Also sold as The classic north route
The Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas and the Strait of Gubal — the most-booked itinerary in Egypt and the right first liveaboard.
What it asks of you
Around 20 logged dives and reasonable buoyancy. Nitrox is useful but not essential. No overhead training needed for the standard route.
This is the itinerary that made Egyptian liveaboards a mass-market product, and it earns its popularity: shallow historic wrecks, moderate conditions, short crossings and a lot of diving.
A typical week runs north from Hurghada into the Strait of Gubal, works the Thistlegorm and Abu Nuhas, and takes in reef sites and a night dive or two around the sheltered anchorages. Some variants push north to Ras Mohammed and Tiran, which adds current and quality in equal measure.
For anyone whose diving has been from day boats, the difference is the sheer number of dives — four a day is normal, and the boat is already on the site when you wake up.
It is the busiest route in Egypt. On a good week in season there can be a dozen boats moored at the Thistlegorm at once, and you will be diving it with a queue on the shot line. That is the price of the most famous wreck in the world being three hours from a marina.