20 Things to Do in Hurghada

Hurghada is one of the essential Egyptian tourist cities located on the coast of the Red Sea in the southwest of Egypt. It is also near 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 town began to develop. Nowadays, Hurghada attracts more than 2.5 million visitors annually. 

Hurghada extends about 60 km along the coast of the Red Sea, and it has more than 170 perfectly equipped hotels to accommodate 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 central neighbourhoods:

Al-Dahar Neighborhood

This neighbourhood was the city’s main centre and contains many 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 meet the needs of visitors to the city. It is a first-class tourist district. In the past, it was the main port of Hurghada, the centre of economic life, maritime trade movement, and the exchange of goods.

Al Ahiaa Neighborhood

It is a large neighbourhood that extends over 22 km from the south of the 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 beautiful attractions, including beaches, cafes, and 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 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. It overlooks the Red Sea and surrounding mountains. It is just 45 km 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 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 includes miniatures of Egypt’s landmarks, such as the pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Cairo Tower. It is an open museum that embraces Egypt’s historical landmarks, containing 55 miniature models of the most famous monuments and tourist areas over 3 km. Makadi Bay also includes international cuisine restaurants, including a selection of Asian, French, Italian, and Japanese menus.

Sahl Hasheesh

It is located between Safaga and Hurghada, 450 km from Cairo and 18 km south of Hurghada, with 12.5 km of 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 travelling 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 have 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 is about one hour 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 with 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 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 from Hurghada City and is one of the most beautiful resorts 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 a marina for yachts called Abydos Marina. There is a small museum in El Gouna containing about 90 exhibits, and it also includes 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 is one of the most beautiful diving sites in Hurghada. The coral forests in the Carlos Reef area make 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 Hurghada’s most beautiful diving sites, Fanadir Island features long and narrow coral reefs. The island is regarded as a site for many types of diving, including drift and deep diving, which beginners and professionals can practise.

Magawish Island

Magawish Island is located 7 km from southeast Hurghada. It was first opened in 1979 and includes many lovely sandy beaches. The island offers visitors many activities, hotels, chalets, villas, and excellent tourist resorts. On Magawish Island, tourists can practice all different water sports, such as surfing, diving, and snorkelling, 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; other types of salt-resistant plants, such as Al-Hurdaq, Al-Rataret, Al-Khriseh, Al-Suwayda, Al-Maleh, and others surround these trees. It is also perfect for diving, fishing, and snorkelling activities.

Giftun Island

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

The lovely thing about Giftun Island is that it includes 14 of Hurghada’s most beautiful diving sites. The trip to the island begins at nine a.m., the assembly starts at the port at eight a.m., and the boat moves at nine a.m.

Shidwan Island

It is located 35 km away from Hurghada, 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, snorkelling, and fishing, and it has an area of 70 km. It is well known as the most extensive reef island in the region. In the island’s northern part, there is a beautiful vertical reef wall that is more than 40 meters deep. 

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

Sand Museum

The Sand Museum is located south of Hurghada. It contains 42 sand sculptures of legendary figures from modern and ancient times representing most of the world’s civilizations. 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, such as 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, characterized by a low percentage of salinity. This indicates that an adhesive substance was placed on the sand cubes before sculpting the statues so that the sand grains did not fall off easily. The museum has restaurants, children’s play areas, and other activities.

Hurghada Aquarium Museum

It is located in the south part of the city and is a famous tourist attraction. It contains several marine creatures, such as sharks, large manta fish, turtles, snakes, and more. It is ranked seventh in the world in terms of the area and the number of gallons of water inside it. After that, you can check out the zoo and wild birds, including rare 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, giant 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. It is where they can get close to the fish, snakes, and other creatures of the Red Sea, touch them and take photos with them. 

The aquarium also contains the Whale Valley Hall. It represents the Wadi El-Hitan area within the Wadi El-Rayan Protectorate in Fayoum, where complete skeletons of whales dating back 40 million years were found.

In the Fresh Water Section, some waterfalls are home to fish with distinctive colours and shapes. 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. You see the details of the aquarium with precise accuracy.

Esplanda Mall

The Al Mamsha Al Seyahi Area Mall contains many shops, cafes, and restaurants. It extends from Sultan Beach to the Al Mashrabiya Hotel. Here, you can get everything you want, from clothes to gifts.

Senzo Mall

Senzo Mall is considered one of the largest shopping centres in the Red Sea. It is located in the middle of Hurghada among lovely hotels and only minutes from the city centre and Hurghada Airport. The mall includes all kinds of stores, shops, and services. In the mall, you will find the giant hypermarket in the Red Sea region and 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 and covers 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 three areas: the museum’s exhibition halls and the two entertainment and shopping areas.

The museum’s exhibition halls include unique pieces that tell the stages of art throughout Egyptian history. The exhibits include tools the ancient Egyptians used daily, from cooking, food, decorative, 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 was the first Christian monk 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. In front of the altar 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. It covers an area of about 18 acres and 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 most famous and largest mosques in Hurghada. It opened in 2012 and was built on 8000 square meters. The mosque overlooks the sea and can accommodate about 10,000 worshipers; besides 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 centre 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 Egypt’s most famous tourist attractions, reflecting the different stages and eras of Egyptian civilization. The models were built from other 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 located at the beginning of Makadi Bay Road in Hurghada. Here, you can see dolphins and other animals, such as seals, sea lions, and sea dogs. The theatre resembles Roman theatres, predominantly blue, the sea colour.

Check out our guide to planning a trip to Egypt.