From El Gouna: Empire Semi Submarine Trip with Snorkeling

Overview

You came to the Red Sea for the water: the colour of it, the life beneath it. But maybe you don't swim, or you're travelling with a toddler, or the idea of deep water makes your chest tighten. This trip was built for exactly you. An air-conditioned vehicle collects you from your El Gouna hotel and brings you to the Hurghada marina, where a boat is waiting that was designed to hand the sea's best views to people who prefer to stay dry.

Step aboard the Empire and take the stairs down into the hull, where a long row of wide windows sits below the waterline. Settle in and let the reef come to you: clouds of orange and electric-blue fish, coral heads rising like sculpture, the occasional flash of something larger crossing the light. When the boat pauses at a sheltered reef, there's an optional 40-minute snorkel stop; join in with the equipment provided, or keep your window seat and watch the snorkellers glide overhead.

Here is what makes this trip quietly special: the Red Sea usually reserves its underwater world for people willing to strap on a tank, or at least a mask. On a semi-submarine, that gate disappears. A grandmother, a four-year-old and a nervous first-timer see the same reef at the same moment, and discovering something together is a different feeling from being told about it afterwards.

After the last coral head slips past the glass, the Empire turns back to the marina and your driver returns you to El Gouna, sun-warmed and salt-aired. You didn't have to be brave, or sporty, or even get wet. You just had to look, and the sea did the rest.

Highlights

• ✦Watch the Red Sea reef through wide underwater windows, no swimming needed
• ✦Enjoy an optional 40-minute snorkel stop with all equipment provided
• ✦Travel with round-trip air-conditioned transfers from any El Gouna hotel
• ✦Share the same view with everyone aboard, from toddlers to grandparents
• ✦Spot coral gardens and shoals of fish from the Empire's below-deck saloon
• ✦Sip a cold drink on deck as the boat cruises the Hurghada coastline

Included

• ✓Semi-submarine cruise with about 1 hour of underwater viewing
• ✓Optional 40-minute snorkel stop with snorkeling equipment
• ✓Round-trip transfers by air-conditioned vehicle
• ✓Pickup and drop-off from any hotel in El Gouna
• ✓Cola and a bottle of mineral water on board

Not included

• −Underwater photos and videos
• −Meals and snacks
• −Towels
• −Gratuities (optional)
• −Personal expenses

Good to know

• iChild price: ages 2-11 · Infants under 2
• iWhat to bring: swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, sunglasses and a camera
• iChildren aged 2-11 pay the child rate; infants under 2 join free
• iNo swimming ability is required: the snorkel stop is optional and you can keep watching from the windows instead
• iThe boat departs from Hurghada marina; the drive from El Gouna takes around 40 minutes each way
• iThe below-deck saloon is reached by a short staircase; wear comfortable shoes for boarding