When visiting Dahab, staying in a hostel is not just a budget-conscious decision. Yes, it will allow you to save money. But more importantly, it opens the door the Dahab’s vibrant community and activities. So, which Dahab hostel will you be staying at?
In this article, we will dive into Dahab’s hostel scene, share some first-hand experience with you and tell you which is the best hostel in Dahab for your preference. This is our comprehensive Dahab hostel guide for 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Rafiki Hostels is the best choice for travelers wanting a social vibe, daily events, and a cozy atmosphere; it’s located in a quieter area near local markets.
- My Hostel in Dahab is ideal for divers and those who want to stay centrally, with an onsite dive center and a lively rooftop.
- Rafiki Oasis suits travelers who want to be close to the beach with clean dorms and a calm environment.
- For budget-conscious travelers wanting private rooms and breakfast, Nomads Hostel offers affordable comfort with friendly staff, though it’s a bit farther from the center.
Table of Contents
The 3 Best Hostels in Dahab
Out of 20+ hostels in Dahab, these are the 3 best hostels in Dahab you should consider staying at:
| Name | Guest Rating | Price (per night) | Availability & Rates |
| Rafiki Hostels | 8.9 / 10 | starting from $ 14 per night | Click here for availability & rates. |
| My Hostel in Dahab | 8.8 / 10 | starting from $ 10 per night | Click here for availability & rates. |
| Rafiki Oasis | 9.7 / 10 | starting from $ 16 per night | Click here for availability & rates. |
What Makes a Good Hostel in Dahab?
Given that Dahab is a small desert town, one might wonder whether it really makes much difference where you stay. We are convinced that there is. When picking your hostel in Dahab, these 6 factors decide whether your hostel experience will upgrade your trip or drag it down with it:
- Location: When staying in a hostel in Dahab, you want to be close to the beach. Whether you are on a diving trip or just wanting to sunbathe, the shorter the walking distance to the beach the better. At the same time, you also want to be close to the center, the Lighthouse area.
- Cleanliness: Saving money on accommodation doesn’t have to mean compromising on comfort and hygiene. A good Dahab hostel has clean bedrooms, sanitary installations and kitchen areas. While it’s practically impossible to get rid of the dessert sand entirely, regular cleaning is a must.
- Community: Any good Dahab stay thrives on community. So, make sure that you stay in a place that makes it easy for you to connect with other travelers from the very first second. Signs for a social hostel are large common areas and lots of organised group activities.
- Diving: Are you headed to Dahab for its world-class diving scene? Consider staying in a hostel that also functions as a dive center. This cuts out the need for you to go back and forth between your hostel and your dive center and saves you lots of time and energy in the long run.
- Tours: In and around Dahab, there is no shortage of dives and hikes, but most oof them you would never find on your own. Group tours organised by hostel in Dahab are the perfect chance to get to know Dahab better, while paying only a fraction of the price tour agencies offer.
- Price: At the end of the day, the price is a huge factor when picking a hostel to stay at. After all, we are trying to save a bit of money, aren’t we? When comparing hostels prices, don’t only look at the numbers, but also check whether they apply for bunks or privates and if breakfast is included.
Keeping our 6 criteria for a good Sinai Beach camp in mind, we will have a look at some of the best hostels in Dahab. Some of these we have stayed at, others have been recommended to us by friends and all of them are worth staying at for one reason or the other.
It this your first time coming to Dahab? Here’s what you need to know before your first Dahab trip.
The 6 Best Dahab Hostels in Detail
The market for hostels in Dahab is huge, considering how small Dahab is. Not only are there more than 20 hostels, but also hundreds of hotels and apartments that compete with them price wise. So, how is one supposed to know, which hostel to stay at?!
Well, you could choose to just trust the reviews on Booking.com. How bad can a hostel with an 8.0+ rating be? But do short, haphazardly written reviews really tell the whole truth? So, how about you supplement your research with some real first-hand insight?
These are our 6 favourite hostels in Dahab and what makes them special:
Rafiki Hostels: The Best Dahab Hostel
Our personal favourite hostel in Dahab and arguably the crowd favorite is Rafiki Hostels in Dahab. This hostel is located in the quieter Assalah neighbourhood of Dahab. While this means a longer walk to the center, it put you closer to local markets and affordable restaurants.
Adding to this, the hostel has a large, open common area with a cozy atmosphere that makes it super easy to connect with other people. There are shared and private rooms with comfy beds and air-conditioning and even showers with hot water. Also, it hosts daily events and tours such as concerts in the mountains, boat parties and diving safaris, which are an absolute must-do.
| Name | Best for | Price | Availability & Rates |
| Rafiki Hostels | Tours | starting from $ 14 per night | Click here for availability & rates. |
My Hostel in Dahab – Dive Center: Centrally Located
My Hostel in Dahab – yes, that’s the name – is a centrally located diving hostel in the Masbat neighbourhood. It is set right in the hustle and bustle of Dahab’s most frequented tourist streets, placing you within range of restaurants, small shops and ATMs.
Crucially, My Hostel has its own dive center onsite, making is super accessible for anyone planning to take a diving course in Dahab. Additionally, the hostels hosts regular hikes and a bunch of other activities in and around Dahab. The rooftop is also worth checking out; they regularly host parties there in the evenings.
| My Hostel in Dahab | Diving | starting from $ 10 per night | Click here for availability & rates. |
Rafiki Oasis: Close to the Beach
The newly opened Rafiki Oasis is a spiritual extension of the original Rafiki Hostel, but much closer to the sea. Located right in the heart of Assalah, this hostel is set in a super calm environment and just 2 minutes from Assalah Beach.
This alone would be sufficient for the to want to stay at Rafiki Oasis, but it’s not all. Similarly to its first branch, this hostel excels at bringing together travelers by hosting social events, gatherings and group tours. Whenever in need of respite, you will also be delighted to find modern and clean dorm rooms.
| Rafiki Oasis | Location | starting from $ 16 per night | Click here for availability & rates. |
Nomads Hostel: Affordable Private Rooms
Located own the southern outskirts of Dahab, between Masbat and Laguna, Nomads Hostel might not be the most centrally located, but it certainly stands out with other qualities. At Nomads Hostel, you can find private rooms including a free breakfast from just $ 30 per night. Is this even a hostel anymore?
Add to that a clean environment, an inviting common area and endlessly friendly staff and you have yourself the perfect base for your Dahab adventures. And quite frankly, a 14-minute walk to the beach is not all that bad, is it?
| Nomads Hostel | Cleanliness | starting from $ 15 per night | Click here for availability & rates. |
Tranquilo Boutique Hostel: A Great Place for Extroverts
Tranquilo Boutique Hostel is yet another challenger to the very concept of a hostel. With its carefully decorated, air-conditioned private rooms with en-suite bathrooms, it doesn’t necessarily scream ‘hostel’. The rooms even features work desks for digital nomads.
Once you leave your room and enter the common area, however, you are reminded that you are staying in a hostel – in all the best ways. Tranquilo Boutique Hostel has a huge, spread-out common area, making it the perfect place for extroverts to get to know other travelers. Beyond the hostel, everything you may need is within easy reach.
While some travelers have noted that it’s a bit noisy in the mornings, we do hope that you won’t spend your time in Dahab sleeping in anyways.
| Tranquilo Boutique Hostel | Community | starting from $ 16 per night | Click here for availability & rates. |
Nautilus Capsules: The Cheapest Option
After having spend some time seeing how far we can stretch the idea of a hostel, we are going back to the bare minimum for this last recommendation. The Nautilus Capsules in Dahab are the ideal place, if your priority is saving money. Located on a rooftop in the center of Dahab, this hostel is as minimalistic as it gets – with its own special charm.
The capsules, wooden huts on the rooftop, fit little more than a bed, a plug outlet and a light along with some space for your backpack. There is no air-conditioning and the toilets are located in the camp on the bottom, but the stay will only set you back $ 5 per night with free breakfast included.
| Nautilus Capsules | Price | starting from $ 5 per night | Click here for availability & rates. |
Prepare Your Trip: How to Get to Dahab
Have you booked your flights to Dahab and decided on your hostel? Congratulations! You are just steps away from arriving to Egypt’s Red Sea gem. But wait a minute. Do you know how to get to Dahab from the airport?
From Downtown Cairo, Sharm El-Sheikh, and other countries in the Middle East, this is how to get to Dahab:
From Cairo International Airport (or Sphinx International Airport)
If your flight is bound for Cairo International Airport or Sphinx International Airport, you have two options to get to Dahab from Cairo. You can either travel the rest of the way by bus or take a connecting flight to Sharm El-Sheikh.
Catch the bus to Dahab from Tahrir Station behind the Egyptian Museum in Downtown Cairo. Currently, Go Bus does up to 20 connections per day, offering comfortable small and large coaches with air-conditioning. For tickets, we recommend using the Go Bus website to avoid having to cross the busy street for the ticket office. A direct trip to Dahab takes 8 hours with prices starting from 605 EGP.
From Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport
Whether you are taking a connecting flight from Cairo to Sharm El-Sheikh or arriving there directly from a European airport, once you leave Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport, you will walk right into a horde of taxi drivers offering your to take you to your hotel. It is very important that you say no.
For a fairly priced transfer to your hostel in Dahab, take the bus or a pre-confirmed private transfer. For the bus, download the InDrive app and hail a ride to the Sharm El-Sheikh Go Bus station. From there, take a direct bus to Dahab for around 270 EGP. Alternatively, join one of the Dahab Facebook groups and keep an eye out for airport transfer offers. A private bus transfer costs around 800 EGP per person.
Still got questions? Check out our in-depth transportation guide on travelling between Sharm El-Sheikh and Dahab.
From Other Countries
If you are arriving to the Sinai Peninsula from Israel via the Taba border or from Jordan via the Aqaba-Nuweiba ferry, you can either take a Go Bus to Dahab or a pre-arranged private taxi. Personally, we recommend taking a taxi on this route for more peace of mind. Let us explain why.
Both Taba and Nuwieba have regular bus connections to Dahab. They are, however, much less frequent than the Sharm El-Sheik connections. Often times, just one bus a day leaves from Taba for Dahab, stopping in Nuweiba. If you miss it, you’ll have to pay for an overpriced taxi. Therefore, we recommend arranging a taxi transfer ahead of time. The taxi ride should cost you 500-1,000 EGP.
Still figuring out your Dahab itinerary? These are 10+ thrilling outdoor activities on the Sinai Peninsula.
The Bottom Line
Flight booked? Hostel booked? Transfer secured? Then, you are all set for your Egypt trip! Make sure to pack all your diving equipment, don’t forget the sunscreen and get ready to relax on the beach, meet people and explore the breathtaking marine life of the Red Sea.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dahab an Egyptian city?
Yes, Dahab is an Egyptian City. Dahab is located on the coast of the Sinai Peninsula, between Sharm El-Sheikh to the south and Nuweiba to the north.
How to reach Dahab in Egypt?
From within Egypt, you can easily reach Dahab by bus from Downtown Cairo and Sharm El-Sheikh. The closest airport to Dahab is Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport. From there, you can take a bus or a private transfer to Dahab, which takes around one hour.
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.
