Hurghada boat trips for snorkelers: which boat to choose

Most Hurghada snorkeling tours go to the same few places: the reefs and beaches of Giftun Kebir, Magawish, and Dolphin House to the north. What changes your day is the boat. A yacht and a speedboat to the same Orange Bay beach are two different experiences: one is a slow social day with lunch in the shade, the other is a fast morning of short hops that can be miserable in a north wind.

This page compares Hurghada boat trips by type of boat. If you would rather choose by island or by format (sea taxi, half day, private), start with the snorkeling trips overview.

Hurghada boat trips at a glance: which boat suits you

The single most useful rule: in a fresh north wind, a big yacht is the comfortable choice and a speedboat is not. On a flat morning, the speedboat wins.

Yacht trips: the standard Hurghada boat cruise

The shared motor yacht is what most people mean by a Hurghada boat trip. It is slower than a speedboat but gives you shade, toilets, a sun deck and lunch on board. Boats leave Hurghada Marina at 08:30–09:00, make two guided snorkel stops and spend time at a beach, usually Orange Bay.

Budget, mid-range and "VIP" yachts

Prices split into three bands: budget yachts from about $24–33, mid-range from about $37–45 and "VIP" yachts from about $50–80. The bands do not track beach time. Zanetta's Orange Bay day is among the cheapest and gives about two hours ashore, and its listing calls itself a luxury cruise. Royal Cruise Hurghada's Orange Bay "luxury cruise" costs about twice as much and gives 75 minutes on the beach. What you pay for on a VIP boat is the extras: a buffet and drinks, one massage per guest, sometimes an intro dive or a BBQ. Egypt Sun Marine's Elite VIP cruise sells a bigger boat ("4 floors") and a BBQ buffet.

"Luxury", "Premium" and "VIP" are the seller's words, not a standard. Judge a yacht by time on the island, the reef stops, how many guests it takes and what is excluded.

Headout sells a near-identical bundle at the same price:

For a full Giftun day, Headout and Tiqets are a few dollars cheaper today than the most-reviewed GetYourGuide listing, but these are different listings: check the beach, the reef stops and the pick-up area before you choose on price.

Comfort on a yacht

Yachts roll at anchor while everyone snorkels, which is when people feel sick. Sit in the middle of the boat, look at the horizon on the crossing and skip the heavy breakfast (NHS advice on motion sickness). Shade on the boat is guaranteed; shade on the beach is first come, first served. More detail on Orange Bay yacht trips.

Speedboat tours: faster and bumpier

A shared speedboat covers the Giftun crossing in about 20 minutes, and hops between stops take 15–25 minutes. You spend more of the day in the water and on sand, and you can reach a beach before the yachts arrive from about 11:00. Shared seats start at about $35; the 6-islands speedboat is the best-known, mixing Orange Bay, Magawish, two snorkel stops and the Abu Minqar sandbank. Lunch and a nature-reserve fee are extra on that one.

The downsides are real. A speedboat slams in a chop, and sellers state that their speedboat trips are not suitable for people with back problems or for pregnant women. The return leg runs with the swell, which helps, but a windy afternoon can still be hard on the back.

For the 6-islands day, GetYourGuide is cheaper than Headout today; check the pick-up area and what each includes.

See Orange Bay by speedboat for the shared options in detail.

Sea taxi: a boat ride, not a tour

The sea taxi is a fast shared boat that drops you at Orange Bay or Magawish for a 4- or 8-hour stay and collects you later, for about $27–28. It is the cheapest way onto an island beach. There is no guide and no organised snorkeling. The best-known listing sells Orange Bay or Magawish, and its Headout twin snorkels only at Magawish, so choose the Orange Bay option if that is the beach you want. The two platforms are within about a dollar of each other today.

Catamaran, sailing and themed boats

A handful of boats sell the experience of the boat itself:

• Catamaran: the catamaran with a semi-submarine and sunset is a late start, leaving at 11:00 and running to sunset, with a semi-submarine view, a snorkel stop and an island. Good if you hate early pick-ups; not a short trip.
• Pirates sailing boat: Egypt Sun Marine's 30 m pirate-themed boat takes up to 76 guests and visits an island with lunch. Its platform listing is one of the weakest-rated boat days in Hurghada, so we do not recommend it.
• Nefertari: a pharaonic-style boat with an underwater viewing platform, sold as a morning or sunset cruise. It suits families more than snorkelers.

Semi-submarine boat tours

The only "submarine" running in Hurghada is a semi-submarine: the boat stays on the surface and you sit in a windowed cabin in its keel, about 3 m below the waterline. Egypt Sun Marine's Royal Seascope is the best-known. A trip lasts 2 hours: about 15 minutes to the reef, about 45 minutes of viewing and a 30-minute snorkel stop, with soft drinks, gear and a snorkel guide included. Departures are at about 09:00, 11:00 and 15:00. Bring an ID or passport, and expect an on-board photographer to offer you pictures.

Royal Seascope costs $15 direct from Hurghada without transfer; platform listings at about $22 usually include the pick-up, so the difference is basically the taxi. Makadi Bay and El Gouna have their own semi-submarine departures. Sindbad, the only real passenger submarine, has not run since its fatal sinking (see the Sindbad Submarine review). Everything else is on the semi-submarine page.

◔ Semi-submarine

GetYourGuide2 h

Hurghada: Royal Seascope Submarine Cruise with Snorkel Stop

4.4 (5,599)

from $22Check dates

◔ Semi-submarine

GetYourGuide2 hFrom Makadi Bay

Safaga/Makadi Bay: Panorama Submarine with Snorkeling Tour

4.5 (853)

from $18Check dates

◔ Semi-submarine

GetYourGuide2 hFrom El Gouna

From El Gouna: Royal Seascope Submarine with Snorkel Stop

4.2 (150)

from $18Check dates

See all trips on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 20 October 2026

Dive-centre boats

Dive centres sell snorkel places on their day boats, and they are worth knowing about. Groups are smaller and calmer, but the timetable is built around the divers. Colona Divers at Zahabia Beach charges €28 for a snorkel day with lunch, plus a €5 reef tax. James & Mac at the Giftun Azur Resort charges non-divers €25 plus a €7 permit. These are direct prices in euros; dive centres add €5–7 a day in reef or permit tax.

On a boat, Egypt's Chamber of Diving and Water Sports (CDWS) requires one instructor per intro diver, so ask "is it one-to-one?" before you book a try dive. The try-dive guide explains the rules and the price.

Hurghada private yacht trip and boat hire

A private boat lets you set the timing: land on Orange Bay before the 11:00 wave of yachts, leave when it arrives. Private speedboats on GetYourGuide run from about $67 to about $290 per boat. Private yachts cost more. Egypt Sun Marine lists a private yacht at $425 on its own site, and Royal Cruise Hurghada's private yacht costs $1,350.

Watch the "group or private" wording: many listings, including the most-reviewed 3-islands yacht, offer both options, and the price shown is the cheapest one. Before you pay, ask how many guests the price covers, whether the park fee and any coast-guard fee are included, and which pick-up area is covered. The private boats page has the price ladder in full.

Where Hurghada boat tours leave from

Almost every snorkel boat leaves Hurghada Marina (the New Marina, in Sakkala); the voucher names the meeting point. The exceptions: Mahmya's own boats leave from Mahmya Beach Marina by Sheraton Beach, El Gouna boats from Abu Tig Marina, and the Makadi semi-submarine from Makadi Bay.

If you are staying in Makadi, Sahl Hasheesh, El Gouna, Soma Bay or Safaga, add the drive (about 30–50 minutes) plus the bus collecting other guests, and expect a pick-up window of up to 90 minutes. The resorts guide lists the surcharges.

◐ Yacht

GetYourGuideFull dayOrange Bay

Hurghada: Luxury Cruise Trip to Orange Bay with Lunch

4.9 (7,075)

from $53Check dates

◔ Speedboat

GetYourGuide5 h

Hurghada: Hula Hula Speedboat w/ Optional Snorkeling & Lunch

4.5 (1,594)

from $44Check dates

◔ Speedboat

GetYourGuide5 hOrange Bay

Hurghada: Giftun Island Orange Bay Speedboat Cruise & Lunch

4.7 (1,238)

from $197 per boatCheck dates

◐ Yacht

GetYourGuideFull dayParadise Island

From Hurghada: Paradise Island Snorkeling Cruise with Lunch

4.6 (1,247)

from $44Check dates

◐ Yacht

GetYourGuide5.5 hDolphin House (Sha’ab El Erg)

Hurghada: Dolphin House Yacht Trip & Swim W Dolphins & Lunch

4.5 (1,108)

from $39Check dates

◔ Speedboat

GetYourGuide3 h

Hurghada: Private Speedboat Adventure with Fruits & Pick-up

4.7 (858)

from $117 per boatCheck dates

See all trips on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 20 October 2026

Hurghada boat trips cancelled: wind, waves and the port

A north to north-west wind blows in every month, and afternoons are windier. Captains swap exposed reefs for sheltered ones on rough days, and in a storm the Red Sea Ports Authority closes the port. Reported closures came at about 22–30 knots with 2–4 m waves, usually for one to three days, mostly in winter and spring. When the port is closed, no boat sails, whatever the seller says.

If the boat company cancels a GetYourGuide booking for weather, you are offered a new date or a full refund. Headout refunds once the supplier has refunded it, and its guarantee does not cover weather. With a cash-on-the-day seller you chase the money yourself. Book your boat day early in the holiday so you have a spare day.

Snorkel providers must be members of the CDWS and hold a Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities licence, plus a navigation licence for each boat. You can check a seller in the CDWS member directory. Bring your passport or a clear copy: passenger names go on a coast-guard list. For more on when to go, see the best time for snorkeling.