Last Updated: October 14, 2022
Ever wanted to dive deep down into the ocean on a real submarine, but never fancied actually joining the navy? Well we have good news. There are real submarines dotted around the world where families can hop on board and dive into the depths of the ocean!
There’s only a handful of places across the world where these submarines for tourists are located. And Hurghada in Egypt is one of said places.
So if you’re in Egypt, and want to experience diving deep below the sea, without getting wet, then you will want to get down do Sindbad Submarines in Hurghada for an amazing aquatic adventure!
This is certainly one of the more unique things to do in Hurghada with kids.
And it’s great for families with young kids who maybe can’t or don’t want to do a scuba dive. As this can be a great alternative to still experience the deep blue sea!
Where is Sinbad Submarines?
Sindbad Submaries is in the the Red Sea Resort area of Hurghada. Hurghada is on the east coast of the mainland of Egypt.
It’s a popular holiday destination for both international and Egyptian families. Because of this it is very accessible with lots of places to stay.
You can read more about getting to Hurghada amongst other advice in our Hurghada Guide for Families.
Sindbad Submarines is an entity of the Sindbad Club Hotel. Which is located in the Touristic Villages Area, on Village Road, in between Little Buddha Nightclub and Buffalo Burger Restaurant.
It is in the Hurghada City. So if you are located in one of the bays you will need to get into the city first to get to the experience.
The submarine itself is based out at sea (shocking I know). And you will get over to it by boat (more on this below).
Are there other Submarines in Hurghada?
Sindbad Submarines offers the only real submarine experience in Hurghada.
You might find some other companies claiming to be submarines, down at the marina for example. But these are more likely to be the ‘semi-submarines’. Which are basically boats that have a underwater viewing deck down below.
So be sure to double check if someone offers a submarine tour.
Whilst there is nothing wrong with the semi-submarines and they can be fun, if you are after the authentic real submarine experience then you will want to go with Sindbad Submarines.
How do you Book the Sindbad Submarine Experience?
Booking can be done online, although the only way to do it online seems to be through a tour company such as Viator or other similar companies. They usually include hotel collection etc. which bunks up the price. But it is a good choice if you want everything taken care of.
The alternative is to just head to the booking desk. It’s located outside the Sindbad Club Hotel at the address above. You’ll see a large model submarine just outside the hotel and then a desk next to it.
Booking at the desk means you can just get the price for the submarine alone and make your own way there. Which is likely to be cheaper.
Also if you have done the visa extension and have a resident card, take this with you as you will get a about a half price discount.
Booking online with a tour will be in the region of $50 per adult and $30 per child. At the desk you will be looking at around $35 per adult and $20 per child without the hotel pick up.
‘Infants’, which are classed as under 5s, are free. We managed to get away with our 5 year old as an infant. It does mean you don’t have a seat for them, but that’s no big deal as he just shared the same space as his big brother and there was plenty of room.
There are numerous time slots throughout the day to take the trip. Mornings are supposedly better for seeing the sea life.
What’s the Sindbad Submarine Experience like?
Getting to the Dock
First thing you need to do is get to the dock. If you’ve gone for the pickup included ticket then you need not worry. The transport will collect you from your hotel and take you down.
If you’re getting there yourself, the entrance to the dock is opposite the ticket desk outside the Sinbad Club Hotel.
Just head over the road and down the small alley way to the beach. You might have to show your ticket when you head down as this is the private beach for the Sindbad Club guests.
When you get down to the dock there will be a small desk that will check your ticket. You will then receive a boarding card for the boat as well as a lanyard for the submarine, which will have your seat number on.
The seats seem to get given out in order from front to back, so get there early to try to nab a front seat by the cockpit. It doesn’t make a huge difference to be honest, but if you want a little extra viewing window.
The staff will let you know when you are ready and the first thing you do is board a boat. A boat? you say, we thought this was a submarine trip? Don’t worry, this is just a transport to take you out to the deeper part of the sea ready for your dive.
The Boat to the Submarine
On the way the staff will share some information about what to expect on the submarine.
It takes about 30 minutes and there is a toilet and snack shop on board (massively overpriced snack shop I should add!). The boat trip is a nice little warm up for the sub. Cruising the ocean and looking below to the deep blue, where you will soon be entering!
Enjoy the views of the ocean as you cruise along in anticipation of the sub. After the half hour trip you will arrive at the dock and see the submarine ready for you to board!
You’ll walk over the dock and then climb down the ladder into the vessel!
If you’re not a fan of heights and/or ladders (as Nadia isn’t) then don’t look down. Although it’s not an enormous drop, just a bit of an awkward climb.
The Submarine Dive
Find your seats which are numbered on little black disks on the windows. It’s not the digital screen you will see, these numbers represent other things like depth etc. so don’t get confused.
Once you have your seats settle in and get ready. Once the everyone’s in and the hatch is closed it’s time to dive!
There is a screen monitor where you can see the outside of the sub so you can see it submerging into the water. There is a large window for every two seats all the way along to see the sea life, where you will see lots of fish and some sunken treasures!
You will head along a reef for 20 minutes turn around and come back. The reef side is where most of the fish are, but as you turn and come back the same way both sides of the sub will get twenty minutes viewing of the main area.
This is announced on the transport boat, but some people clearly didn’t listen as they seemed to be getting agitated that there side had nothing to see until it turned round and then they calmed down. So don’t be one of those people. You will get your turn!
As you crawl along the sea floor you will see lots of fish of various types. There is a poster above the window which shows the fish and their names of the various breeds you might see. Our kids loved trying to spot all the different types of fish and matching them up to the poster.
Divers will also swim along side the sub and maybe try to take your photo through the windows, just shake your head and they will move in if you don’t want one.
As well as the fish you can spot some interesting shipwrecks (possibly placed there, but I’ve decided ignorance is bliss on this). We saw a crows nest, treasure chest and a unicorn statue?
On the opposite side of the reef you will stare out to the deep blue sea. I actually found this a little eerie and unsettling, just waiting to see a large tentacle come out of the haze from the kraken! But not this time…
Returning to Shore
So once the experience is over you will re-emerge, climb out of the hatch and back over the dock to the transport boat. On the way back we were given complimentary juices and even a little certificate, which was a nice memento for the kids.
Once the boat docks you will head back into the same transport if you had this included.
If you’re making your own way home and still looking for something to do, the Hurghada Bowling Center is just around the corner. So you could head here for some family fun. You can read more about this and other activities in our favourite things to do in Hurghada post.
The whole experience is really great funs for kids and quite a unique thing to do. So definitely something we would recommend for families.
Is the Submarine ok for Claustrophobic People?
This is a difficult question to answer as it really depends on the individual. I’m a little claustrophobic myself, and was a little bit nervous about the trip. But I really wanted to do it and knew the kids wold love it so there was no way I wasn’t gong to try.
When I got in I quickly realised I had nothing to worry about.
They don’t pack you in like sardines and there is plenty of room both above you and either side. So the small space issue shouldn’t be a problem if you or your kids are concerned about this. You will probably have more room than most buses you’ve ever been on.
If you’re still a little unsure then just speak to the staff when you arrive and then get in nice and early to get a feel for the space. If you then don’t want to proceed you can get off before they close the hatch and just wait at the dock for your party to return as it comes back to the same place.