Hurghada built its name on the Red Sea, and our boat and snorkeling trips are still the best reason to come. But once you have spent a morning with the dolphins, the coast and the desert behind it have a lot more to offer. Here is how locals fill the rest of a Hurghada holiday, with the trips and partners we send our own guests to.
1. Sea trips and snorkeling (start here)
If this is your first day, start on the water. Orange Bay, Dolphin House and Giftun Island are all short boat rides from the marina, and a single day trip mixes a white-sand island with two or three reef stops. See our full boat trips in Hurghada guide for every option, or book the classic island day below.
Orange Bay Island & Snorkeling, Hurghada
Sail to the Maldives of the Red Sea, pearl-white sand, turquoise water and three reef stops.
From €302. Desert safari, quad bikes and ATV
The desert starts ten minutes inland from the beach hotels. A late-afternoon desert safari with quad bikes and ATV is the natural other half of a beach holiday: dunes, a Bedouin camp, camel rides and one of the clearest sunsets you will ever see. Most trips run three to five hours and pick you up from your hotel, exactly like our boat trips.
RecommendedEgypt Safari
Quad bikes, ATV, buggies, camel rides and Bedouin dinners in the desert behind Hurghada.
Visit site· egypt-safari.com3. Speedboat trips
Want the islands without the crowded big boats? A private speedboat reaches Orange Bay or Dolphin House in half the time and keeps the whole day to your own group. You can book speedboat trips straight through us, or through our trusted speedboat partner when our slots are full.
RecommendedSpeedboat Hurghada
Private and shared speedboat day trips to the Giftun islands and Dolphin House.
Visit site· speedboat-hurghada.com4. Scuba diving in Hurghada
Snorkeling shows you the top three metres; diving opens the rest of the wall. Hurghada is one of the easiest and cheapest places in the world to try your first dive or get certified, with warm, calm water and shallow training reefs. For try-dives, courses and guided dives we recommend scuba diving in Hurghada.
RecommendedHurghada Dive
Try dives, PADI and SSI courses, and guided reef dives around Hurghada.
Visit site· hurghada-dive.com5. Spa, massage and relaxation
After a few days of salt, sun and early starts, a slow afternoon helps. Hurghada is full of spas offering everything from a quick foot massage to a full hammam. If you want a recommendation, book a massage and spa day in Hurghada.
RecommendedHurghada Massage
Massage, hammam and spa treatments across Hurghada.
Visit site· hurghada-massage.com6. Heading south? Diving in Marsa Alam
If your trip continues down the coast, Marsa Alam is the quieter, wilder end of the Egyptian Red Sea, known for dugongs, turtles and untouched reefs, and the better base for serious diving. Plan it with diving in Marsa Alam.
RecommendedDive Marsa Alam
Guided dives, courses and house-reef diving in Marsa Alam.
Visit site· dive-marsaalam.comHow to plan a full week
A relaxed week looks like this: two sea days (one island, one dolphins), one desert safari, one diving day and an afternoon at the spa, with a free day to rest in between. Build the water days around the morning, when the sea is calmest, and keep the desert for late afternoon. When you are ready, our crew runs the boat side, pay on arrival, free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and we are happy to point you to the right people for everything else.
