The Egyptian resort of Hurghada is one of the best places for a vacation on the Red Sea coast. Tourists from all over the world are attracted by water parks, oceanariums, museums, sandy beaches, shopping centers, picturesque nature and warm sea. The former fishing village is now filled with coffee shops and bars, hotels and bazaars.
Here you can see stunningly beautiful coral reefs, among which there are rare black ones, hundreds of yachts, more than 80 beaches. And also – to walk inside the glass tunnel surrounded by sharks, to observe the life of the underwater world through the porthole of a bathyscaphe, to go up to the tombs of pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings.
Surrounded by an archipelago of small islands, Hurghada is a year-round destination for divers and snorkelers, windsurfers and kitesurfers. Travelers are attracted by white sandy beaches, clear turquoise sea, mild climate. Additional charm of this 15-kilometer coastline is given by ancient buildings, tactfully preserved in modern construction, and the ringing guttural chatter of the townspeople.
Areas of the city and what to see as a tourist in Hurghada
From a bird’s-eye view, the metropolis looks like a narrow green strip of land reclaimed from the Arabian Desert, and the city itself is just an oasis among the sands. Fishermen settled here from ancient times: rich catch fed their families and traded. The Egyptians realized that the local scorching sun is a free smokehouse. Dried sea delicacies quickly filled the country’s markets and the tables of the nobility. European travelers named the settlement Hurghada.
According to one version, they used the word hurghada to refer to “el-gardaka” – a shrub with bright red berries reminiscent of dogwood. Subsequently, this name remained the same.
The city of the Egyptian Riviera is divided into districts. Depending on your preferences and budget, you can choose a neighborhood to live in and build itineraries for walks and excursions.
Lovers of antiquity will love the old town of Al Dahar. Here are located the harbor, restaurants and markets, cafes and stores of citizens “for their own”. As well as administrative and public facilities, residential neighborhoods and a bus station.
The Marina District harbor has 200 berths and is therefore famous among yachtsmen. The picturesque Marina Boulevard adjacent to the harbor is a popular place for strolling. Three times a week there are concerts for everyone. Prices in hotels and restaurants are significantly higher than in other areas.
Shopaholics will prefer the tourist center of Hurghada – Sakkala district with antique shops and the bustling Sheraton Street. There are large shopping centers, boutiques, and a convenient marina. From the sea and different points you can see the iconic landmark of Hougarda – the largest mosque of the city El-Mina.
The elite El Gouna area of , 30 km from Saqqala, is for wealthy tourists. This coastline with luxury hotels and developed infrastructure inherent in an expensive resort will suit fans of scuba diving and comfortable rest.
New Hurghada is a metropolis built up over the last 20 years. The tourist district of El Mamsha is characterized by more democratic prices in modern hotels and hotels, as well as an active nightclub life. Hurghada’s largest shopping center, Esplanade Mall, is also located here.
A comfortable hotel and beach vacation in Sahl Hasheesh Oasis Park can be diversified with golf, spas, fitness centers and Friday night discos on the beach. Tourists from other places often come here for a stroll to take great photos by the luxurious buildings.
Waterfront Marina
In the resort of Hurghada, guests choose the new Marina promenade, which stretches along the sea for almost a kilometer, for pleasant strolls. From the shore, you can see snow-white pleasure boats and yachts, ultra-modern models and vessels stylized as antiques floating on the azure water surface.
Colorful houses in Arab-Moorish style create a special flavor. You can enter a store, a hookah store, a souvenir store, a bar and a restaurant. In total, there are more than a hundred establishments. Experienced travelers recommend coming here in the evening, when live music sounds under the stars and the nightlife of the resort begins.
Tourist tip: In the evening at the Marina, a man in a Bedouin outfit offers a free camel ride or photo shoot. However, at the end of the photo session it turns out that you still have to pay. To get down. The negotiated price is usually twice as much as the price accepted at the resort.
You can get to the Marina promenade, which is practically in the center of the city, by shuttle bus. Tourists are dropped off a little in advance, but walking to the boulevard on foot is an additional pleasure. For a cab ride, just tell the driver “Hurghada Marina”.
Al-Mina Mosque
Not far from Marina is an important shrine for Muslims and Hurghada’s most notable landmark. The central shrine was named after a preacher who lived here more than 600 years ago and guided thousands of people to the true path.
The construction was completed only in 2012; it is a new building, but it is very large-scale. The complex includes two high minarets, and the main building is crowned with 25 domes.
To pass inside, shoes must be removed, women cover head, shoulders, knees. Men should be in pants. At the entrance, cunning Egyptians offer for two dollars to rent clothes to go inside.
Sheraton Street
The Marina promenade flows smoothly into the four-kilometer-long Sheraton Street, which is always buzzing with life and offers a wonderful view of the sea. Here you can go to the Metro store, buy a souvenir at Kopeika or dumplings at Ukraina Cookery, have lunch at Prague or a snack at KFC. This is a multinational place.
People come here for gifts and entertainment, shopping and currency exchange, looking for a travel agency and a pharmacy, relaxing in a restaurant and strolling through the market. The only thing that can mar the evening promenade is the intrusiveness of street vendors who try to lure tourists to their stalls in every possible way.
The Old City of Al Dahar
A walk around Al Dahar will allow you to plunge into the flavor of Old Egypt: everywhere the townspeople are bustling, and against their background tourists are looking for modern entertainment and unusual angles for photos.
Even the traffic light is considered a landmark by local standards, because it was put here less than 20 years ago. By the way, it has not helped much in regulating traffic. Traffic still flows chaotically, and cars do not let pedestrians pass.
The Oriental Bazaar is particularly impressive in Al Dahar, where you can buy gifts of nature inexpensively. The stalls here are famous for unique goods from local craftsmen.
1001 Nights Palace
To plunge into an oriental fairy tale, I recommend visiting a colorful palace on the territory of a large entertainment hotel complex and watch the show “One Thousand and One Nights” in Hurghada.
The authentic architectural ensemble is located in the southern part of the city, halfway to Sahl Hasheesh. The palace’s eastern domes and towers, brightly colored mosaic decoration prepare guests for the performance in advance. Before the performance you can stroll around the building, watch masters of ancient crafts at work, listen to the playing of national instruments, and have a cup of tea.
During the performance, pharaohs and sheikhs tell ancient legends of Egypt, beauties in colorful traditional outfits dance, acrobats and magicians work. At dusk the fire show looks spectacular. In addition to actors, camels and elite Arabian horses take part in the performance.
Evening illuminations and singing fountains add to the charm of the entertainment palace. This is one of the unusual places in Hurghada where you can go on your own without going to a show.
Hurghada Beaches
One of the main advantages of the resort city is its magnificent beaches. For their arrangement tons of sand were imported, and the seabed was specially cleaned from corals and leveled in the coastal reefs. All for the sake of a comfortable entry into the water for vacationers. After a while, it was discovered that the Red Sea corals being cut down were on the verge of extinction. The authorities came to their senses and imposed huge fines for damage to nature.
Excellent recreation and entertainment on the shores of the Red Sea in Hurghada can be obtained on more than 80 beaches. There is an opportunity to choose the lively ones near the city center or remote, where vacationers behave quietly, not disturbing the peace of neighbors.
In addition to sun beds, umbrellas, showers and changing rooms, beaches with a high level of comfort have sofas, gazebos, marquees, a medical center, lifeguards, equipment and food outlets. Tons of sand are regularly brought to the shore, and cleanliness is monitored by staff. The price of a visit is not fixed and depends on the level of comfort and location. If the beach belongs to the hotel, its guests do not pay for entry.
The Old Sheraton public pay beach is located next to the Sheraton’s tourist street. The beach is popular with locals and resort guests alike, as the spacious 300-meter coastline is covered with white sand, the descent into the sea is comfortable, and the water is clean and clear.
Mahmya Beach offers a high level of service for the sophisticated public. Here you can relax on comfortable sofas, play volleyball and tennis on the equipped courts, have a delicious lunch in the restaurant. Theme events are organized in the evening.
The popular private beach Orange Beach is characterized by a bright design. Everything here is orange: elements of decor and equipment, signs, sun beds and even plastic chairs in the cafe. Here you can snorkel, watch the underwater life of the coral reef or take a boat trip.
The white-sand beaches of Makadi Bay, 25 km south of Hurghada, attract families with children on vacation. The shallow and clean sea is safe for children.
Big and Little Giftune
Just over 10 kilometers of sea surface separates the islands of Big and Little Giftun from Hurghada. They have now been declared a protected area of a national park. The nature there counts more than 700 species of fish and almost 200 species of coral reefs, including rare ones, the age of which is hundreds of thousands of years. In one place you can see almost all the biodiversity of the Red Sea.
Tourists come from Hurghada on day trips to see the unique reefs of Giftun, scuba dive to colorful fish, relax on the equipped beaches of Paradise and Orange.
Small Giftun is traditionally visited by experienced divers. The entire surface of the island is covered with soft and hard corals, including rare black coral. Thrill-seekers can dive to a depth of 45 meters, meet moray eels, stingrays, barracuda, cuttlefish and even sharks, as well as look into underwater caves.
Grand Aquarium
This real gem and unique attraction of Hurghada is very popular with tourists. The excursion takes place in spacious halls with transparent walls through which you can observe the life of the inhabitants of the sea depths. The best collection of flora and fauna of the Red Sea has been gathered here. Unusual sensations are experienced by guests when they pass through a glass tunnel. Hundreds of fish, mollusks, rays and sharks swim near and directly above your head.
Hours of operation are from 9:00 to 19:00. Shark feeding shows take place at 11:00 am and 3:00 pm.
Price: from 27 dollars. Online tickets are three to five dollars cheaper than buying them on site.
A submarine and a bathyscaphe
Scuba diving is not the only way to see the world of the sea floor. Hurghada offers two more options, and these activities are safe even for children and older tourists. Firstly, on the submarine “Sinbad”. The submarine dives to a depth of 25 meters, and through the portholes travelers watch the fish, coral, stylized remains of the sunken ship. Scuba divers entertain the public by organizing a small underwater show.
Secondly, by bathyscaphe. At the beginning of the trip you can breathe the sea air on the cozy upper decks and then go below. The room below the waterline is equipped with large rectangular watertight windows. The underwater panorama is clearly visible through them.
Excursions can be purchased at the hotels and at the Marina promenade. Often a trip to Giftun Island, swimming in the open sea, animation for children and lunch are combined into one trip.
Hurghada Historical Museum
There are 3,000 artifacts here, some of which are brought from the museum in Cairo. It is the one known for its huge collection of artifacts related to ancient Egypt. In Hurghada you can look at the statues of pharaohs, four mummies, sarcophagi, household items, including those from the tomb of Tutankhamun. The museum is much larger than our collection of Egyptian antiquities in the Hermitage.
There are ancient containers for cosmetics, polished metal mirrors, ceramic jugs, clay pots, armchairs, headrests and various furniture, including wooden ones. It is interesting that statues made of wood in Ancient Egypt have survived well to our days, the dry climate has not affected wooden products.
The Hurghada Museum is located on the second floor of a building in a fenced area near the Grand Aquarium. The way to the ticket office passes through souvenir shops, which is very typical for Egypt – the oriental bazaar will find its buyer everywhere.
Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 13:00 and 17:00 to 23:00.
Price: from EGP 200.
Coptic Church
The historical and architectural monument is one of Hurghada’s main religious attractions. The Coptic Orthodox Church of St. Shenoute (its full name) impresses with amazing design elements and a bizarre weaving together of interfaith traditions and modern devices. There are pews like in churches, women can enter with their heads uncovered, and fans and televisions hang on the walls.
The Copts are the original inhabitants of Egypt, who are not part of the Arab majority. However, they are direct descendants of the ancient peoples who inhabited Egypt at the time of the pharaohs and the pyramids. The Coptic Church professes Christianity, but the services and rites differ from those accepted in the Russian Orthodox Church. It is interesting that this community is not strict about wearing a cross and allows its replacement by a tattoo on the wrist.
Egypt in miniature
You can see the main attractions of Egypt in one place at the miniature park in Hurghada. The open-air museum contains copies of significant buildings and monuments, only smaller than the originals by 25 times. For example, the miniature of the Pyramid of Cheops is as tall as a two-story house.
There are about 60 clay and stone replicas of rarities from Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, Luxor and Aswan. Among the most famous are the temples of Edfu and Abu Simbel, the palace of El Montaz, the high dam in Aswan, the mosque of Mohammed Ali, the fortress of Kait Bay, the Library of Alexandria, which has not survived to this day. You can spend several days traveling around Egypt and seeing the originals, or you can see their replicas in an hour during a quiet walk in the park.
Valley of the Kings
Not far from Luxor, on the west bank of the Nile is the most recognizable landmark of Hougarda and the whole of Egypt – the world famous Valley of the Kings. This authentic place is also called the “City of the Dead”. Sixty-three tombs have been found here. In the valley buried not only the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, but also members of their families. All buildings were erected at least three thousand years ago. Some of them have been preserved until now almost completely. For example, the tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered in the last century.
Long tunnels and passages lead to the stone-carved burial chambers; there are vestibule halls, bedrooms, niches and corridors. The walls and tombstones are painted with texts related to the beyond.
Few people know that nearby is also the Valley of the Queens, where there are more than 80 tombs of children of pharaohs and wives of rulers.
How to get there: it is cheaper to get to the Valley of the Kings from Hurghada by sightseeing buses. The Nile is crossed by ferries and motorboats. Many hotels offer tourist transfers.
Opening hours: daily from 06:00 to 17:00.
Price: from 80 EGP plus additional fees for visiting selected tombs.
The ghost town of Umm Huwaytat
Sixty kilometers from Hurghada, lovers of mysticism can look at a deserted town. Umm Huwaytat means “surrounded by mountains”. Not so long ago, the town was bustling with life, with phosphate mines located nearby.
Today, the abandoned town is completely empty. According to the official version, people left because of the danger of an earthquake. But there is a more plausible and prosaic solution to the migration. The service sector for tourists in Egypt became more profitable than the life of miners, and the population urgently changed their profession.
Now the ruins preserve the amazing history of Umm Huwaytat and form another unique location for travelers. The remains of the city are not badly preserved to this day, as they consist almost entirely of sand. Tourists can see a panorama of streets, walls of buildings and even a white-washed abandoned mosque. You can visit a school, dwellings of Egyptian miners, a medical center, houses of a sheikh and a British lord. You can also climb the minaret, which now serves as a viewing platform.
How to get there: from Hurghada by shuttle bus, guided tours, or by jeep or ATV as part of a popular local activity – safari. A safari costs from EGP 300 and a bus ride from EGP 25.
When is the best time to go
The climate in Hurghada is dry, hot and temperatures of +40 °C are not at all uncommon. The absence of precipitation and almost constant sea breeze make the vacation comfortable. The bathing season lasts all year round, even in winter the water temperature does not fall below +20 ° C.
The infrastructure of Hurghada is suitable for a comfortable vacation: hotels, beaches, yachts, restaurants. Almost 90% of residents work in the field of tourist services.
For rest without exhausting heat tourists choose the end of spring and the beginning of fall. With children I advise you to go in September and October. On a trip from December to March, bring warm clothes, as the night is cool, about +12 ° C. Pleasant prices will please tourists in the low season – in summer and in the second half of winter.
The metropolis receives flights from all over the world at its own airport. The distance from Cairo is almost 500 kilometers, and to the famous resort of Sharm el-Sheikh – 200.
Travel Tips
1. To get inside the El Mina Mosque, you have to comply with the dress code. Shorts, T-shirts, exposed shoulders and bare knees are strictly forbidden. During prayers, which are held six times a day, only Muslims are allowed into the mosque. To get here without any problems, it is better to join a group tour.
2. The territory of the “Mini-Egypt” park is quite large, so the tour will take at least an hour. And it is better to plan a visit at a mild season or in the evening, when the models are illuminated and the romantic flavor compares favorably with daytime impressions.
3. It is preferable to arrive early to the Valley of the Kings, as the first half of the day is the best time to see the “City of the Dead”. After noon it gets very hot in the open without shade, which can smear all the positive emotions from the impressions. The tombs are stuffy and have difficult climbs, so stock up on drinking water and comfortable shoes.
4. It is more comfortable to come to the ghost town of Umm Huwaytout with a group and in the evening, as there is little shelter from the heat. Take a hat, closed clothes and water with you.
5. Sea urchins can be found on the beaches of Hurghada. It is better to have aqua-shoes to avoid ruining your vacation by contact with their unpleasant needles.
6. The islands of Big and Small Giftun are protected by the state. For tourists there are strict rules of behavior and a number of restrictions – it is forbidden to fish, it is forbidden to break coral reefs. Fines for such actions reach up to a thousand dollars.
