The popular beach resort town of Hurghada, lining the Red Sea coast of Egypt, is an excellent place to relax. However, every now and then, curiosity and the desire to have achieved something more than getting that suntan can be enough of an enticement to seek out a good guided tour. There are many excursions from Hurghada, taking in historic and cultural sights further afield in Egypt, such as the Valley of Kings, as well as excursions that bring you closer to the region’s unique natural and cultural bounty.
Taking a tour is the best way to ensure the benefit of local knowledge and expertise, as well as having all the transportation and organisational duties taken care of. There is a huge range of tours and excursions available from Hurghada, and it can be quite time consuming to sift through all of them to find the best. So that is what we have done for you here at TravelMag, presenting the best five based on a variety of factors including itinerary, value for money and the previous reviews of other customers.
From $26/ per person
One thing the Red Sea is well-known for in tourism circles is its incredible marine life. Diving and snorkelling are popular activities around the pretty coral reefs populated by shoals of colourful fish. The Megawish and Giftun islands are the best places to snorkel near Hurghada, and you get a taste of what’s in store on the boat there, as dolphins have been known to make an appearance alongside the boat. The price includes equipment hire, as well as lunch and drinks, and you will get the chance, over the nine hours of this tour, to snorkel at three separate sites.
From $30/ per person
The Hurghada Desert touches the Red Sea in an expanse of gently shelving beaches and low, flat-top cliffs. As the sun sets, the arid landscape changes colours, drinking in the warm light. This is the best time to explore and appreciate the coastline around Hurghada, when the air is cooler. And the best way to get around is on the back of a quad bike. On this guided tour, you can drive out to desert hill caves and get excellent views of the mountains and coastline over the course of roughly three hours. The price includes hotel pickup and quad rental.
FROM $39/per person
Another great way to experience the Egyptian desert is in a jeep. Better yet, a dune buggy. Or perhaps you’d prefer to live out a misplaced Lawrence of Arabia re-enactment on the back of a camel. Either way, you can experience all of these methods of travel on this excellent seven-hour tour from Hurghada. Start the day by escaping the city on a jeep tour to a Bedouin village. Here you can experience the unique culture and lifestyle of the nomadic people. From here it is possible to experience a dune buggy, a camel ride, visit a reptile house, and finish it all off with a BBQ dinner and Bedouin tea. All equipment included, apart from goggles to protect your eyes from the sand, which can be rented for a small additional fee.
From $86/ per person
If Egypt had to be celebrated for only one thing, it would be the fantastically-preserved remains of the once-mighty Ancient Egyptian Empire. Some of the world’s finest wonders can be found in Egypt and this tour to the Luxor region explores that side of the country. Highlights include a trip to the UNESCO-listed Temple of Karnak, with its high columns and impressive stone buildings. The City of the Dead and the huge stone statues known as the Colossi of Memnon are reached by crossing the Nile River in a traditional boat. The Valley of Kings rounds off this impressive 14-hour day-trip.
From $100/ per person
Giza’s pyramids are a marvel. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only intact and surviving Wonder of the Ancient World, and it has lost little of its charm, if you can ignore the encroaching Cairo suburbs. This tour from Hurghada needs time, as the journey is rather long, and so it clocks in at a tiring 20 hours. Nevertheless, it is a worthwhile excursion, with transport in an air-conditioned van, visits to the Egyptian Museum on Cairo’s Tahrir Square, as well as visiting the Great Pyramids and Great Sphinx that have sat on this plateau for around 4,500 years.
