Red Sea
Hurghada
The most accessible Red Sea resort town, with reefs offshore, a desert behind, and direct flights from most of Europe.
Stretching 40 kilometers along the Red Sea coast, Hurghada is Egypt's most accessible beach destination and the ideal relaxing finale to a week of exploring inland monuments. With an international airport and straightforward driving routes from Luxor (4.5 hours) and Cairo (5 hours), this coastal hub is the ultimate launchpad for both aquatic and terrestrial adventure. Warm, shallow reef systems and popular boat trips to the Giftun Islands make it a prime spot for diving and snorkeling, with reliably clear visibility and daily introductory dives for beginners. Inland, the rugged Eastern Desert provides a dramatic backdrop for quad and 4x4 safaris, while those seeking a quieter, family-friendly escape can head just twenty minutes north to El Gouna, a tranquil resort town built entirely around serene lagoons.
Main attractions
- Giftun Island and the national park reefs
- Hurghada Marina
- Dive sites along the Red Sea reef wall
- El Gouna lagoons
- Eastern Desert, for safaris
- Makadi and Sahl Hasheesh bays
Things worth doing
- Snorkel or dive the Giftun Reefs
- Take a boat out for the day with lunch aboard
- Try a first dive with an instructor
- Quad bike or 4x4 into the Eastern Desert
- Kitesurf; the wind here is dependable
On the map
Questions about Hurghada
It works all year, which is unusual in Egypt. The water stays warm through winter, and while the rest of the country is at its busiest from October to April, that is also when Hurghada is most pleasant on land. July and August are very hot ashore but the sea is superb; most people just build the day around the water and the shade.
Easily, and it is one of our most requested shapes of trip. Luxor is around four hours by road, which makes a long but very doable day trip, or a comfortable transfer at the start or end of a stay. A week of temples followed by three or four nights on the Red Sea is a genuinely well-balanced Egypt holiday — history first, then somewhere to stop moving.
No. The reefs here start shallow, so snorkelling from a boat gets you a great deal of what divers see. If you want to try diving, an introductory dive with an instructor takes a morning and needs no qualification. If you are already certified, the wall and wreck sites out from Hurghada are the reason people keep coming back. Tell us which of the three you want and we will match the boat to it.
Very. Shallow, warm, calm water, short boat trips, and resorts set up for children. Giftun Island makes an easy day out with lunch aboard. The desert trips by quad or 4x4 have minimum ages that vary by operator, so tell us the ages of your children and we will tell you honestly what is suitable rather than booking something they will sit out.
Hurghada International Airport takes direct flights from much of Europe, which is why it is the simplest Red Sea base to reach. From Cairo it is a short domestic flight or a long drive; from Luxor, around four hours by road. We arrange the connection either way as part of the trip.
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