25 Best Things to Do in Hurghada (2026 Local Guide)

Hurghada is often sold as a simple beach destination, but it is really a base camp: the Red Sea's reefs lie offshore, the Eastern Desert starts at the edge of town, and the temples of Luxor are a morning's drive away. This guide from Hurghada Day Trips lists the experiences we would recommend to our own friends, grouped by interest, with the practical details that help you choose.

On and under the Red Sea

The water is Hurghada's headline act. Visibility is often more than 20 metres, the coral starts just below the surface and the sea stays warm enough to swim all year.

• Snorkel the Giftun Islands. The Orange Bay trip is the classic introduction, with two reef stops and a long beach break.
• Look for wild dolphins at Shaab El Erg on the Dolphin House trip — go early and follow the guide's rules.
• Spend a calm day at Mahmya, a limited-capacity island beach with loungers and a restaurant.
• Island-hop to Magawish and the White Island sandbank on the three-islands cruise.
• Try scuba diving with no experience on an instructor-led intro dive.
• Charter your own boat for a birthday or family day with a private yacht.
• Go fishing for grouper and snapper and have your catch grilled on board.
• See the reef dry from the Sindbad submarine or the semi-submarine.
• Fly above the bay on a parasailing flight.

In the desert

The Eastern Desert is rocky, dramatic and surprisingly close. Afternoon trips end with sunset over the Red Sea Mountains.

• Ride a quad bike to a Bedouin camp for tea and bread.
• Do it all on the Super Safari — quads, jeeps, camels, dinner and a show.
• Count the stars on a small-group stargazing safari with a telescope.
• Drive a dune buggy for a more stable, faster ride.
• Ride horses along the beach at sunrise or sunset.
• Go private in a 4x4 if you travel with young children or want more photo time.

Ancient Egypt from Hurghada

It would be a shame to visit Egypt without seeing its monuments. From Hurghada, Luxor is closer than Cairo, so it is the easier day trip.

• Walk through Karnak and down into royal tombs on a Luxor day trip.
• Stay overnight in Luxor and float over the West Bank in a hot-air balloon at sunrise.
• Sail the Nile from Luxor to Aswan on a 4-day cruise.
• Stand before the Great Pyramid and see Tutankhamun's treasures at the Grand Egyptian Museum on a Cairo trip by plane.
• Explore Islamic and Coptic Cairo and bargain in Khan El Khalili on the two-day Cairo trip.

In and around town

• Discover El Dahar, the old quarter, on a guided city tour.
• Stroll the Marina at sunset and stay for seafood dinner.
• Visit the Grand Aquarium on a windy day.
• Relax in a hammam with a scrub, foam and massage.
• Take a day off. Honestly — schedule rest days between big excursions.

How to plan your week

Most guests have a week. A good rhythm is one big excursion (Luxor or Cairo), one or two sea days, one desert afternoon and plenty of pool time. Our 7-day Hurghada itinerary shows how to arrange it, and the best time to visit guide explains what to expect from the weather in each month.

Frequently asked questions