Orange Bay vs Paradise Island, which to visit from Hurghada

Both Orange Bay and Paradise Island are small day-trip beaches inside Giftun Islands National Park, about 11 km north of Hurghada in the Red Sea. They share the marine environment but they look and feel different on the day.

Orange Bay is the postcard: turquoise lagoon, long wooden boardwalks over the water, beach swings, soft white sand, a quiet vibe. Paradise Island is the busier scene: sunbeds, a paid restaurant, a small folklore / belly-dance show, more amenities, more people.

If your priority is the photos and a quieter beach day, pick Orange Bay. If your priority is amenities and a more lively atmosphere, pick Paradise Island.

Orange Bay sits on the southern shore of Big Giftun Island. The lagoon is shallow (waist-deep in many spots) and the water is the bright turquoise you see in the photos because the coral reef is right offshore.

The visual signature of Orange Bay is the wooden boardwalks that stretch from the beach out over the shallows, dotted with beach swings, hammocks, and umbrella seating. Most of our guests spend more time taking photos here than swimming.

It is family-friendly: shallow water, child-size life jackets, beach swings the kids never want to leave. Snorkeling is excellent both from the boat (we make two reef stops on the way) and from the island beach itself.

Paradise Island is also on Giftun, slightly further around. The beach is good but the focus is on the on-island services. Expect rows of sunbeds, beach umbrellas, a restaurant (paid extra), bars, sometimes a playground in the summer, and a short cultural show with belly dance and tanoura.

It feels more like a small beach resort than a quiet island. Visit numbers per day are higher than Orange Bay, especially in peak season, so it can feel crowded around midday.

Snorkeling is fine but the immediate beach is sandy with less reef than at Orange Bay. Most snorkeling on a Paradise Island trip happens on the boat-side reef stops, not from the beach itself.

Pricing is broadly similar across operators. Our shared boat trip to Orange Bay is €25 per person with full breakfast and lunch, two snorkeling stops, snorkeling gear, hotel pickup, and two hours on the island. Paradise Island day-boat tours typically run in the same range from other operators.

Sunbeds, food, and drinks at Paradise Island are paid extras on the island itself. Orange Bay charges only for drinks at the beach bar (food and snorkeling gear come from the boat).

If you want a speedboat, the upgrade is the same logic on either island: less time on the boat, more on the beach. Our Orange Bay speedboat is €130 flat for the whole boat (up to 8 guests) with two daily slots.

Pick Orange Bay if: you want the iconic boardwalk / beach-swing photos, you have kids who will love the lagoon, you care about snorkeling, you prefer a quieter beach day, you want a full lunch included in the price.

Pick Paradise Island if: you want sunbed-style beach amenities, you do not want to deal with self-pace logistics, you want a cultural show on the day, you are coming with a group that wants drinks and entertainment over scenery.

We focus exclusively on Orange Bay because, in our opinion as local guides who have done both for years, the Orange Bay day is the more memorable one for first-time Red Sea visitors. The lagoon photos are the ones guests show their friends back home.

We run three Orange Bay options: the shared day boat (€25 per person, full meals), the speedboat (€130 flat for the whole boat, up to 8 guests, faster), and a private boat charter (€450 flat for up to 15 guests, fully custom). Hotel pickup is included on every option, free cancellation up to 24 hours before the trip, and payment is on arrival.

Read the full Orange Bay guide for the deeper context. If you have already decided, browse the trips page and pick a date. WhatsApp is the fastest way to ask a question, we reply within minutes during the day.