Northern wrecks and reefs
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.
- Season
- Year-round, though winter northerlies reroute more weeks than operators like to mention.
- Length
- Usually 7 nights, 6 diving days, around 18–20 dives.
- Departs
- Hurghada
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.
What you dive
- The Thistlegorm, usually twice — once outside, once through the holds
- The Abu Nuhas wrecks, commonly two or three in a day
- Ras Mohammed and the Strait of Tiran on some variants
- Shallow, sheltered night dives
Site guides
Suits
- A first liveaboard
- Wreck divers, and anyone who has read about the Thistlegorm
- Divers who want depth and current kept moderate
- Photographers — the wrecks are shallow enough for long bottom times
The catch
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.