Private, fixed-price transfers from Hurghada Airport to the city and the resorts along the Red Sea coast — plus what to see once you arrive.
Hurghada stretches for about 36 km along Egypt’s Red Sea coast, and its airport — the second-busiest in the country — lies inland, about 5 km south-west of El Dahar, the city centre. The first hotels begin almost as soon as you leave the airport, and from there the coast runs in two directions: north to the lagoon town of El Gouna, and south past the large hotel resorts of El Mamsha to Sahl Hasheesh, Makadi Bay and Soma Bay. Most visitors head straight for a hotel, which makes the airport transfer the one part of the trip worth settling before you fly.
The town itself was officially established in 1905. Its oldest part, Sakala, was settled by Ababda fishermen along a natural harbour and is now also the busiest, with Sheraton Road lined with hotels, shops and restaurants, while El Dahar keeps the traditional bazaar. Above all, Hurghada is about the sea: its waters are clear and calm for most of the year, which has made it a popular destination for diving and snorkelling, and the dive sites around the Giftun Islands, Abu Ramada Island and Fanadir include shipwrecks such as the Rosalie Moller.
By the marina, Hurghada
El Mina Mosque is the main Islamic landmark in Hurghada: a modern mosque by the marina, known for its tall minarets, white domes and marble details. It makes a good starting point for the older districts of the city — Sakala, the oldest part of town, grew up around a natural harbour settled by Ababda fishermen, and El Dahar still has the traditional bazaar.
Offshore from Hurghada
The Giftun Islands — also spelled Giftoun — are two islands in the Red Sea near Hurghada. Giftun Kebir, or Big Giftun, lies further west and closer to the city; Giftun Soraya, or Little Giftun, lies further east. On the protected Giftun island, the beachfront camp of El Mahmya is 45 minutes by boat from Hurghada. The waters around the islands are a diving area in their own right, with further dive sites around nearby Abu Ramada Island and Fanadir.
25 km from the airport
El Gouna is a resort town on the Red Sea, created in 1990 and owned and developed by Samih Sawiris’ Orascom Development. It has 10 kilometres of coastline and consists of 20 islands surrounded by lagoons, separated by channels and connected by bridges. The town has three main areas: Downtown, Tamr Henna Square and the Abu Tig Marina. Since 2017 it has also hosted an annual film festival, the El Gouna Film Festival.
18 km south of the airport
Sahl Hasheesh is a bay on the Red Sea coast near Hurghada, developed as a resort by the Egyptian Resorts Company, which bought the land in 1995. The bay is home to a number of islands and coral reefs with diving and snorkelling, and nearby Abou Hasheesh Island is a local protectorate with a thriving community of marine life. The resort also has an unusual sight: a partly submerged artificial city that works as an artificial reef, attracting fish and snorkellers alike.
Magawish, Hurghada
Opened in January 2015 in the Magawish area of Hurghada, the Grand Aquarium is the largest in Egypt. It has nearly 3,500 cubic metres of tank space and is home to over 1,200 animals from 100 species, among them nurse sharks, stingrays, green sea turtles and eagle rays. Its 24 exhibits include a shark tunnel, a rainforest and “Whale Valley”, based on fossils found in Egypt’s Western Desert, as well as a Bedouin life exhibit.
Prices start from the lowest published fare for this airport and depend on the destination and vehicle class. Cancel up to 24 hours before pickup for a 90% refund.
Photo credits Diaa Mekky (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Tanya Dedyukhina (CC BY 3.0) · E v Schoonhoven (CC BY 3.0) · Marc Ryckaert (CC BY 3.0) · Marc Ryckaert (CC BY 3.0) · Ojce (CC BY-SA 4.0)
