Port Safaga Voyage Tips and guide

Port Safaga is a harbour city on the Red Sea Coast in Egypt close to the resort city of Soma Bay, which is a quite expensive place with lots of resorts. So, if you want to explore the region, Port Safaga can be a cheaper place to stay.

Port Safaga has a beach to the north of the city with a diving club. The south of the city is mainly the harbour place with lots of trucks waiting to go to Saudi Arabia, so maybe not the best place to relax.

From Luxor and Qena, there are daily buses operated by several companies (including Go Bus) to Safaga, with a travel time of about 3-5 hours. In November 2025, tickets cost around US$4. The bus usually continues on to Hurghada.

Even with Go Bus, you will likely be dropped outside the city centre at the main bus station located under the highway to Hurghada (26.7599711, 33.9160649), about 3 km west of central Safaga. From there, you can either walk or take a taxi ride into the city.

You can go to the public beach located north of the city to swim. It is not that clean, but it is a lovely sand beach.

There is also one diving club called Nemo dive club & hotel that has its own private (and clean) beach and a little swimming pool. To access to the swimming pool, you have to pays US$5 and to the beach US$7 (June 2025). They also offer day trip on boats to go snorkelling for about US$50 or to go diving. The Nemo dive club & hotel is managed by a couple from Holland.

Nemo dive club & hotel offers meals adapted to the occidental taste.

Elwardany is a more local restaurant but quite good.

There is a Ro-Ro ferry that connects Safaga in Egypt with Duba in Saudi Arabia. Although it is mainly designed for trucks, it also takes foot passengers. To arrange a ticket, you need to contact Mr. Alaa from Kenzy Travels a few days before departure at +201006944263. WhatsApp works. He is friendly and helpful, but does not speak English, so using a translation app to chat in Arabic works well. He will ask you to send a copy of your passport and Saudi visa. In November 2025, the ferry was operating roughly every other day. A ticket for one person on a pullman seat cost 4000 EGP in November 2025.

On the day of departure, you will be asked to come to Mr. Alaa’s office in the early evening (18:00 in November 2025). The office (26.7602791, 33.9194418) is located in the middle of a parking area west of the city, opposite the so called 'New Police Compound' (مجمع الشرطه الجديد). A taxi from anywhere in Safaga should cost no more than 50 EGP (as of November 2025). To enter the parking area—even on foot—you pay a 20 EGP entrance fee at the front gate (26.7598714, 33.9189711). At the office, you hand over your passport and they will start preparing your ticket. A few hours later (around 20:30 in November 2025) the tickets will be handed to you after which you travel to the port either with Mr. Alaa or his staff, or by taxi. If going by taxi, navigate to the vehicle entrance of the port (26.7467433, 33.9412278). The taxi fare should again be no more than 50 EGP (as of November 2025).

After being dropped off at the port, you will be on your own, but the staff and other passengers are friendly and will guide you through. Once all cars have passed through the gate, foot passengers are allowed to enter. Immediately after the gate, you’ll find a small shack (26.7468628, 33.9412214) where you pay 15 EGP (November 2025) for a stamp that must later be placed on your exit form. About 50 meters further on, at a small desk located (26.7471080, 33.9415677), you pay a 50 EGP (November 2025) port entry fee. After this, continue straight ahead, turn left, then immediately right to reach the passenger waiting hall (26.7483715, 33.9426014).

Once inside the passenger waiting hall, someone will usually hand you an exit form to complete. The small stamp you bought earlier for 15 EGP must be attached to this form. If no one approaches you with the form, be sure to ask for it, as it is required. After some time, immigration officers will begin passport control, and you will receive your exit stamp from Egypt.

After completing passport control and receiving your exit stamp, you will be ready to leave the passenger waiting hall for the ferry (around 22:00 in November 2025). Passengers are escorted to the ship by a small shuttle bus, which was free of charge in November 2025. The ferry departs once all trucks have been fully loaded, which in November 2025 was around 04:30 in the morning. The crossing to Duba takes approximately 8 to 10 hours.

After arrival, passengers usually wait another 1 to 1.5 hours while the trucks are unloaded before being allowed to disembark. You are then again taken by a shuttle bus (free in November 2025) to the passenger arrivals hall (27.5582642, 35.5525410). Processing a tourist eVisa is generally fairly quick and straightforward. Outside the port (27.5570735, 35.5554847), unofficial taxis are waiting; in November 2025 they asked 100 SAR for the entire car to Duba, though the price could probably be negotiated lower.

Schedule to take the Safaga to Duba ferry in November 2025

18:00 – Arrive at Kenzy Travels

Pay 20 EGP to enter the parking area where the office is located.

20:30 – Leave Kenzy Travels for the port

Pay 15 EGP for the stamp to attach to your exit form

Pay 50 EGP port entry fee

22:00 – Leave the passenger terminal for the ship

04:30 – Ferry departs Safaga

14:30 – Ferry arrives in Duba

15:45 – Disembark the ship

16:30 – Immigration completed and ready to leave the port