Marsa Alam day trips: the sea, the desert or Luxor?

Take the sea for a day on the water, the desert for an evening, or Luxor for its temples at the cost of a long drive. Our Port Ghalib trip snorkels from a boat at two reef and lagoon stops, and the Samadai Dolphin House boat goes to a lagoon where spinner dolphins rest; the sunset quad safari ends with a barbecue dinner; the first temple on the Luxor day is 355 km from your hotel. Another tour flies to Cairo.

Our Marsa Alam tours side by side

Each one starts with a pickup at your hotel in Marsa Alam. The table compares what each tour itself lists.

The sea: Port Ghalib or Samadai

Snorkeling means swimming at the surface with a mask, a breathing tube and fins to look at the reef below. The boat leaves the Port Ghalib marina for two stops: Marsa El Shone, at coral reefs, and Marsa Mubarak, a protected lagoon where, the listing says, dugongs (sea cows) and sea turtles may be seen if you are lucky. After lunch on board, a Zodiac (a small speedboat) takes you to a nearby lagoon to relax or snorkel again before the boat sails back. The drive from Port Ghalib to your hotel is 65 km, about 49 min without traffic.

Mask and fins, mineral water and soft drinks are included; drinks with lunch are not. The inclusions say one to two snorkeling stops while the itinerary describes two plus the lagoon, so confirm the plan through our contact page. This day is compared with Giftun and Tiran in Giftun, Tiran or Port Ghalib: which sea day?

The Samadai day takes a boat to Samadai reef, also called Dolphin House: a protected lagoon where spinner dolphins rest, and visits follow the reserve's rules. After snorkeling there comes lunch on board, then the sail back to the harbor. Snorkeling equipment is included, and the boat is shared, with private transfers and guide. Samadai has visitor limits and the tour is new on this site, so the reserve fee and the days allowed are confirmed with your quote.

The desert: the sunset quad safari

A quad bike is a four-wheeled motorbike built for sand and rough tracks. After the transfer to the quad bike station and a short test drive, the ride covers approximately 22 km of desert between the mountains of Marsa Alam; the listing does not say whether that is one way or the whole ride. Then come a Bedouin village with tea and an introduction to the customs of the desert community, a panorama stop for the sunset view, a camel ride at sunset, a barbecue dinner with mineral water and soft drinks, and a folkloric show, which is in the itinerary but not in the inclusions. The ride back ends with the transfer to your hotel. More rides are on the desert experiences page.

Luxor by road

The Luxor tour is private, just your group, with an English-speaking guide. It is the long one: 355 km from your hotel to Karnak Temple, about 4 h 11 min without traffic, and 359.3 km back from the Colossi of Memnon, about 4 h 16 min without traffic. The stops, in order:

1. Karnak Temple, the first stop.
2. Luxor Temple, built during the reign of Amenhotep III and later expanded by Ramses II: 3.2 km from Karnak, about 4 min without traffic.
3. Lunch at a local restaurant in Luxor.
4. Hatshepsut Temple at Deir el-Bahari: 14.7 km from Luxor Temple, about 19 min without traffic.
5. Colossi of Memnon, two statues of King Amenhotep III: 4.3 km from Hatshepsut Temple, about 8 min without traffic.

Entrance fees to these sites are included. The Valley of the Kings is not a stop; for how Luxor's sites split across the Nile, see West Bank or East Bank: how to split a Luxor day. The inclusions mention shopping opportunities in Luxor without saying where. Luxor's average daily high is 41.4°C in July and 23.0°C in January (World Meteorological Organization climate normals).

Cairo by plane, from Hurghada airport

The Cairo day flies from Hurghada, not Marsa Alam. The drive to Hurghada airport is 281 km from your hotel, about 3 h 23 min without traffic, and the drive back is 277.1 km, about 3 h 14 min without traffic. The flights are not included in the tour price.

In Cairo a private English-speaking guide takes you to the Giza pyramids, 41.5 km from Cairo airport (about 46 min without traffic), the Sphinx and Valley Temple, lunch, the Grand Egyptian Museum, whose collection includes treasures of King Tutankhamun, and Khan El Khalili bazaar. Entry inside the Great Pyramid is optional and not included. The Cairo days by plane from each resort are compared in Cairo in a day from Hurghada: how the day runs.

Which one to choose

• A day on the water: Port Ghalib, with lunch on board.
• A lagoon where spinner dolphins rest: Samadai, with lunch on board.
• An evening out: the sunset safari, with dinner included.
• Temples: Luxor, with more than 4 h of driving each way without traffic.
• The pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum: Cairo, with the road to Hurghada airport in both directions.

All our tours from the resort are on the Marsa Alam page.