Hurghada Snorkeling Trip

Where the boats go

Most snorkelling days from Hurghada head for the same patch of sea: the two Giftun islands east of the town, Giftun el Kebir and Giftun el Saghir, and the smaller islands and reefs around them. The nearest shore of the big island is 5.5 km from Hurghada Marina in a straight line. On Go Shalabi’s day the sail out to the islands takes about an hour.

Orange Bay is a beach on the Giftun islands. The trips call it Orange Bay, Orange Island or Orange Bay Island, and none gives its exact position, so the map leaves it out. Magawish Island is the third island on Go Shalabi’s day. Giftun Island and Orange Bay explains what each one is and how the trips use them.

Go Shalabi’s day, stop by stop

The boat left at 8:30 AM on every date we read, from 27 November 2026 to 10 March 2027. Your pickup time comes by email or WhatsApp at 10:00 PM the night before; you wait at your hotel’s main entrance by the road, not at reception, and the bus waits five minutes. Pickup can fall up to an hour either side of the time you are given from Hurghada hotels and up to an hour and a half from Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh, El Gouna, Soma Bay or Safaga.

The listing’s itinerary runs Orange Bay (an hour, for swimming), Giftun (40 minutes of snorkelling), a search for dolphins off Giftun, and Magawish Island (an hour, with the second snorkelling stop). Breakfast and a seafood lunch are served on board. Count on the stops rather than the order: a reviewer on 1 November 2026 describes going to the dolphins first, and two others, on 3 and 5 November, say their boat visited two islands, not three.

The trip lasts 8 hours; one October 2026 reviewer says the day ran from about 8:30 AM to 7 PM. The guide speaks English or Arabic, and the trip is not for people with mobility impairments.

Check dates for the yacht day

What the price buys

The US$45 on the booking calendar is a from-price. On 27 November 2026, 20 January and 10 March 2027 the option list showed US$55.73 a person, with pickup from a Hurghada hotel or without a transfer, and the same per person for two adults (checked November 2026). Pickup from Makadi Bay, El Gouna or Sahl Hasheesh was US$66.88, and from Safaga or Soma Bay US$72.45.

That buys the transfer, the boat, snorkelling gear and a guide, breakfast, the seafood lunch, soft and hot drinks and fruit. Fees paid on the day differ by listing, so check each listing’s includes before you book. The snorkelling trip price sets this day against the cheaper beach days, the speedboats and the Viator listings.

The dolphin question

On Go Shalabi’s yacht day, if dolphins are spotted and sea conditions allow, you may have the chance to swim with them. We read the 350 most recent reviews of this trip, dated 26 October to 7 November 2026. Fifty-four mention dolphins; five say none were seen that day, and one says the boat did not look for them. One reviewer on 1 November writes that their group left the dolphins early because of how many boats were crowding them.

If dolphins are the reason you are going, read can you swim with dolphins in Hurghada first. It covers the reef the dolphin trips head for, Sha’ab El Erg, and what their reviewers report.

Other kinds of trip

Zanetta Tours' Orange Bay day is from US$28 and gives you two hours of free time on the beach, two snorkelling stops and a lunch buffet; its cheapest option has no hotel transport. Royal Cruise Hurghada's cruise to Orange Bay, from US$53, adds one massage per guest; its includes list one snorkelling stop and its highlights two.

By speedboat, Go Shalabi's 4-hour trip spends most of its time off Giftun, and its six-island day, from US$45, makes three snorkelling stops, one at a wreck, and stops at a sandbank.

For less, Egyptra Travel Services' Orange Bay trip is from US$20 and Golden Map Tours' boat trip to Orange Island from US$23 (checked November 2026); both make two snorkelling stops.

When the boats stay in port

Press reports describe Hurghada’s port closing for days at a time in strong wind. Egypt Telegraph reported on 28 May 2025 that the port was closed for a third day and marine activities fully stopped, with north-westerly winds of 30 to 35 knots and waves of 3 to 4 m, on the Red Sea Ports Authority’s decision. Amwal Al Ghad reported on 25 March 2026 that the port was closed as a precaution ahead of a weather warning, on the Red Sea Governorate’s instruction. Neither report says how often it happens.

Each listing words its weather terms differently. Miniature Egypt Hurghada's Orange Island cruise moves the date or refunds in full in bad weather. Go Shalabi’s listings say nothing about trips cancelled for weather; they offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

What reviewers mention

Go Shalabi’s yacht day has 9,726 reviews on GetYourGuide at an average of 4.7. We read the 350 most recent, the newest dated 7 November 2026 and the oldest 26 October: 314 give five stars and seven give three or fewer. One two-star reviewer describes a very full boat with hardly a free seat; a three-star one found Orange Bay had little to do and the lunch average, but the two snorkelling stops excellent; another says many boats at the same reefs made the water busy for young children. Four others say their boat never felt crowded.

Before you book

• Details to send. For the three-island day: a passport copy, your nationality, the hotel’s name and address, and your room number.
• Pickup outside Hurghada. If you are staying in Makadi Bay, El Gouna or Sahl Hasheesh, book the long-distance option; otherwise you pay at the harbour. Pickup outside Hurghada compares what each trip charges.
• What to bring. A towel, sunscreen, a jacket, cash and your passport or a copy.
• Safety. The UK Foreign Office’s Egypt advice says safety standards of Red Sea resort diving operators and boats vary considerably, and advises insurance that covers air or sea rescue (read 8 November 2026). Its list of areas to avoid, updated 27 October 2026, does not include Hurghada.
• Cancelling. Every GetYourGuide trip here can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before; on the three-island day there are no cancellations after 6:00 PM the day before.