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Hurghada and Safaga lie on Egypt's Red Sea coast, and both are bases for winter sun and snorkelling. In January, Hurghada has a mean daily maximum of 21.7 °C (71 °F) and a mean daily minimum of 11.2 °C (52 °F), so plan the sea for the middle of the day and pack a layer for the evenings.
You don't have to be scuba certified to enjoy the Red Sea: many of the shallower sites around Hurghada are within reach of anyone with a mask and snorkel. Pick a boat trip to the Giftun Islands, a reef you can reach from the beach, an island day from Safaga, a first dive, or a semi-submarine if you would rather stay dry.
The Egyptian Meteorological Authority's climate averages for Hurghada cover the years 1981 to 2010. The mean daily maximum is 27.0 °C (81 °F) in November, 23.2 °C (74 °F) in December, 22.7 °C (73 °F) in February and 25.4 °C (78 °F) in March.
Nights are cooler: the mean daily minimum drops to 17.0 °C (63 °F) in November, 13.0 °C (55 °F) in December, 11.7 °C (53 °F) in February and 14.4 °C (58 °F) in March. For comparison, the August mean daily maximum is 35.1 °C (95 °F).
In Hurghada, December averages 0.2 rain days and January 0.3.
Hurghada grew from a fishing village into a dense band of buildings along the coastline, with a modern marina at Sigala. The Giftun Islands trips suggested below start in Hurghada.
Safaga is a spot for windsurfing, and El Gouna for kitesurfing. The Utopia Island trips suggested below sail from Safaga Marina.
The Giftun Islands lie off Hurghada inside a marine reserve, ringed by reefs. Gota Abu Ramada, south of the islands, is a spot for snorkellers, underwater photographers and night divers. Umm Qamar, to the north, has coral towers swathed in soft purple coral and is reached by boat from Hurghada.
Many dive centres, resorts and hotels take snorkellers out by boat, sometimes on the same boat as a dive group, sometimes in smaller rigid-inflatable boats that carry snorkellers only.
The Giftun Island Day Trip by Boat from Hurghada collects you from your Hurghada hotel, anchors at a coral reef for a snorkelling stop and ends with free time on the beach of Giftun Island; snorkelling gear and safety equipment are provided on board. The Orange Bay Island Full-Day Snorkel Tour from Hurghada leaves from the marina in Hurghada for Orange Bay Island, with time to swim in its shallow lagoons, lunch on board and two snorkelling stops on different reefs.
You can walk in to some snorkelling sites straight from the sand; others are better reached by boat. Many spots along the coast have vertical wall reefs that start close to the surface.
The Sharm El Naga Snorkeling Day Trip from Hurghada picks you up from your hotel in Hurghada, Makadi Bay or Soma Bay and takes you to a protected bay where you walk from the sand straight onto the reef.
The Utopia Island Full Day Trip from Hurghada: Beach & Snorkeling drives you from Hurghada to Safaga Marina for a sail to a reef garden off Utopia Island, a snorkel from the boat and an afternoon on the island's beach in the Abu Soma protected area. If you arrive by cruise ship, the Utopia Island Full-Day Snorkeling and Beach Trip from Safaga collects you at Safaga port and returns you to the ship after the snorkel, the beach and a buffet lunch on the island.
Red Sea resorts have scuba diving centres, and many of them offer taster sessions for people who are not sure whether diving is for them. If you are sure you want to learn to scuba dive, you can save holiday time by completing the coursework and pool sessions at home before you travel.
For a first try, the Discover Scuba Diving in Hurghada: 2-Dive Boat Trip collects you from your hotel in Hurghada and makes two guided dives at two different sites, each beginner with an instructor of their own; the diving equipment is provided on board.
For certified divers, Panorama Reef, in the outer Safaga Bay, has soft and hard corals and is home to barracuda and eagle rays, though sightings are never guaranteed; it is reached by boat and is rated for intermediate divers.
GOV.UK warns that safety varies a great deal between Red Sea resort dive operators and their boats, and that British nationals have recently been involved in incidents on dive boats and tours in the Red Sea, some of them fatal. Check that your travel insurance, or else the tour or dive company, pays for any rescue by air or sea, and do not dive below your insurance policy's depth limit, because doing so will invalidate your cover.
If someone in your group would rather not swim, two kinds of boat show the reef from a dry seat. On the Hurghada Semi-Submarine Tour and Snorkeling Experience, you sit in a cabin below the waterline and watch the coral and fish through wide windows; a guided snorkelling session follows for anyone who wants to get in. On the Glass Bottom Boat Tour in Hurghada Red Sea Coral Reef, with pickup at your hotel in town, you look at the coral through the glass panels in the hull without entering the water.
Before you book, read the current GOV.UK travel advice for Egypt, or your own government's current advice, including the section on regional risks. Arrange excursions through your resort or through approved agents or tour operators. Choose providers with a good reputation for any service or excursion, and look into them first.
Shark attacks are rare, though tourists in the Red Sea region have been attacked, so keep up with any news from the local authorities or your tour operator. To protect resorts such as Hurghada, security forces routinely check vehicles and airports.
Dress modestly, especially in rural areas, mosques and souqs, and keep in mind that what passes in the tourist resorts may not be acceptable elsewhere. Under Egypt's Ministry of Tourism regulations, you need an Egyptian citizen's written permission before photographing them. In Egypt, call 123 for an ambulance, and phone the tourist police on 126 to report a crime.
For a break from the sea, Hurghada has a small museum of ancient artefacts and a Grand Mosque that is lit up at night. Day trips to the monasteries of St Paul and St Anthony can be arranged through hotels and travel agencies in Hurghada and El Gouna. If you are adding the Nile valley to the trip, see the guide to Nile cruises from Luxor to Aswan.
It is much milder than summer: in Hurghada, August averages highs of 35.1 °C (95 °F), while the January average high is 21.7 °C (71 °F).
No. A mask and snorkel are enough for many shallow sites, some reefs start right off the beach, and a semi-submarine or a glass-bottom boat shows the coral through windows.
Hurghada has the marina and the boat trips to the Giftun Islands. Safaga suits windsurfers, and the Utopia Island trips sail from Safaga Marina.
Book through your resort or an approved agent or tour operator, research the provider first, and check that your insurance or the company covers sea rescue.
