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.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Hurghada was once a fairly small and unimposing fishing village, next to the Red Sea. It has a number of superb beaches. Today, the resort of Hurghada is almost unrecognizable from its past life and has become a major destination in Egypt for budget tourists especially from Europe and Russia. It has more than 100 hotels, many of which line the shoreline, and numerous flights particularly from airports across Europe. Tourism is now a huge part of Hurghada and each year, many tourists choose to combine their holiday here with visits to other prominent locations along the Nile Valley, including the relatively nearby city of Luxor. See also: Egypt#Climate The climate is very dry and rainfall …
A swarm of white minibuses (Toyota Hiace) called micro bus serve 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. Slightly larger minibuses or small regular buses run frequently along the coastal highway to El Gouna and Safaga. Uber and Careem operate in Hurghada and can be convenient for short trips within the city, avoiding much of the haggling required for ordinary taxi rides.
Hurghada does not have many spectacular sights except for the Red Sea. However, daily one- or two-day trips are available into both Luxor and Cairo. The Nile at Luxor is popular, as are the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx in Giza, Cairo.
If you were to choose to stay in your hotel complex for the duration of your break, you would miss out on much more than you bargained for. Swimming in the warm sea, windsurfing, para sailing, jetski, good shopping, excellent and varied cuisine from around the world are just a few things to mention, but there is more: Cruise across the Red Sea to the uninhabited island of Giftun surrounded by magical coral gardens. Enjoy a lazy day on the white sand or swim among the coral reefs. The reefs near the island have many fish and corals which makes it ideal for snorkelling.
Hurghada offers a variety of cuisine, including fast food, western restaurants, oriental food, and many others. KFC and McDonald's, and local fast food GAD, are present. There some Syrian restaurants in the Sheraton Road and more in the Marina, Indian, Thai, Sea food and Lebanese 1 China Town Restaurant, 36 Sheraton Rd, Hurghada 1. Chinese restaurant, which may be a welcome change. (updated Sep 2022) 2 Restaurant مطعم اسماك. Seafood in an unfussy environment. (updated Sep 2022) 3 Syrian Bakery. (updated Sep 2022) 4 Isra Restaurant. (updated Sep 2022) 5 Abo Omar pizza restaurant, Elantony Building, Sheraton Rd. (updated Sep 2022) 6 Abo Adam.
Those new to Egypt will find karkaday (a drink made from an infusion of hibiscus, served hot or cold and reputed to have many health benefits) and chi (local version of tea, usually served in a glass) offered everywhere. Both are delicious and will usually come replete with a smoke on a sheesha pipe, known in the West as a hookah. Sheeshas are used for smoking molasses tobacco in various flavours, with the smoke passing through water before inhalation through a long tube attached to the bowl. Although they may resemble a device used to smoke illicit substances in the west (a bong), sheesha is legal. Alcoholic drinks can usually be found in bars or hotels.
In 2018, there were complaints of guests falling ill at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel because of possible food safety issues, including undercooked food and lapses in cleanliness. Two British travellers died; the BBC reports travel agency Thomas Cook removed its clients from that hotel and in some cases arranged to fly them home. Because of the heat combined with inadequate food hygiene, gastrointestinal ailments are common (sickness and diarrhoea). The better tourist resorts do make an effort to have good hygiene, but nothing is ever certain.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Hurghada typically sees ~35°C daytime highs and 0 rainy days.
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