If you’ve ever booked a dive trip and thought, “Cool, I paid for the package, I’m done,” only to be emotionally jump-scared by a final bill full of mysterious fees, welcome—and same!

Marsa Alam dive prices are a big question for divers shopping around in Egypt for shore dives. And if you’re considering it, I can tell you first hand that it’s one of the most affordable ways to get Red Sea diving without committing to a liveaboard.

But like a lot of other dive destinations, the pricing can be a confusing. Packages (like the PADI package my partner and I booked) look straightforward until you arrive and realize there’s a whole second layer of costs quietly lurking beneath the surface. In fact, I once paid over $300 in extra “fees” on a liveaboard trip in Komodo that were barely legible in the fine print.

So I’m breaking down exactly how much scuba diving in Marsa Alam costs using the actual costs from the trip I took to Marsa Alam with Emperor Divers, including:

• What was included in our PADI package
• What wasn’t included in the package with the dive shop (and should’ve been clearer)
• How our experience was with Emperor Divers and what upgrades we paid for
• How to book smarter than I did

This guide is part of my Marsa Alam scuba diving series, where I break down everything from the best dive sites to costs, dive centers, dive resorts and timing for wildlife. If Marsa Alam’s on your bucket list, read the rest of the series before you book!

Marsa Alam dive prices (quick overview)

Before we get into our exact booking, here’s a quick idea of what most divers can expect to pay in Marsa Alam (and if you’re looking for more information about diving in Marsa Alam, be sure to check out my blog about theest time to visit Marsa Alam: best dive sites, difficulty levels, & seasonal wildlife!).

• Dive packages: Usually bundled with accommodation and meals
• Per-day diving: 2 dives/day is standard
• Per-day meals if you don’t bundle it in a package
• Gear rental: Often extra unless explicitly included
• Marine park fees & taxes: Almost never included upfront
• Airport transfers
• Boat lunches, changing a shore dive to a boat dive, and other upgrades

What we paid: Marsa Alam dive prices

Our Emperor Divers PADI package

With Emperor Divers, we paid $1,678.40 for the PADI package for 2 divers in November, which is not peak season. This covered:

• 5 days, 4 nights lodging. Check out my full blog about this INCREDIBLE hotel, Wadi Sabarah Lodge, for all the details and why it’s one of the most unique places I’ve ever stayed! We were in a Standard King Room with sea view, around $140-160/night on Booking.com depending on the season. We ended up being upgraded to the Deluxe King and it was awesome!
• 8 dives per person
• Full board for 2 people = $211 per person
• Environmental fee = $40 for 4 days
• Full Equipment, 5-day package= $160 per person

Extra costs to be aware of

You can’t talk about Marsa Alam dive prices without talking about the extras.

We opted to upgrade 1 day of shore diving to boat diving so we could visit Dolphin House, which was $52 per person. PADI told us that was an option before we went on the trip, and we were happy to do it for the chance to see dolphins (we didn’t end up seeing them, but I’m still glad we tried!).

The surprise fees were:

• Marine park fees
• Boat fuel surcharges
• Dive boat lunches (we paid for full board, so it didn’t occur to me that it would be an upcharge!)
• Hotel transfers ($60 for me to get to and from the airport, which was 30 minutes, $70 for my parter to go from the hotel to the ferry terminal one way! I expected to pay for the transfer, but this felt really expensive.)
• 14% tax

All in all, plan to add about $200 for unexpected fees when you’re making your budget for Marsa Alam dive prices.

Emperor Divers price sheet

Tips for saving money on diving in Marsa Alam

• You can book Emperor Divers separately from your stay at Wadi Sabarah by using Emperor’s website for the dives and Booking.com for the hotel. If you have a solid Genius status with Booking.com, it will probably save you some money to book separately. If you don’t have status with Booking.com, it seems to me that the differences in Marsa Alam dive prices are negligible unless the dive shop or hotel is running a promotion.
• Emperor Divers offers discounts if you book packages for a certain number of days, which also comes with a discount on the daily gear rental.
• Pre-booked divers are cheaper than dives booked during your stay, so plan ahead if you can!
• If your dates are flexible, check different seasons for better prices.
  • Summer is a cheaper season because it’s so blazing hot
  • Fall is also a little more affordable because it’s shoulder season

If you’re looking for comprehensive info about the best time to visit Marsa Alam for seasonal wildlife (like turtles, dolphins, sharks, and mantas!) and details about the best dive sites, conditions, and beginner friendliness, check out my blog about the best time to visit Marsa Alam!

Emperor Diver’s Review (Marsa Alam)

We had a great time with Emperor Divers, and found them to be well-run and safety-focused—which is always my biggest concern with diving! It’s not a single-location dive shop, and actually has broader network of dive centers and liveaboards in the Red Sea, Maldives, and Indonesia.

Highlights of Emperor Divers

• Safety first: Safety briefings were thorough, clear, and taken seriously for every dive, with procedures and sites explained in detail
• Equipment quality: Rental gear was in good condition and properly fitted
• Organization and logistics: Signing up for extra dives and boat trips was straightforward, gear fitting was efficient, and dive schedules and groupings were well coordinated and ran on time
• Hyperbaric chamber nearby: If you’re a bit of a safety nut like me, you may be happy to know that there’s a hyperbaric chamber just 10 minutes from the dive shop!
• Marsa Alam dive prices: The prices were competitive with the rest of the shops in the area, and we had a great experience overall!
• Guide issue addressed perfectly: Not every dive day is perfect, and that’s just part of the sport. On the first day, our guide was too busy flirting with a girl in our group to engage the rest of us in the dives themselves, and underwater he got way too close to wildlife—a huge no no for me. We quietly asked to switch guides, and the staff handled it smoothly and professionally with zero drama. The new guide was fantastic: calm, knowledgeable, respectful of marine life, and a great reminder of how much a good guide can elevate a dive experience! Remember, it’s up to you to advocate for yourself if something isn’t working for you.

Lowlights of Emperor Divers

• Unclear shop hours: It wasn’t clear when the dive shop officially opened or closed, and we showed up around dinner time on our last night to settle our bill. The crew was on the way out and when we asked what time they opened in the morning so we could come back to pay, the response was super vague and a little impolite.
• Post-dive equipment handling: One afternoon, we waited for about 30 minutes (wet) after returning from a dive for our equipment to be delivered to the shop so we could rinse and hang it. Staff said we could leave and return later, but when we did, they were frustrated that we were among the last divers there. Clear communication around expectations would help avoid confusion (ie, “Come back between 4-5pm” or just a ballpark idea).

I hope this helped answer your questions about Marsa Alam dive prices! If not, please leave your questions in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer them.

Other scuba diving blogs

I hope this gave you the information you needed for scuba diving in Marsa Alam! If you’re looking for more scuba diving or outdoor adventure travel ideas, be sure to check out some of my related content!

• Where to go scuba diving in Egypt (no liveaboard!): FULL GUIDE to choosing between Marsa Alam, Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, & Hurghada
• My guide to diving with thresher sharks in Malapascua (cost breakdown, best dive shops, what to bring, etc!)
• My guide to scuba diving the Lanai Cathedrals in Maui, Hawaii
• I helped manta ray conservation efforts while scuba diving in Komodo, Indonesia. Here’s how any diver can do it, step by step!
• I went scuba diving with dugongs in Coron, Philippines. Here’s why I regret it.