Destinations
Cairo, Luxor, Hurghada & El Gouna
From the Pyramids of Giza to the coral reefs of the Red Sea, Egypt has more to offer than most visitors expect. This guide covers the four destinations we know best: what to see, how to get there from Hurghada, and what makes each one worth the trip.
Cairo
where history begins.
Cairo is one of the oldest cities on earth and home to some of the most recognised landmarks in human history. A day trip from Hurghada puts the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum within reach. All in a single day, with hotel pick-up included.
What to see in Cairo on a day trip from Hurghada
Cairo rewards visitors immediately. The moment you approach Giza from the desert road, the pyramids appear on the horizon. Larger and more present than any photograph prepares you for. The Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest man-made structure on earth for nearly 4,000 years. Standing at the base of it changes your sense of what humans are capable of.
The Pyramids of Giza
The Giza Plateau is home to three major pyramids: Khufu (the Great Pyramid), Khafre and Menkaure. The site also includes the Great Sphinx, the Valley Temple and several smaller satellite pyramids. Most day trips from Hurghada spend two to three hours at Giza. Enough time to walk the site, enter one of the pyramids and take photos without rushing. Our guides explain the construction methods, the astronomical alignment and the history of the pharaohs who commissioned them.
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo
The Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square houses over 120,000 artefacts including the complete treasures of Tutankhamun. The golden death mask alone draws visitors from every corner of the world. A guided tour of the highlights takes roughly 90 minutes and covers the most significant pieces without overwhelming you.
Old Cairo and Khan el-Khalili Bazaar
If your schedule allows, the medieval Islamic quarter and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar give you a sense of Cairo as a living city. The bazaar is one of the oldest markets in the world. A maze of alleyways selling spices, jewellery and textiles.
Practical information
Comfortable walking shoes are essential, the Giza Plateau is uneven terrain. A hat and sun cream are necessary from March onwards. Departure from Hurghada is typically at 05:00, return around 22:00. We offer both group tours and private day trips to Cairo.
Ready to explore Cairo?
View all Cairo tours →Luxor
the world's greatest open-air museum.
Luxor was once Thebes, the capital of ancient Egypt at the height of its power. The temples, tombs and monuments that remain are so well preserved and so densely concentrated that Egyptologists call it the world's greatest open-air museum.
What to see in Luxor on a day trip from Hurghada
Luxor sits on both banks of the Nile. The East Bank is where the temples are. Karnak and Luxor Temple, both still standing after more than 3,000 years. The West Bank is where the dead were buried. The Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and the mortuary temples of some of Egypt's most powerful pharaohs.
Karnak Temple Complex
Karnak is not a single temple but an entire city of temples, chapels and pylons built over 2,000 years by successive pharaohs. The Hypostyle Hall alone contains 134 columns, each over 20 metres tall. Walking through it feels less like visiting a monument and more like entering another world. Our guides know the political rivalries carved in hieroglyphs and the stories behind every section.
The Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the Kings is the burial ground of the New Kingdom pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, Ramesses II and Seti I. Over 60 tombs have been discovered here, carved deep into the limestone cliffs and decorated with scenes from the Book of the Dead. The colours in some tombs are so vivid it is hard to believe they are over 3,000 years old.
Temple of Hatshepsut
The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari is one of the most architecturally striking monuments in Egypt. Built into the cliffs of the West Bank, its three colonnaded terraces rise against the rock face in a way that feels almost modern.
Practical information
Closed shoes are essential for the Valley of the Kings. The paths are steep and uneven. Shoulders and knees should be covered at temple sites. From April onwards the heat in Luxor is significant. Departure from Hurghada is typically at 06:00.
Ready to explore Luxor?
View all Luxor tours →Hurghada
where the Red Sea begins.
Hurghada is one of Egypt's most visited cities, a Red Sea resort built for the water. The coral reefs here are among the most accessible in the world, the sea is warm year-round, and the city sits at the centre of some of Egypt's best diving and snorkelling territory.
What to do in Hurghada
Hurghada stretches along 40 kilometres of Red Sea coastline and divides into three main areas: El Dahar (the old town), Sekalla (the central strip) and the New Marina district. The real Hurghada, the one that existed before the tourism boom, is in El Dahar, where the fish market, the old mosque and the local cafés give you a sense of what this fishing village once was.
Diving and snorkelling on the Red Sea
The Red Sea around Hurghada contains some of the most biodiverse coral reef systems in the world. Visibility is typically 20 to 30 metres. Giftun Island is the most popular day trip by boat, a protected national park with white sand beaches and pristine reef. Dolphin House is a shallow reef approximately one hour north of Hurghada where spinner dolphins regularly congregate in the morning hours.
The Eastern Desert
The desert begins immediately east of the city. A desert safari takes you by quad bike or jeep into the mountains, to a Bedouin village for tea, and back under one of the darkest and most star-filled skies you will ever see. People consistently rate it as the highlight of their Egypt trip.
Day trips from Hurghada
Hurghada's position on the Red Sea makes it an ideal base. Cairo is four hours by road or one hour by domestic flight. Luxor is 3.5 hours by road. El Gouna is 20 minutes north. The combination of a Red Sea holiday and one or two day trips to ancient sites is what most European visitors come for.
Getting to Hurghada
Hurghada International Airport has direct flights from Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Frankfurt and most major European cities. Flight time from Amsterdam is approximately 5 hours. Visas for Egypt are available on arrival for most European passport holders.
Ready to explore from Hurghada?
View all Hurghada tours →El Gouna
Egypt's most beautiful resort town.
El Gouna is unlike anywhere else in Egypt. Built from scratch on a network of Red Sea lagoons and islands, it is a self-contained town with its own marina, hotels and restaurants. The architecture is low-rise and Nubian-inspired. The streets are quiet and walkable. The water is everywhere.
What makes El Gouna different
El Gouna was developed in the 1990s as a planned resort community. What makes it unusual is that it actually works as a town. There is a real town centre with a supermarket, a cinema and dozens of independent restaurants. There are permanent residents, Egyptian and international, not just tourists. The result is a place that feels genuinely pleasant to be in.
Abu Tig Marina
The marina is the social heart of El Gouna, a crescent of restaurants, cafés and shops around a natural harbour filled with yachts. In the evening it comes alive with people eating outside and lights reflected in the water. The seafood restaurants along the marina are among the best in the Red Sea region.
Kitesurfing and water sports
El Gouna is one of the top kitesurfing destinations in the world. The lagoons provide flat, shallow water for beginners while the open sea offers conditions for advanced riders. The consistent wind from the north blows reliably from April to October. Beyond kitesurfing, the lagoons are ideal for stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking.
Architecture and walking
El Gouna is worth walking slowly. The architecture draws on traditional Nubian and Upper Egyptian styles. Domed roofs, ochre-coloured walls, narrow shaded alleyways. The Downtown area has a small souk, art galleries and the best coffee in the Red Sea region.
Getting to El Gouna from Hurghada
The main road from Hurghada to El Gouna is a straight 25-kilometre drive north along the coast. Our tours include a comfortable air-conditioned transfer. El Gouna is close enough to Hurghada that a half-day trip is entirely comfortable.
Ready to explore El Gouna?
View all El Gouna tours →Marsa Alam
the Red Sea untouched.
Marsa Alam is the Red Sea before the crowds arrived. Two hundred kilometres south of Hurghada, the reefs here are largely undisturbed, the beaches are empty and the water is as clear as anywhere in the world. It is the destination for serious divers, snorkellers and anyone who wants to see Egypt's coast as it used to be.
What to see in Marsa Alam on a day trip from Hurghada
Marsa Alam sits in the far south of the Egyptian Red Sea coast, where the desert cliffs meet the water and the reef systems have had decades longer to recover than those further north. The diving and snorkelling here is consistently ranked among the best in the world. Not because of dramatic wrecks or walls, but because of sheer abundance of marine life in conditions that remain largely pristine.
Dugong and sea turtle encounters
Marsa Alam is one of the few places in the world where dugongs can be reliably encountered in the wild. These rare marine mammals graze on the seagrass beds around Marsa Abu Dabbab, a shallow bay where visibility is exceptional and the water rarely exceeds three metres depth. Green sea turtles rest on the same seagrass beds and are seen on almost every visit. A snorkel here, without diving certification, puts you face to face with animals most people never see outside a documentary.
Elphinstone Reef
Elphinstone is a deep offshore reef approximately 10 kilometres north of Marsa Alam town, considered one of the ten best dive sites in the world. The walls drop vertically to over 70 metres. Oceanic white-tip sharks patrol the southern plateau year-round. Hammerheads appear seasonally. It is advanced diving territory, but the shallower sections of the reef are accessible to intermediate divers and worth the journey for the density of hard coral alone.
Wadi El Gemal National Park
Inland from Marsa Alam, Wadi El Gemal is one of Egypt's most protected natural reserves. The wadi runs from the Eastern Desert mountains to the sea and encompasses mangrove forests, sand dunes and ancient caravan routes used by traders for thousands of years. A 4x4 excursion into the park gives you a very different side of the Red Sea region.
Practical information
Marsa Alam is 2.5 hours south of Hurghada by road. Departure is early, typically at 06:00, to make the most of morning light and calm sea conditions. Snorkelling equipment is included on all our Marsa Alam tours. The site at Abu Dabbab has a beach facility with changing rooms and a restaurant. No diving certification is required for the dugong and turtle snorkelling experience.
Ready to explore Marsa Alam?
View all Marsa Alam tours →