GetYourGuide5 hOrange Bay
Hurghada: Orange Bay & Magawish Island Speedboat with Fruits
4.7 (1,612)
from $240 per boatCheck dates
IslandsOrange Bay · Speedboat
Orange Bay by speedboat from Hurghada: shared seats, sea taxis and whole boats
A speedboat gets you from Hurghada Marina to Orange Bay in about 20 minutes instead of 30–45 by yacht, so you sail less and sit on the sand longer. The catch: it slams in a north wind, and most listings at $170 and up are priced for the whole boat, not per person.
Where on the coast
Orange Bay
20 min by speedboat · 45 min by yacht
- Crossing
- About 20 min by speedboat (30–45 min by yacht)
- Where it lands
- Orange Bay, a beach on the west shore of Giftun Kebir
- Shared seat
- Sea taxi from $27 · island-hopping speedboat from $45
- Whole boat
- From about $197 per boat on GetYourGuide
- Trip length
- 4–8 hours; some sea taxis offer a 4- or 8-hour stay
- Cash on the day
- Park fee about €5 if not included, lunch on some trips, tips
- Not ideal for
- Back problems, pregnancy, anyone prone to seasickness
Updated 20 October 2026Facts checked against official sourcesContains affiliate links
Orange Bay by speedboat: what you can book
7 options · Prices checked on 20 October 2026
Nothing with those filters.
GetYourGuide6 hOrange Bay
Hurghada: High-Speed Sea Taxi Tour to Orange Bay or Magawish
4.6 (1,616)
from $27Check dates
GetYourGuide5 hOrange Bay
Hurghada: Giftun Island Orange Bay Speedboat Cruise & Lunch
4.7 (1,238)
from $197 per boatCheck dates
GetYourGuide4 hOrange Bay
Hurghada: Private Speedboat to Orange Bay and White Island
4.6 (205)
from $202 per boatCheck dates
GetYourGuide4 hOrange Bay
Makadi: Giftun Island Speedboat Cruise to Orange Bay & Fruit
4.7 (26)
from $238 per boatCheck dates
Headout4 hOrange Bay
Private Speedboat to Orange Bay & Magawish Island With Snorkeling, Lunch & Transfers
4.6 (232)
from $76Check dates
GetYourGuide4 hOrange Bay
Safaga: Giftun Island Speedboat Cruise to Orange Bay W Fruit
4.2 (5)
from $234 per boatCheck dates
An Orange Bay speedboat from Hurghada is the quick way to the most famous beach on Giftun: about 20 minutes from the marina, a reef stop or two, and more of the day on the sand than a full-day yacht gives you. Orange Bay is not an island of its own, whatever "Orange Island" listings say. It is a sandy bay halfway down the west shore of Giftun Kebir, the side facing Hurghada, which makes it the shortest crossing of any Giftun beach.
Three different products hide behind the word "speedboat", and their prices differ by a factor of ten.
Orange Bay speedboat tour: three ways to go
Sea taxi. A shared speedboat that runs you to the beach and collects you later — transport plus a beach day, not a guided snorkel trip. Some sea taxis sell "Orange Bay or Magawish": choose the Orange Bay option. Some let you choose a 4- or 8-hour stay.
Shared island-hopping speedboat. The "2 islands", "6 islands" kind: a seat on a boat with other guests, a guide, two snorkel stops and short beach stops. The best known is GoShalabi's 6-islands day (Hurghada: 6 Islands Speedboat, Dolphin watching & Snorkeling), which spends about an hour on Orange Bay and about an hour on Magawish, then stops at sandbanks. "Six islands" is a count of beaches, sandbanks and reef stops around a few islands, not six separate islands.
Private speedboat. The whole boat for your group, your own timing, usually 4–5 hours. This is where the $170–290 prices come from. The full comparison is on the private Orange Bay boat page.
GetYourGuideFull day
Hurghada: 6 Islands Speedboat, Dolphin watching & Snorkeling
4.8 (2,710)
from $45Check dates
GetYourGuide6 hOrange Bay
Hurghada: High-Speed Sea Taxi Tour to Orange Bay or Magawish
4.6 (1,616)
from $27Check dates
HeadoutFull dayOrange Bay
High-Speed Sea Taxi Tour to Orange Bay or Magawish with Round-Trip Hotel Transfers
4.6 (215)
from $28Check dates
See all trips on GetYourGuide →Also on Headout →Prices checked on 20 October 2026
Orange Bay Hurghada prices by speedboat: per person or per boat?
On GetYourGuide, speedboat listings fall into two clouds: shared seats from about $27 to $50 per person, and listings from about $170 to $290 that are priced for the whole boat. Read the group size on the option you select.
On Headout it runs the other way: its "private" speedboats are priced per person, and some add park fees, VAT and out-of-town transfers in cash. The Headout Orange Bay and Magawish private speedboat (Private Speedboat to Orange Bay & Magawish Island With Snorkeling, Lunch & Transfers) is a per-person price, not the cost of the boat.
- Semi-submarine with snorkel stop2–3 hours; window deck about 3 m down. Royal Seascope direct from $15 without transfer.$18–$22per person
- Dolphin House day boatShared yacht or VIP boat to Sha'ab El Erg; dolphins never guaranteed.$21–$50per person
- Budget shared yacht (Orange Bay, Hula Hula, Magawish)Full day, lunch, two reef stops, about 1–2 hours on the beach; up to 35 guests on the boats that publish a limit.$24–$33per person
- Half-day and sunset boat (3–4 hours)Genuinely short trips only; "sunset" island days of 5–9 hours sit in the yacht rows.$24–$44per person
- Sea taxi to Orange Bay or MagawishShared speedboat ride plus beach time; not a guided snorkel tour.$27–$28per person
- Snorkel day with an intro dive optionTry-dive days from a boat; from a boat the rule is one instructor per beginner.$30–$53per person
- Shared speedboat seat (2–6 "islands")4–8 hours; faster crossings, bumpier in a north wind.$35–$50per person
- Mid-range shared yacht dayPremium Orange Bay, Paradise, Giftun and 3-island days with lunch.$37–$45per person
- Luxury / VIP yacht dayMassage, intro dive or BBQ buffet bundled in; "luxury" is the seller's word.$50–$80per person
- Private speedboatWhole boat, usually 2–4 hours; GetYourGuide prices it per group. Headout "private" boats are priced per person.$67–$286per boat
- Private yacht charterWhole yacht with crew; operators' own sites list luxury yachts at $425–1,350.$129–$1,350per boat
Typical prices on the platforms, checked on 20 October 2026; private boats are priced per boat.
What usually comes on top, in cash:
- Park fee. Giftun is inside the Northern Red Sea Islands protectorate: USD 5 per foreign visitor (under 7 free); sellers usually ask about €5 in cash when it is not in the price. A rise to USD 10 has been decreed but postponed, with no start date published.
- Lunch on some island-hopping trips: GoShalabi's 6-islands day lists lunch on the island at $20 extra, plus a €5 nature-reserve fee.
- Transfers from outer resorts: GoShalabi charges $15 from Makadi, Sahl Hasheesh and El Gouna and $23 from Safaga and Soma Bay.
- Tips and photos. Tipping the crew is customary and modest — small Egyptian-pound notes in the crew box at the end of the day.
| What | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Giftun / Northern Islands protectorate — foreign visitor | USD 5 | Fee in force (Ministerial Decree 204 of 2019). Children under 7 free; doubles if the visit runs past sunset. Boats often collect it or include it. eeaa.gov.eg ↗ |
| Giftun / Northern Islands protectorate — Egyptian visitor | EGP 25 | Fee in force for Egyptian citizens; children under 7 free. eeaa.gov.eg ↗ |
| Northern Islands — new foreign rate (Decree 360 of 2025) | USD 10 | Decreed but not yet charged: activation postponed for the Northern Islands; in June 2026 the protectorates postponed it by another six months. Charged in EGP at the central-bank rate once in force. eeaa.gov.eg ↗ |
Checked on 20 October 2026. Many boat trips include the island or park fee, many don't: read the listing.
For the whole picture across yachts, speedboats and semi-submarines, see Hurghada boat trip prices.
Sea taxi to Orange Bay: GetYourGuide or Headout?
The same high-speed sea taxi is sold on both platforms with an identical title, probably from the same boat company, though neither listing names it.
| Platform | Listing | Rating | Price | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GetYourGuide | Hurghada: High-Speed Sea Taxi Tour to Orange Bay or Magawish · 6 h | 4.6 (1,616) | $27 Lowest | See on GetYourGuide |
| Headout | High-Speed Sea Taxi Tour to Orange Bay or Magawish with Round-Trip Hotel Transfers · Full day | 4.6 (215) | $28 | See on Headout |
Lowest price per person in US dollars, checked on 20 October 2026. Boat, island, lunch, pick-up area and what is included differ between listings: open each one before you pay.
Today GetYourGuide is a dollar cheaper, but the two versions differ. The Headout listing includes round-trip hotel transfers in its title and snorkels only at Magawish — "snorkeling at Orange Bay" is listed as not included. On GetYourGuide the default is free cancellation up to 24 hours before unless the listing says otherwise; Headout sets terms per listing. More in GetYourGuide vs Headout.
A speedboat half-day at Orange Bay, step by step
Timings depend on the boat company. This is the shape of GoShalabi's own Orange Bay and Magawish speedboat trip, sold on GetYourGuide at a per-boat price:
Pick-up time arrives by messageExpect a window of up to an hour in Hurghada, up to 90 minutes from outer resorts
Hotel pick-up, short drive to the marinaBring your passport or a clear copy: names go on the coast-guard list
Crossing to GiftunThe bumpiest part of the day if the north wind is up
First snorkel stop, about 20 minutesMask, snorkel and lifejacket are usually included
About 1 hour on the beachShade on the sand is first-come
Second snorkel stop, about 20 minutesAsk the guide which reef
About 1 hour on Magawish, with lunchMagawish is a separate island off south Hurghada, not part of Giftun
Back with the swell behind you, about 5 hours in allThe return leg is usually the smoother one
The speedboat's advantage is the morning. Orange Bay gets busy from about 11:00, when the big yachts land after their reef stops (about 2,000 visitors a day, its PR manager said in 2022). An early speedboat beats that wave.
Speedboat or yacht to Orange Bay?
Why take the speedboat
- About 20 minutes to Giftun, so less time sailing and more on the beach or the reef
- On a private boat it is only your group, on your timing
- Easier to beat the late-morning crowd at Orange Bay
- Half-day options leave the afternoon free
Why you might not
- Slams hard in chop; sellers flag speedboats as "not suitable for back problems" and for pregnant women
- Less shade and space than a yacht, where shade and toilets are part of the deal
- Lunch is often fruit and drinks only, or extra
- Per-boat pricing makes it expensive for one or two people
The yacht wins on comfort — shade, toilets and lunch on board — but rolls at anchor, and the cheapest yacht days give only about an hour on the beach. See Orange Bay by yacht.
The wind, the swell and seasickness
The wind in Hurghada blows from the north and north-west all year: windiest on average in May and September, calmest in November and December, stronger in the afternoon. There is no calm season. A yacht rolls; a speedboat slams from wave to wave, which is what makes it hard on backs. The outward leg runs into the wind and the return leg with the swell. Book a morning departure, and in a strong north wind ask the seller whether the trip is going ahead.
Prone to seasickness? The NHS advice holds: sit in the middle, look at the horizon, get fresh air, avoid screens and heavy meals (NHS advice). Patches are only for adults and children over 10.
In bad weather the Red Sea Ports Authority closes Hurghada port — not your boat company — and every boat stays in, usually for one to three days. Book early in the holiday so you have a spare day; month by month, see the best time to go.
Is an Orange Bay speedboat ride safe?
It is a short crossing, but standards vary between sellers, so these checks are worth a minute:
Booking an Orange Bay speedboat without surprises
- Check the seller: snorkel and water-sports providers must be members of Egypt's Chamber of Diving and Water Sports, whose member list and black list are public.
- Ask whether the price is per person or per boat, for how many guests, and what is not included.
- Ask how many guides there are: the rule is one guide for every 12 snorkelers.
- Ask for children's life-jacket sizes; each operator sets its own age rules.
- Make sure your insurance covers water sports and sea rescue, and expect a safety briefing (UK travel advice).
With back problems, pregnancy or a baby, take a yacht or the Royal Seascope semi-submarine instead; see also boat trips with kids.
What you will see on the way
The coral is at the reef stops, not off Orange Bay's sand: its shallow lagoon turns milky on windy afternoons. Snorkel at the stops; treat the beach as the lie-down part of the day.
- Type
- Sandy beach concession on the west shore of Giftun Kebir facing Hurghada; sold as "Orange Island" but not an island
- Depth
- Shallow sandy lagoon off the beach; the coral is on reefs one boat stop away
- Conditions
- Sheltered west side; sand stirs up and the water turns milky on windy afternoons
- What you see
- Little coral off the sand itself; reef stops on the way give corals and reef fish
- Getting there
- 20 min by speedboat · 45 min by yacht
- Entry
- Boats land at the Orange Bay dock or anchor off; wade or use the ladder
- Facilities
- Umbrellas, bean bags, cabanas, bar, buffet restaurant, toilets; busiest from late morning
- Fee
- Park fee USD 5 (often in the price); some listings also exclude an Orange Bay entry charge — read "not included"
- Best for
- A beach-and-snorkel day with the shortest crossing to Giftun; families and first-timers
- Protection
- Inside the Northern Islands protectorate; the beach was taken to court in 2022 for building outside its plot
Source: nominatim.openstreetmap.org ↗
Island-hopping speedboats also stop at the sandbank of Abu Minqar, the mangrove island closest to the marina (no activities are allowed on the island itself). "White Island" or "Nemo Beach" is a sandbank a few minutes from the Giftun reef stops — not the White Island at Ras Mohammed. At Magawish, expect anemonefish and blue-spotted stingrays over a seabed of about 10 m; see Magawish and Hula Hula.
- 1Hurghada MarinaMarinaMap ↗
- 2Abu MinqarIsland · 15 min by speedboat · 20 min by yachtMap ↗
- 3Orange BayBeach · 20 min by speedboat · 45 min by yachtMap ↗
- 4MagawishIsland · 20 min by speedboat · 45 min by yachtMap ↗
- 5Giftun KebirIsland · 20 min by speedboat · 45 min by yachtMap ↗
"Dolphin watching" on these trips means the captain looks for dolphins on the way. Dolphins are wild: some days they are there and calm, some days not, and no operator can promise them. For a trip built around them, see wild dolphin trips from Hurghada.
GetYourGuide5 hOrange Bay
Hurghada: Orange Bay & Magawish Island Speedboat with Fruits
4.7 (1,612)
from $240 per boatCheck dates
GetYourGuide6 hOrange Bay
Hurghada: High-Speed Sea Taxi Tour to Orange Bay or Magawish
4.6 (1,616)
from $27Check dates
GetYourGuide5 hOrange Bay
Hurghada: Giftun Island Orange Bay Speedboat Cruise & Lunch
4.7 (1,238)
from $197 per boatCheck dates
GetYourGuide4 hOrange Bay
Hurghada: Private Speedboat to Orange Bay and White Island
4.6 (205)
from $202 per boatCheck dates
GetYourGuide4 hOrange Bay
Makadi: Giftun Island Speedboat Cruise to Orange Bay & Fruit
4.7 (26)
from $238 per boatCheck dates
Headout4 hOrange Bay
Private Speedboat to Orange Bay & Magawish Island With Snorkeling, Lunch & Transfers
4.6 (232)
from $76Check dates
See all trips on GetYourGuide →Also on Headout →Prices checked on 20 October 2026
Orange Bay speedboat FAQ
How long is the speedboat ride from Hurghada to Orange Bay?
About 20 minutes from Hurghada Marina, against 30–45 minutes by yacht. Add the hotel pick-up and the drive to the marina.
How much is a speedboat trip to Orange Bay in Hurghada?
A shared sea-taxi seat starts from about $27 and a shared island-hopping speedboat from about $45 per person. Listings from about $170 to $290 on GetYourGuide are usually the price of the whole boat — check the group size on the option you choose.
Does the sea taxi include snorkeling at Orange Bay?
Not always. The Headout version of the sea taxi snorkels only at Magawish and lists snorkeling at Orange Bay as not included. A sea taxi is a ride and a beach stay, not a guided snorkel trip.
What happens if the port is closed on the day of my speedboat trip?
Nobody sails. On GetYourGuide, if the boat company cancels for weather you are offered a new date or a full refund. Headout refunds once the supplier has refunded it. A seller paid in cash has to be chased directly.
For the full picture of the beach itself — facilities, crowds and the yacht days — start with the Orange Bay guide, and read the GoShalabi review before you book its speedboats.
