Makadi Bay is a quiet resort bay about half an hour south of Hurghada, with calm water and coral that starts right off the hotel jetties. It is an easy base for day trips: the boats leave close by, the trips are short, and you are back at the pool by late afternoon. Spend a day on the white sand of Orange Bay or Paradise Island, look for spinner dolphins at the Dolphin House, try a first dive or a parasail ride, or go fishing with a local crew.
On land there are quad, buggy and jeep safaris into the Eastern Desert with a Bedouin dinner, horse rides on the beach and evenings in Hurghada. Luxor is about four hours away, close enough for a full day at Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, and Cairo and Aswan are possible by road or by plane. Below you will find every excursion from Makadi Bay that we run ourselves, sorted by type, with prices and what is included. We have worked on the Red Sea for 20 years and sell direct, with no middlemen. Hotel pickup is included, there is no deposit, and nobody stops at shops on the way.
Pick a category to see every trip, the price per adult and exactly what is included.
Most bookedOrange Bay and Paradise Island on Giftun, Mahmya, Utopia or Hula Hula: white sand, shallow lagoons, snorkel stops and lunch on board.

Boat trips to the reefs off Makadi Bay, with masks, fins and a guide in the water with you.

Out to the Dolphin House reef, where a resident pod of spinner dolphins often swims close to the boat.

Your own boat and skipper to the islands and the dolphins, leaving when you want.
For familiesSeascope-style semi-submarine and glass-bottom boat: corals and fish through the glass, no swimming needed.

Intro dives on the house reef with an instructor, and daily boat dives for certified divers.

A few minutes in the air above the bay, alone or as a pair, take-off and landing on the boat.

Line fishing with a local crew, rods and bait on board, and your catch grilled if you like.
At sunsetQuads, buggies, jeeps and camels into the Eastern Desert, a Bedouin village, dinner and stargazing.

Ride along the beach and into the desert, with a swim with the horses on some trips.

Easy outings for small children, such as the Grand Aquarium in Hurghada.

El Mina Mosque, the old Dahar market, the Marina and a stop for shopping in Hurghada.
Top day tripKarnak, the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut in one long day, with an Egyptologist guide.

The Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum, by road or by plane.

Philae Temple, the High Dam and a felucca on the Nile, and Abu Simbel on the two-day trip.

A car, driver and guide just for you. You choose the plan and the pickup time.

Beaches, evenings out, weather by month and tips from our team on the ground.
Tell us your hotel, your dates and who is travelling. We will suggest the best mix and reply on WhatsApp, usually within minutes.
Starting prices with hotel pickup included. Children up to 4 go free, ages 5 to 10 pay half, from 11 the adult price applies. No deposit: you pay on the day, in euros or dollars.
| Trip | Adult | Child 5–10 |
|---|---|---|
| Morning quad ride 3 hours | from €35 | from €17.50 |
| Super safari: jeep, quad, camel & Bedouin dinner afternoon to evening | from €45 | from €22.50 |
| Luxor day trip by bus, with Egyptologist full day | from €90 | from €45 |
| Luxor in 2 days with hot air balloon 2 days | from €250 | from €125 |
| Luxor, Aswan & Abu Simbel 2 days | from €450 | from €225 |
Island, dolphin, speedboat, semi-submarine and Cairo prices depend on the boat and the season. Ask us for today's price on WhatsApp.
Free days are part of the holiday too. These are the ones our guests ask about most.
Many hotels have a jetty out to the north or south reef of the bay. Go early, when the water is calmest, and look for rays and turtles over the sand.
One of the biggest aqua parks on the coast, with dozens of slides and family pools, right inside Madinat Makadi.
Dinner at a desert camp, tea by the fire and a sky with almost no light pollution. Part of our super safari.
Horse or camel rides along the shore and into the desert, best at sunset. See horse riding.
Madinat Makadi has an 18-hole golf course, and the steady wind makes the bay good for kitesurfing, windsurfing and SUP.
The Marina, the old Dahar market and proper Egyptian food, 35 minutes away. Join our city and shopping tour.
The boat and the island change with the day of the week. Tell us what matters to you, sand, snorkeling or fewer people, and we will match the trip.
| Island | What it is like |
|---|---|
| Orange Bay, Giftun | The famous beach day: white sand, turquoise shallows and a snorkel stop on the way. |
| Paradise Island, Giftun | Long sandy beach inside the Giftun national park, good for families. |
| Mahmya, Giftun | Quieter eco-beach with a small daily guest limit and a good reef. Costs a bit more. |
| Utopia & Eden islands | Smaller sandbanks with calm water and fewer people. |
| Hula Hula island | Shallow lagoon you can walk into, easy with small children. |
| Magawish & the open reefs | Snorkel stops in clearer water, often combined with the Dolphin House. |
Average daytime highs and sea temperatures, rounded. Evenings from December to February can feel cool, so bring a light jacket.
| Month | Day | Sea | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| January – February | 22–23 °C | 21–22 °C | Luxor, Cairo, safaris |
| March | 25 °C | 22 °C | Everything, windy days possible |
| April – May | 29–33 °C | 23–25 °C | Islands, snorkeling, diving |
| June – August | 35–37 °C | 27–29 °C | Boat trips; desert at sunset |
| September | 34 °C | 28 °C | Warmest sea, dolphins |
| October – November | 27–31 °C | 25–27 °C | Everything, best all-round months |
| December | 23–24 °C | 23 °C | Luxor, Cairo, safaris |
Approximate distances and driving times. Your pickup time depends on where your hotel is in the bay.
| To | Distance |
|---|---|
| Hurghada airport | ≈ 30 km · 35 min |
| Hurghada Marina & old town | ≈ 30 km · 35 min |
| Sahl Hasheesh | ≈ 15 km · 20 min |
| El Gouna | ≈ 55 km · 1 h |
| Safaga & Soma Bay | ≈ 30–45 km · 40 min |
| Luxor | ≈ 280 km · 3.5–4 h |
| Aswan | ≈ 6 h by road |
| Cairo & the pyramids | ≈ 6 h by road · 1 h flight |
Our pick for each kind of day. First time here? One island day, one dolphin trip and one evening in the desert show you the best of it.
| You want | Our pick |
|---|---|
| White sand & shallow water | Orange Bay or Hula Hula |
| Swim near dolphins | Dolphin House trip |
| No crowds on the boat | Private speedboat |
| Small children | Semi-submarine |
| First time underwater | Intro dive with an instructor |
| Adrenaline | Quad or buggy at sunset |
| Something calm | Horse ride on the beach |
| Ancient Egypt | Luxor in one day |
| The pyramids | Cairo by plane |
| Shopping & an evening out | Hurghada city tour |
Private cars between Hurghada airport, your hotel in Makadi Bay, Hurghada and El Gouna, at a fixed price per car.
Almost everything the Red Sea coast offers. On the water: island days to Orange Bay, Paradise Island or Mahmya on Giftun, snorkeling trips, the Dolphin House, a private speedboat, the semi-submarine, intro dives, parasailing and fishing. On land: quad, buggy and jeep safaris with a Bedouin dinner and stargazing, horse rides on the beach, and a city and shopping tour of Hurghada. Further away: Luxor in one day, Cairo and the pyramids by road or by plane, and Aswan with Abu Simbel over two days. Hotel pickup in Makadi Bay is included on every trip.
Browse island trips, dolphin trips, desert safaris and Luxor tours.
A morning quad ride starts from €35 per adult and the super safari with jeep, quad, camel and Bedouin dinner from €45. A Luxor day trip by bus starts from €90, two days in Luxor with a hot air balloon from €250, and Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel in two days from €450. Boat trips depend on the boat and the island, so ask us for the price on your dates. Hotel pickup is always included and nobody asks you for extra fees on the day. Children up to 4 go free, ages 5 to 10 pay half, and from 11 the adult price applies. You pay on the day, in cash, in euros or dollars.
Yes. Every trip has an English-speaking guide or crew, and on Luxor, Cairo and Aswan you travel with a licensed Egyptologist who explains the temples and tombs as you walk through them. We also have guides who speak German, French, Polish, Russian and other languages if someone in your group prefers. Bookings and questions are handled on WhatsApp in English.
Luxor is about 270 to 290 km from Makadi Bay, roughly 3.5 to 4 hours each way through Safaga and Qena, with a short stop on the way and a couple of routine police checkpoints. Pickup is early, usually between 4:30 and 5:30, and you are back in the evening. In one day you see Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Ask your hotel for a breakfast box the night before, bring your passport or a copy, and wear light clothes that cover shoulders and knees. If one day feels too rushed, the two-day trip adds a night in Luxor and a sunrise balloon flight.
See all Luxor tours from Makadi Bay.
The Pyramids of Giza are about 450 to 500 km from Makadi Bay, around six hours each way by road. That makes the bus trip a very long day, so many guests fly instead: the flight from Hurghada airport to Cairo takes about an hour, and you are back at your hotel the same night. On both trips you see the pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum with a guide. If you want more time, take the two-day trip with a night in Cairo.
See all Cairo tours from Makadi Bay.
Most dolphin trips go to the Dolphin House, a horseshoe-shaped reef north of Makadi where a resident pod of spinner dolphins often rests in the morning. A group boat includes snorkel stops and lunch. A private speedboat is faster and leaves when you want. Sightings are likely but never guaranteed, and the crew keeps a respectful distance so the dolphins can come closer on their own.
See our dolphin trips and speedboat trips.
Very good, and you often do not even need a boat. Many hotels have a jetty out to the house reef, with the north and south reefs of the bay full of coral, reef fish, rays and the odd turtle. For clearer water and more variety, the boat trips stop at reefs around Giftun and the islands. Beginners can try an intro dive with an instructor, no licence needed, and certified divers can join daily boat dives.
See our snorkeling trips and diving tours.
Yes, but on a small scale. Most hotels have a few shops, and Madinat Makadi has a souk-style shopping street, cafés and the marina for an evening walk. For real shopping, spices, cotton and souvenirs at local prices, go to Hurghada: the old Dahar market, the Marina and the malls along the main road. Our city and shopping tour picks you up in Makadi and brings you back, with no forced stops at commission shops.
See the Hurghada city and shopping tour.
Small children usually love the semi-submarine and the glass-bottom boat, because they see the fish without getting wet. An island day works well too, with calm, shallow water by the beach, and Makadi Water World is right in the bay. A short camel ride or a visit to the Grand Aquarium in Hurghada are easy wins. Luxor and Cairo mean long hours on the road, so they suit older children better. Children up to 4 are free and ages 5 to 10 pay half.
See our family-friendly tours and semi-submarine trips.
Makadi Bay is a quiet resort bay about 30 km south of Hurghada, built around all-inclusive hotels, calm water and house reefs right off the beaches. Hurghada is a real town, with restaurants, markets, malls and nightlife. For excursions it makes little difference: the same boats, safaris and Nile Valley trips are open to you, and we pick you up at your hotel either way. Many guests stay in Makadi for the beach and spend one evening in Hurghada.
See the Hurghada city tour from Makadi Bay.
Trips run all year. From October to April the days are warm but not hot, which is ideal for safaris and the long drive to Luxor. The sea is warmest from July to October, the best time for boat trips and snorkeling. In June, July and August afternoons pass 35 °C, so desert trips go in the morning or at sunset. In January and February the water is around 21 to 22 °C, and many guests snorkel in a short wetsuit. See the month-by-month table above.
To stay in Makadi Bay you need an Egyptian tourist visa, bought on arrival at Hurghada airport or online in advance as an e-Visa. The free Sinai stamp used in Sharm El Sheikh does not cover the Red Sea coast. On boat trips and on the drive to Luxor or Cairo, carry your passport or a clear copy, because names are checked by the coast guard and at police checkpoints. Rules change from time to time, so check before you travel.
For boat trips: swimwear, a towel, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and some cash for drinks and photos. For the desert: closed shoes, long trousers if you ride a quad, sunglasses and a scarf to keep the sand off your face. For Luxor and Cairo: comfortable walking shoes, light clothes that cover shoulders and knees, a light jacket for the early start, and your passport or a copy.
Makadi Bay is about 30 km south of Hurghada airport, around 30 to 40 minutes by car. We run private transfers from the airport to your hotel and back, and between Makadi Bay, Hurghada and El Gouna, at a fixed price per car agreed before you travel.
Book a private transfer.
Yes, pickup and drop-off from every hotel in Makadi Bay are included. Your pickup time depends on where your hotel is in the bay.
To book, send us your hotel name, the date and the number of adults and children on WhatsApp at +20 120 290 5255. We confirm the place and pickup time, and you pay on the day in cash, in euros or dollars. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Send us your hotel and dates. A real person from our team in Egypt replies, not a bot.
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