Things to Do in Hurghada, Egypt’s Red Sea Resort

For year-round sun, warm sea and some of the best snorkelling anywhere, few beach breaks beat Hurghada, Egypt’s biggest Red Sea resort on the edge of Africa. We at VayCay Couple have dived, haggled and quad-biked our way around it, and this is our full guide to the best things to do in Hurghada, with excursion prices, the beaches worth your towel and how to sidestep the tourist traps. It is long-haul-lite, about five hours from the UK, with reefs full of turtles minutes offshore. We checked prices in August 2026, though Egypt’s currency moves fast, so treat them as a guide.

Is Hurghada worth visiting?

Yes, for guaranteed sun and world-class reefs on a budget. Hurghada is not the place for old-town charm or authentic streets, since it grew from a fishing village into a wall of resorts in a few decades, and much of the coast is hotel-owned. What it does brilliantly is warm, calm, coral-filled water almost every day of the year, cheap diving and snorkelling, and quick access to the desert and, with a long day, the temples of Luxor. Come for the sea and the value, not for the town itself, and it is hard to beat. Most people first meet it as a cheap package labelled Hurghada Egypt, and that value is genuinely there.

What should you actually do in Hurghada?

If you are still deciding what to do in Hurghada, start with the water. The sea is the whole point, so build your days around it and break them up with a desert trip and a culture day. Most visitors mix resort beach time with one or two boat trips to the offshore reefs, an evening at the marina, and a half-day quad or jeep safari into the Eastern Desert. If you only do three things in Hurghada, make them a snorkelling boat to Giftun, a desert sunset safari and a wander through the old market at El Dahar. Add the Grand Aquarium or a dolphin trip if you have children or a non-swimmer in the group.

Where is the best snorkelling and diving in Hurghada?

Hurghada diving and snorkelling are the main draw, and the reefs start just offshore. Search hurghada snorkeling and Giftun Island tops every list, for good reason. The easiest day out is a boat to Giftun Island, about 45 minutes out in a protected national park, where two or three snorkel stops drift you over coral gardens full of turtles, rays and reef fish for roughly 25 to 40 euro including lunch. Divers should look further, to Abu Nuhas, the reef known as the ship graveyard for its four diveable wrecks, and to the Straits of Gubal. The legendary Thistlegorm, a British WWII wreck near the Strait of Gubal, is a longer boat or liveaboard trip and one of the best wreck dives in the world. A single guided dive runs about 30 to 45 euro and a PADI Open Water course around 300 to 350, and many resorts have a house reef you can snorkel straight off the jetty. For a wilder swim, the Dolphin House reef at Sha’ab El Erg is where boats go to find wild spinner dolphins.

Which are the best beaches in Hurghada?

Here is the honest catch with Hurghada beaches, most of the good sand is owned by resorts and day passes are common, so where you stay matters. The standout public-ish option is Mahmya or Orange Bay on Giftun Island, reached by boat, with powder sand and a reef a few strokes out, usually visited on a day trip. On the mainland, Sahl Hasheesh is a calm, upmarket crescent 20 minutes south, good for gentle swims and paddleboarding, while Makadi Bay further south is the family choice with shallow water. Half an hour north, the lagoon town of El Gouna has tidy man-made beaches and the steady wind that makes it Egypt’s kitesurfing capital.

What excursions are worth booking?

Hurghada excursions fall into three camps, sea, desert and culture. On the water, the Giftun snorkel trip and a sunset dolphin cruise are the easy wins. In the Eastern Desert, a half-day safari by quad bike, jeep or camel ends at a Bedouin camp with mint tea and a stargazing dinner, for around 25 to 40 euro. For culture, the big one is a long day trip to Luxor, roughly four to five hours each way by road, to stand in the Valley of the Kings and Karnak, the heart of ancient Egypt. It is a very long day, so weigh a one-night stay or a short flight instead. Back in town, the Hurghada Grand Aquarium on the coastal road is an air-conditioned couple of hours with glass tunnels and touch pools for about 15 euro.

Where should you stay in Hurghada?

Where you base yourself shapes the whole trip. Sahl Hasheesh is the smart, quiet choice, a self-contained bay of five-star resorts like the Baron Palace 20 minutes south of the centre. Makadi Bay, further south again, is built for families with big all-inclusives and shallow beaches. El Gouna to the north is the stylish, slightly pricier lagoon town for kitesurfers and a younger crowd. For nightlife and value, central Sekalla puts you near the bars and dive shops, while old-town El Dahar has the cheapest guesthouses from around 20 to 30 euro a night and the most local feel. Expect roughly 60 to 120 euro a night for a solid four-star on the beach, less in summer.

Hurghada at a glance

How do you get to Hurghada, and around?

Hurghada International Airport takes direct charter and scheduled flights from the UK and much of Europe, about a five-hour hop, and it sits 10 to 15 minutes from most resorts, so pre-book a hotel transfer or agree a taxi fare before you set off. Around town, taxis are cheap but always fix the price first, and cheap microbuses run along the main road. For the rest of Egypt, Luxor is a four to five hour drive and Cairo a short domestic flight, both doable as long days but better with an overnight. Within the resort strips, most people simply walk or use the hotel shuttle.

What about nightlife and shopping?

Evenings in Hurghada are relaxed rather than wild. The marina is the pleasant heart of it, a boardwalk of seafood grills and shisha cafes good for a slow dinner, and Little Buddha is the long-running club with DJs and a late licence if you want to dance. For shopping, the air-conditioned Senzo Mall covers brands and a supermarket, while the old market in El Dahar is the place to barter for spices, silver and hand-blown glass. Haggling is expected, so start low and keep it friendly.

What is the best season to visit Hurghada?

Spring and autumn, roughly March to May and October to November, are the sweet spot, with warm days in the mid to high 20s and a sea that needs no wetsuit. Summer, across June, July and August, regularly hits 40 degrees, fine for a pool and an early boat but fierce for the desert. Winter, December to February, is the bargain season with mild days around 21 to 23 degrees and cooler evenings, popular with sun-starved northern Europeans, though the odd windy spell can chop up the sea.

Practical tips before you go

A few things smooth the trip. Carry small Egyptian pound notes for tips, taxis and the market, and agree every taxi fare before you climb in. Drink bottled water rather than tap, and pack reef-safe sunscreen, since ordinary sun cream harms the coral you came to see. In town and at any mosque, cover your shoulders and knees, though swimwear is fine at the resort and on the boats. Book the Giftun and dolphin boats a day or two ahead in peak season, keep your passport and spare cash in the hotel safe, and remember the sun is strong even in winter, so a hat and a rash vest for snorkelling save a lot of pain.

Book one reef trip, one desert night and, if you can spare it, a Luxor day, and let the resort handle the rest. For planning the wider country, our Egypt reading and the official tourism board fill in Cairo, Luxor and the Nile.

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