Red Sea Coast · Destination guide
The Red Sea's most accessible resort town — island reefs, family hotels and desert on the doorstep, an hour from Luxor.
Get your bearings
Hurghada is where most people's Red Sea begins. Once a small fishing village, it's now the coast's busiest hub — a long strip of resorts facing a scatter of islands and reefs, and the easiest beach finish in Egypt thanks to its own international airport and a four-hour road link to Luxor. Direct charters from the UK make it a five- to six-hour door-to-beach. If you want temples one day and a reef the next, this is how you do it.
The water is the point. Day-boats run out to Giftun Island and the white sandbar of Orange Bay, dive centres cover every level, and the house reefs off the bigger hotels are good enough that some people barely leave the beach. On the days you're not in the sea, the Eastern Desert delivers quad bikes, Bedouin dinners and some of the clearest night skies near the coast.
What you're really here to see
01The postcard day trip — a protected island ringed by white sandbars and shallow reef, under an hour out by boat. Snorkel straight off the back, lunch on the sand, and watch the water turn every shade of blue on the way home.
Full day by boat
02Hurghada is one of the easiest places anywhere to learn to dive and a fine base for fun dives — walls, wrecks and bommies a short boat ride out, with well-run multilingual centres and warm, clear water nearly all year.
Half or full day
03The dry-day option: quad bikes and 4×4s into the Eastern Desert, a Bedouin camp for dinner and tea, and a night sky with no city to dim it. An easy half-day that balances out all the time in the water.
Half day
Time to allow
Hurghada is built for a stay of a few nights — diver or not.
A quick coastal breather after the Nile — one island-and-reef day, one beach day, then onward.
Time to dive or snorkel a couple of sites, fit a desert safari, and still spend a full day on a lounger.
For families settling into a resort or divers ticking off sites — long enough to slow right down.
Drive or fly from Luxor for a few reef days at the end of the temples-and-Nile circuit.
Where it fits
Hurghada is the convenient finale — the closest reef to the Nile Valley.
A four-hour drive or short flight — the natural beach finish straight after the temples.
A 50-minute flight, making a reef-and-history split easy to arrange in one holiday.
Day-boats to Giftun and Orange Bay; dive centres for every level, from first dip to wreck diving.
Quad bikes, Bedouin dinners and stargazing fill the non-water days without leaving the coast.
From the catalogue
Private transfer from Hurghada to Luxor by air‑conditioned vehicle, approximately 290 km and 3.5–4 hours on the desert highway. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and we arrange door-to-door pickup from hotels and the port, with an English-speaking driver. We do not run group coach transfers; we use private cars so you control departure time, comfort stops and luggage handling. Scheduled domestic flights take about 50 minutes but add check-in time and luggage rules – we can quote flights on request. Road transfers involve long stretches without shade and basic roadside facilities; expect one short comfort stop en route.
We operate this 8-day itinerary from Hurghada to Luxor and Aswan as a licensed Egyptian Destination Management Company (licensed by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism – ETAA). You spend 7 nights on a comfortable Nile cruise with full-board dining and daily guided shore excursions led by our certified Egyptologists. Transfers Hurghada ⇄ Luxor (embark and disembark) and all cruise transfers are included, and we run the full-day Abu Simbel excursion from Aswan by private road transfer. This package includes standard archaeological site entrance fees (the Valley of the Kings ticket included here covers entrance to three tombs). Small-group or private options and a la carte upgrades (for example, a private cabin, premium tomb entrances, or domestic flights) are available on request – we tailor the trip to your preferences and advise on timing, modest dress requirements, and practical trade-offs such as early starts or walking on uneven ancient stone.
A 13-day guided holiday combining Alexandria, Cairo, a three-night Nile cruise between Aswan and Luxor, and a Red Sea break in Hurghada. We arrange domestic flights, private transfers and a dedicated Egyptologist throughout. This itinerary suits travellers who want museum and city sightseeing in Cairo and Alexandria followed by the paced sightseeing a short Nile cruise affords, then four nights for snorkeling and beach time in Hurghada. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator, we book the hotels and cruise with local suppliers and manage timings so you move comfortably between cities.
Pickalbatros Aqua Vista Resort is located in Hurghada on the Red Sea and provides resort accommodation with pools and family rooms. We recommend this hotel as a practical base for families and snorkellers rather than for experienced liveaboard divers seeking remote reefs. Unlike small boutique hotels in Old Hurghada, the resort offers larger communal facilities and organised daytime activities. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator we arrange airport transfers, snorkel trips and family-room allocation on request. Expect busy periods during Egyptian school holidays; pool areas may be crowded and some poolside areas have limited shade at midday.
Pickalbatros White Beach Resort is a Hurghada hotel on the Red Sea, bookable through our licensed Egyptian tour operator. We sell this property as a straightforward beach option rather than a bundled Nile-and-beach package; many clients prefer to add a separate Nile stay so each part of Egypt gets proper time. We include private airport transfers and can add diving or snorkelling excursions on request. Expect busy periods in July–August and limited shade on the shoreline at midday; we recommend early-morning snorkel trips and an early check-in when possible. Rates, room types and transfer times are confirmed at booking.
Travel by private, air-conditioned vehicle from Luxor to Hurghada in around four hours with door-to-door collection and an English-speaking driver. We do not run shared shuttle buses; every booking is a private transfer organised from our Luxor office. Unlike scheduled coaches, you choose the pick-up time and we tailor stops to your needs. The route runs mostly along the Red Sea highway with limited shade; the journey can feel long for travellers sensitive to extended road travel. We supply sedans, SUVs or minivans and can carry standard luggage; oversized items may require a second vehicle.
Private transfer from Hurghada International Airport (HRG) to your Hurghada hotel, door-to-door. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and our driver meets you in the arrivals hall with a name board. Most hotels lie between about 5 km and 55 km from HRG; typical transfer times run from roughly 12 to 70 minutes depending on hotel location and traffic (Sakkala/El Dahar ~5–7 km, El Gouna ~25 km, Makadi Bay ~30–35 km, Soma Bay ~45–55 km). We operate private cars only – unlike shared shuttles, you travel direct with no extra pickups. Note: immigration and baggage collection commonly add 20–60 minutes to arrival time. Child seats and extra luggage assistance available on request; please tell us ages and luggage details at booking.
Private, door-to-door transfer between Hurghada hotels and Hurghada International Airport (HRG), available for arrivals and departures. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and we arrange meet-and-greet in arrivals; our driver will assist with luggage and drive an air-conditioned saloon or minibus depending on group size. We operate private transfers only – we do not sell shared-seat shuttles – so your pick-up time is matched to your flight. Unlike scheduled hotel shuttles, this service is entirely private. During peak arrival waves at HRG expect passport-control and security delays; allow extra time for international connections.
Pickalbatros Dana Beach Resort sits on Hurghada's Red Sea coast and provides multiple outdoor pools, restaurants and family facilities. We position it as a reliable all-inclusive resort base rather than a remote boutique hideaway; its scale suits families and mid-range holidaymakers. Unlike small guesthouses on Giftun Island, most on-site activities here run throughout the day, not to a boat timetable. It can be busy in Egyptian school holidays and some room categories show wear; choose upgraded rooms for quieter locations. We can arrange private airport transfers, snorkel excursions and dive bookings with vetted local operators. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and handle confirmations and special requests.
Every way in
Day trips, classic multi-day tours, Nile cruises, hotels and private transfers – every part of an Egypt trip can be arranged from Hurghada. Start wherever makes sense.
Hotel pickup, a private Egyptologist, half or full day.
2–15 day private itineraries, hotels and guides included.
Pair Hurghada with a 3–4 night river cruise in one trip.
Aswan ↔ Luxor sailings, dahabiyas and classic cruisers.
5★ and boutique stays, hand-picked by our team.
Private meet-and-greet from the airport to your hotel.
Best time to visit
Swimmable year-round — there's no truly bad time on this coast.
Warm air, warm water and calm seas (25–32°C). The sweet spot for diving and beach days without peak summer heat.
35–40°C on land, but the sea breeze and the water make it bearable, and the diving is superb. Busy with the European summer holidays.
Cooler air in the low 20s and a wetsuit helps in the water, but it's sunny, quiet and a warm escape from a British winter.
The coast can get breezy, which kicks up chop for the day-boats. A flexible plan shifts the island trip to the calmer morning.
The practical part
The most connected point on the coast — the practical part.
Hurghada (HRG) takes direct charter and scheduled flights from UK airports, around five to six hours, plus quick domestic flights from Cairo. From Luxor it's a four-hour drive or a short hop.
The resort strip runs for miles; we match the hotel to your trip — quieter Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay to the south, livelier El Gouna to the north.
Resorts are self-contained and reef and desert trips include hotel pickup. A taxi covers the marina and old town; a car is rarely needed.
Centres cater to every level with multilingual instructors. We line up the dive school or snorkel boat before you arrive.
Common questions
Yes — it's the closest Red Sea resort to Luxor (a four-hour drive or short flight), with its own airport, making it a natural beach finish after the temples and the Nile. Three or four nights is the usual stay.
Day-boats to Giftun Island and Orange Bay, snorkelling and diving on the house reefs and offshore sites, glass-bottom and dolphin boats, and Eastern Desert safaris by quad bike or 4×4 with a Bedouin dinner.
Yes — shallow protected bays, kids' clubs, all-inclusive resorts and easy snorkelling make it low-effort with children, while the reefs and islands keep older children and adults busy.
Spring and autumn (March–May, September–November) are ideal — warm water, calm seas and comfortable air. But the sea is swimmable all year, so there's no truly bad time, and winter is a reliable warm escape from the UK.
Hurghada is closer to Luxor, livelier and full of family resorts and day-boat reefs. Marsa Alam, further south, is quieter with better house reefs and dolphins. We match the town to your priorities.
Plan your trip
Tell us your dates and what you want out of Hurghada – we'll send a private, tailored itinerary within 24 hours. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.
