Marsa Alam holidays
A quieter stretch of Red Sea coast built around diving rather than resort nightlife, with some of the mildest winter sea temperatures on Egypt's Red Sea coast.
Prices on this page are shown from the UK. Change market
35°C SeptemberBest Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec5–9 nights
At a glance
- diving and snorkelling
- quiet, low-key beach time
- wildlife-focused trips
Trip cost
- Return flight
- ≈€271
- Stay
- ≈€385
- Food & local
- ≈€70
Includes the return fare from London Stansted. An estimate, not a quote — each booking happens separately with its supplier. How we work this out.
Prices shown on this page are indicative estimates in euros, not quotes. Every booking happens separately with its own supplier, at that supplier's own live price. How we work this out.
Stays
Stays in Marsa Alam
From €15/night · Typical €34 · 36 stays · 7-night stay assumed
- Best 3-starLight House651 m from the centre€46 a night (opens in a new tab)
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- Best 4-starFantazia Resort Marsa Alam2.7 km from the centre€150 a night (opens in a new tab)
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- Best 5-starSIRENA BEACH RESORT & SPA2.1 km from the centre€172 a night (opens in a new tab)
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- CheapestOne room apartment1.0 km from the centre€15 a night (opens in a new tab)
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Map
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Getting to Marsa Alam
- AirportMarsa Alam International Airport (RMF)
- Transfer optionsTaxi
Marsa Alam International Airport sits well north of the town, closer to Port Ghalib and the northern resorts; taxis and hotel transfers cover the distance for stays anywhere along the coast.
Indicative, per traveller. You book with Aviasales.
Areas of Marsa Alam
A few places people base themselves, and who each tends to suit.
- Port GhalibA marina-based resort development close to the airport, with more restaurants and evening life than the rest of the coast.
- Marsa Alam townThe original settlement and service centre for the area, a practical, low-key base rather than a resort enclave.
- Abu DabbabA dugong- and turtle-watching bay north of town, near the airport and Port Ghalib, with a handful of eco-lodges built around the beach rather than a resort strip.
- Marsa Shagra and other camps south of townA string of eco-diving camps along the coast south of town, suited to divers and snorkellers prioritising direct house-reef access over resort facilities.
Marsa Alam weather by month
Marsa Alam is warmest in August, when daily highs average 37°C, and coolest in February at 23°C. December is the wettest month at about 4 mm, October the driest at 0 mm. Taking warmth and rainfall together, March, April, November, December score best for a trip.
- Best overall
- March · April · November · December
- Hottest
- August · 37°C
- Wettest
- December · 4mm
- January: average daily high 23°C, 2mm rainfall.
- February: average daily high 23°C, 0mm rainfall.
- March: average daily high 25°C, 2mm rainfall. Good month for weather.
- April: average daily high 30°C, 0mm rainfall. Good month for weather.
- May: average daily high 32°C, 0mm rainfall.
- June: average daily high 35°C, 0mm rainfall.
- July: average daily high 36°C, 0mm rainfall.
- August: average daily high 37°C, 0mm rainfall.
- September: average daily high 35°C, 0mm rainfall.
- October: average daily high 31°C, 0mm rainfall.
- November: average daily high 28°C, 0mm rainfall. Good month for weather.
- December: average daily high 25°C, 4mm rainfall. Good month for weather.
How these figures are worked out
Monthly averages — ERA5 reanalysis, 2022–2024, a three-year average, not a standard 30-year climate normal or a forecast. Gold months are the best weather fit: each month scores on how close its average daily high sits to about 27 °C, with heavy rainfall counting against it, and months far outside that range are not ranked at all.
What each season is like
- Spring
- March to May offers warm, settled conditions and some of the most reliable underwater visibility of the year.
- Summer
- June to August is very hot on land, but with most time spent in and on the water, the heat matters less here than at sightseeing-heavy inland destinations.
- Autumn
- September to November cools gradually while the sea stays warm, a quiet stretch with few crowds.
- Winter
- December to February is noticeably milder here than further north on the Red Sea coast, keeping diving comfortable through the year's coolest months.
Compare Egypt destinations
Still deciding? Other Egypt destinations, with the same weather and typical-stay data behind them.
| Destination | Aug | Typical stay |
|---|---|---|
| Cairo | 39°C | 3–5 nights |
| Hurghada | 36°C | 5–10 nights |
| Luxor | 43°C | 2–4 nights |
| Sharm el-Sheikh | 41°C | 5–10 nights |
More from the UK
Good to know about Marsa Alam
Why go
- Elphinstone Reef and Dolphin House are internationally known dive sites, both reachable on day trips from the coast.
- Wadi El Gemal National Park, a scenic drive south of town, adds desert and coastal wildlife to a trip otherwise spent underwater.
- The coast stays warmer through winter than the resorts further north, extending the diving season at both ends of the year.
Worth knowing
- The town and resorts are spread thinly along a long stretch of coast, so a car or arranged transfer matters more here than at a compact resort strip.
- Dining and nightlife outside the hotels and dive camps are minimal, and non-resort infrastructure is limited.
- Some of the best-known dive sites are reached only by boat, adding cost and a fixed schedule to an independent trip.