Short answer: fly into Sharm El Sheikh (SSH), 90 km south of Dahab, and take a pre-booked transfer or an agreed-price taxi: about 1.5 hours and roughly USD 30-70 for the car. From Cairo, the overnight bus takes 9-10 hours for USD 12-18, or you fly Cairo to Sharm in about 70 minutes. Bring your original passport: there are several police checkpoints on every road into Dahab.
We live and work in Dahab, and every guest who joins our hikes or stays in our homes has made one of these trips. Here is what actually works, with October 2026 prices. Prices move fast in Egypt, so treat them as a guide and confirm before you travel.
All the ways to Dahab at a glance
| From | How | Time | Rough cost (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharm El Sheikh airport (SSH) | Pre-booked transfer or taxi | about 1.5 h | USD 30-70 per car |
| Sharm El Sheikh bus station | Blue Bus or East Delta | about 1.5-2 h | USD 3-5 per person |
| Cairo | Overnight bus (Go Bus, Blue Bus) | 9-10 h | USD 12-18 per person |
| Cairo | Minivan (We Bus) | about 6.5 h | about USD 15 per person |
| Cairo | Flight to Sharm + transfer | about 5 h door to door | USD 50-120 flight + the car |
| Cairo | Private car | 7-9 h | USD 150-250 per car |
| Taba border (from Jordan or Israel) | Taxi | about 2 h | USD 60-70 per car |
| Nuweiba (ferry from Aqaba) | Taxi | about 1 h | agree the price first |
From Sharm El Sheikh airport to Dahab
This is how most visitors arrive. The road follows the coast and then cuts through the mountains for about 90 km. Plan on 1.5 hours, a little more if the checkpoint is busy.
- Pre-booked transfer: the calm option after a long flight. A driver waits at arrivals with your name, from about USD 30 for the car. Book it a day or two ahead.
- Airport taxi: no meters. Drivers often open at USD 45-70 for foreigners. Agree the full price for the car, not per person, before your bag goes in the boot.
- Bus: the cheapest way, USD 3-5, but buses leave from Sharm’s bus station, not the airport, so you need a short taxi first (about EGP 50-80). Two or three departures a day; check the timetable on bluebus.com.eg or eastdelta-travel.com before you count on one.
- Ride apps: Uber does not run in Sharm El Sheikh; inDrive does.
Take Egyptian pounds from the ATMs at the airport. Drivers accept dollars or euros, but at their own exchange rate.
From Cairo to Dahab
Overnight bus. Go Bus (go-bus.com, hotline 19567) and Blue Bus (bluebus.com.eg, hotline 16128) run Cairo to Dahab for about USD 12-18. A typical night bus leaves around 23:00 and arrives around 08:00. Book 1-2 days ahead in high season and pay by card for an e-ticket. The We Bus minivan is faster, about 6.5 hours.
Fly to Sharm. EgyptAir, Air Cairo and Nile Air fly Cairo to Sharm in about 70 minutes, from about USD 50 if you book early. Add the transfer above and you are in Dahab in about 5 hours from door to door.
Private car or self-drive. A private car costs about USD 150-250 and takes 7-9 hours. If you rent a car in Cairo, tell the rental company you are driving into Sinai: many need notice and charge extra for it.
From Jordan, Israel or Saint Catherine
- Taba border: about 2 hours north of Dahab. A taxi is about USD 60-70; arrange it before you cross.
- Ferry from Aqaba: boats from Aqaba land at Taba (fast ferry) or Nuweiba (slow ferry). From Nuweiba it is about an hour by taxi to Dahab. Ferry tickets may not be sold in Egyptian pounds.
- Saint Catherine: about 2-3 hours by road. A taxi is the simplest way. Coming for Moses Mountain? Our Moses Mountain and Saint Catherine guide explains how we do it as a day trip from Dahab.
Passports and checkpoints
Every road into Dahab passes police checkpoints, and from Cairo you can count on four to six passport checks. Keep your original passport (not a copy) and your visa where you can reach them, not in the luggage hold. It is routine and usually quick. Leave extra time on the way back to your flight: the checkpoint before Sharm can add 30 minutes, so most people leave Dahab about 3 hours before departure.
Getting around once you are in Dahab
Dahab is small. You can walk most of it, and a bike gets you everywhere along the seafront (some of our homes come with one). Pickup-truck taxis cover the rest: short rides inside town cost very little, but there are no meters, so agree the price before you get in. For the Blue Hole and the coast north of town, a taxi takes about 20 minutes.
Coming for a hike with us?
Our group trips meet in Asala, Dahab, next to German Bakery. We gather at 7:45 and leave at 8:00 on most trips, so arrive in Dahab the day before. You will find every upcoming date on the trip calendar. Questions before you book? Message us on WhatsApp at +20 111 289 9033.
Quick answers
Which airport is closest to Dahab?
Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (SSH), about 90 km and 1.5 hours away by road.
How much is a taxi from Sharm airport to Dahab?
Expect about USD 30-70 for the whole car (October 2026). Pre-booked transfers start around USD 30; airport taxis quote higher, so agree the price first.
Is there a bus from Sharm El Sheikh airport to Dahab?
Not from the airport itself. Buses to Dahab leave from Sharm’s bus station, a short taxi ride away, for about USD 3-5.
How long is the bus from Cairo to Dahab?
About 9-10 hours by Go Bus or Blue Bus, and about 6.5 hours by We Bus minivan.
Do I need my passport to travel to Dahab?
Yes. Carry your original passport and visa: police check them at the checkpoints on the way in.