Excursions from El Gouna, Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh & Soma Bay
Staying outside Hurghada town? Here is what to know about pickup times, journey lengths and which trips suit your area.
"Hurghada" on booking sites usually means a stretch of coast more than 60 kilometres long. Your hotel might be in the middle of town or 45 minutes from it, and that changes your pickup time — and sometimes which trip makes sense.
El Gouna (25 km north)
Around 30–35 minutes to Hurghada marina. Pickup for boat trips is usually between 07:15 and 07:45. Every one of our excursions is available from El Gouna without exception.
One bonus: you are already in El Gouna, so the El Gouna discovery tour is better suited to guests staying in Hurghada itself — while the Hurghada city tour and marina is the one worth your time, to see the genuinely local side.
Makadi Bay (30 km south)
Around 30 minutes to the marina, with pickup typically near 07:30 for boat trips. It is a strongly family-oriented area, which is why we most often recommend Paradise Island and Mahmya from here.
Sahl Hasheesh (25 km south)
Around 25–30 minutes. Everything is available, and safari trips work particularly well because the desert base sits relatively close to the southern road.
Soma Bay and Safaga (45–60 km south)
This is where planning starts to matter. The drive to Hurghada marina takes 50–70 minutes, which means a pickup around 06:30–07:00 for boat trips. Trips are still available and transfers are still free, but we would not recommend two excursions on two consecutive days if you dislike early starts.
For full-day trips such as Luxor, staying south actually works in your favour — the road to Luxor is shorter from Soma Bay and Safaga.
General rules that apply everywhere
- Your pickup time is confirmed the day before the trip, not earlier — it depends on the order of hotels along the driver's route.
- Transfers are free in both directions from all of these areas.
- Be in the lobby five minutes early. The driver cannot wait long, because other hotels are on the same run.
- If your hotel is outside this range (far northern El Gouna, or El Quseir), message us before booking and we will tell you honestly whether a transfer is practical.
Browse all excursions, or send us your hotel name on WhatsApp and we will reply with exact pickup times along with the price.
