Nuts and Bolts: Travel Tips for Visiting Hurghada
- Rand Blimes
- May 30
- 8 min read
Nuts and Bolts posts give you the practical information you need, but without stripping away the humor, mishaps, and little victories that make real travel what it is. These aren’t just guides. They’re how we actually did it—mistakes, triumphs, and all.
This page has some travel tips for visiting Hurghada to aid in planning your own trip. I travel mainly with my wife, and we love to simply wander and eat when we explore a new place. We were in Hurghada in July, 2023. If your trip to Hurghada is significantly longer/shorter/with a different focus, you may have a very different experience.
We had three main objectives when we visited Egypt. First, of course, was to see the ancient monuments—pyramids, tombs, temples—the stone-and-sand remnants of a civilization that still manages to feel larger than life. Second, we came to see the “modern” Islamic architecture (modern means something different in Egypt), to explore the mosques and madrassas that speak to centuries of spiritual and artistic expression layered atop each other. And finally, we came to get beneath the surface of the Red Sea.
Our time in Egypt was bookended by the sea. We would end our journey on the Sinai Peninsula, where my daughter would join me for some scuba diving. But we began in Hurghada, a relaxed Red Sea resort town that eased us gently into the intensity of Egypt.
To be clear: serious divers will want to head further south to Marsa Alam, or to the Sinai. Snorkelers can get their fix here, but I’d skip the dolphin swim tours. If you’ve ever seen footage of screaming crowds chasing the Beatles through the streets, you’ve got the general vibe—the Beatles are dolphins, and they’re not thrilled about the attention.
Still, for us, Hurghada was the right beginning. It offered a soft landing between the cobbled elegance of Prague and the heat and hustle of the Nile. Hurghada is mellow—and that’s not a word you’ll use often in Egypt.
Travel Tips for Visiting Hurghada: Weather
Hurghada’s weather rarely misbehaves. With sunshine on tap nearly every day of the year, it’s the kind of place where you don’t check the forecast—you just assume it’ll be hot and pack accordingly.
Winter (November–February) is peak season for good reason. Daytime temperatures hover in the mid-70s to low 80s°F (mid-20s°C), the sea is still swimmable, and the evenings are comfortably cool. It’s ideal weather for lounging on the beach, snorkeling over coral reefs, or just trying not to melt while sipping something cold. This is also when crowds are at their highest, especially around Christmas and New Year’s.
Spring (March–May) stays warm without becoming punishing. The temperatures start to climb, especially in May, but the Red Sea breeze keeps things bearable. It’s a great time to visit if you want warm weather with fewer people.
Summer (June–August) is not for the faint of heart. Expect temperatures to soar into the 100s°F (40s°C), with blazing sun and little relief. Locals adapt. Tourists sweat. But the sea stays refreshingly cool, and if your plans involve doing very little except dipping in and out of the water, it’s doable. Just maybe don’t plan a desert safari at high noon.
This is the time of year we were in Hurghada. The whole town seems to slumber throughout the day. The waterfront is lined with restaurants, but most are completely empty at lunch time (but they all seemed willing to open for us if we wanted to eat there). On the other hand, we saw entire families playing in parks after 2AM. The people turn nocturnal to avoid the heat.
Autumn (September–October) brings a sweet spot again—warm seas, manageable heat, and lighter crowds. It’s a good shoulder season option, especially in early fall when the water is at its warmest after baking all summer long.
Hurghada doesn’t really do bad weather. It just does weather that ranges from pleasantly warm to "why did I think I needed to wear jeans?" The key is to match your visit to your heat tolerance—and your plans for the sea.
Getting to Hurghada
Despite feeling like the edge of the world—where desert meets coral sea in an otherworldly blur—Hurghada is surprisingly accessible. It's one of Egypt’s main resort towns, and tourism infrastructure here is built for easy arrivals.
If you’re coming from abroad, Hurghada International Airport (HRG) welcomes direct flights from a number of European cities, especially in peak season. Budget airlines, charter flights, and package tours all funnel in sun-seekers by the planeload. The airport is small but functional, and it’s only a short drive (15–20 minutes) from most of the town’s hotels and resorts. Uber works in the city, but it is probably best to arrange a ride from the airport through your hotel, or an app like Get Your Guide.
If you're already in Egypt, you’ve got a few options:
From Cairo: You can fly—it's a quick one-hour hop, with multiple daily departures and generally affordable fares. Or you can embrace the adventure and take a long-distance bus or private car. It’s about 6 hours by road, depending on traffic and your driver’s relationship with speed limits. The desert views are stark but strangely beautiful.
From Luxor: There are occasional flights and buses, but driving is common. The road cuts through barren, cinematic stretches of Eastern Desert. Expect about 4 hours by car, more by bus. Our onward travel was to Luxor, and we took the bus.
From other Red Sea towns: If you're hopping along the coast—from El Gouna, Safaga, or even Marsa Alam—taxis and private transfers are your best bet. Look for cars on apps like Get Your Guide. Distances vary, but the drives are straightforward, scenic, and sun-drenched.
No matter how you get there, arriving in Hurghada feels like stepping into a different Egypt—less chaos, more coastline. It’s where the horns quiet down, the pace eases, and the sea starts to do the talking.
Getting Around Hurghada
Uber does operate in Hurghada, and it’s generally safe and affordable—but not always fast. Cars can take a while to arrive, and sometimes the app's estimated arrival time feels more like a suggestion than a promise. Patience is part of the experience.
Also, a pro tip: Egyptian license plates are written in Arabic numerals, which are not the same as the "Arabic numerals" most of us use (you know—1, 2, 3…). If you're relying on Uber or trying to match your ride with the right car, it helps enormously to learn how to read numbers 1 through 9 in Arabic script before you arrive. It's a tiny investment that pays off when you’re standing in a hotel driveway scanning a lineup of cars that all look vaguely like your ride.
For short distances, taxis are everywhere, though you’ll want to agree on a price before getting in, since most don’t use meters. And while walking is possible in certain areas, wide gaps, heat, and a general lack of sidewalks make it more of a sport than a stroll.
Hurghada isn’t built for wandering aimlessly—it’s built for relaxing deliberately. So get close to the sea, figure out your rides in advance, and let the logistics fade into the background while the Red Sea takes center stage.
Sleeping in Hurghada for the Budget Conscious Traveler
When it comes to accommodations, Hurghada offers two very different versions of reality. Your choice mostly comes down to what you want out of your trip: exploration or escape.
Option one: stay near the developed waterfront in or around the Sheraton Road or Marina area. This part of town gives you easy walking access to restaurants, dive shops, and the docks where most snorkeling and boat tours depart. You’ll find everything from boutique hotels to budget-friendly guesthouses here. It’s a little gritty in places, but lively, convenient, and—most importantly—not designed to keep you captive. If you want to explore Hurghada beyond your hotel pool, this is where you want to be.
Option two: check into one of the all-inclusive resorts sprawled along the coast south of town. These are self-contained worlds with private beaches, palm trees, buffets that stretch into eternity, and exactly zero incentive to leave the premises. They’re built to pamper, not to introduce you to local life. Think of them as the Egyptian outposts of the island of the lotus-eaters—pleasant, soothing, and slightly disorienting in their detachment from the outside world. If your goal is pure relaxation, this is the better path.
Neither option is wrong. But only one reminds you you're in Egypt.
What To Do in Hurghada
Hurghada is all about the sea and the sand—the Red Sea to dive into, and the desert to drive across. But like most resort towns, the real question isn’t what can you do, but how much energy you want to expend.
Hit the Beach (but bring cash)
First things first: not all beaches in Hurghada are public. In fact, most are attached to private resorts, and if you’re not a guest, you’ll likely need to pay a day-use fee to access them. The good news? That usually includes a sunbed, a towel, and maybe a drink or two. The better the hotel, the steeper the price—but also the better the sand and amenities. There are a few public beaches, but they tend to be crowded and less maintained. If you want a proper beach day, it’s worth budgeting for it.
Snorkeling and Scuba Diving
This is what brings most people to Hurghada—and rightfully so. The Red Sea is ridiculously clear, warm, and packed with coral reefs teeming with colorful fish. Even beginner snorkelers can find themselves face-to-face with parrotfish, rays, and maybe even a moray eel or two.
Scuba divers can take boat trips out to sites like:
Giftun Island, with its postcard-worthy turquoise waters and healthy reefs.
Abu Nuhas, a reef littered with shipwrecks—great for more advanced divers.
Carless Reef, known for strong currents and large pelagics (experienced divers only).
And many others—dive shops here run trips daily, and there’s a dive center on nearly every corner.
If you’re not diving-certified, many places offer intro dives, which let you experience the underwater world with a guide—no license required.
A note of caution: skip the dolphin swim tours. We tried one, and let’s just say it was more chaos than charm. Picture a swarm of boats pulling up to a reef, then dozens of snorkelers hurling themselves overboard in a flurry of fins, all trying to catch a glimpse of a wild animal that very much does not want to be caught. If you’re hoping for something magical, this probably isn’t it.
Head into the Desert
If you're ready to trade the sea for sand, Hurghada offers a variety of desert excursions. You can join a 4x4 safari that takes you deep into the Eastern Desert for dune-bashing and Bedouin camp visits (some genuine, some... less so). Or ride an ATV across the open plains with the sun sinking low on the horizon. These trips are often more about adrenaline and landscape than cultural immersion, but they can be a fun contrast to the beachside languor.
Hurghada may not be the most authentic corner of Egypt—but that’s part of its role. It’s the exhale before the intensity of Cairo, the buffer between temple ruins and desert dust. It’s where the Red Sea sparkles, the pace slows, and you remember that not every travel moment has to be profound. Some can just be beautiful, or quiet, or a little silly, like squinting into a coral reef or bouncing across desert dunes at sunset.
For us, it was the pause that made the rest of the journey feel even richer—because travel isn’t just about chasing the ancient and awe-inspiring. Sometimes, it’s about finding a place to breathe.
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