Travelling around South Sinai does not need to be stressful. It can be safe, enjoyable, affordable, and relatively easy when you know how things work. 

Travelling To and From Dahab 

If you are taking a trip to or from the airport in Sharm El Sheikh or another town in the Sinai there are several ways to travel. 

Taxis 

In many situations, this is the easiest option. It’s recommended to book a taxi in advance if you are arriving at the airport and wish to travel directly to Dahab – it’s much cheaper and less stressful than finding transportation once you arrive.      

There are reliable drivers who run an excellent service, such as Sayed. You can contact him on WhatsApp (+20)01006934278 or call him. He speaks Arabic and decent English and can arrange a taxi at the very last minute. Currently, the price to Sharm El Sheikh (the airport or main city) is 1,000 EGP. Nabq is an extra fee. 

Other places such as Nuweiba and St Catherine’s vary – contact the driver to get the latest prices. 

Public Transport 

Microbus at Go Bus Station, Dahab

If you are travelling to Sharm El Sheikh, El Tor or Cairo you can take a coach or microbus:

• Cairo: Go Bus is recommended, although there is also We Bus, Blue Bus and the East Delta Bus Company available. You can check times and prices on their websites. 

• Sharm El Sheikh: there are a few buses each day, run by East Delta. The bus station for this company is in Medina. Going to Sharm is usually pretty easy and runs fairly on time. Returning from Sharm to Dahab by bus is more tricky. Although there are bus times, these buses come from Cairo first and are often very late, so you end up waiting for a long time for their arrival. 

• St Catherine’s: To travel here by public transport is tricky. You would need to book a ticket to Cairo, ensuring the bus goes via St Catherine’s and not Sharm El Sheikh. Then leave the bus at the checkpoint, and try to find a car to take you the remaining 10km into the town. If you are travelling in a group, it’s probably easier and cheaper to take a taxi.

• Nuweiba: At the moment, there are no public buses running to Nuweiba, but check with East Delta Bus Company as this may change. 

X-ray Machines

Due to the sensitive situation in the Sinai, there are several X-ray machines that cars and coaches must drive through. These are located on both entrances to Sharm El Sheikh, in addition to either side of the Ahmed Hamdy Tunnel that runs under the Suez Canal, on the way to Cairo. If you wish to avoid going through these machines, you can ask to be let out beforehand and walk around them. This is particularly advisable for pregnant women and children. If you do this, only take the minimum amount of things with you and leave your bags on the coach. You will need to be alert – sometimes the driver asks if anyone wants to get out, but other times you need to inform them you wish to walk around the machine. 

Travelling within Dahab 

Dahab is fairly compact. Most places can be reached within a half hour walk. However getting from one end to another in a short space of time require some assistance: 

Bicycles

This is one of the most common and popular forms of transport, allowing you to travel around the town independently and quickly. There are a number of places around town hire and fix bikes.

If you are staying for a longer period you may want to buy a new or second-hand bike. A bike is straightforward to sell at the end of your stay if you advertise it at a reasonable price. 

Taxis

Most taxis in Dahab are pickup trucks or jeeps. The tray at the back is very useful for extra people or luggage. You can tell they are taxis as they will have a sticker on the side of the car with a number somewhere between 1 and 999. In addition, drivers will often slow down when they see people and pip the horn or say ‘Taxi?’. If you don’t want one you can reply ‘Shukran’ (thank you in Arabic). Inside Dahab, taxis cost between 30-80EGP for a ride. If you are heading somewhere further afield, such as Blue Hole, expect to pay around 250EGP.

Car Rental

It’s possible to rent a car from Holiday Car Rentals near Clock Square, but it isn’t super cheap. It is only useful if you plan to take a trip to Sharm El Sheikh, Ras Mohammed or Nuweiba and wish to drive yourself.