Hurghada & the Red Sea Coast
The mainland Red Sea coast is where most of Egypt's all-inclusive supply sits, and it runs to three different holidays. Hurghada itself is the original resort town: sandy beaches, a long strip of hotels, and the cheapest flights and rooms on the Red Sea. The purpose-built bays either side of it, Sahl Hasheesh, Makadi Bay, Soma Bay and El Gouna, are self-contained, low-rise and calmer, each a single sweep of sand with a handful of resorts. And four hours south, or straight into its own airport, Marsa Alam is the least developed Egyptian coast with the reefs to match.
- Airports
- Hurghada (HRG) for the town and the bays
- Marsa Alam (RMF) for the south
- The stretch
- El Gouna → Hurghada → Sahl Hasheesh, Makadi & Soma → El Quseir → Marsa Alam
- Best for
- Value, sandy beaches, family aqua-park resorts
- Marsa Alam for diving
- Entry
- Tourist visa needed (e-Visa online is easiest)
- the Sinai permit does not apply here
- Weather risk
- None
- effectively no rain
Where Hurghada & the Red Sea Coast splits
The resort areas are not interchangeable. What each one is actually for.
The bays
Sahl Hasheesh, Makadi Bay, Soma Bay and El Gouna: purpose-built, low-rise and calm, each a single sweep of sand with a few resorts on it and nothing outside the bay. Pick them for a quieter beach at Hurghada's flight prices.
Start with JAZ Aquaviva, five-star.
Hurghada
The town and its strip: the most developed and least characterful stretch, with the sandy beaches, the aqua-park resorts and the lowest prices. Pick it for value and for a bit of life outside the gates.
Start with Jaz Aquamarine Resort, five-star.
Marsa Alam & El Quseir
The far south: dugongs and turtles on the house reefs, resorts far apart, and no town life at all. Pick it for the best diving in Egypt and fly into Marsa Alam's own airport to skip the four-hour drive.
Start with Steigenberger Resort Alaya Marsa Alam, five-star, adults-only.
When to go to Hurghada & the Red Sea Coast
Climate normals for Hurghada, and our verdict on each month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average daily high | 71 degrees Fahrenheit | 73 degrees Fahrenheit | 78 degrees Fahrenheit | 85 degrees Fahrenheit | 91 degrees Fahrenheit | 95 degrees Fahrenheit | 97 degrees Fahrenheit | 97 degrees Fahrenheit | 93 degrees Fahrenheit | 87 degrees Fahrenheit | 80 degrees Fahrenheit | 74 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Rainfall | 0.1″ | 0″ | 0″ | 0″ | 0″ | 0″ | 0″ | 0″ | 0″ | 0.1″ | 0.1″ | 0.1″ |
| Verdict | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Sweet spot. October–May; high summer is very hot but dry, and the sea is at its warmest; rainy season runs None to speak of.
Storm risk. No tropical systems and effectively no rain; the mainland coast is windier than Sharm, which the kitesurfers come for.
Figures are long-term climate normals for Hurghada, good for planning. They are not a forecast.
Town, bay or the far south?
Hurghada is the value answer and the family one: big resorts with aqua parks on sandy beaches, twenty minutes from the airport, with the town's restaurants and the marina for an evening out. The bays are the answer for people who want the same flights and prices with a quieter beach: Sahl Hasheesh has a promenade and the most polished properties, Makadi and Soma are self-contained resort enclaves, and El Gouna is a built lagoon town with its own character. Marsa Alam is the answer for divers and for anyone who wants a coast that has barely been built on, at the cost of having nothing to do but the reef.
The beach on this side is sand, unlike much of Sharm, but the best reefs are offshore. Snorkelling from the beach is good in the bays and outstanding in the south; from Hurghada town it is a boat trip.
When to go
October to May, with warm days and a sea that stays swimmable all winter. High summer is very hot but dry, and the water is at its warmest. Hurghada is windier than Sharm, which the kitesurfers and windsurfers come for and sunbathers notice. There is no rainy season to speak of.
Beyond the resort
Luxor is the day trip that makes this coast different from Sharm: four hours each way by road from Hurghada for the Valley of the Kings and Karnak, long but done by many. Closer in: Giftun island by boat, the Mons Claudianus Roman quarry in the desert, El Gouna's lagoons and restaurants, and from the south the dugong bay at Abu Dabbab and the Wadi el Gemal national park.
Where the Hurghada & the Red Sea Coast resorts are
14 resorts mapped stars are five-star properties
The best all-inclusive resorts in Hurghada & the Red Sea Coast
The Hurghada & the Red Sea Coast properties we would actually book. For the full numbered ranking, see the best all-inclusive resorts in Hurghada and the Red Sea coast.
Where to stay in Hurghada & the Red Sea Coast
The resort areas we cover, and which properties sit in each.
The bays
6Hurghada
4Resort chains in Hurghada & the Red Sea Coast
The brands operating here. The ones we rank in full link through to the chain, what its plan really covers, and every resort of theirs we track.
Hurghada & the Red Sea Coast, head to head
Price, flights, sand, food and safety, compared honestly.
Hurghada & the Red Sea Coast vs JamaicaMexicoDominican RepublicMaldivesGreeceSpainTurks & CaicosArubaBarbadosSt. LuciaItalyPortugalTurkeyAntiguaCuraçaoBrazilCosta RicaPhilippinesFrench PolynesiaMoroccoSouth AfricaMauritiusKenyaTanzaniaMozambiqueThailandIndonesiaMalaysiaPunta CanaCancúnRiviera MayaLos CabosPuerto VallartaMontego BayNegrilOcho RiosGuanacasteCreteBahiaBora BoraMalé AtollsRodney BayBarbados South CoastBarbados West CoastViti LevuVanua LevuCanary IslandsBalearic IslandsCosta del SolSharm el-SheikhBelekRhodesFijiCroatiaU.S. Virgin IslandsSri LankaSeychellesBahamasChileArgentinaUnited States
Reading on Hurghada & the Red Sea Coast
- GuideHurricane season, decodedJune through November scares more travelers than it should, and burns the unprepared ones. The real odds by month and map position, the insurance rule, and when the discount is worth it.July 10, 2026 · 4 min read
- GuideWhat to actually pack for an all-inclusive weekThe resort provides more than you think and less than you hope. Here's what earns its place in the suitcase, and what stays home.July 9, 2026 · 3 min read
Frequently asked questions
Is Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh better for a family all-inclusive?
Hurghada, usually. The beaches are sand rather than coral, the big family resorts with aqua parks cluster here and in the bays, and prices run lower. Sharm wins for snorkelling straight off the beach. Our ranking below orders every mainland Red Sea resort in our catalog by real guest data.
Do you need a visa for Hurghada?
Yes. The free Sinai entry permit only covers Sharm and South Sinai; the mainland needs a tourist visa, which is easiest as an online e-Visa before you fly or as a visa on arrival. Our Egypt guide has the current rules.