How to Get to Dahab: From Sharm, Cairo, Hurghada and Taba

The usual way to reach Dahab is to fly into Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport (SSH) and drive about 85 to 90 km north, which takes roughly 1 to 1.5 hours by car. From Cairo you can take a long-distance bus or a short domestic flight to Sharm, and from Taba it is about a two-hour drive south. This guide explains how to get to Dahab from each starting point, what happens at the checkpoints, which entry stamp you need, and how to get around once you arrive.

Dahab has no airport of its own, so every route ends with a drive. All times and distances below are approximate. Bus timetables, ferry services and road conditions change, so check before you go.

Where is Dahab, South Sinai?

Dahab is a small town on the east coast of the Sinai Peninsula, on the Gulf of Aqaba. It is about 85 km north of Sharm el-Sheikh and belongs to the South Sinai governorate of Egypt. The sea is on one side and the mountains of the Sinai desert rise straight behind the town.

For a traveller, Dahab Egypt means a seafront promenade with reefs a few steps from the cafés, the Blue Hole about 10 km north of town, and desert canyons and Mount Sinai inland. That mix is why so many trips to Dahab combine sea days with desert days. If you want an overview of what there is to do once you are here, read our guide to things to do in Dahab, or browse all Dahab day trips to see how the days are usually planned.

How to get to Dahab: the main routes at a glance

The table compares the four common starting points. Treat every figure as a rough guide from published route planners and travel guides, not a timetable. Check before you go.

Sharm to Dahab: flying into Sharm el-Sheikh (SSH)

Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport is the main gateway for Dahab. It is the airport most international visitors use, and the drive north is the shortest of any route. Route planners give between about 1 hour and 1 hour 45 minutes for the trip by car, depending on traffic and how long the checkpoints take. Check before you go. Once you are here, see our Blue Hole snorkelling trip from Dahab for a first day out with hotel pickup.

Taxi or private transfer from the airport

Most visitors go from Sharm to Dahab by taxi or a private transfer booked in advance. A pre-booked car is the simplest choice: the driver meets you outside arrivals and takes you straight to your hotel or apartment. Many hotels and guesthouses in Dahab can arrange this for you, and booking through your accommodation means the price is agreed before you land.

If you take a taxi from the rank, agree the price and the destination before you get in. Have your hotel name and its area of town (for example Lighthouse or Lagoon) written down, because drivers go by area names more than street addresses.

Bus from Sharm to Dahab

There is no direct bus from the airport terminal. You first need to get to a bus station in Sharm town and then take an intercity bus. Go Bus, East Delta and other companies have run buses between Sharm and Dahab, but services have been reduced over the years and some days have only a few departures. Allow three hours or more for the whole journey once you include the transfer in Sharm; check before you go.

The bus makes sense if you are on a tight budget and arriving in daylight. Check the current schedule with the bus company before you travel.

How to get to Dahab from Cairo

Cairo to Dahab is a long road trip of about 530 km, roughly 7 hours of driving before stops according to route planners (check before you go). Expect at least one long day or one long night on the road, and decide early whether a bus or a flight to Sharm suits you better.

By bus: Go Bus, East Delta and others

Several companies run buses between Cairo and Dahab, including Go Bus and East Delta. Booking sites list journey times from about 6 to 10 hours depending on the operator and departure time, and older guides quote 9 hours or more. A night bus saves you a night of accommodation, but checkpoint stops can wake you up along the way.

In Dahab, buses arrive at the bus station area in the inland part of town, about 3 to 4 km from the seafront. You will need a short taxi ride from there to most hotels. Departure points in Cairo differ by company, so check where your bus leaves from when you book. Schedules change often, so check before you go.

By air: Cairo to Sharm, then the road

Domestic flights connect Cairo with Sharm el-Sheikh. Add the drive of 1 to 1.5 hours from the airport and you can be in Dahab in a few hours rather than most of a day. This is often the better choice if you have little time, or if you are flying into Cairo from abroad and want to avoid an overnight bus.

From Hurghada: ferry or road?

Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh face each other across the mouth of the Gulf of Suez, so a ferry looks like the obvious link. In practice the fast ferry between the two has stopped and restarted several times over the years. At the time of writing, the ferry booking site Direct Ferries says no ferries are running on this route. Ask locally or check before you go, because this may change.

Without a ferry, how to get to Dahab from Hurghada comes down to two options:

1. Fly Hurghada to Sharm. The flight itself is short, about half an hour, but route planners list only a few flights a week, so check the current schedule before you go. From Sharm airport, continue to Dahab by car.
2. Go by road. The road route runs north along the Red Sea coast, around the top of the Gulf of Suez, and down through Sinai. Route planners list bus combinations of around 14 hours. It is a long day and only worth it if flights do not suit you.

From Taba, Eilat and Aqaba

Taba sits at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, next to the land border with Israel. Taba International Airport, about 13 km from Taba, is small and is served mostly by seasonal charter flights from Europe. From Taba to Dahab is about 140 km, roughly a two-hour drive along the coast through Nuweiba. Check before you go.

Public buses on this stretch are infrequent. Route planners list a single daily Go Bus departure from Taba Heights, and travel guides describe the service as unreliable, so a taxi or pre-booked car is the dependable option. Travellers coming from Jordan can use the ferry from Aqaba to Nuweiba, which is about an hour’s drive north of Dahab. Check the current ferry schedule before you travel.

Checkpoints, passports and the Sinai-only stamp

Every road into Dahab passes police checkpoints. They are routine. The officer may look into the car, ask where you are going and ask to see passports. Keep your passport with you, not packed in the boot, and keep a photo of the main page and your entry stamp on your phone as a backup.

What the Sinai-only stamp covers

If you fly into Sharm el-Sheikh and stay less than 15 days, you can enter on a free Sinai-only entry stamp instead of a full visa. According to the UK government’s Egypt entry requirements, this stamp covers stays at the resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba.

If you plan to travel outside those resorts or stay longer, you need a visa. Arrivals by land at Taba have separate rules and fees. Visa rules change, so check the official guidance for your nationality before you go.

When you need a full Egypt visa

The Sinai-only stamp does not cover St Catherine and Mount Sinai. If you want to climb Mount Sinai for sunrise, you need a full Egypt visa. You can get a visa on arrival at Sharm el-Sheikh airport or apply for an e-visa online before you travel. Make the decision before you reach the immigration desk at the airport.

Our Mount Sinai guide explains the climb, the routes and what to bring.

Arriving in Dahab at night

If your flight lands in Sharm in the evening or late at night, buses will normally have stopped by then, so your choice is a pre-booked transfer or a taxi from the airport rank. A pre-booked car is the calmer option after a long flight: the cost is agreed in advance, the driver knows where you are going, and you do not have to negotiate while tired.

A few practical tips for a late arrival:

• Send your accommodation your flight number and expected landing time, and ask whether someone will be awake to let you in.
• Get some Egyptian pounds at the airport for tips, water and small purchases. Cash is useful for taxis and small shops.
• Keep your passport at hand for the checkpoints on the way.
• Save your accommodation’s phone number and location pin on your phone, so the driver can call or follow the map.

Getting around Dahab

Dahab is small. The main tourist area runs along the seafront promenade, and you can walk most of it. For longer distances, short taxi rides are easy to find, and some people rent a bicycle.

Dahab neighbourhoods to know

Locals and drivers use area names more than street addresses. These are the ones you will hear most:

1. Lighthouse. Around the lighthouse on the seafront, with its own reef and dive sites right off the shore.
2. Masbat. The busy central stretch of cafés, shops and dive centres along the promenade.
3. Mashraba. The stretch running south from Masbat. Together, Masbat and Mashraba are the old part of tourist Dahab.
4. Lagoon (Laguna). The southern end, around the wide shallow lagoon with flat water and steady wind. This is where the windsurfing and kitesurfing schools are, and the larger resort hotels.
5. Assala. The residential district, mainly Bedouin with some foreign residents. Some visitors rent apartments here.

Taxis, walking and bicycles

Walking along the promenade between Lighthouse, Masbat and Mashraba is easy and is how most visitors move around in the evening. For the Lagoon area, the bus station, or anywhere inland, take a taxi. Agree the price before you set off. Your accommodation can tell you the normal local rate.

For sites outside town, such as the Blue Hole or Three Pools, you can take a taxi or join an organised trip. On Dahab Go trips, hotel pickup anywhere in Dahab and the drive back are included, so you do not need to arrange transport yourself.

Dahab travel: planning your first days

Once you have worked out how to get to Dahab, the next question is how to use your time there. A good rule is to start with an easy sea day, then go into the desert, and leave Mount Sinai until you have had a full night’s sleep. For a day-by-day plan, see our Dahab itinerary for 3, 5 or 7 days. If you are still choosing dates, our guide to the best time to visit Dahab covers weather and sea conditions through the year.

A first sea day: Blue Hole and the Blue Lagoon

The Blue Hole, Abu Galum and Blue Lagoon trip runs from 9:00 to 17:00. You snorkel the Blue Hole reef wall from the beach, ride a zodiac north along the coast to the Ras Abu Galum protected area, which has no road, and have free time at the Blue Lagoon.

Hotel transfers, a guide, a snorkel mask and the zodiac ride are included. The Blue Hole entry ticket is a protectorate fee paid on site in cash, so bring cash and check the current amount before you go. Read more in our Blue Lagoon and Ras Abu Galum guide.

For more time on the water, see the sea trips from Dahab, which include a full-day yacht and a semi-submarine for non-swimmers.

A desert day: the canyons

The Colored Canyon, White Canyon and Ein Khudra trip runs from 8:30 to 17:00. A Land Cruiser takes you into the desert, you walk through the Colored Canyon, visit the White Canyon and Mushroom Rock, and stop for Bedouin tea at the Ein Khudra oasis. Lunch, the Bedouin guide and Land Cruiser transfers are included. Wear grippy shoes and bring a hat, water and sunscreen.

Mount Sinai sunrise

The Mount Sinai sunrise trip picks you up at 22:00, drives to St Catherine, climbs through the night with a Bedouin guide, and reaches the summit for sunrise. You walk down past St Catherine’s Monastery and are back at your hotel around 11:00. Transfers, the Bedouin guide and the protectorate entry ticket are included. Remember that you need a full Egypt visa for this trip, and bring warm layers, a head torch and your passport.

For every trip, you can check the time, what’s included and the current price on the trip page and book there on WhatsApp. There is no prepayment; you pay in cash on the day. The full list is on the Dahab Go trips page.

Staying in Sharm and not sure whether to move? Read our comparison of Dahab vs Sharm el Sheikh. Travelling with children? See our guide to Dahab with kids.

Trips in this guide

More Dahab guides

Photo credits

• Sunrise over the Red Sea from the beach in Dahab — Jorge Láscar, CC BY 2.0
• A white day boat moored off the coast of Dahab, with the mountains behind — Grand Parc – Bordeaux, France, CC BY-SA 2.0
• The Masbat promenade in Dahab with palm trees and seafront cafés — Jorge Láscar, CC BY 2.0