Photo: Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Red Sea Coast · Destination guide
A resort town built on lagoons and canals north of Hurghada – kitesurfing, diving, golf and a marina to walk to for dinner.
Get your bearings
El Gouna is a resort town developed privately about 25 kilometers north of Hurghada. It's built on lagoons and islands joined by bridges and canals, and hotels run from small marina places to 5-star resorts. Unlike most of the coast, there's an actual town here: Abu Tig Marina, the Downtown area (Kafr El Gouna) and Tamr Henna square, so you can walk to dinner instead of eating at the hotel every night.
Wind and water set the pace. Steady wind over shallow lagoons has made El Gouna known for kitesurfing, notably around Mangroovy Beach, and there's diving off the coast and two golf courses. Tuk-tuks, shuttle buses and boats move people around town.
What you're really here to see
Photo: Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons01Steady wind and shallow lagoons make El Gouna a kitesurfing base, and Mangroovy Beach is the name to know. Beginners learn in flat, shallow water; experienced riders come for the wind.
Half or full day
02Boats run out to the Red Sea reefs from the coast around El Gouna. We line up a dive center or a snorkel boat to suit your level before you arrive.
Half or full day
03The classic boat day from Hurghada marina, about 25 kilometers south: islands ringed with sandbars, swim stops over shallow reef and lunch on board. We arrange the transfer from El Gouna.
Full day
Time to allow
El Gouna works for a long weekend or a full week, depending on how much of it you use.
A kitesurf lesson or a lagoon day, dinner at the marina, and a rest after the Nile.
Time for a boat trip, a round of golf or a dive, and unhurried evenings in Downtown.
About 4.5 hours by road after the temples, with the airport 30–40 minutes from town.
A week of lessons and sessions at Mangroovy Beach, with the marina to come back to.
Where it fits
El Gouna is the Red Sea stop with a town attached.
About 4.5 hours by road. Most travelers do the temples first and finish by the lagoons.
Around 25 kilometers north of Hurghada, so the marina and the Giftun boats are an easy day trip south.
Kitesurfing in shallow lagoons, plus diving and snorkeling on the reefs offshore.
Two golf courses, Abu Tig Marina and the Downtown area for dining out without leaving town.
From the catalog
A six-day Red Sea vacation based in one El Gouna hotel. Four excursions are included, each with hotel pickup: a Paradise Island beach day with snorkeling, an Orange Bay snorkeling day at Giftun Island, a boat trip to Dolphin House, and a semi-submarine and glass-bottom boat outing. Private airport transfers via Hurghada are included, and every day after arrival pairs one excursion with free time.
A seven-day Egypt vacation that links a night in El Gouna on the Red Sea with a four-night Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan. You visit Karnak and Luxor Temple, the Colossi of Memnon, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple, then Edfu, Kom Ombo and, in Aswan, Philae, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk. An English-speaking Egyptologist, all entrance fees, private transfers, hotel nights and full-board cruise are part of the package.
An eleven-day Egypt tour timed for Easter 2027, combining three nights in Cairo, a three-night Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor and four nights at El Gouna on the Red Sea. An English-speaking Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transport are included on the Cairo and Nile sightseeing days. Hotels, the cruise cabin, the domestic flight from Cairo to Aswan and all listed transfers are arranged for you.
An eleven-day Egypt honeymoon package that runs from Cairo to the Red Sea. You ride camels at the Giza Pyramids at sunset, spend a private day at Saqqara and Memphis, then explore Karnak and the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. Four nights on a dahabiya take you through Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Elephantine Island and Philae with an Egyptologist guide. You finish with three nights at El Gouna, an Orange Bay snorkelling day and a semi-submarine trip. Domestic flights, hotels, transfers and entrance fees are included.
A twelve-day family Egypt tour that combines three nights in Cairo, a four-night Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan, and three nights in the Red Sea resort town of El Gouna. You see the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae with an Egyptologist, and finish with a Paradise Island beach day and a semi-submarine trip. Domestic flights, transfers, entrance fees, hotels and your cruise cabin are included.
A seven-day Egypt vacation that pairs three nights in Cairo with three nights in El Gouna on the Red Sea. In Cairo you see the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Citadel of Saladin and the churches of Coptic Cairo, with a licensed Egyptologist, and you spend your first evening on a Nile dinner cruise. A domestic flight takes you to Hurghada, with a private transfer to El Gouna. There you have a snorkeling day at Orange Bay on Giftun Island and a semi-submarine trip over the reef. Hotels, the flight, transfers, entrance fees to the main sites and guiding are included.
A twelve-day Egypt tour that links three nights in Cairo, a three-night Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor with a morning at Abu Simbel, and five nights at El Gouna on the Red Sea. You ride a camel at the Giza Pyramids at sunset, visit the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum and Coptic Cairo, then see Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. At El Gouna you snorkel at Orange Bay and Dolphin House and take a semi-submarine trip. The Cairo to Aswan flight, transfers, entrance fees, guides on sightseeing days, hotels and your cruise cabin are included.
An eight-day Egypt tour that links Cairo, a three-night Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor and two nights in El Gouna on the Red Sea. You see the Giza Pyramids, Saqqara, Memphis, Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings with an English-speaking Egyptologist. A snorkeling day at Orange Bay gives you a rest from temples. Two domestic flights, all transfers, hotels and the cruise are arranged for you, and you pick the standard of hotel and ship from budget to luxury.
Three Corners Rihana Resort El Gouna puts you in El Gouna Resort, with Abu Tig Marina a short walk away. Choose it over a more downtown-focused stay if you want to explore the marina on foot and stay in El Gouna. The resort is mid-priced among El Gouna hotels. Room choices include family-size options, and some room types have a balcony or pool view. The largest rooms sleep up to four.
Every way in
Day trips, classic multi-day tours, Nile cruises, hotels and private transfers – every part of an Egypt trip can be arranged from El Gouna. Start wherever makes sense.
Hotel pickup, a private Egyptologist, half or full day.
2–15 day private itineraries, hotels and guides included.
Pair El Gouna with a 3–4 night river cruise in one trip.
Aswan ↔ Luxor sailings, dahabiyas and classic cruisers.
5★ and boutique stays, hand-picked by our team.
Private meet-and-greet from the airport to your hotel.
Best time to visit
A year-round destination with something for most months.
The comfortable months for walking around town, golf and day trips, and the best window for pairing with Luxor.
Hot on land, with wind that suits the kitesurfers. Plan trips and golf for early morning or late afternoon.
The steady wind is what brings kitesurfers. If you're here for the lagoons, ask us about conditions for your dates.
Upper Egypt is hottest in summer too, so a temples-then-lagoons trip works best between October and April.
The practical part
Close to the airport, easy to get around – the practical part.
Fly into Hurghada (HRG). El Gouna is around 30–40 minutes by road, and we arrange a private transfer to your hotel.
Choose between small hotels around the marina and Downtown and larger resorts on the lagoons. We match the hotel to how you plan to spend your days.
Tuk-tuks and shuttle buses and boats link the hotels, the marina and Downtown. A taxi covers trips out of town.
Schools and centers cater to every level. We line up lessons or a dive boat before you arrive.
Common questions
El Gouna is a privately developed resort town on the Red Sea, about 25 kilometers north of Hurghada. It's around 30–40 minutes by road from Hurghada International Airport (HRG).
Kitesurfing in steady wind and shallow lagoons, notably around Mangroovy Beach, plus diving, two golf courses, and a town of marinas, canals and bridges you can explore by tuk-tuk, shuttle bus or boat.
Yes, if you want more than a hotel. Hotels range from small marina places to 5-star resorts, and Abu Tig Marina, the Downtown area and Tamr Henna square give you somewhere to go in the evening.
About 4.5 hours by road. Many travelers see the temples and the Nile first, then finish on the Red Sea.
El Gouna is a planned resort town with lagoons, canals and a walkable center. Hurghada is the larger, livelier resort strip to the south, with the marina and the Giftun boats. Many trips combine a day or two of each.
Photo: Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Plan your trip
Tell us your dates, who's coming and how you like to spend a beach day – we'll send a private plan with the right hotel, transfers and day trips within 24 hours. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.
