20 Things to Do in Hurghada

Updated On: April 18, 2024 by   Ahmed Samir

Hurghada is one of the important Egyptian tourist cities located on the coast of the Red Sea in the southwest of Egypt. It is also close to famous nearby cities like Ras Ghareb, Safaga, and the Red Sea Mountains. The weather in the city is warm throughout the year, which makes it perfect as a year-round destination.

In 1905, the city was only a fishing village, but during the reign of King Farouk, an entertainment centre was built and the city began to develop. Nowadays, Hurghada attracts more than 2.5 million visitors annually. 

Hurghada extends to about 60 km along the coast of the Red Sea and it has more than 170 hotels that are perfectly equipped to receive visitors from everywhere. Hurghada has many spots for diving in the Red Sea, where the aquatic life is distinguished by its colourful and beautiful fish and coral reefs and also the beaches, which are the destination of many families, and are known for their golden sand, crystal clear water, bright sun, and entertainment facilities.

The city of Hurghada is divided into three main neighbourhoods:

Al-Dahar Neighborhood

This neighbourhood was the main center of the city and it contains a large group of popular markets in Hurghada.

Saqala Neighborhood

In Saqala Neighborhood, you will find many hotels and restaurants, as well as large malls that operate until after midnight to provide the necessary needs for visitors to the city and it is a first-class tourist district. It was the main port of Hurghada in the past and the center of economic life and maritime trade movement and a centre for the exchange of goods.

Al Ahiaa Neighborhood

It is a large neighborhood that extends over 22 km, from the south of El Gouna area to the north of Hurghada until it reaches the El Dahar district. It also contains some hotels like Three Corners Sunny Beach Resort Hotel.

Hurghada is full of wonderful attractions, whether they are beaches, cafes, or even the natural landscapes around the city.

Things to Do In Hurghada:

Soma Bay

One of the famous spots in the city of Hurghada, Soma Bay is surrounded by turquoise waters from three sides. There are many resorts there where you will find many things to do, including private beaches, water parks, swimming pools, and nightclubs.

Soma Bay is located on Hurghada-Safaga Road, north of Safaga, and south of Hurghada, overlooking the Red Sea and surrounded by mountains and it is just 45 km away from Hurghada International Airport. It also contains one of the largest golf clubs in Egypt, where many tournaments are held.

Makadi Bay

Makadi Bay is a tourist resort located about 30 km south of Hurghada. It includes many famous hotels which are visited by stars and celebrities who usually spend their vacations there. 

Makadi Bay has many features that make it a great place such as Mini Egypt Park which is a lovely place that includes miniatures of Egypt’s landmarks, such as the pyramids, the Sphinx, the Cairo Tower, and others. It is an open museum that embraces Egypt’s historical landmarks, as it contains 55 miniature models of the most famous monuments and tourist areas, over an area of more than 3 km. Makadi Bay also contains restaurants that provide international cuisine including a selection of Asian, French, Italian, and Japanese menus.

Sahl Hasheesh

It is located between the cities of Safaga and Hurghada, 450 km from Cairo, and 18 km south of Hurghada, with 12.5 km sandy beaches. It includes a group of the most famous international hotels that provide complete privacy and a relaxing atmosphere. Sahl Hasheesh has become a destination for those wishing to enjoy a honeymoon vacation, instead of traveling to destinations, such as the Maldives or Thailand, and business leaders and luxury lovers are keen to hold conferences and meetings there.

There are many events and parties where you can enjoy your time and spend a great vacation at any time of the year. It is one of the most beautiful diving areas in the Red Sea, where the coral reefs are only about one kilometre away and you can reach them via a boat ride that takes 5 to 10 minutes. Sahl Hasheesh also has the best restaurants in the area that serve the most delicious international dishes like Japanese, Chinese, oriental, Italian, Lebanese, Indian, and others.

Abu Ramada Island

This is the best Egyptian summer destination for divers from all over the world. It was discovered recently in Hurghada and it is about one hour away from the city. When you reach the area, you can enjoy diving at a depth of 7 meters under the water where you’ll find a sunken ship that has many coral reefs overgrown in and around it and some rare fish species. The island is also well known as a nature reserve due to the types of rare coral reefs it contains and the rare bird species found in it.

El Gouna

El Gouna is a tourist resort located in Hurghada on the Red Sea coast. It was built in 1990 and it is 22 km from Hurghada International Airport and 470 km from Cairo. It is about 30 km away from Hurghada City and is one of the most beautiful resorts to visit in Egypt. It is the perfect place for relaxation and entertainment and it is a special location for diving and many water sports. 

El Gouna also has a small airport for the resort for private planes and as well as a marina for yachts, which is called Abydos Marina. There is a small museum in El Gouna containing about 90 exhibits, and it also contains an exhibition displaying the works of the contemporary Egyptian plastic artist Hussein Bikar.

Carlos Reeve

Carlos Reef is located near the beaches of Hurghada, and it is one of the most beautiful diving sites in Hurghada and the coral forests in the Carlos Reef area made it a suitable environment for many marine creatures and different types of large fish, including sharks. It consists of two coral towers approaching the surface of the water, and the depth of the valley between them is about 16 meters, which is suitable for less experienced divers. Carlos Reef has become well-known and famous and its name is popular among tourists.

Fanadir Island

Considered one of the most beautiful diving sites in Hurghada, Fanadir Island is characterized by long and narrow coral reefs, and the island is considered a site for many types of diving, so diving can be practiced by beginners and professionals, whether drift or deep diving.

Magawish Island

Magawish Island is located 7 km away from southeast Hurghada. It includes many lovely sandy beaches and it was first opened in 1979. The island includes many activities that visitors can enjoy as well as many hotels, chalets, villas, and wonderful tourist resorts. In Magawish Island, tourists can practice all different water sports, such as surfing, diving, and snorkeling in its clear blue waters, which include coral reefs and rare fish in its marine depths.

Abu Minqar Island

It is about 3 kilometres from the shores of the city of Hurghada, which at one time was part of the city and was isolated. Abu Minqar Island is considered one of the most important islands in the northern Red Sea, due to its ecological importance as a result of its richness in coral reefs and mangrove trees, as the percentage of vegetation covered by these trees and other halophytes exceeds a quarter of the total area of the island. One hectare contains at least 400 complete trees, and some of these trees reach more than five meters in length, these trees are surrounded by other types of salt-resistant plants, such as Al-Hurdaq, Al-Rataret, Al-Khriseh, Al-Suwayda, Al-Maleh, and others. It is also a perfect place for diving, fishing, and snorkeling activities.

Giftun Island

It is one of the famous islands in the Red Sea. It is located 11 km east of Hurghada. It is famous for its sandy beaches and clear waters and is also known as the first nature reserve in the Red Sea and one of the most important natural habitats for seagulls. When you visit the island you will be able to see coral reefs that are millions of years old, also rare fish and swarms of dolphins.

The lovely thing about Giftun Island is that it includes 14 of the most beautiful diving sites in Hurghada. The trip to the island begins at nine in the morning, where the assembly begins at the port at eight am, and the boat moves at 9 am.

Shidwan Island

It is located 35 km away from Hurghada, which is near the entrance to the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea and it is one of the most important diving sites in Hurghada. Shidwan Island contains many coral reefs, there you can enjoy diving, snorkeling, and fishing, and it has an area of 70 km. It is well known as the largest reef island in the area, in the northern part of the island, there is a wonderful vertical reef wall at a depth of more than 40 meters. 

The coral reefs surrounding Shadwan Island include many types of fish, including fan fish, turtles, and dolphins. It is also a famous area for divers, where it has 7 sunken ships and it is one of the most dangerous marine areas for ships and boats.

Sand Museum

The Sand Museum is located south of the city of Hurghada. It contains 42 sand sculptures of legendary figures from modern and ancient times representing most of the world’s civilizations and it is also one of the unique museums of its kind in the Middle East and Africa. When you visit the museum, you will see sand sculptures created by international artists from different countries like the statues of Napoleon Bonaparte, Queen Isis, Cleopatra, and Alexander the Great. 

There are also many statues of fictional characters such as Batman and Spiderman. The statues were created with yellow and white sand, which is characterized by a low percentage of salinity, indicating that there is an adhesive substance placed on the sand cubes before sculpting the statues so that the sand grains do not fall off easily. In the museum, there are restaurants, children’s play areas, and other activities to do.

Hurghada Aquarium Museum

It is located in the south part of the city and is a famous tourist attraction there. It contains several types of marine creatures, such as sharks, large manta fish, turtles, snakes, and more, and it is ranked the seventh in the world in terms of the area and quantities of gallons of water inside it. After that, you can check out the zoo and wild birds that include rare species of living creatures, which makes the project different from its counterparts in other countries.

There is also an open forest, where you can move freely among the animals like ostriches, bassoons, pelicans, geese, monkeys, goats, anacondas, huge snakes, as well as iguanas, Nile crocodiles, Sudanese, African and Greek turtles, and others. There is also a place called the Touch Pond Area, which is the favourite area for children, where they can get close to the fish, snakes and other creatures of the Red Sea, touch them and take photos with them. 

You’ll also find the Whale Valley Hall in the aquarium, which represents the Wadi El-Hitan area within the Wadi El-Rayan Protectorate in Fayoum, where complete skeletons of whales were found living in that area dating back to 40 million years ago.

In the Fresh Water Section, some waterfalls are home to fish with their distinctive colors and shapes, and then you climb the hanging tower, which gives you a sense of adventure when you pass over the contiguous pieces of wood over the open forest to see all the animals and birds, and you see the details of the aquarium with clear accuracy.

Esplanda Mall

The mall is located in Al Mamsha Al Seyahi Area, which contains many shops, cafes, and restaurants and extends from Sultan Beach to the Al Mashrabiya hotel. You can get all you want from clothes, gifts and more.

Senzo Mall

Senzo Mall is considered one of the largest shopping centres in the Red Sea, the mall is located in the middle of Hurghada among a group of lovely hotels and only minutes from the city center and Hurghada Airport. The mall includes all kinds of stores, shops, and services. In the mall, you will find the largest hypermarket in the Red Sea region and besides that many brand shops that cover all shopping needs.

Hurghada Museum

The museum opened in 2020. It is located south of the city near Hurghada International Airport in an area of about 10,000 square meters. The museum includes about 1,191 artefacts that record all the different Egyptian eras and is divided into 3 areas, between the museum’s exhibition halls and the two entertainment and shopping areas.

The museum’s exhibition halls included unique pieces that tell the stages of art throughout Egyptian history. The exhibits include tools that the ancient Egyptians used to use in their daily life, from cooking tools, food, decorative tools, and hunting to musical instruments and tools used in sports such as indigo fishing or wild hunting, and a group of unique ornaments.

Monastery of Anba Anthony

The monastery of Anba Anthony is located at Al Galala Mountain in the Arab Desert of the Red Sea Governorate. Anba Anthony is the first monk in Christianity and the founder of the monastic movement in the world. When you enter the church, you will see the icons of Christ and the saints next to each other, and in front of the altar of the church is an icon of Queen Helena, who founded the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

This monastery is considered the first monastery established for monasticism in the world, and it covers an area of about 18 acres. The monastery includes a group of other churches known as the Four Disembodied Creatures, the Church of the Apostles, the Church of Our Lady, and the Church of St. Mark.

The Great Harbor Mosque

It is one of the famous and largest mosques in Hurghada. It opened in 2012 and it was built on an area of 8000 square meters. The mosque overlooks the sea and can accommodate about 10,000 worshipers, beside that, there is a large square in its sanctuary that can accommodate about 17,000 worshipers and it includes two high minarets, 25 domes, a hall for events and another for lectures, and an Islamic cultural center that explains the Islamic religion in three different foreign languages. It was designed in a style similar to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, as the number of tourists visiting Hurghada is constantly increasing, which has led to the revival of the religious tourism movement.

Mini Egypt Park

The Mini Egypt Park Museum is located in Makadi Bay, the museum contains miniature models of the most famous tourist attractions in Egypt and it reflects the different stages and eras of Egyptian civilization. The models were built from different materials, such as stone, bricks, and cement. The number of models in the museum is about 55, including the Pyramids of Giza, Karnak Temple, the High Dam, the Library of Alexandria, the famous Montazah Palace, the Cairo Tower, and the Citadel of Muhammad Ali. The museum also contains bodies of water and lakes representing the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean Sea, and Lake Nasser.

Dolphin World

It’s a place where you will be able to see dolphins and other animals such as seals, sea lions, and sea dogs, located at the beginning of Makadi Bay Road in Hurghada. The theatre resembles Roman theatres, and the place is predominantly blue, the colour of the sea.

Check out our guide to planning a trip to Egypt.