Hurghada desert safari: how the afternoon actually runs

The afternoon runs in a fixed order: a briefing and practice lap, one hour of guided quad riding in two legs, tea and a camel ride at a Bedouin camp, sunset, then a barbecue dinner and folklore show. It lasts about five hours door to door. You do not need to have ridden a quad before, and the guide matches the pace to the group.

This guide follows the timings of our Hurghada quad bike safari and adds the practical details that matter on the day: what to wear, what is extra, and how to handle a nervous child or a first-time rider. Some guests expect a long camel trek, but the camel ride at the camp is short, and the horse or camel ride is a separate trip for those who want a longer time on an animal.

Pick-up and the safari base

A vehicle collects you from your hotel at 14:00. In summer this is one hour later, to avoid the worst of the heat. Pick-ups cover Hurghada, El Gouna, Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh and Soma Bay. You reach the safari base at about 14:45 and are fitted with a helmet, and offered a scarf and goggles, which are sold at the base if you do not have your own.

The guide then explains how to start, steer, brake and stop, and how to follow the person in front. Everyone does a practice lap in the base area. This is the moment to say if you are uncomfortable. You can ask to share a bike with a partner, with two people on one quad, and the staff will arrange it.

The ride

At about 15:15 the convoy sets off across the desert behind the leader. The riding adds up to roughly one hour in two legs. Surfaces are gravel, hard sand and some soft dust. The speed is moderate, and it is the dust, not the speed, that surprises first-timers, so cover your face.

Do not overtake and keep a safe gap, because loose gravel flies off the wheel in front. The guide explains the signal for stopping at the briefing, so listen for it. Most people finish the ride with a grin and a gray face, and nobody has to be an expert to enjoy it.

The Bedouin camp

At about 16:30 the group stops at a camp. You are served tea, and bread baked on the fire, and offered a short camel ride. The camel ride is brief, a few minutes around the camp, so treat it as a taste. Sitting on a camel as it stands up is odd, since it rises back legs first, so hold on.

At around 17:30 the sun sets over the mountains behind the camp, and the light turns copper. This is the best moment for photographs and also the coolest, so put on your jacket. The camp photographer will offer photos and video, but these are an extra and not part of the price.

Dinner, the show and the way home

A barbecue dinner with soft drinks, tea and water begins at about 18:00, followed by a folklore show. The folklore show that follows is short, so you are not kept out late. At about 19:00 the vehicle takes you back to your hotel, and you can shower and rest. If you have dietary needs, ask our team before you book.

Safety and common worries

The usual worries are dust, bumps and nerves. Dust is handled with a scarf and goggles. Bumps are handled by riding slowly over rough ground, as the leader does. Nerves are handled at the practice lap, which is the moment to ask for a shared bike or to sit out the ride. Nobody is pushed to go faster than they want.

Who it suits and the alternatives

• Teenagers and adults who like a bit of speed and dust will enjoy the ride most.
• Children from age 6 can join, and sharing a bike is possible on request.
• Anyone with a bad back or neck should think twice, as the ground is bumpy.
• For a calmer time on an animal, choose the three-hour horse or camel ride, which has one hour in the saddle and a minimum age of 6.
• The safari is not ideal on your first night after a long flight.

The horse or camel ride is the gentler option. It starts at a stable outside Hurghada, gives you a helmet, takes you through the desert to the shoreline and finishes with tea. Both are shared trips, with children under 2 free, ages 2 to 11 at half price and 12 and over at the adult price, and you can book online up to 48 hours ahead.