Hurghada Travel Guide

Hurghada (Arabic: الغردقة el-ğarda’a) is a resort town on the Red Sea Coast of Egypt. Famous for its superb diving opportunities, Hurghada is especially appealing to those with little experience of scuba diving, who come to marvel at the underwater reefs and awesome marine life.

Hurghada has frequent direct international flights from Europe including Russia, Turkey, the Gulf states, and the Far East, e.g. Bangkok. Most of these travellers are on package tours of Egypt - but not all, as the operators also sell flight-only tickets, a cheap and convenient way to get in. Coming from Rome or Budapest there are ultra low-cost flights operated by the airline WizzAir.

A swarm of white minibuses (Toyota Hiace) calledmicro busserve the area, with a flat fare of LE2–3 (Dec 2022). They run fixed routes, mostly along the coastal strip, picking up and dropping off anywhere along the way. Ask around for your destination before getting in - if it's not this bus, it's probably the next one already pulling up. They're cramped and crowded, and young women may have to ward off pests.

In 2018, there were complaints of guests falling ill at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel because of possiblefood safetyissues, including undercooked food and lapses in cleanliness. Two British travellers died; the BBC reportstravel agencyThomas Cook removed its clients from that hotel and in some cases arranged to fly them home.

Large tour operators such as Tui have their own resorts or block bookings with newer local groups like Jaz. These are often the "all inclusive" variety. These may not appeal to the independent traveller, but they can still be a good base for exploring the area. There are plenty of internet sites to find reviews and book these.