Private Speedboat to Magawish Island, Hurghada

About this trip

Magawish is the underrated alternative to Giftun. Quieter beach, calmer water, and a reef that starts in knee-deep water on the south side. We aim for the inner lagoon first thing in the morning, when there is one other boat in sight at most. The water clarity is identical to Orange Bay but with a fraction of the crowd.

Why Magawish stays quiet

Magawish is the underrated alternative to Giftun, and the reason it stays quiet is mostly commercial rather than natural. Orange Bay has the name, the photographs and the marketing behind it, so that is where the fleet goes. Magawish has water of the same clarity and a fraction of the crowd. We aim for the inner lagoon first thing in the morning, when there is typically at most one other boat in sight. That is a genuinely different kind of day from the Orange Bay experience, and it is the trip we point people toward when they say they want the island photograph without the hundred people in it. It is closer, too, which is part of why the four-hour speedboat format works here: less of your day is spent crossing.

The best shallow water in the catalog

The reef on the south side starts in knee-deep water. That sentence is doing a lot of work if you have a small child, or a partner who has never snorkelled, or anyone who needs to be able to stand up to feel safe. Most snorkeling in Egypt asks you to get in off a boat over water you cannot touch the bottom of. Here you can wade in, put your face down, and there is already reef. Children can find their confidence in water that is thirty centimetres deep and work outward at their own pace. A lifeguard supervises the snorkel zone. If your group contains one nervous person, this is the trip that will not embarrass them.

Shade, food and the practical bits

Natural shade on the island is limited. We provide two beach umbrellas per booking and the boat has a covered deck if the sun becomes too much, but if you burn easily, bring a UPF rash vest rather than relying on reapplying sunscreen while wet. Food is worth planning. This is a four-hour speedboat trip carrying snacks and drinks rather than a buffet, but there is an optional island barbecue you can add per person at booking if you would rather eat properly on the sand. The island charges a per-person entrance fee collected by the island authority, listed as its own line at booking. Hotel transfer is a per-car add-on, so one car covers your whole party rather than being charged per head.

Trip highlights

• Private boat, only your group
• One price for the whole boat, up to 8 guests
• Magawish in ~30 min
• 4-hour trip, snacks & drinks on board (no full lunch)
• Island entrance fee €10 per person, added at booking
• Optional island BBQ lunch as a paid extra

What's included

• Hotel pickup & drop-off
• Snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel, fins, vest)
• Snacks on board
• Soft drinks, tea & water
• Certified captain & crew
• Full lunch on board (not offered on speedboats)
• Underwater camera (extra)
• Tip for captain & crew (optional)

Daily itinerary

Approximate. Subject to weather and sea conditions.

1. 1
   Hotel pickup
2. 2
   Speedboat departure

   Small group, fast cruise. Reach the snorkel spot in 30–40 minutes.

3. 3
   First snorkel stop
4. 4
   Second snorkel stop
5. 5
   Snacks & drinks on board
6. 6
   Return cruise
7. 7
   Hotel drop-off

Trip-specific questions