AFRICA · SCUBA DIVING

The 15 Best Scuba Diving Trips in Africa

27 tours  ·  from $11 a head

Warm water, no current worth worrying about, and wrecks close enough for a morning. The 15 below cover Hurghada, Sharm, Cape Town and the Indian Ocean, priced by dive count and clear on what certification each needs.

Discover Scuba Diving - What happens during the pool session
Scuba Diving, Scuba Diving in Egypt, Scuba Diving in Sharm El Sheikh, Tour Reviews, Tours in Egypt, Tours in Sharm El Sheikh

Discover Scuba Diving

1.Discover Scuba Diving

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,676 reviews · from $127Our pick

Spend about four hours learning scuba basics with a PADI instructor, then practice in the pool and from Sharm el Sheikh’s shore. Equipment, drinks, lunch, and return hotel transfers are included. Mohammad is named as an instructor, while Sabrina helps with booking and trip details.

“Wonderful team from start to finish Sabrina made booking easy and messaged me with everything I need to bring, to the dive Mohammad was a wonderful instructor with his patience and professionalism it made it an enjoyable experience, I would highly recommend”

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Sharm El Sheikh: Ras Mohamed & White Island Dive & Snorkel - Hotel pickup and the ride to the marina
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Sharm El Sheikh: Ras Mohamed & White Island Dive & Snorkel

2.Ras Mohamed & White Island Dive & Snorkel

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,280 reviews · 9 hours · from $29

Spend about nine hours with The Wave Diving Center aboard a three-level yacht from Sharm El Sheikh. You can snorkel at two Ras Mohamed sites, try a 10 to 15 minute beginner scuba session, and visit White Island. Instructors including Kareem, Moaaz, Sam, Sayed, and Salah have helped nervous first-timers feel at ease.

“The reef is absolutely beautiful! Full of life and colors. There are two stops where you can enjoy the underwater life as well as one for the White Island. The guide and the stuff of the boat (Casablanca) are insanely helpful. I had some issues with coming to the water because of the fear of deep Waters, however no one hesitated to encourage me with the big smile and kind words. Finally thanks to them I got in and made beautiful memories :) we loved the trip!”

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Hurghada: Snorkeling 6 x 1 to Orange Bay w Diving & Massage - Getting from your hotel to the marina
Hammam & Spa Experiences, Hammam and Spa Experiences in Hurghada, Orange Bay & Red Sea Island Trips, Scuba Diving, Scuba Diving in Egypt, Scuba Diving in Hurghada, Snorkeling, Snorkeling in Egypt, Snorkeling in Hurghada, Tour Reviews, Tours in Egypt, Tours in Hurghada

Hurghada: Snorkeling 6 x 1 to Orange Bay w Diving & Massage

3.Snorkeling 6 x 1 to Orange Bay w Diving & Massage

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,266 reviews · 8h 30m · from $62

Join Royal Cruise Hurghada for an 8.5-hour yacht trip with pickup, two snorkeling stops, a beginner scuba session, Orange Bay, banana boat rides, buffet lunch, drinks, and a back massage. Guides speak English, German, Arabic, and Russian. Andrew, Fox, and Bassam are among the crew members praised for friendly, careful instruction.

“It was fantastic from start to finish! Despite never diving before, all of the guides made us feel very secure and fully educated on how to use the equipment! Super friendly staff and instructors who did whatever they could to make you feel welcome! Diving and two snorkeling sites, plus lunch AND a massage! No complaints at all! I will happily rebook and would highly recommend!”

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Intro Diving 2 Stops For Beginners with Pick-up and Lunch - Hurghada - Equipment fitting and the first lesson
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Intro Diving 2 Stops For Beginners with Pick-up and Lunch – Hurghada

4.Intro Diving 2 Stops For Beginners with Pick-up and Lunch – Hurghada

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,146 reviews · from $40

Start with hotel pickup, equipment fitting, and a short lesson before making two guided 15-minute scuba descents in the Red Sea. Instructors such as Bassiouni and Badr stay close to beginners, while the boat provides lunch, water, soft drinks, and hot drinks. Check transfer fees and the cash marine tax before booking.

“Everything was sound from pickup on time , very nice and modern boat , safety briefing outstanding group of professionals on the dive and all the crew on the boat very kind and ready to help.”

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Intro Diving Beginner and Discover Red Sea Underwater - From hotel pickup to the Hurghada marina
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Intro Diving Beginner and Discover Red Sea Underwater

5.Intro Diving Beginner and Discover Red Sea Underwater

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,092 reviews · 8 hours · from $61

Spend eight hours exploring two Red Sea sites near Hurghada with a professional instructor. You will learn to use scuba gear, make two short underwater sessions, enjoy snorkeling and a buffet lunch, and return by boat. Guides including Badr, Joo, Shady, and Islam are often assigned to beginners. Hotel pickup, equipment, tea, and coffee are included.

“We had a great diving trip. It was my first diving session. Everything was explained very slow and all questions have been answered with pations. The equipment was ok. I would do this tour again and can recommend it for beginners. Special fact for me was that i had a privat teacher.”

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From Hermanus or Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving Experience - Starting the morning with breakfast in Gansbaai
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From Hermanus or Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving Experience

6.From Hermanus or Cape Town: Shark Cage Diving Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 684 reviews · 4.5 - 10 hours · from $137

Travel from Cape Town or Hermanus to Gansbaai for a shark cage experience led by an experienced skipper, marine guide, and boat crew. After breakfast and a safety briefing, spend 2 to 4 hours at sea watching bronze whalers and other sharks. A six-person cage, wetsuit, lunch, hot showers, and a certificate are included.

“This activity was really fun. From the transportation , to the skipper and the marine biologists on board who answered all our questions, made us feel safe and gave great directions. Overall a 10/10 experience.”

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PADI Open Water Diver Course - Five confined-water sessions before the Red Sea
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PADI Open Water Diver Course

7.PADI Open Water Diver Course

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 626 reviews · from $411

Spend three to four days learning scuba with a PADI professional in Sharm el Sheikh. You’ll complete five theory sessions, five confined-water sessions, and four Red Sea dives, with equipment, meals, soft drinks, hotel transfers, and bottled water included. E-learning, certification, and the manual cost extra.

“Great experience getting out PADI Advanced Open Water Certification with Rahma. Sharm El-Sheik is absolutely stunning. I would strongly suggest skipping the shore diving the first day and have the boat dive the two days”

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Scuba Diving Full Day Boat Trip for beginners With Lunch & Transfer – Hurghada - Lunch on the boat and time to catch your breath
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Scuba Diving Full Day Boat Trip for beginners With Lunch & Transfer – Hurghada

8.Scuba Diving Full Day Boat Trip for beginners With Lunch & Transfer – Hurghada

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 580 reviews · from $24

Join instructors such as Sultan, Mustafa, Hossum, Captain Osama, or Mimo for an eight-hour Red Sea boat trip from Hurghada. Beginners receive patient guidance at a shallow site, while experienced scuba users can explore a deeper area. Hotel transfers, equipment, lunch, drinks, and two stops are included.

“Very professional instructors with amazing friendly staff. It was our first dive and we had an amazing experience that we will never forget. Highly recommend!!!”

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Shark Cage Diving and Viewing with transport from Cape Town - The road to Gansbaai and the Great White House
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Shark Cage Diving and Viewing with transport from Cape Town

9.Shark Cage Diving and Viewing with transport from Cape Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 576 reviews · from $251

Travel from Cape Town to Gansbaai, enjoy breakfast at the Great White House, then head toward Dyer Island aboard a shark boat. A marine guide explains local species before you enter a surface cage a few feet below the water. Expect bronze whalers, sevengills, seals, stingrays, and possibly great whites, but sightings are never guaranteed.

“The clear view of the sharks, the fun ride out to the cage and the kind professional crew. We were well informed and kept warm after being in the cage.”

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From Sharm: Ras Muhammed & White Island By Boat & intro Dive - The morning pickup from Sharm El Sheikh
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From Sharm: Ras Muhammed & White Island By Boat & intro Dive

10.Ras Muhammed & White Island By Boat & intro Dive

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 493 reviews · from $43

Spend a full day sailing from Sharm El Sheikh to Ras Muhammad and White Island. Follow guides such as Abanoub, Emad, Bishoy, or Mohamed for snorkeling and a 10-minute introductory scuba session, then enjoy a buffet lunch, soft drinks, and time in the Red Sea.

“Imad and Majid were great as was the rest of the crew, Lovely day definitely will book again thank you so much”

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Cape Town: Gansbaai Eco-Friendly Shark Cage Diving Cruise - Breakfast, briefing, and the Great White House
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Cape Town: Gansbaai Eco-Friendly Shark Cage Diving Cruise

11.Gansbaai Eco-Friendly Shark Cage Diving Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 326 reviews · 6 - 10 hours · from $237

Travel from Cape Town to Gansbaai for a supervised cage encounter with bronze whaler sharks. Marine Dynamics provides transport, meals, equipment, an onboard marine biologist, and a visit to the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary. Great whites are not guaranteed, but whales, seals, stingrays, dolphins, and seabirds may appear.

“The tour was great, we were able to see 5 sharks and 1 seal, the sharks are in front of you while you are in the cage, we enjoyed a lot!”

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Half-Day White Shark Cage Diving from Gansbaai - What the boat portion is really like
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Half-Day White Shark Cage Diving from Gansbaai

12.Half-Day White Shark Cage Diving from Gansbaai

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 310 reviews · from $166

Meet at 7:00 am in Van Dyks Bay for a roughly three-hour great white shark cage trip with White Shark Projects. You receive breakfast, gear, towels, refreshments, a light lunch, and a hot shower afterward. The small group, capped at 20 people, gives you close support, though shark sightings and sea conditions can vary.

“Once in a lifetime experience! My youngest, who is 9, also loved the experience!!!”

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Hurghada: Luxury Orange Bay w/Snorkeling, Massage and Diving - Snorkeling around Giftun Island
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Hurghada: Luxury Orange Bay w/Snorkeling, Massage and Diving

13.Luxury Orange Bay w/Snorkeling, Massage and Diving

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 278 reviews · 8h 30m · from $58

Spend a full day on a small-group yacht from Hurghada, with early access to Orange Bay, guided snorkeling, an introductory scuba session, massage, lunch, and a banana boat ride. Guides such as Andrew, Salam, Sebastian, and Fox have been praised for friendly, careful service, while photographer Selim can capture underwater pictures for an extra fee.

“fantastic tour from start to finish, the snorkelling was out of this world and the massage was a nice touch, all of the guides were very attentive and helpful, we would definitely go again”

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Hurghada: Scuba Diving for Beginners & Certified Divers - What the first session feels like
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Hurghada: Scuba Diving for Beginners & Certified Divers

14.Scuba Diving for Beginners & Certified Divers

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 223 reviews · from $30

Spend a full day at sea from Hurghada with two scuba sessions, two snorkeling stops, lunch, and unlimited soft and hot drinks. Beginners receive careful instruction, while licensed participants can choose the certified option for an extra €25. The crew, including team members such as Nassr, helps nervous first-timers settle in.

“Omar, yousef, baschar Today was an epic day filled with adventure! We went quad biking through the desert and it was such a blast. The sun was shining, the wind in our hair, and the speed... wow! We raced across the sand dunes, felt the adrenaline pumping through our veins, and enjoyed the beautiful scenery around us. It was an experience I'll never forget!”

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From Hermanus: Cruise with Shark Cage Dive and Lunch - Starting at Kleinbaai Harbour
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From Hermanus: Cruise with Shark Cage Dive and Lunch

15.Cruise with Shark Cage Dive and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 184 reviews · 1 day · from $168

Spend about three hours at sea near Shark Alley, watching sharks from the boat and taking turns in a protective cage. White Shark Ventures supplies wetsuits, masks, meals, drinks, snacks, and a safety briefing. No experience is needed. Bring motion sickness medicine, swimwear, a towel, and patience for changing sea conditions.

“great crew, loads of sharks, what more could you want”

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New in Scuba Diving

★ 5.0Full-Day Diving Tour with Lunch & Two Dive SitesFrom $2682 reviews
★ 4.9Discover Scuba DivingFrom $13581 reviews
★ 4.3Hurghada, Professionals Diving in Open Water Tour with LunchFrom $7280 reviews
★ 4.21, 2, 3, 4, or, 5-Day Scuba Diving PackageFrom $5890 reviews
★ 4.63-Day PADI Open Water Diving CourseFrom $41278 reviews
★ 4.8El Gouna Lagoon, Diving with Dolphin, Snorkeling & LunchFrom $56100 reviews

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