Egypt · Red Sea
Hurghada
The Red Sea's busiest dive harbour, with reefs a short boat ride from the hotel jetty.
Hurghada grew from a fishing village and oil outpost into Egypt's biggest Red Sea resort city, a long ribbon of hotels between desert mountains and some of the most accessible coral in the world. Day boats leave every morning for the Giftun Islands' reefs and the wrecks of Abu Nuhas, while the old quarter of El Dahar keeps a working Egyptian town alongside the package-holiday strip. It is a base as much as a destination: the Eastern Desert, the windsurf bays to the south and the temples of Luxor are all within reach.
Suggested stay
5–10 days
Language
Arabic
Currency
EGP
Timezone
UTC+3
Why you'll love Hurghada
The reefs coral gardens and drop-offs around the Giftun Islands sit under an hour from shore, with clear water for snorkellers and first-time divers.
Wrecks Abu Nuhas has claimed ship after ship, and its wreck-strewn reef is one of the Red Sea's classic dive days.
Two towns El Dahar's souk and fish market feel a world away from the resort strip and its marina promenade.
Desert at the door the Eastern Desert mountains start behind the hotels, close enough for a sunset quad or jeep run.
Best time to visit
Oct-May
22-34° days
27.223° N, 33.831° E
UTC+3 · Africa/Cairo
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Weather & when to go to Hurghada
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Oct-May
Diving prime Apr-Nov
Windsports prime Apr-Sep
Activity seasons none fair good prime
Watch for Jun-Sep extreme heat risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Hurghada
No month is a write-off, but midsummer is very hot and glaring on land even though the sea is at its warmest. In the cooler months the water is fresh enough that most divers want a thicker wetsuit, and the near-constant north wind can chop up boat crossings at any time of year.
Top things to do in Hurghada
-
Giftun Islands - snorkel and beach day
beach nature wildlife 👍 PopularThe classic Hurghada boat trip: reef stops around Giftun Kebir and Giftun Saghir, then white sand and shallow turquoise water at Mahmya or Orange Bay. Go early, before the big boats arrive.
-
Abu Nuhas - dive the wreck reef
diving ⭐ Highly recommendedA reef off Shadwan Island that has sunk several ships, including the Victorian steamer Carnatic and the Giannis D. Most dive centres run it as a full day; the wrecks suit divers with some experience.
-
SS Thistlegorm - Red Sea's most famous wreck
diving history ⭐ Highly recommendedThe Second World War supply ship, still holding motorbikes, trucks and rail wagons in its holds, lies in the Strait of Gubal. From Hurghada it is a very early, long day boat or a stop on a northern liveaboard.
-
Local reefs - Carless Reef, Abu Ramada and El Fanadir
diving nature wildlifeThe everyday dive and snorkel sites close to town: pinnacles with moray eels at Carless, the coral walls of Abu Ramada, and El Fanadir's shallow reef that suits training dives.
-
Eastern Desert - quad and jeep safari
adventure desert 👍 PopularAfternoon runs into the rocky desert behind the city, usually ending at a Bedouin-style camp for tea, bread from the fire and a sunset over the mountains. Heavily packaged, but the landscape is real.
-
Hurghada Marina - evening promenade
nightlife music food 👍 PopularThe yacht marina in Sakkala is where the city goes after dark: a waterfront boardwalk of restaurants, cafes and bars looking over the moored dive boats and yachts.
-
El Dahar - old town souk and fish market
culture arts foodHurghada's original town, with a bazaar of spices and shisha cafes, the domed Coptic cathedral of St Shenouda, and fish grilled by weight in no-frills local places. Sayadeya, spiced fish with rice, is the dish to order.
-
El Mina Mosque - the corniche landmark
culture artsThe large white mosque with twin minarets on the Sakkala seafront is the city's most photographed building, best seen from the water or lit up in the evening. Dress modestly and visit outside prayer times.
-
Kitesurfing and windsurfing - ride the north wind
windsportsA steady northerly blows for much of the year, and kite and windsurf stations along the resort coast and south towards Soma Bay run lessons and rentals on flat, shallow lagoons.
Best areas to stay in Hurghada
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
El Dahar
Budget travellers $Old town, souk and local life
Explore hotels in El Dahar →
Sakkala and the Marina
Divers and independents $$Dive boats, bars and the marina
Explore hotels in Sakkala and the Marina →
Village Road
Resort with a walk $$Resort strip with a seafront promenade
Explore hotels in Village Road →
Sahl Hasheesh
Couples $$$Planned bay of upscale resorts
Explore hotels in Sahl Hasheesh →
Makadi Bay
Families $$Self-contained all-inclusive resort bay
Explore hotels in Makadi Bay →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Hurghada
Getting to & around Hurghada
Getting there
Fly into Hurghada International (HRG), a short drive from Sakkala and the resort strip.
Flight
Hurghada International Airport (HRG)
The airport sits inland of the resort strip; taxis and pre-booked hotel transfers reach Sakkala and Village Road in about 15-20 minutes, Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay in roughly 30-45.
Coach
Hurghada bus stations
Long-distance coaches run from Cairo, roughly 6-7 hours, and from Luxor, around 4-5 hours.
Ferry
Hurghada port
A fast ferry crosses the Red Sea to Sharm el-Sheikh, though schedules have been irregular; check before planning around it.
Getting around
Microbus
Shared minibuses run the main roads between El Dahar, Sakkala and the resort strip; flag one down and pay the driver in cash.
TBC
Taxi
Plentiful along the strip; agree the fare before getting in, as meters are rarely used.
TBC
Hotel shuttle
Many resorts, especially in Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay, run shuttles into town; dive centres usually include hotel pick-up.
TBC
Day trips from Hurghada
Luxor
Full dayAncient Egyptian temples
Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the west bank temples in one very long day. It is rushed, but it is the most popular excursion from the coast; staying a night is far better.
Getting there
bus | tour
About 4 hours each way by road, usually as an organised coach or minibus tour
Giftun Islands
Full dayIsland reefs and beaches
A protected island pair just offshore, with snorkel stops on the reef and long white-sand beaches at Mahmya and Orange Bay.
Getting there
ferry | tour
About 45 minutes by boat from the marina or hotel jetties
El Gouna
Half dayLagoon resort town
A purpose-built town of lagoons, bridges and a car-free downtown, with a marina and the coast's best-known kitesurf scene.
Getting there
car
About 30 minutes north by taxi
Shaab El Erg
Full dayDolphin reef
A horseshoe reef where spinner dolphins often rest in the lagoon. Sightings are never guaranteed, and the best operators keep swimmers from crowding the pod.
Getting there
tour
About 1-2 hours north by boat
Mons Porphyrites
Full dayRoman desert quarries
The ruins of the Roman imperial quarry that supplied purple porphyry to Rome, with workers' settlements and ramps still visible on the mountainside.
Getting there
car | tour
A few hours by 4x4 into the Eastern Desert mountains
A little history of Hurghada
The mountains behind Hurghada were worked in Roman times, when imperial quarries at Mons Porphyrites and Mons Claudianus cut stone that was hauled across the desert to the Nile and on to Rome. The coast itself stayed a scatter of fishing camps for centuries.
The modern town began in the early 20th century, when British oil exploration along the Gulf of Suez brought a small settlement and a marine research station to the shore. Tourism arrived with the first dive camps and hotels in the 1980s, and within two decades Hurghada had become the capital of the Red Sea Governorate and one of Egypt's largest resort cities.
Romans open the imperial porphyry quarry at Mons Porphyrites in the mountains inland.
The SS Carnatic sinks on the reef at Abu Nuhas.
British oil exploration along the Gulf of Suez coast brings the first modern settlement.
A marine biological station is founded on the shore, beginning the study of the northern Red Sea reefs.
The SS Thistlegorm is sunk in the Strait of Gubal, later becoming the region's most famous dive.
The first dive centres and beach hotels open, starting the resort era.
Package tourism takes off and the hotel strip stretches south along the coast.
Know before you go
Payment
Cash preferred
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Workable
Power
Type C / F
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+20
Extreme heat risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
Mobile network & SIM card
Get an eSIM before you fly
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FAQs about Hurghada
▸ When is the best time to visit Hurghada?
October to May is the most comfortable stretch, with warm sunny days and mild evenings. June to September is very hot on land but the sea is at its warmest. In the cooler months the water is fresh and many divers switch to a thicker wetsuit.
▸ Is Hurghada good for beginner divers and snorkellers?
Yes. It is one of the easiest places to learn: calm reefs close to shore, a huge choice of dive centres running courses, and day boats to sheltered sites like El Fanadir and the Giftun reefs. The bigger wrecks suit divers with more experience.
▸ Should I stay in Hurghada, El Gouna or Marsa Alam?
Hurghada has the most choice, the busiest dive scene and real town life. El Gouna to the north is calmer and more polished, with a kitesurf focus. Marsa Alam to the south is quieter and wilder, with fewer boats on the reefs.
▸ Can you visit Luxor as a day trip from Hurghada?
You can, and many people do, but it means about four hours on the road each way and a very fast tour of the temples. If the history matters to you, stay at least one night in Luxor.
▸ Is Hurghada expensive?
It is good value by beach-holiday standards, especially on all-inclusive packages. Eating in El Dahar is cheap; the marina and the upscale bays of Sahl Hasheesh cost noticeably more.
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