--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Hurghada, Egypt | Wimup" description: "The ten best things to do in Hurghada: Giftun's reefs, the dolphins at Shaab El Erg, the El Dahar souk and the city museum, ranked and mapped." url: https://wimup.com/city/hurghada type: City guide updated: 2026-10-10 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Hurghada Hurghada, Egypt · Africa · By Wimup Editorial, 12 min read Hurghada was a fishing village in 1905 and an oil town by 1913. The resorts came in the 1980s and now run for kilometres down the coast. The reason to come has not changed: the reefs start a short boat ride offshore, and they are some of the best in the Red Sea. ## Quick answer Hurghada is a sea trip with a town attached, so plan it around the boats. Give two days to the water (a snorkel day at Giftun and Orange Bay, a dive or dolphin day out to Shaab El Erg), one to the town (the museum, El Dahar and its souk after dark, dinner by the marina) and one to the desert or to El Gouna. Spring and autumn are best: the sea is warm and July highs run into the mid-30s. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** Mar · Apr · Oct · Nov - **Ideal length:** 5–7 days - **Budget per day:** $40–90 - **Language:** Arabic (English widely used in resorts) - **Getting around:** Taxis, microbuses, boats from the marina - **Tourism board:** [↗ Website](https://www.egypt.travel/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Hurghada ### 1. Giftun Islands and Mahmya Island · Giftun Islands, offshore from Hurghada Two low desert islands inside a marine protected area, and the reefs that made Hurghada's name. Day boats leave the marina each morning for two snorkel stops and an afternoon on the sand at Mahmya. Take the quieter boat over the cheaper one. - **Time:** Full day - **Cost:** Priced by boat operator - **Best at:** Morning, before the wind rises - **Tip:** Ask whether the boat ties to mooring buoys; the good operators never anchor on coral ### 2. Shaab El Erg, the Dolphin House Reef · North of Hurghada, toward El Gouna A horseshoe reef where a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins is often found resting in the lagoon. Sightings are frequent, never promised. The reef itself is worth the trip, with napoleon wrasse and blue-spotted rays in the shallows. - **Time:** Full day - **Cost:** Priced by boat operator - **Best at:** Early departures - **Tip:** Never chase or touch the dolphins; let them approach the boat ### 3. Diving Carless Reef and El Fanadir Diving · Dive centres along the marina and Sheraton Road Dozens of reefs sit within an hour of the harbour. El Fanadir's wall and plateau suit a first dive; Carless Reef's two pinnacles bring white-tip reef sharks, jacks and barracuda, but also current. Pick a centre that uses the HEPCA mooring buoys. - **Time:** Half or full day - **Cost:** Priced per dive - **Best at:** Spring and autumn - **Tip:** Carless is often skipped when the sea is up, so keep a spare day Links: [HEPCA](https://www.hepca.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 4. El Dahar and the old souk Old town · El Dahar, north Hurghada The original town, inland from the resorts, where Hurghada's residents actually shop. The souk sells spices, leather, copper and shisha pipes, and locals sell produce around El Dahar square. Go after dark, when the heat lifts and the streets fill. - **Time:** 2–3 hours - **Cost:** Free to walk - **Best at:** Evening - **Tip:** Carry small notes and expect to bargain; the first price is an opening ### 5. Hurghada Museum Museum · Central Hurghada Opened in 2020, the city's first antiquities museum brings in pieces from every era of Egypt: pharaonic statuary led by a bust of Queen Meritamun, Coptic icons, and Roman finds from the Eastern Desert. It opens twice a day, 10:00 to 13:00 and 17:00 to 23:00. - **Time:** 1–1.5 hours - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** The evening session - **Tip:** The ticket window closes an hour before each session ends Links: [Website](https://egymonuments.gov.eg/en/museums/hurghada-museum?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 6. Hurghada Grand Aquarium Aquarium · Magawish, south Hurghada The Red Sea under glass, opened in 2015 with some 1,200 animals of about 100 species across its galleries. The shark tunnel is the centrepiece. It is the best way to show a non-swimmer, or a child, what the reefs offshore actually hold. - **Time:** 2 hours - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Midday heat - **Tip:** Go before a snorkel trip and you will put names to half the fish you see Links: [Website](https://www.hurghadagrandaquarium.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 7. El Mina Mosque Mosque · Seafront road by Hurghada port The city's largest mosque, white stone with two minarets of about 40 metres over the port. It is open to visitors outside prayer times. Inside, a large dome and chandeliers; outside, the best view back over the port. - **Time:** 30 minutes - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** Women need covered hair, arms and legs; men need long trousers ### 8. Hurghada Marina Waterfront · Sheraton Road, Sakkala A horseshoe of yachts, dive boats and restaurant terraces, and the one place in town built for walking. Morning is departures, evening is the promenade. Come for a drink at sunset and to compare boat operators face to face before you book. - **Time:** 1–2 hours - **Cost:** Free to walk - **Best at:** Sunset - **Tip:** Book next day's boat trip here, in person, rather than through a beach tout ### 9. Marine Museum and Aquarium (NIOF) Museum · NIOF research station, north of El Dahar The old scientific counterpart to the Grand Aquarium: the Red Sea station of the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, with tanks of reef fish and a hall of preserved specimens. Dated and dusty, cheap, and full of things divers only glimpse. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Low ticket - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Pair it with a walk south into El Dahar Links: [NIOF](https://niof-eg.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 10. The Eastern Desert at sunset Desert · Desert inland of Hurghada The mountains behind the town are part of the Eastern Desert, and an afternoon out by jeep or quad shows how close the emptiness is. Most trips end at a Bedouin camp for tea, bread and the stars. Choose a small operator and a sunset departure. - **Time:** 4–5 hours - **Cost:** Priced by operator - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** Wear closed shoes and a scarf; the tracks throw dust ## Best dive and snorkel sites in Hurghada Five sites within a day boat of the harbour, from a dolphin lagoon to a wreck graveyard. 1. **Shaab El Erg** (Snorkel and dive · Full day · North, toward El Gouna): The Dolphin House: a shallow lagoon where bottlenose dolphins rest most mornings. 2. **Carless Reef** (Dive · Experienced · Offshore, east of Hurghada): Two pinnacles on a plateau above deep water, with reef sharks and barracuda. Current-dependent. 3. **El Fanadir** (Dive and snorkel · All levels · Just off the coast): A wall, a 20-metre plateau, then a drop-off. The standard first dive close to town. 4. **Abu Ramada** (Dive and snorkel · All levels · South of Giftun): Hard and soft coral gardens off a small island, busy with firefish and octopus. 5. **Abu Nuhas wrecks** (Wreck dive · Experienced · Shadwan, north of Hurghada): A reef that sank four ships, among them the Carnatic and the Giannis D. A long day out. ## Best beaches in Hurghada Town beaches belong to the hotels, so the best sand is a boat or a drive away. 1. **Mahmya** (Island · Boat only · Giftun Islands): A beach club on Giftun reached by its own boat, with clear shallow water off the sand. 2. **Orange Bay** (Island · Boat only · Giftun Islands): White sand and turquoise shallows on Giftun, the stop on most island day trips. 3. **Sahl Hasheesh** (Resort bay · 20 km south · South of Hurghada): A crescent resort bay south of town, with a long jetty out over the reef. 4. **Makadi Bay** (Resort bay · 30 km south · South of Sahl Hasheesh): A sheltered bay of all-inclusive resorts with good house reefs for snorkelling. ## Best museums and landmarks in Hurghada Five reasons to leave the beach, two of them under air conditioning and about fish. 1. **Hurghada Museum** (Antiquities · Ticketed · Central Hurghada): Antiquities from every era of Egypt, opened in 2020. Two sessions a day. 2. **Hurghada Grand Aquarium** (Aquarium · Ticketed · Magawish): The Red Sea under glass, with a shark tunnel and some 1,200 animals. 3. **Marine Museum and Aquarium** (Natural history · Low ticket · North of El Dahar): The old research station's tanks and specimen hall. Dusty and cheap. 4. **El Mina Mosque** (Mosque · Free · By the port): The largest mosque in the city, two 40-metre minarets over the port. 5. **St Shenouda Coptic Cathedral** (Church · Free · El Dahar): A working Coptic church in El Dahar with painted ceilings and stained glass. ## Best restaurants in Hurghada Four places outside the hotel buffet, where the fish is priced by weight and the koshari by the bowl. 1. **Star Fish** (Seafood · By weight · Sheraton Road): Pick your fish from the ice and have it grilled. Busy every night. 2. **El Halaka** (Seafood · By weight · Near the marina): A fish counter near the marina: choose, weigh, and agree the price first. 3. **Felfela** (Egyptian · Cash · Sheraton Road): The Red Sea branch of the Cairo classic: mezze, koshari, grills, and harbour views. 4. **Koshary El Tahrir** (Koshari · Budget · El Dahar): A cheap, quick koshari counter in the old town. The locals' lunch. ## Best markets in Hurghada Three places to buy something, from the spice souk to the morning catch. 1. **El Dahar souk** (Daily · Cash · El Dahar): Spices, leather, copper and shisha pipes. Bargaining expected, evenings liveliest. 2. **The fish market** (Mornings · Cash · Fishing port, El Dahar): The morning catch by the fishing port, from sardines to grouper. 3. **Senzo Mall** (Daily · Cards · Safaga Road, south): The city's big air-conditioned mall, with a supermarket and fixed prices. ## Best neighbourhoods in Hurghada Four bases, and the choice between them decides whether you walk anywhere at all. 1. **El Dahar** (North · Budget · Old town): The old town: cheap hotels, the souk, real streets, and no beach to speak of. 2. **Sakkala and the Marina** (Centre · Mid-range · Sheraton Road): The walkable middle, with Sheraton Road, the marina and most restaurants. 3. **Village Road and Al Mamsha** (South · Resorts · Village Road): The resort strip south of the centre, with a long seafront promenade. 4. **Sahl Hasheesh** (Far south · Resorts · South of Hurghada): A self-contained resort bay south of town. Quiet, polished, and a taxi from anything. ## Best day trips in Hurghada Five trips: a lagoon town, two Roman quarries, the temples of the Nile and a kite beach. 1. **El Gouna** (Half day · Taxi · 20 km north): A lagoon resort town about 20 km north, built on islands, with Abu Tig Marina. 2. **Luxor** (Full day or overnight · Bus · Nile Valley): Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, about five hours by road each way. Stay a night. 3. **Mons Claudianus** (Full day · 4x4 tour · Eastern Desert): The Roman quarry that cut the Pantheon's portico columns, abandoned in the desert. 4. **Mons Porphyrites** (Full day · 4x4 tour · Eastern Desert): The only source of imperial purple porphyry, high in the mountains northwest of town. 5. **Soma Bay** (Day · Taxi · South of Makadi): A resort headland south of Safaga with steady cross-shore wind and kite schools. ## Festivals & annual events in Hurghada (2026) - **Coptic Christmas** (7 January): A national holiday. Churches, St Shenouda in El Dahar among them, hold services the night before. - **El Gouna International Squash Open** (April): A PSA tournament played in El Gouna, the 2026 edition from 4 to 10 April. - **Sham el-Nessim** (Monday after Coptic Easter): A spring holiday spent outdoors, which here means the beaches fill with Egyptian families. - **Ramadan** (Ninth Islamic month): Quiet afternoons outside the resorts and late, busy evenings in El Dahar. - **Eid al-Fitr** (End of Ramadan): A multi-day holiday when Cairo heads for the coast. Hotels and buses fill. - **Kitesurf season** (May to September): Summer thermals blow most afternoons, best at El Gouna and Soma Bay. - **Eid al-Adha** (Twelfth Islamic month): The larger Eid and another domestic travel peak. Book boats and rooms early. - **El Gouna Film Festival** (October): Arab and international cinema up the coast; the 2026 edition runs 15 to 23 October. ## Must-try dishes in Hurghada, Egypt - **Sayadeya**: The coast's own dish: fish baked over spiced rice and caramelised onions. - **Grilled Red Sea fish**: Chosen from the ice, weighed, then grilled or fried. Agree the price per kilo first. - **Koshari**: Rice, macaroni, lentils and chickpeas under tomato sauce and fried onions. - **Ful medames**: Slow-cooked fava beans with oil and cumin, the standard Egyptian breakfast. - **Ta'meya**: Egyptian falafel, made with fava beans rather than chickpeas. - **Molokhia**: A thick green soup of jute leaves with garlic and coriander, over rice. - **Feteer meshaltet**: Layered pastry brushed with ghee, eaten with honey or cheese. - **Om Ali**: A hot bread pudding of pastry, milk, nuts and raisins. ## Hurghada transport & airports - **Hurghada International Airport** (HRG): Southwest of El Dahar, around 15 to 20 minutes by taxi to the centre. Most visitors arrive on direct charter flights from Europe; agree the taxi fare before you set off. - **Long-distance buses** (Coach): Go Bus and other operators run to Cairo in about six to seven hours and to Luxor in roughly five. Check which Hurghada station your ticket leaves from. [Go Bus](https://go-bus.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Microbuses and taxis** (Agree first): Shared microbuses run up and down the main roads and stop when flagged. Taxis are not metered, so settle the fare before the door closes. - **Boats** (Marina): Excursion and dive boats leave the marina and the public port each morning. A fast ferry to Sharm el-Sheikh has run on and off for years; confirm it is sailing before you plan around it. ## Hurghada at a glance - **Country:** Egypt - **Region:** Red Sea Governorate (its capital) - **Population:** About 214,000 (2023 estimate) - **Founded:** 1905, as a fishing village - **Nickname:** The capital of the Red Sea Riviera - **Language:** Arabic (English widely used in resorts) - **Currency:** Egyptian pound (EGP) - **Time zone:** UTC+2 (EET), UTC+3 in summer - **Calling code:** +20 (area code 65) - **Airports:** Hurghada International (HRG) - **Power:** 220V, plug types C and F - **Emergency:** 122 police, 123 ambulance, 180 fire, 126 tourist police ## Interesting facts - The name comes from the Arabic for the nitraria shrub, ghardaq, which grew along this shore. - Oil was found here in 1913, decades before anyone came for the reefs. - The granite for the Pantheon's portico columns in Rome was cut at Mons Claudianus, in the desert behind the town. - HEPCA, founded in Hurghada, has laid over 1,000 mooring buoys so boats need not anchor on the reef. - Rain is close to absent in every month. January highs are around 21°C, July highs around 34°C. ## Hurghada travel FAQ ### Is Hurghada worth visiting? For the sea, yes. The reefs off Giftun, El Fanadir and Shaab El Erg are a short boat ride from the marina, and the town is a working city as well as a resort strip. If you want ancient Egypt, it works as a base for Luxor, but Luxor itself is the better place to sleep. ### How many days do you need in Hurghada? Five to seven. Two days on boats (snorkelling at Giftun, dolphins or diving at Shaab El Erg), one in town for the museum and El Dahar, one in the desert, and the rest for a beach or El Gouna. An Open Water course takes three to four days on its own. ### What is the best time to visit Hurghada? March to May and October to November. The sea stays warm enough to snorkel without a wetsuit and the days are not yet punishing. Winter is mild, with January highs near 21°C. July and August are hot but the sea breeze helps, and that is kitesurf season. ### Can you snorkel in Hurghada without a boat trip? Barely. Town beaches are mostly hotel frontage, and few have reef worth swimming out to. A resort with a jetty to its house reef, as at Makadi Bay or Sahl Hasheesh, is the exception. Everyone else should take a day boat to Giftun. ### Can you do Luxor as a day trip from Hurghada? You can, and many tours do, but it means about five hours on the road each way and a pre-dawn start. Spend at least one night. Two days lets you see Karnak, Luxor Temple after dark and the Valley of the Kings without running. ## Nearby guides - [Luxor](https://wimup.com/city/luxor.md): Egypt · 10 picks - [Aqaba](https://wimup.com/city/aqaba.md): Jordan · 10 picks - [Aswan](https://wimup.com/city/aswan.md): Egypt · 10 picks - [All of Africa →](https://wimup.com/africa): 55 cities Part of the [Egypt guide](https://wimup.com/country/egypt.md) · [Africa](https://wimup.com/africa.md) ## Sources - [Hurghada tourism board](https://www.egypt.travel/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Diving Carless Reef and El Fanadir: HEPCA](https://www.hepca.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Hurghada Museum (official site)](https://egymonuments.gov.eg/en/museums/hurghada-museum?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Hurghada Grand Aquarium (official site)](https://www.hurghadagrandaquarium.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Marine Museum and Aquarium (NIOF): NIOF](https://niof-eg.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Long-distance buses: Go Bus](https://go-bus.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.