RAINBOW DIVERSNORTHERN CALIFORNIA
 

Red Sea and Egypt October 2026

  • 12 Oct 2026
  • 01 Nov 2026
  • Egypt

Registration

  • Due within 10 days of registration.
  • Due within 10 days of registration.
  • Due within 10 days of registration.

Register
Red Sea 2026 3 Weeks in Egypt


Women's Seaside Resort Week

Oct 12-19 2026


Mixed LGBTQ+ Liveaboard

Oct 19-26 2026


Nile Cruise with Cairo Tour

Oct 26-Nov 1 2026


$1995 per week,

if you book two of three



Join Maureen for a fun 3 weeks of relaxed resort diving, a week on the Red Sea, and a 1 week Nile, Luxor and Cairo tour. We begin this fun trip at Marsa Shagra Dive Village. 

Week 1, Marsa Shagra Dive Village

The facilities and focus are geared to the fantastic diving, both on the excellent house reef as well as the excursions a little further afield. You'll be amazed at the coral and unique fish species endemic to the Red Sea, and the viz of the warm water.

Bring a hat! The sun is intense and the rigid hull inflatable (RIB) dive boats are uncovered. Priced at just $1995 this women's only trip is a great value.

We're sharing the resort with the Undersea Expeditions Women's group to offer this exciting new destination, including ocean view accommodations, meals, and plenty of excellent diving. There are a variety of dive sites suitable to every level of experience, and it's easy to meet a dive buddy at the welcome party where you'll get to know this friendly group of women divers.

Package Includes:

  • Seven nights at Marsa Shagra Dive Village in an air-conditioned Deluxe Chalet
  • Three days guided dives, including first day orientation on house reef
  • Two days excursions: Elphinstone and Dolphin House
  • Six days unlimited house reef diving by RIB or shore entry
  • Scheduled group transfers from Hurghada or Marsa Alam airports
  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily
  • Tanks, weights and weight belt

Not included:

Airfare to Egypt, any additional beverages not listed above, rental equipment or instruction if needed, Nitrox if desired ($100/wk), dive and resort gratuities, and items of a personal nature. If we bring enough Rainbow Divers we'll earn a commission that we'll apply to your nitrox for the week.

Week 2, All Star Scuba Scene  

After a week of getting your sea legs in a relaxed environment, continue with us on our mixed LGBTQ+ liveaboard to explore offshore islands in the Red Sea.

A favorite of European divers, the Red Sea is rightfully considered one of the best scuba destinations in the world. Thousands of kilometers of coastline are blessed with extensive reef formations and islands. The underwater scenery is rich with coral-covered walls and beautiful "gardens". Over 400 varieties of coral and 1500 species of fish, turtles, and sharks inhabit the Red Sea.

Jacques Cousteau once said "The Red Sea is a corridor of marvels. The happiest hours of my diving experience have been spent there". That statement is as true today as it was when Jacques Cousteau explored here. Surrounded by desert, there is no runoff to cloud the crystal-clear waters.

We'll dive the top three offshore Marine Parks with shark scientist Dr. Elke Bojanowski, founder of the Red Sea Sharks non-profit. You'll need 50 logged dives to join us on this expedition, so plan ahead to be prepared! 

Planned Itinerary, Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone

Attention: This is an intermediate to advanced itinerary, with 50 logged dives required. We'll mostly dive from a live skiff, requiring a backward roll to enter the water, sometimes with a negative entry. All Star Scuba Scene skiffs are equipped with a sturdy ladder for ease of re-entry. You should have Advanced Open Water training and be comfortable with buddy diving, currents, descent and ascent without a visual reference, deploying an SMB from your safety stop, and hopefully large sharks!

Dive the top three Egyptian Marine Parks: Big and Little Brothers, Daedalus Reef and Elphinstone

The Brother Islands are the pinnacles of two undersea mountains rising from the depths of the abyss and are located about 60 miles offshore. Part of the Marine Park Islands National Park, these islands offer stunning wall diving, with the walls being covered in soft corals and forests of gorgonians, creating a kaleidoscope of ever-changing colours. They attract a diverse array of marine species and large pelagics. Large tuna, jacks and snappers cruise in the blue, accompanied by occasional hammerheads, silvertips, silky and oceanic white tip sharks and mantas. Even the rare thresher shark can be found here. Sightings of the grey reef shark are almost guaranteed on the North and South Plateau of Small Brother.For the wreck diver, the wrecks of the Aida II, an Egyptian supply vessel, and the Numidia, a cargo ship, lie on the walls of the Big Brother. Both are covered in a rich growth of soft and hard corals. Marine life includes a family of Napoleon wrasse and grey reef sharks.

Daedalus Reef, also part of the Marine Park, is a large, oval reef with a lighthouse and is the furthest offshore reef in the Egyptian Red Sea. Its deep walls and drop-offs offer some of the most spectacular diving to be found. Daedalus has mountainous, pristine, hard coral formations. There is also a chance of spotting scallopped hammerheads and grey reef sharks, usually deep this time of year.

Elphinstone, with its sheer walls covered in soft corals, offers a likely encounter with oceanic white tip sharks.

Please note the itinerary is an example of the planned route, and the order and dive sites are not guaranteed. All dives sites are subject to weather conditions and the final route is at the absolute discretion of the captain and dive guides.

Package includes:

  • Seven nights aboard thAll Star Scuba Scene in air-conditioned double occupancy staterooms with private bath
  • Transfer in Hurghada to ship and back on scheduled arrival and departure days
  • Meals and fresh fruit between meals
  • Non-alcoholic beverages
    Three dives a day Tuesday-Saturday, conditions permitting, with two dives on Sunday morning
  • Night dives are not permitted in offshore marine parks so only two are offered on this itinerary
  • Transfer in Hurghada to ship and back on scheduled arrival and departure days
  • Meals and fresh fruit between meals
  • Non-alcoholic beverages
  • Three dives a day Tuesday-Saturday, conditions permitting, with two dives on Sunday morning
  • Night dives are not permitted in offshore marine parks so only two are offered on this itinerary
  • Tanks, weights and weight belt


Not included:

Airfare to Hurghada, any extra nights in Hurghada, visa on arrival (currently US$25), training or equipment rental if needed, Nitrox ($100 for the week), Port & Park fees, crew gratuity in cash, and dive and travel insurance (required for this expedition). As a non-profit we'll kick back any commission dollars we earn, usually by paying for your Nitrox.

Week 3, Luxor and Aswan Nile Tour Plus Cairo

After diving the fantastic Red Sea, experience the wonders of Ancient Egypt on a fabulous Nile cruise followed by exciting Cairo!

From our live aboard we'll be transferred across the Eastern Sahara to Luxor, where you'll be amazed by the Temple of Karnak, the Valley of Kings, and the temple of Queen Hatshepsut. There we'll board our small cruise ship for a four-night adventure up the Nile accompanied by our own English-speaking Egyptologist, stopping along the way at stunning temples built on the banks of the river. After our cruise, we'll fly to Cairo to visit the Giza Pyramids and the new Grand Egyptian Museum.

"All Egypt is the gift of the Nile." - Herodotus

Travel with us to experience Egypt in comfort, safety, and style!

Luxor to Aswan Nile Cruise Highlights:

The Temple of Karnak

Built in the 20th century B.C., it is the biggest of the ancient Egyptian temples and was the seat of the god Amun, and the administrative capital of the country. A visit to the temple begins at the sacred quay, decorated with a Nilometer showing flood levels of the Nile and then passes through an avenue, bordered by statues of ram-headed sphinxes, to the temple itself. Inside the temple there is an open courtyard with a smaller temple on the left-hand side. Then there is a large hypostyle hall, built during the reigns of Seti I and Rameses II, containing 134 pillars, twelve of which are topped with capitals in the form of open papyrus flowers.

The Luxor Temple

Built by Amenhotep III as a private residence for god Amun, but Rameses II later added statues of himself to either side of the temple: two seated and two standing. Inside there is an open coutyard built by Rameses II, comprising a pillared colonnade; and a second courtyard by Amenhotep III with pillars decorated with papyrus designs. The Luxor Museum contains a remarkable collection of ancient Egyptian sculpture found during the course of restoration at the Karnak and Luxor temples.

The Valley of the Kings

This site contains a large number of tombs of the Kings and Pharoahs, including the tombs of: Seti I, Rameses II, Horemheb and Tutankhamun, which was the only tomb to be discovered intact.

The Temple of Edfu

This temple dates to the Ptolemaic period and is the largest and most complete of the different temples situated along the banks of the Nile. It is located in the city of Edfu. It was a center of the cult of Horus.

The Temple of Kom Ombo

The double temple dates to the Ptolemaic period and its inscriptions contain references to the Ptolemies and to the Roman Emperors, Domitian, Trajan, and Caracalla.

Optional Abu Simbel Flight Excursion:
Visit the stunning temple of Abu Simbel, an entire mountain face moved above the rising waters of Lake Nasser after the completion of the Aswan High Dam.

Followed by Cairo Highlights:

  • The Great Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) – The Great Pyramid is situated in Giza and is one of the Seven Wonders on the World. Cheops, the second Pharaoh of the IVth Dynasty, built it. It once rose to a height of 146 meters. Owing to natural wear and tear, however, its present height is 137 m.
  • The Sphinx – The Sphinx is one of the most famous monuments of ancient Egypt. It stands as a guardian of the ancient necropolis.
  • The new Grand Egyptian Museum, including the golden mask of King Tutankhamen

Included:

  • Four-night Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan, including meals and guided sightseeing.
  • Two nights hotel in Cairo, double occupancy, and sightseeing
  • Tourist site entrance fees
  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on cruise. Daily breakfast, two lunches, and two dinners in Cairo.
  • English speaking guide throughout

Not Included:

  • International and domestic airfare
  • Optional flight excursion to Abu Simbel if desired (currently $375)
  • Egyptian Visa ($25 upon arrival)
  • Travel Insurance (required for this expedition)
  • Any additional hotel nights before the land resort, the liveaboard or in Cairo
Payments:
  • $500 deposit for each week you choose
  • We'll generate your invoice and payment schedule
  • Final payments 4 months before the trip
  • Cancellations are generally non-refundable
  • Buy trip insurance if you think you might have to cancel

About Rainbow Divers

Rainbow Divers is a 501(c)7 non-profit mutual benefit organization, and can only organize activities and trips for its members. Membership is cheap and comes with a bunch of new lifelong friends at no extra charge. So if you’d like to participate in this trip, please join us.

Payments are due within 10 days of sign up, and are generally non-refundable. If you sign up and your plans change there may or may not be someone interested in taking your spot. If you cancel without having made all payments it is your responsibility to find someone to pay your obligation in full. It is a very good idea to carry trip insurance to cover such an eventuality.

Trip payments may be made by credit card, Zelle or by personal check.

Divers are required to carry valid, in-force dive accident insurance, such as may be obtained from Divers' Alert Network (DAN).

Divers must agree to NCRD's Event Terms and Conditions to participate in this trip.

Event Terms and Conditions.pdf

Rainbow Divers Liability Release

© Northern California Rainbow Divers
Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software