Things to Do in Hurghada, Egypt

Hurghada is a purpose-built Red Sea resort town on Egypt’s central east coast. It has little historical or cultural depth — that is not why people come. The draw is the sea: warm water, an accessible reef, and a well-developed infrastructure for boat trips, diving, and beach holidays. The town itself is long and sprawling but navigable enough once you understand the layout.

Giftun Islands Boat Trips

The Giftun Islands sit 7km offshore and are protected within a national marine reserve. The reef condition here is significantly better than the inshore shallow reef near the main hotel strip, which has suffered from overdevelopment and heavy boat traffic. A day trip to Giftun typically includes snorkeling stops above the reef and a beach break on the island’s white sand.

Trips depart from Marina Hurghada and cost approximately EGP 400–800 per person, including snorkeling equipment. Glass-bottom boat options are available for those who prefer not to get in the water. This is the most popular and most worthwhile day excursion from Hurghada.

Scuba Diving

Hurghada has one of Egypt’s largest concentrations of PADI dive centres. Certified divers can access sites including Shaab Abu Nuhas (four wrecks including the 1869 Carnatic), Erg Somaya (pinnacle and soft coral), and the Small Giftun reef wall. Day boat dive packages run $30–60 per dive depending on the site and equipment needs.

For beginners, an Open Water certification course takes 3–4 days in warm, calm conditions and costs approximately $300–400 USD. Try dives — a single supervised dive without certification — are also widely available. We cover the diving in detail in our Hurghada diving guide.

El Mamsha Waterfront

El Mamsha is the pedestrianised strip running south of the Old Town along the waterfront. Restaurants, cafes, shisha bars, and tourist shops line the road. It is strongly oriented toward European package tourists, which means the food is international and the prices are higher than local restaurants in the older town. As an evening walk or for a casual restaurant dinner, it works well. It is the social centre of resort Hurghada.

Marina Hurghada

The Marina district is slightly more upscale than El Mamsha. Boat trips depart from here, and the waterfront restaurants are generally better quality than further south. Glass-bottom boat tours, parasailing, and jet ski rental are all bookable from the marina promenade.

Desert Excursions

The Eastern Desert rises immediately behind the coastal strip. Quad bike and buggy excursions run into the desert for approximately $40–60 per person — a two to three hour trip across flat gravel desert with distant mountain views. They are popular with families and resort tourists looking for a half-day activity. Bedouin village tours are also marketed widely; quality and authenticity vary significantly between operators, so research the specific company before booking.

Water Sports

Parasailing, kitesurfing, jet skiing, and banana boat rides operate from the main resort beach strip. Pricing is tourist-market — negotiate or book through your hotel for better rates. The wind conditions on this stretch of the Red Sea are consistent, which makes Hurghada a reasonable kitesurfing location (though El Gouna and Safaga are stronger kite destinations).

For an overview of the city and practical logistics, see our Hurghada city guide and our dedicated Red Sea diving guide.