Orange Bay Hurghada: the Giftun beach sold as Orange Island

Orange Bay Hurghada is the beach most first boat days aim for. "Orange Island", "Orange Bay Island" and "Orange Bay beach" are all the same stretch of sand: a beach concession on the west shore of Giftun Kebir (Big Giftun), about halfway down the island and facing the town. It is the shortest crossing to Giftun, the sand is soft and the lagoon is shallow. The catch: the beach has little coral, it fills up from late morning, and the cheapest trips give you about an hour there.

Orange island Hurghada: where Orange Bay is and what you get

Giftun Kebir is the larger of the two Giftun islands, about 8–12 km east and south-east of Hurghada Marina. It carries three beach concessions that are sold as if they were separate islands: Orange Bay on the west shore, and Paradise and Mahmya side by side on the southern tip. The island lies inside the Northern Red Sea Islands protectorate, a national park run by the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA); our Giftun guide covers the island as a whole.

Orange Bay is about 8 km from the marina in a straight line, the closest of the three beaches. By day yacht that means about 30–45 minutes; by speedboat about 20. For the seasick, that short hop is the best argument for Orange Bay.

On the sand you will find umbrellas, bean bags, wooden cabanas, a bar, a buffet restaurant and toilets. Boats either tie up at the Orange Bay dock or anchor off, and you wade in or climb down the ladder. Shade on the beach is first-come. Lunch on most trips is served on the boat; drinks at the beach bar are extra and paid in cash.

The beach has its own website, orangebayhurghada.com, which says its boats leave from Hurghada Marina and lists daily hours of 09:00–21:00. In practice day trips run roughly 08:00–16:00, and the site publishes no programmes or prices: you reach Orange Bay through a boat company, an agency, a hotel desk or a platform.

In 2022 a Hurghada court, in a case brought for the Ministry of Environment, penalised Orange Bay for occupying 12,454 m² outside its allotted plot inside the reserve (reported as about USD 1.3 million, Lovin Cairo). The beach is open and trading as usual.

An Orange Bay Hurghada trip, hour by hour

Most Orange Bay days follow one pattern: early pick-up, two guided reef stops, lunch on board, the beach at midday, back by mid-afternoon. Zanetta, the German-market company behind the best-rated budget day (HRG: Orange Bay Island with Snorkeling, Lunch and Drinks), publishes its timetable:

Royal Cruise Hurghada's flagship day (Luxury Cruise Trip to Orange Bay with Lunch) lasts about 8.5 hours but spends less time ashore: 45 minutes sailing out, 75 minutes on Orange Bay, snorkeling at Giftun and Abu Ramada reef, a banana-boat ride, lunch and one massage per guest. The cheapest listings say you "relax for 1 hour" on the island. Read the time on the beach, not the word "luxury" in the title.

Pick-up time is confirmed the evening before. Expect a window of up to an hour in Hurghada and up to 90 minutes from Makadi, Sahl Hasheesh, El Gouna, Soma Bay and Safaga. Bring your passport or a clear copy: passenger names and passport numbers go on a coast-guard list before the boat leaves.

Orange Bay Hurghada snorkeling: where the reef really is

The snorkeling on an Orange Bay day happens at the reef stops, not off the beach. The shallow, sandy lagoon suits paddling children and nervous swimmers, but there is little coral to see from the shore, and on windy afternoons the water turns milky.

Giftun's west and south reefs are the standard stops: sheltered, with reef tops at about 1 m near the shore, corals, gorgonians, and a chance of Napoleon wrasse, turtles and morays. If you have any say in it, ask for Gota Abu Ramada, known as "the Aquarium": shallow coral pinnacles south of the Giftun islands with the densest fish life in the area, rated suitable for beginners. Royal Cruise's Orange Bay day names Abu Ramada among its stops.

Most listings never name their reefs, so ask the seller. In a strong north wind captains move to the most sheltered stops.

Giftun lies inside a protectorate. Do not stand on or touch the coral, take no shells or coral, and do not feed the fish. Good crews tie up to the HEPCA moorings (buoys laid by the local conservation association) instead of anchoring on the reef.

Orange Bay Hurghada prices and what's included

A shared yacht day to Orange Bay with lunch, soft drinks, snorkel gear and hotel pick-up in Hurghada starts from about $26 on GetYourGuide. Mid-range boats sit around $33–47, and the "luxury" and "VIP" days with a massage or an intro dive run from about $52 to $69. The difference is mostly extras on board, not more time on the beach. The budget day on each platform:

GetYourGuide is cheapest today: Zanetta's trip from $26, against $29 on Headout and $31 on Tiqets. They are not identical: the Headout listing promises about two hours on Orange Bay with the entry fee included, while the Tiqets listing excludes an "Orange Bay entry fee"; neither names the boat company. Compare boat, pick-up area and the "not included" line.

For the Royal Cruise-style massage day, the two platforms are level:

Royal Cruise's listing and a near-identical bundle on Headout both start from $53. Royal Cruise's own site currently sells the trip for $45 from Hurghada ($50 from the outer resorts), so booking direct saves about $8; the platform gives you a written cancellation policy. Zanetta charges the same $26.35 direct as on GetYourGuide.

The cash extras on an Orange Bay day

Look for these under "not included":

• The national-park fee. Giftun's fee is USD 5 per foreign visitor (Egyptians EGP 25; children under 7 free; double if you stay after sunset). Some trips include it; others ask about €5 in cash at the marina. A rise to USD 10 has been decreed but postponed more than once; no new start date is published.
• An Orange Bay entry charge. Some listings exclude it; the amount is not published, so ask before you pay.
• "National Park fees and VAT, €10 per person, cash". Wording on some Headout and Tiqets listings, not the official fee.
• A coast-guard fee. About €5 per person on some trips; ask what each charge is for.
• Outer-resort pick-up. Free in Hurghada; roughly €8–15 or $15–23 from the outer resorts, depending on the seller.
• Drinks on the beach, photos and tips. Photo packages are a common upsell. Tipping the crew is customary and modest: small Egyptian-pound notes in the crew box at the end of the day.

Bring small dollar or euro notes and some Egyptian pounds; do not count on paying by card. Our price guide breaks down every type of boat day in Hurghada.

Yacht, speedboat, sea taxi or private boat to Orange Bay

Shared day yacht (7–8.5 hours). The classic: shade, toilets and lunch on board, two reef stops and the beach. The comfortable choice for families and the seasick, though it rolls at anchor, and you land with everyone else. The Orange Bay yacht guide compares budget and VIP boats.

Shared speedboat (4–8 hours). About 20 minutes to Giftun instead of 30–45. Speedboats slam in a north wind, and sellers warn they are not suitable for back problems or pregnancy. Go Shalabi's "6 islands" day (6 Islands Speedboat, Dolphin watching & Snorkeling) counts beaches and sandbanks, not six islands: about an hour each on Orange Bay and Magawish, a reef snorkel and sandbank stops; lunch ($20) and the €5 reserve fee are extra. See the speedboat guide.

Sea taxi (4 or 8 hours ashore). A shared ride to the beach and back, not a guided snorkel trip. The best-known listing, High-Speed Sea Taxi Tour to Orange Bay or Magawish, goes to Orange Bay or Magawish, and the Headout version snorkels only at Magawish: choose the Orange Bay option when you book.

From $27 on GetYourGuide and $28 on Headout today; check which island and stay length each price covers.

Private speedboat (about 4–5 hours). On GetYourGuide, listings such as Giftun Island Orange Bay Speedboat Cruise & Lunch (from $197) or the Private Speedboat to Orange Bay and White Island (from $202) are priced for the whole boat; Headout's "private" speedboats are priced per person. A private boat can land before the late-morning wave. "White Island" here is a sandbank near the Giftun reefs, not the one at Ras Mohammed near Sharm. More in the private boat guide.

Orange Bay beach Hurghada: crowds, timing and how to beat them

Its PR manager put Orange Bay at about 2,000 visitors a day in 2022. Most shared yachts do their reef stops first and land from late morning, so the beach is fullest from about 11:00, when the best umbrellas are gone. Two ways round it:

• Go early by speedboat or private boat. Half-day speedboats and private boats land earlier.
• Pick a different beach. Mahmya's own boats leave at 08:30 from Mahmya Beach Marina and include a reserved shaded seat even on the cheapest ticket.

Paradise Island vs Orange Bay Hurghada (and Mahmya)

All three are beaches on the same island; the choice is crossing time, atmosphere and price.

Orange Bay is the easy default. Paradise Island suits those who do not mind a longer sail. Mahmya costs more but gives fixed shade and a published timetable (out 08:30, back 16:00); children aged 7 and over pay the adult price.

Magawish, often sold with Orange Bay, is a separate island off south Hurghada, not part of Giftun. Our page on Hula Hula and the small islands explains Magawish, Abu Minqar and the sandbank names.

Wind, seasickness and children on an Orange Bay trip

Wind. A north to north-westerly wind blows all year, stronger in the afternoons; there is no calm season, though November and December are calmest on average. The Red Sea Ports Authority closes the port in bad weather (reported closures came at about 22–30 knots of wind with 2–4 m waves), usually for one to three days, mostly in winter and spring. Book your boat day early in the holiday and keep a spare day. Our best time to go page has the month-by-month picture.

Seasickness. Orange Bay is the gentlest island day because the crossing is short. Sit mid-boat, look at the horizon, keep off screens and avoid a heavy breakfast; pharmacy tablets or patches help (NHS advice). A big yacht is kinder than a speedboat in chop.

Water temperature. Coldest in February and March (about 22.5 °C), warmest in August (about 29 °C). From December to April a shorty or 3 mm wetsuit helps at the reef stops.

Children. Short crossing, shallow sand, toilets on the boat: a good family day. Each operator sets its own age rules (Civitatis takes no under-5s on its Orange Bay yacht); many charge about half price for children of roughly 3–4 to 9–12. Ask about children's life-jacket sizes, and skip full-face masks for young children. Our family guide covers alternatives such as the semi-submarine.

Limited mobility. You may step onto the dock or climb down a ladder into shallow water; ask how the boat lands before you book.

Booking an Orange Bay trip from Hurghada

Best Orange Bay trips

1

Budget, most time on the beach

Zanetta: about two hours ashore, two guided reef stops, island entry fees covered, up to 35 guests.

◐ Full day

GetYourGuideFull dayOrange Bay

HRG: Orange Bay Island with Snorkeling, Lunch and Drinks

4.9 (6,122)

from $26Check dates

2

A fuller day with extras

Royal Cruise Hurghada: 75 minutes ashore, Abu Ramada reef, banana boat, one massage; marine fee included.

◐ Yacht

GetYourGuideFull dayOrange Bay

Hurghada: Luxury Cruise Trip to Orange Bay with Lunch

4.9 (7,075)

from $53Check dates

3

A mid-range alternative

Two coral stops, lunch and transfer; the listing does not name the boat company.

◐ Yacht

GetYourGuideFull dayOrange Bay

Hurghada: Premium Orange Island Cruise with Lunch & Transfer

4.8 (1,152)

from $37Check dates

4

Your own boat

Priced per boat: land before the crowds; for four or more it can beat VIP-yacht seats per head.

◔ Speedboat

GetYourGuide5 hOrange Bay

Hurghada: Giftun Island Orange Bay Speedboat Cruise & Lunch

4.7 (1,238)

from $197 per boatCheck dates

◐ Full day

GetYourGuideFull dayOrange Bay

HRG: Orange Bay Island with Snorkeling, Lunch and Drinks

4.9 (6,122)

from $26Check dates

◐ Full day

GetYourGuideFull dayOrange Bay

Hurghada: Snorkeling 6 x 1 to Orange Bay w Diving & Massage

4.9 (1,398)

from $69Check dates

◐ Yacht

TiqetsFull dayOrange Bay

Orange Bay: Guided Boat Tour + Snorkeling & Water Sports + Transfer + Lunch

4.0 (1)

from $45Check dates

◐ Full day

GetYourGuideFull dayOrange Bay

Hurghada: Royal Orange Bay with Massage, Snorkeling & Lunch

4.8 (420)

from $52Check dates

◐ Full day

GetYourGuideFull dayOrange Bay

Hurghada: Luxury Orange Bay w/Snorkeling, Massage and Diving

4.9 (325)

from $59Check dates

◐ Yacht

GetYourGuideFull dayOrange Bay

Hurghada: Orange & Giftun Island Cruise with Massage & Lunch

4.8 (146)

from $53Check dates

See all trips on GetYourGuide →Also on Headout →Also on Tiqets →Prices checked on 20 October 2026

On GetYourGuide your contract is with the boat company; if it cancels for weather you get a new date or a full refund. Headout refunds once the supplier has refunded it, and its guarantee does not cover weather. With cash-on-the-day sellers you chase a refund yourself. Our platforms guide compares the three booking sites in detail.

Check dates for the budget Orange Bay dayfrom $26Affiliate link: if you book, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You can also see every Orange Bay listing on GetYourGuide, or read our reviews of Zanetta Tours and Royal Cruise Hurghada before you book.

Orange Bay Hurghada: questions before you go