Photo: Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, color-graded
Red Sea Coast · Destination guide
A planned resort bay south of Hurghada – a lamp-lit promenade, an Old Town piazza, a built underwater city to snorkel, and an airport about 25 minutes away.
Get your bearings
Sahl Hasheesh is a bay on the Red Sea about 18 kilometers south of Hurghada airport. It was planned from the start as a resort town, and it shows: wide paved walkways, street lamps, low sand-colored buildings and a long seafront promenade with an Old Town and an Arrivals Piazza at its center. It has the feel of a small managed town more than a strip of hotels.
That gives it a different pace from its neighbors. Hurghada is busier and Makadi Bay is a quiet line of all-inclusive hotels. Sahl Hasheesh sits between them and leans upscale: The Oberoi, Pickalbatros Citadel Resort and Baron Palace all sit on this bay. There are walks and cafes in the evening, a pier for the sea, and reefs and islands in the water offshore.
What you're really here to see
Photo: Joshfdrake, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, color-graded01The seafront walkway is the local evening outing. Lamp posts, palms, cafes and a paved corniche run along the water, and people walk or cycle it at sunset. Nothing here needs booking.
Evening stroll
Photo: Joshfdrake, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, color-graded02A formal square of domes and a long fountain channel, lit after dark. It is the town's set piece, and the easiest place to see how deliberately Sahl Hasheesh was designed.
After dark
Photo: Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, color-graded03A partly submerged replica of an ancient city, built in the bay and now an artificial reef. Fish gather around it, and it is a popular spot for snorkeling and diving. It is a made site, not a real ancient one, which is part of the fun.
Half day
Time to allow
Sahl Hasheesh suits a calm week by the sea. Plan four nights or more.
Beach days, an evening on the promenade and one snorkel at the Sunken City. A gentle finish after a busy itinerary.
A week of slow beach days with a boat day from Hurghada, a desert evening and time on the promenade.
The temples first, then the road to the coast. Your hotel is about 25 minutes from Hurghada airport.
Split the trip between Sahl Hasheesh and a busier base such as Hurghada or El Gouna.
Where it fits
Sahl Hasheesh is for people who want a polished, quiet beach base.
The Oberoi, Pickalbatros Citadel Resort and Baron Palace are all on this bay, so the mix leans toward higher-end stays.
Unlike many resort bays, there is a proper promenade, an Old Town and a piazza to walk in the evening.
About 25 minutes from Hurghada airport, so you spend little of your vacation in a car.
It is calmer than Hurghada. If you want bars, markets and a big choice of restaurants, base in Hurghada or El Gouna.
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 Sahl Hasheesh. Start wherever makes sense.
Hotel pickup, a private Egyptologist, half or full day.
2–15 day private itineraries, hotels and guides included.
Pair Sahl Hasheesh 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
October to April is the comfortable season. The sea stays swimmable beyond it.
Mild days for the promenade, the pier and day trips, and the best window for pairing the bay with Luxor.
Egypt's coast has a hot desert climate with dry summers. Plan outings for early morning or late afternoon and use the pool and sea in between.
The promenade is at its best at sunset and after dark, when the piazza is lit.
Upper Egypt is hottest in summer as well, so temples then beach works best between October and April.
The practical part
Fly into Hurghada, then it is a short private transfer. The practical part.
Fly into Hurghada (HRG). Sahl Hasheesh is about 18 kilometers south of the airport, roughly 25 minutes by car. We arrange a private transfer to your hotel.
The resorts range from ultra-luxury to large all-inclusive. We match the hotel to your budget, board plan and beach preferences.
The promenade is walkable. For Hurghada and day trips, tours include pickup and a taxi covers the rest.
The Sunken City and the bay's reefs and islands are close. Boat trips and dive centers also run from Hurghada, and we line them up in advance.
Common questions
Sahl Hasheesh is a resort bay on the Red Sea coast, about 18 kilometers south of Hurghada International Airport (HRG). The drive to the airport takes around 25 minutes.
It is a partly submerged, built replica of an ancient city in the bay. It now works as an artificial reef that attracts fish, and visitors snorkel and dive it.
Sahl Hasheesh is a planned resort town with a seafront promenade, an Old Town and a piazza, and it leans upscale. Hurghada is a busier town, and Makadi Bay is a quieter line of all-inclusive hotels.
We list The Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh, Pickalbatros Citadel Resort Sahl Hasheesh and Baron Palace Sahl Hasheesh, and we can help you choose between them.
Yes. Day tours run from the Hurghada area, including boat trips and desert safaris, and Luxor can be reached by road. Pickup from your hotel is included in tours we arrange.
The most comfortable months run from October to April. Summer is hot, but the sea is still good for swimming.
Photo: Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, color-graded
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.
