ meters this close to shore, making it the ideal training ground for free divers.
No tour needed. In another guide, we lifted the secret of how to visit the Blue Hole from Dahab without spending big money on a tour.
Learn Kite Surfing in the Blue Lagoon
Once you take a stroll along Assalah Beach, you will notice that Dahab is not only big on diving. It also has quite the windsurfing community. One of the best windsurfing spots, however, is not located in Dahab itself, but in the Blue Lagoon, some 25 kilometres north of Dahab on the Red Sea coast.
The Blue Lagoon is known for its clam, shallow waters that are almost entirely sheltered from the Gulf of Aqaba and its favourable wind conditions for kite surfing. Join a kite surfing class or simply soak in the serenity of this remote lagoon.
Only accessible by boat. Find out how to organise a day trip to the Blue Lagoon and the Ras Abu Galum dive site in our separate Blue Lagoon Guide.
Climb Mount Sinai & Visit St. Catherine’s Monastery
Just meters off the Red Sea coast, the Sinai Mountains take ahold of the landscape, virtually shooting up from the ground as soon as the water retreats. But what might look like an inhospitable prelude to the Sinai Desert is actually a hikers’ paradise.
If you only have time for one hike in the Sinai Mountains, we recommend booking a summit hike of Mt. Sinai. Hike Mount Sinai overnight to witness the sunrise over the Sinai mountains where Moses received the Ten Commandments and visit Saint Catherine’s Monastery after your descent.
Planning your Mount Sinai hike? Make sure to book with a reputable tour company from Dahab and choose a late departure time from Dahab with a stop at Saint Catherine’s Monastery.
Try Rock Climbing in the Sinai Mountains
In Dahab, the local Bedouins have taken up a plentitude of different professions, some of them being taxi drivers, shop owner, driving instructors and more recently also climbing instructors contributing to Dahab’s newest trend sport.
Being naturally gifted at scrambling, more and more Bedouins in Dahab share their deep knowledge of the Sinai Mountains as certified rock climbing instructors. Outside of summer season, they lead excursions to remote places such as Wadi Gnai, Wadi Hamam and Wadi Shellal.
Looking for even more inspiration? On the Sinai Peninsula, there is plenty more to do. Find 10+ more cool activities in our next article.
The Bottom Line
What else is there left to say about Dahab that we haven’t said yet? Well, maybe that you have to have visited it to understand it fully. So, what do you have to lose? Book your trip, come out to Dahab and enjoy what we can only describe as an incredible experience. We’ll be out here waiting for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is special about Dahab Egypt?
If you ask anyone what is special about Dahab, there is a good chance they will tell you one or more of the following five things: the freedom, the simplicity, the Red Sea, the Sinai Mountains and its incredible community.
Is it safe to visit Dahab now?
Yes, Dahab is safe to visit. Even with tensions in the wider Middle East, Dahab remains completely unaffected and is as safe as ever for domestic and international visitors. The South Sinai in general, also including other destinations like Sharm El-Sheikh, Nuweiba and Taba is considered safe to visit .
Which is better, Dahab or Sharm El Sheikh?
If you are looking for a conventional resort holiday, you will be happy with the resort hotels and private beaches of Sharm El-Sheikh. If you are looking to experience the real Egypt beyond the confines of a luxury resort, head out to the Bedouin fishing village of Dahab.
Is Dahab worth visiting?
Yes, Dahab is worth visiting. If you are into scuba diving or outdoor sports in general, you will have a blast in Dahab. There, you can find active communities for snorkelling, scuba diving, free diving, windsurfing, hiking and even rock climbing. Moreover, Dahab has great food and an even better community.
Hey! We are glad you are curious about travelling the Middle East.
We are Nancy & Elias.
Over four years of backpacking and digital nomading made us fall in love with the Middle East. We have lived on the Red Sea coast in Egypt, lived in a Bedouin Camp in Jordan and travelled 6+ Middle Eastern countries overland.
As we continue to travel, we share our battle-tested travels advice on this blog, from travel reports and transfer guides to accommodation recs and saving hacks.
