Two numbers do most of the work when you are planning a Red Sea day with children. The first is the age limit, and only one operator in Hurghada publishes one. The second is the price unit: because the boats are sold per hull, a child on board costs nothing at all until you reach the island gate.
From what age can a child dive?
Ten, at Diving Star, on the Discover Scuba programme — two dives to a maximum of 7 metres with an instructor, equipment included, €45. That is the only published age limit among the twelve diving programmes in Hurghada.
What if the school does not publish an age?
The other centres do not state one. If you want a child in the water with a tank, ask us and we will get the school’s written answer before the booking is taken. The same applies to the three kite schools, none of which publishes a minimum age either.
What does a child cost on a boat?
On the four boat tours, nothing: €100, €150 and €160 buy the hull outright: eight seats at Serenity, while Bullet does not publish a limit for this particular trip, and Serenity states on its booking page that two, three or four guests pay the same €150. On the two Egyptboats charters the child costs €5 at the island gate against €10 for an adult — the only place on this coast where a child rate is printed at all.
| Trip | Price | Child rate | Hotel transfer | Food on board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange Bay half day, Bullet | from €100 per boat | no separate rate | no | bring your own |
| Dolphin House, Serenity | €150 per boat | no separate rate | included | soft drinks included |
| Orange Bay, Serenity | from €160 per boat | no separate rate | included | soft drinks; no lunch |
| ‘Thunder VIP’, Egyptboats | €240 per boat | no separate rate; €5 island entry per child | included | snacks and drinks |
| ‘Mirage Pool’, Egyptboats | €540 per boat | no separate rate; €5 island entry per child | included | lunch, fruit, snacks, drinks |
Which day is easiest with small children?
The one that starts and ends at your hotel door. Serenity’s four-hour Dolphin House trip and its Orange Bay trip both include pickup and drop-off, soft drinks, a guide and photos; life jackets are named in the inclusions of the Orange Bay trip but not of the Dolphin House one, and we take that in writing before booking.
Four hours is also about as long as a small child will enjoy an open boat. The Bullet trips are cheaper and faster but start at Hurghada Marina Boulevard at 09:00 with no pickup and no food, which turns a family morning into a logistics exercise.
And the day that suits a large family?
The ‘Mirage Pool’ yacht at €540 per boat takes up to fourteen from 09:00 to 16:30, with lunch, fruit, snacks, drinks, hotel transfers and all fees and taxes included, plus a private snorkelling guide. At full load that is €38.57 a head for a whole day with meals — the only trip out of Hurghada where a big group eats aboard rather than buying lunch on an island.
Boats are sold per hull, so a child adds nothing to the boat price — only €5 at the island gate on the two charters.
What do you carry?
Sunscreen, hats, towels and a dry bag on every boat — the speedboats are open and fast, and children get wet whether or not they planned to. Cash for island entry (€10 adult, €5 child) on the two charters, and cash for the €5 per person per day marine park fee if anyone in the family is diving. On the Bullet trips, all the food and water for the day.
What can a child do without going underwater?
Snorkelling equipment is included on all four boat tours and the snorkelling stops are optional on every one of them; life jackets are named on both Bullet trips and on the Serenity Orange Bay trip, but not on the Serenity trip to Dolphin House, which we confirm before booking, so a child can spend the day on deck and still be in the water when they want to be.
A try dive at €45 remains the only route below the surface with a published age, and it caps the depth at 7 metres.
Updated 3 September 2026. Prices, durations, age limits and inclusions are taken from the operators’ cards.
