Hurghada Shore excursions

A cruise call at Hurghada offers a genuine choice between the Red Sea and the Nile Valley, and the two make for completely different days ashore. The coastal option is a snorkelling trip out to Giftun Island, where the reefs and white sandbanks sit a short boat ride offshore. It's the shortest and most relaxed of the excursions here, and the easiest to fit into a shorter port call without spending the day watching the clock.

The inland option trades the water for ancient Egypt. A day trip from Hurghada to Luxor crosses to the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, and the temples of the west bank, returning the same day. It's a long day with real driving involved in each direction, but it's the only way to see Luxor's monuments from a Red Sea port without adding an overnight stay to your itinerary. For ships in port longer, a two-day excursion covers both Cairo and Luxor in a single trip, taking in the Pyramids as well as the Theban temples.

The honest trade-off is distance against depth: staying on the coast means more time in the water and less time in a vehicle, while the Luxor and Cairo options mean several hours of travel in exchange for sites you can't see anywhere near the Red Sea. Neither is the better choice in the abstract, it depends on whether this is your only stop in Egypt or one of several.

Every Hurghada shore excursion is private, with transfers, a licensed Egyptologist guide, and entrance fees included, and each one is planned around your ship's docking and departure times. Prices start from around $54 per person for the Giftun Island snorkelling trip, with the Luxor and Cairo excursions priced higher given the distances involved. A tailor-made shore excursion can also be arranged if your time in port doesn't fit the standard options.