Giftun Islands: Hurghada Travel Guide

Limestone, sand and a lot of blue

From the deck, the Giftun Islands are low and pale. A long sweep of sand-coloured desert sits flat on the water, with no towers, no trees and no town behind it. Closer in, the sea goes from deep navy to turquoise to almost clear. That shift in colour is the fringing reef rising toward the shore.

The islands are uninhabited and sit inside a protected marine area offshore from Hurghada. People come for the water around them more than for the land itself. You spend the day swimming over coral, lying on white sand and climbing back onto a boat that smells of sunscreen and diesel.

Big Giftun and Small Giftun

There are two main islands, and they offer different days. Giftun Kebir, Big Giftun, is the larger one, closer to the mainland. Its sandy western shore is where boats drop anchor and where the beach stops happen, including the well-known beach areas such as Mahmya and Orange Bay.

Giftun Soghayar, Small Giftun, lies further east. It is better known underwater than above it. Dive boats work the drift sites along its edges, where the reef drops into open water and the current carries you along the wall.

If your trip is mostly snorkelling and sand, you will likely spend it at Big Giftun. Certified divers who want walls and current should look for itineraries that name Small Giftun specifically.

Getting out from Hurghada’s marinas

There is no ferry. You join a boat trip, either a shared group excursion or a private charter. Most leave from Hurghada Marina in Sakkala, from the older harbour area in Dahar, or from hotel jetties along the coast south of town.

The crossing to Big Giftun is short, generally under an hour depending on the boat and where you set off. Many trips include hotel pickup, which saves you finding the right jetty among dozens of near-identical white boats.

Bring your passport or a clear copy. Boats leaving Hurghada carry a passenger list that the coast guard checks before departure, and a missing document can hold up the whole group.

Under the surface

The reef is the reason to go. Coral heads sit in shallow, sandy water off Big Giftun’s shore, so even nervous swimmers can float above them in a life jacket. Expect the usual Red Sea cast:

• Parrotfish grazing on coral
• Clouds of small orange anthias
• Sergeant majors with their black stripes
• Giant clams set into the reef top
• Occasional turtles and rays over the sand

Boats typically make two or three snorkel stops, and some add a nearby island such as Abu Ramada to the south. Masks and fins are usually provided, but if fit matters to you, bring your own mask.

The water is cooler in winter. A thin wetsuit or rash vest makes longer swims comfortable between roughly December and March, and protects against sunburn in summer.

Working with the 9am–6pm window

The island side runs on a fixed daytime schedule. At the moment, access is 9am–6pm Sunday to Friday and closes earlier, at 5pm, on Saturdays. These are this week’s listed times, so confirm with your operator before booking a late trip.

In practice, that means a morning departure. Boats leaving around 9am get the most time on the reef and the sand. If you book on a Saturday, you lose an hour at the end of the day, which matters if you wanted a long beach stop after lunch.

The afternoon wind is the other thing to plan around. On many days the sea is calmer early on and picks up later, so the crossing back can feel choppier. Anyone prone to seasickness should sit low and toward the middle of the boat.

Boat-day manners in a protected park

The islands are part of a protected area, and the rules are enforced. A park fee is collected for each visitor; your operator will tell you whether it is included and where the current amount is posted. Beyond that, here is how a good day on the water usually works:

• Never stand on coral. Float, or put your feet down only on clear sand.
• Do not touch or feed the fish. Guides will warn you, and rangers patrol.
• Take nothing. Shells, coral fragments and sand are not souvenirs here.
• Use reef-friendly sunscreen, and apply it well before you get in.
• Follow the guide’s buoy line on the snorkel stops, as boat traffic passes close.

Lunch is normally served on board, and crews are used to vegetarian requests if you mention them at booking. Tipping the crew at the end of the day is customary in Egypt. Keep some cash in Egyptian pounds for it, because there is nowhere to withdraw money out at sea.

Shared trips vary widely in group size. If you want a calmer reef, ask the operator directly how many passengers they carry and which beach they stop at. The smaller boats and the less crowded stretches feel like a quieter find.

Pairing the islands with Hurghada

A Giftun day leaves you back on the mainland by late afternoon. That gives you the evening for Hurghada itself.

• Hurghada Marina has a waterfront promenade lined with cafés and restaurants, convenient if your boat docks there.
• El Dahar, the old town, has the souk and the Hurghada Grand Mosque.
• The fish market area in Sakkala is where locally caught seafood ends up on grills in the evening.

If you have several days, alternate a reef day with a desert day. Quad and jeep trips into the Eastern Desert leave from the same town, and your arms will thank you for the break from swimming.