15 best things to do in Hurghada in 2026

The most photographed lagoon in the Red Sea. Wooden boardwalks over turquoise water, soft white sand, beach swings, snorkeling reefs nearby. The shared boat is €25 per person, the speedboat is €130 flat for the whole boat (up to 8 guests), a private charter is €450 flat. Hotel pickup is included on every option.

If you only do one thing on your Hurghada trip, this is it. The photos are unbeatable.

The reefs around Big Giftun, Small Giftun, and Shaab Abu Nuhas are some of the best in the world. Visibility is regularly above 25 metres. Even snorkelers will see parrotfish, lionfish, surgeonfish, the occasional eagle ray or sea turtle.

For diving, dive centres run two-tank boat days for around €60 to €90. Famous sites: Abu Ramada (called The Aquarium), Carless Reef, Erg Somaya.

Hurghada sits between the sea and the eastern desert. A sunset desert tour gets you on a quad bike or in an open jeep heading inland for an hour, with a stop at a Bedouin village for tea, sometimes a camel ride, and the sunset over the dunes. Prices €25 to €40 per person.

An evening sailing trip out of Hurghada Marina is the most underrated experience in town. 2 to 3 hours, calm water, dinner on board, the Hurghada skyline lit up as the sun sets behind the desert mountains. Prices €30 to €60 per person.

The white-and-tan Grand Mosque of El Mina, at the south end of the marina district, is the largest mosque in Hurghada and a beautiful piece of contemporary Islamic architecture. Free to enter outside prayer times, dress modestly.

The Marina Boulevard at sunset is the social hub of the city. Cafes, ice-cream shops, souvenir stalls, live music, a long walkable promenade along the water. Free to walk, pay what you order.

Hurghada has excellent fresh fish. Most marina restaurants display the catch on ice and you pick what you want, grilled or fried. Order tahini, baba ghanoush, fresh bread, and a tomato salad on the side. Expect €15 to €25 per person for a full seafood spread.

The Sakkala area has the most concentrated souvenir shopping in Hurghada. Papyrus, alabaster, spices, oils, Egyptian cotton. Bargain hard, the first price is usually 3 to 5x the real price.

Luxor is 4 hours by car from Hurghada and is one of the great archaeological sites in the world: Karnak temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Luxor temple. A 12 to 14-hour day from Hurghada is tight but doable, or stay overnight. Tour prices €80 to €120 per person.

Mahmya is the upmarket beach club on Big Giftun Island. Day-pass entry, restaurant, sunbeds, water-sports rentals. Pricier than Orange Bay but more polished if you want resort-style amenities.

See our [full Magawish guide](/blog/magawish-island-tour-from-hurghada). The quieter southern Hurghada island, often paired with Orange Bay on a speedboat combo day.

A horseshoe reef known for wild bottlenose dolphins. See our [Dolphin House guide](/blog/dolphin-house-hurghada-trip) for sighting odds and ethical guidelines.

The Sindbad submarine takes 40 minutes underwater along the reef, with windows on every seat. Perfect for grandparents, very young kids, or anyone who wants the reef without getting wet. Around €40 per person.

Indoor air-conditioned aquarium on the road south to Sahl Hasheesh. Good rainy-day or hottest-noon backup. Around €15 entry, kid-friendly.

Skip the hotel buffet at least once. Find a small ahwa (cafe) in Sakkala or El Dahar and order ful (fava beans), tameya (Egyptian falafel), eggs, fresh aish baladi (Egyptian flatbread), and shai bel laban (tea with milk). Around €3 to €5, an experience worth twice that.

If you want a planning shortcut, book the Orange Bay day first (it is the universal favourite), then add a desert safari and a sunset cruise on the other days. Most of the other items on this list can be done in half a day or less.