Region

Red Sea Coast

Pick one resort base for 4–7 nights; diving and reefs, not sightseeing, are the reason to come.

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Key facts · Egypt

Best months: Mar–May, Sep–Nov
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Egyptian pound
Language: Arabic
Plugs: C · F · 220 V
Time zone: UTC+2

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The Red Sea Coast is about 800 km of desert shore from Port Suez down to the Sudanese border, with a string of resort towns strung along Highway 65 and coral reefs offshore. It is a separate block from the Nile Valley: warm and dry year-round, direct flights from Europe into Hurghada and Marsa Alam, and almost nothing to see on land between the towns. Sleep in one place and dive, snorkel or kite from there; moving between resorts costs half a day each time.

Where to sleep

9 places in this region

Sleep base

HurghadaCity guide
Biggest airport, most hotels and dive shops, cheapest package deals.
Best Apr–May, Sep–Nov
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El GounaCity guide
Purpose-built, quieter, 20–30 min north of Hurghada airport.
Best Mar–May, Oct–Nov
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Soma BayCity guide
Resort-only peninsula, good house reef, kitesurfing.
Best Oct–Apr
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El QuseirCity guide
Small old port town, quieter south of Safaga.
Best Oct–Apr
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Port GhalibCity guide
Marina base near Marsa Alam airport.
Best Mar–May, Sep–Nov
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Marsa AlamCity guide
Southern reefs, dugongs, fewer crowds, longer transfers.
Best Mar–Nov
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Day trip

Port SafagaCity guide
Ferry port and dive access; little to do in town.
Best Oct–Apr
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Ain SokhnaCity guide
Closest beach to Cairo, ~1.5 h; weekend crowds.
Best Mar–May, Oct–Nov
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Port SuezCity guide
Canal city at the north end; not a beach base.
Best Oct–Mar
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Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

4 nights: Hurghada or El Gouna 4 nights, day-boat diving
7 nights: Hurghada 3 + Marsa Alam 4, or one base with a liveaboard
10 nights: Liveaboard 5–7 nights plus 2–3 nights in Hurghada before flying

Hurghada to Marsa Alam is 3.5–4 h by road — do not book both as a 'quick move'.
Reef shoes and a rash guard matter: coral cuts and sunburn are the two common injuries.
Summer sea and air temperatures are extreme; midday boat trips in July–August are punishing.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Wadi El Gemal National Park	Marsa Alam	60 min	unknown	Guided 4x4 or boat trips only; arrange through your hotel or dive shop.
Cairo and Giza	Hurghada	300 min	unknown	Road is ~5 h each way; fly instead if you only have a day.
Luxor	Hurghada	240 min	unknown	Long day by road; Dendera near Qena is on the way. Better as an overnight.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding on this coast; take bags with you in the taxi or bus.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Hurghada	ok	ok	ok	go	go	×	×	×	go	go	go	ok
El Gouna	×	×	go	go	go	ok	×	×	ok	go	go	×
Soma Bay	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go
El Quseir	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go
Port Ghalib	ok	ok	go	go	go	×	×	×	go	go	go	ok
Marsa Alam	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok
Port Safaga	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	go	go	go
Ain Sokhna	ok	ok	go	go	go	ok	×	×	ok	go	go	ok
Port Suez	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	×	×	×	go	go	go
Egypt (country-wide)	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×	×	ok	go	go	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Red Sea CoastPort Suez to the Sudanese border	ok	ok	best	best	best	hot	hot	hot	best	best	best	ok

best: dry, mildok: workablehot: short walking windows

Red Sea Coast: Warm and dry year-round; sea is swimmable all year. Best diving and air temperatures March–May and September–November. July–August air 35 °C (95 °F)+ with high humidity on the coast; winter nights can be cool and windy.Warm and dry year-round; sea is swimmable all year. Best diving and air temperatures March–May and September–November. July–August air 95 °F (35 °C)+ with high humidity on the coast; winter nights can be cool and windy.

Wind picks up in spring (khamsin) and can cancel boat trips; check the forecast before booking a liveaboard.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
HRG (Hurghada International)	Hurghada / El Gouna	Taxi or hotel transfer	~15 min to Hurghada, ~30 min to El Gouna	Most European visitors arrive on package flights; flight-only deals are common.
RMF (Marsa Alam International)	Marsa Alam / Port Ghalib	Taxi or hotel transfer	~60–70 min	Airport is about 60 km (37 mi) north of Marsa Alam town.Airport is about 37 mi (60 km) north of Marsa Alam town.
Cairo	Hurghada	Bus, private car or domestic flight	~5 h by road, ~1 h by air	Egyptair and others fly daily; buses run the desert road.
Cairo	Port Suez	Train	~2 h 15	About 6 trains a day; onward transport along the coast is thin, so most people backtrack to Cairo.
Sharm el-Sheikh (Sinai)	Hurghada	Ferry	check	Ferries have run between the two coasts; confirm current sailings before planning around it.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Dive package (5–10 dives)

buy

Booking dives as a package with your hotel or dive centre is cheaper than single dives; check what is included (gear, boat, lunch).

Liveaboard

check

Worth it for reefs beyond day-boat range (Brothers, Daedalus, St John's); requires advanced certification on some routes.

Resort day pass

check

Non-guests can sometimes buy a day pass for pool and beach; ask at the hotel.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Fresh fish, grilled or fried	Hurghada, El Quseir, Marsa Alam	Sold by weight in local fish restaurants; agree the price before cooking.
Egyptian mezze and grills	Hurghada, El Gouna	Hotel buffets dominate; walk into town for cheaper local food.
Koshari and fuul	Hurghada town	Cheap, filling, vegetarian-friendly; lunchtime staple.
Bedouin tea and bread	Desert trips inland	Offered on 4x4 and camel trips; tip the guide.

Go next

Cairo and Giza

1 h flight or ~5 h road from Hurghada

Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum; deserves 3 nights, not a day trip.

Cairo

1 h flight from Hurghada

All road and rail routes radiate from Cairo.

Western Desert

planned

Via Cairo, then road

Oases and White Desert; a separate block, not a coastal add-on.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 6 bases
Day trips: 3, 1 h to 5 h
Nights suggested: 4–10 nights
Ways in: 5 listed
Best months: Mar–May, Sep–Nov

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

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Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialEgyptAir
officialHurghada International Airport
secondaryWikivoyage: Red Sea Coast, revision 5214327 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about Red Sea Coast

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