Private speedboat and yacht trips in Hurghada

A private boat trip in Hurghada means the boat and crew are yours for the day or half day: you decide when to leave, where to stop and how long to stay. The pricing is what confuses people. On GetYourGuide, the price shown for most private speedboats is for the whole boat, which is why listings at $170–290 are not as expensive as they look. On Headout it is the other way round: its "private" speedboats are priced per person, and cash extras come on top.

This page explains how to compare the two, where a private boat is worth the money, which stops make a good half day, and what to ask before you pay. If you only want a couple of hours on the water, see half-day and sunset trips; for every format side by side, all Hurghada boat trips.

Private speedboat Hurghada: priced per boat, not per person

These GetYourGuide listings are priced for the whole boat. None states a group size in the headline price, so open the options and check how many guests each one covers.

The maths is simple. Four people on the private speedboat from $117 pay under $30 each. The same four on a "luxury" Orange Bay yacht such as Royal Cruise's day pay from $53 each, sharing the boat with everyone else. For a family of four or more, a private speedboat can cost less per head than VIP-yacht seats. For two people, a shared seat — shared speedboats start at about $35 — is usually cheaper.

A trip with the same title as the private speedboat with fruit and pick-up is sold on GoShalabi's own site, and GoShalabi's own listing of its Orange Bay and Magawish speedboat shows $200 per boat; on GetYourGuide the Orange Bay and Magawish speedboat is from $240 per boat. Some listings offer both a private and a shared option, and the price shown is the cheapest option — read which one you are booking. Two more traps: the private sea taxi to Magawish at $38 is very low for a whole boat, so check the group size; and the luxury yacht with a 1:1 try dive is flagged as private but is a per-person seat on a shared yacht.

◔ Speedboat

GetYourGuide3 h

Hurghada: Private Speedboat Adventure with Fruits & Pick-up

4.7 (858)

from $117 per boatCheck dates

◔ Speedboat

GetYourGuide5 hOrange Bay

Hurghada: Giftun Island Orange Bay Speedboat Cruise & Lunch

4.7 (1,238)

from $197 per boatCheck dates

◐ Speedboat

GetYourGuideFull day

Hurghada: 3-Island Speedboat, Dolphin Watching & Snorkeling

4.7 (428)

from $252 per boatCheck dates

◔ Speedboat

GetYourGuide4 h

Hurghada: White Island Speedboat, Snorkeling & Fruits

4.7 (322)

from $172 per boatCheck dates

◐ Yacht

GetYourGuideFull day

Hurghada: Snorkeling or Try Dive Luxury Yacht Trip

4.9 (184)

from $44Check dates

◐ Speedboat

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

Where a private boat goes: the classic stops

A private speedboat covers the short hops in 15–25 minutes, so a half day can include two or three stops.

• Abu Minqar is the mangrove island closest to Hurghada Marina, about 15 minutes by speedboat. Boats stop at the shallow sandbank beside it; no activities are allowed on the island itself.
• Orange Bay is a sandy beach on the west shore of Giftun Kebir, facing Hurghada, about 20 minutes away. It gets busy from about 11:00, when the morning yachts land after their reef stops. A private boat can land before them and leave when they arrive — see Orange Bay by private boat.
• Magawish is a real island off south Hurghada, not part of Giftun, about 20 minutes out. Snorkelers see anemonefish and blue-spotted stingrays over a seabed of about 10 m.
• White Island or Nemo Beach is a sandbank near the Giftun reef stops. It has nothing to do with White Island at Ras Mohammed near Sharm El Sheikh.
• Turtle Bay appears in some titles, but its location is not published; turtles are more often reported at Abu Ramada and Magawish.
• Gota Abu Ramada, "the Aquarium", has shallow pinnacles and the densest fish of the reefs near Hurghada. It is a longer run (about 35 minutes by speedboat), but on a private boat you can ask for it — see the best snorkeling spots.

The sheltered west and south sides of Giftun are the standard reef stops; the east wall and the Giftun Saghir drift are for divers.

This is a plan to ask for, not a timetable any seller publishes: private boats run to your timing, within the limits the boat company sets. The afternoon wind is stronger than the morning one in every month, which is another reason to go early.

Private boat to Dolphin House

Dolphin House is Sha'ab El Erg, a horseshoe reef about 20 km north-north-east of Hurghada Marina, roughly opposite El Gouna. It is the longest run on any private trip: about 1.5 hours by day yacht, well under an hour by speedboat. The private speedboat to Dolphin House is from $213 per boat for 4 hours.

The dolphins — mostly Indo-Pacific bottlenose, sometimes spinners — rest here by day. They are wild: some days they are there and calm, some days not, and no boat can promise them. The HEPCA dolphin code is mandatory: boats stay 30 m away, move at no more than 4 knots and never chase or follow the dolphins into the lagoon; swimmers wear fins, mask, snorkel and a lifejacket, enter gently and never touch or feed them. On a private boat you are the customer, so you can insist on these rules — and you should. Skip any add-on with sea scooters: they are not allowed near dolphins.

The reef is exposed, so on windy days captains skip it or swap it for a sheltered stop. The EEAA lists a fee of USD 10 per foreign visitor for the zone; some listings include "marine fees", others add a cash fee — ask. More on the reef and the rules in our Dolphin House guide.

Private yacht charter Hurghada

A yacht gives you shade, toilets and lunch on board, and it is steadier on the crossing, though it rolls at anchor. It is also slower, so a yacht day is usually a full day. The cheapest whole-yacht listing is the luxury yacht with personal crew and chef, from $129 per boat for about 5 hours, rated 4.6 from 76 reviews. "Luxury" is the seller's word; look at the photos and the inclusions, not the adjective.

Direct prices from the boat companies' own sites give you a benchmark:

• Egypt Divers, a dive centre in Makadi, charges for a private boat: half day (2–3 hours, no diving) EUR 300 for up to 9 people, EUR 450 for 10–19, EUR 500 for 20–30; full day (6–7 hours) EUR 600 for up to 9, EUR 650 for 10–19, EUR 800 for 20–30. Guide, gear, lifejackets, Hurghada transfers, buffet lunch and soft drinks are included; the coast-guard fee of €5 per person, photos and transfers from Soma Bay or El Gouna (€10 per person) or Safaga (€15) are not. Trips run between 08:00 and 17:00.
• Egypt Sun Marine lists a private yacht with optional lunch and drinks at $425 on its Hurghada page.
• Royal Cruise Hurghada lists a private luxury yacht day at $1,350 on its own site.
• Always Hurghada sells private 4-hour speedboats from €160 per boat for up to 6 guests.

Private sunset cruises exist too, such as the private sunset cruise to Giftun, from $197 per boat for 4 hours — it stops at Orange Bay, Magawish or the Abu Minqar sandbank rather than one fixed beach. Boats must be back before dark. The operators behind these prices are reviewed on Egypt Sun Marine, Royal Cruise Hurghada and GoShalabi.

Headout's "private" speedboats: priced per person

Headout uses the word "private" for speedboats that it prices per person. Multiply by your group before you compare with a GetYourGuide boat price.

• The private speedboat to Orange Bay and Magawish, with snorkeling, lunch and transfers, is from $76 per person and rated 4.6 from 232 reviews.
• The private speedboat to Dolphin House is from $102 per person, with no reviews yet. It excludes "National Park fees and VAT, €10 per person" in cash, and transfers from El Gouna, Safaga, Soma Bay, Makadi or Sahl Hasheesh cost €10 per person in cash.
• A private speedboat to Hula Hula is listed at $200 per person, also with no reviews yet.

Whether the per-person price drops for bigger groups, or has a minimum, the listings do not say — ask. Headout refunds once the boat company has refunded it, and its guarantee does not cover weather. Our platform comparison covers cancellation terms on both sites.

Private speed boat Hurghada price: what to ask before you pay

Tipping the crew is customary and modest: small Egyptian-pound notes at the end of the day. Bring cash for the extras; assume there is no card machine on board. For every price band in one place, see our prices guide.

Is a private boat worth it?

Our view: for a family with small children or a group of four to six, a private speedboat for a morning is hard to beat on value. For a couple who want a long day with lunch, a good shared yacht is better value. Families should also read Hurghada with children.