All scuba divers love liveaboard diving.
There is just something about waking up to the sound of the water and waves around you and getting ready for the first dive of the day as the sun is rising.
Here you will find a list of the 10 best liveaboard diving destinations in 2026 curated and tested for you!
Without further ado, here are our recommendations for the best liveaboard diving in 2026
10 Best Liveaboard Diving Destinations in 2026
A liveaboard dive cruise is the best (and often the only) way to explore remote and far-off dive sites that are often near untouched by mass tourism.
Intact reefs, large pelagics and so much more are just a few aspects scuba divers love about it.
These are the 10 best liveaboard diving destinations in 2026 for any budget in no particular order:
- Socorro Islands, Mexico
- Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
- Cocos Island, Costa Rica
- Maldives – Deep South
- Red Sea, Egypt
- Raja Ampat, Indonesia
- Komodo, Indonesia
- Similan Islands, Thailand
- Chuuk Lagoon (Truk Lagoon), Federated States of Micronesia
- Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Philippines
Make sure to check out all our current liveaboard deals to see if you find a nice discount on an upcoming cruise!
Socorro Islands, Mexico
Liveaboard diving at Socorro Islands, off the coast of Mexico, is often named one of the best dive sites in the world.
The reef is essentially a large rock that sticks out from the ocean and serves as a cleaning station for large pelagic species like humpback whales and sharks.
Diving facts for liveaboard diving in Socorro Islands
| Diving Season | November – May |
| Best time to dive | January-March for bottlenose dolphins, humpback whales, and several shark species |
| What to see | Humpback whales, sharks, manta rays, dolphins, whale sharks. Species sightings will vary depending on when you visit. |
| Water Temperature | ~28ºC (82ºF) in November, ~21ºC (69ºF) in February, ~25ºF (68ºC) in May |
| Best for | Large pelagics |
| Difficulty | Advanced. Strong currents, sometimes low visibility |
| Recommended duration | 7/10 nights. |
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Galapagos Islands are famous for their wildlife above and underwater.
Shark lovers will find hundreds of hammerhead sharks in the depths, while whale sharks, manta rays, and seals are other frequent visitors.
Galapagos is, therefore, one of the best liveaboard dive trip destinations in the world.
Diving facts for liveaboard diving in Galapagos Islands
| Diving Season | November – May |
| Best time to dive | May is usually the best time to dive in Galapagos. Whale Shark Season (June-November) and Manta Season (December-May) which is warmer. |
| What to see | Whale sharks, manta rays, whales, sharks, seals, dolphins. Sightings depend on the season. |
| Water Temperature | June-November: ~16-24ºC (60-75°F), December-May: ~21-30ºC (70-86°F) |
| Best for | Large pelagics |
| Difficulty | Intermediate. Rather cold waters, currents, choppy water, and rough conditions. Many blue water descents. |
| Recommended duration | 5-7 nights. |
Cocos Island, Costa Rica
Cocos Island is part of Costa Rica and became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
The ocean around Cocos Island is filled with wildlife such as Giant Manta Rays, whale sharks, hammerheads, dolphins, and many more.
It’s another destination where hammerhead sharks are abundant and you don’t have to look for long to find them.
Diving facts for liveaboard diving in Cocos Island
| Diving Season | Year-round |
| Best time to dive | December – May is dry season. Whale sharks and mantas can be seen between June – October |
| What to see | Whale sharks, mantas, bull sharks, dolphins, turtles. Sightings depend on the season. |
| Water Temperature | 24-29°C (75-84°F) |
| Best for | Great diving all around |
| Difficulty | Intermediate. Currents and surges |
| Recommended duration | 10 nights. |
Maldives – Deep South
The Maldives comprises of 1192 small islands and you can dive at many of them.
Each of them features unique reefs and the best way to explore them is by boat.
The Deep South liveaboard diving tours in the Maldives are often named some of the best scuba diving in the world.
Diving facts for liveaboard diving in the Maldives
| Diving Season | Year-round |
| Best time to dive | August-November for manta rays and whale sharks. Jan-April is the dry season. |
| What to see | Whale sharks, manta rays, sharks, dolphins, turtles. Sightings depend on the season. |
| Water Temperature | 26-30°C (80-86°F) |
| Best for | Pelagics and tropical fish |
| Difficulty | Easy – Intermediate. Sometimes strong currents, depending on the location |
| Recommended duration | 7/14 nights. |
Red Sea, Egypt
The Red Sea is one of our personal favorite diving destinations in the world.
What truly stands out is the great price-value ratio as Red Sea liveaboard dive trips are often very affordable and you can visit some truly outstanding dive sites.
Sharks, reefs, dolphins, turtles, and even whale sharks and manta rays can be spotted here, in addition to numerous wrecks.
You will find the most famous dive sites in Egypt, however, Sudan is a close contender.
Diving facts for liveaboard diving in the Red Sea, Egypt
| Diving Season | Year-round |
| Best time to dive | May – November |
| What to see | Sharks, dolphins, whale sharks, manta rays, dolphins, turtles. Many shipwrecks. |
| Water Temperature | 18-28°C (65-82°F) |
| Best for | Variety of dive spots, lots to see, very affordable |
| Difficulty | Easy – Difficult. Extremely variable diving environments, sometimes strong currents, large drop-offs, blue water descents. |
| Recommended duration | 7/10 nights. |
- Book on Liveaboard.com with price guarantee
- Book on Allstar Liveaboards with shark week option
- Book with us & get personal support
Raja Ampat, Indonesia
The region Raja Ampat features the richest marine biodiversity in the world both in shallow, and mesophotic reefs.
Over 1,700 species of reef fish can be encountered here, so if you love underwater photography and macro life, this is your region.
Besides that, you will encounter many other cool species, such as manta rays and sharks.
Unsurprisingly, Raja Ampat is on most top 10 best scuba diving destinations in the world lists.
Diving facts for liveaboard diving in Raja Ampat, Indonesia
| Diving Season | Year-round. |
| Best time to dive | May – September as it is the driest season. |
| What to see | What’s not to see? Some highlights: Large schools of fish, manta rays, reef sharks, wobbegong sharks, walking sharks, turtles, Spanish mackerel, tuna, barracuda, pygmy sea horses, nudibranchs galore, ghost pipefish, cuttlefish, crustaceans, beautiful coral reefs |
| Water Temperature | 27-30°C (80-86°F) |
| Best for | There’s so.much.fish. |
| Difficulty | Mostly easy diving |
| Recommended duration | 7/10 nights. |
- Book on Liveaboard.com with price guarantee
- Book on Allstar Liveaboards with sailboat option
- Book with us & get personal support
Komodo, Indonesia
Indonesia is full of amazing scuba diving opportunities, which is why Komodo is a separate destination here, too.
In addition to the already gigantic marine biodiversity, you will be able to dive many WWII wrecks around Komodo Islands national park.
It is another UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
Diving facts for liveaboard diving in Komodo, Indonesia
| Diving Season | Year-round. |
| Best time to dive | May – September as it is the driest season. |
| What to see | Super large biodiversity and many WWII wrecks |
| Water Temperature | 22-24°C (66-74°F) |
| Best for | There’s so.much.fish. |
| Difficulty | Mostly easy diving |
| Recommended duration | 7/10 nights. |
- Book on Liveaboard.com with price guarantee
- Book on Allstar Liveaboards with sailboat option
- Book with us & get personal support
Similan Islands, Thailand
Similan Islands in the Andaman Sea in Thailand is a great diving destination and great for liveabaord diving.
What makes them stand out is that dive trips here are super affordable and usually a little shorter (3-5 nights) than at other destinations.
Richelieu Rock is often named one of the 10 best dive spots in the world and was first discovered by Jacques-Yves Cousteau. As it is too far off the coast for normal dive boats, this spectacular dive site can only be reached by liveaboard.
Diving facts for liveaboard diving in the Similan Islands, Thailand
| Diving Season | November – April |
| Best time to dive | December – March |
| What to see | Manta rays, whale sharks, Mola Molas, an abundance of macro life |
| Water Temperature | 28-30°C (82-87°F) |
| Best for | There’s so.much.fish. |
| Difficulty | Mostly easy diving. Some negative descents |
| Recommended duration | 4-7 nights. |
Chuuk Lagoon (Truk Lagoon), Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Lagoon (often referred to as Truk Lagoon) in Micronesia is one of the best wreck diving destinations in the world and a must for any wreck diver in the world.
As the atoll was a naval base of the Japanese Empire in World War 2, you can find many military shipwrecks around here that can be dived.
Besides the fabulous wreck diving opportunities, you can encounter many pelagic species and over 250 species of fish.
Diving facts for liveaboard diving in Chuck Lagoon, Micronesia
| Diving Season | Year-round |
| Best time to dive | December – April |
| What to see | Some of the best wreck diving in the world, coral reefs, pelagic marine animals |
| Water Temperature | 27-28°C (81-84°F) in the winter, 28-30°C (83-86°F) in the summer |
| Best for | WWII wreck diving |
| Difficulty | Any level of diving available |
| Recommended duration | 7 nights. |
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Philippines
It comes as no surprise that UNESCO World Heritage sites like Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park make for incredible liveaboard diving destinations.
While scuba diving in the Philippines is already superb, the Natural Park can only be reached by liveaboard.
The entire area is very well protected and features intact coral reefs and many different species of marine life.
Diving facts for liveaboard diving at Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Philippines
| Diving Season | March – June |
| Best time to dive | The Natural Park is only open from March – June |
| What to see | Countless dive sites, whale sharks, manta rays, even whales in the winter |
| Water Temperature | 27-28°C (81-84°F) in the winter, 28-30°C (83-86°F) in the summer |
| Best for | Beautiful underwater world |
| Difficulty | Any level of diving available |
| Recommended duration | 7 nights. |
- Book on Liveaboard.com with price guarantee
- Book on Allstar Liveaboards with RINA certification
- Book with us & get personal support
Conclusion
This concludes this list of the best liveabaord diving destinations in 2026.
If you want to read more about what liveaboard diving is, what happens on a cruise and why it’s the best thing since sliced bread, check out our ultimate liveaboard diving guide!
We also update our liveaboard diving deals every week. Check them out!
What’s your favorite liveaboard diving destination?
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Always dive with friends and happy bubbles. 😃
Cheers
Julius