Makadi Bay Excursions & Tours 2026‑2027: islands, dolphins & Luxor

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. On the water: the semi-submarine from €25, Hula Hula island from €30, the dolphin trip from €35, Orange Bay from €40 and Paradise Island from €50. Cairo by bus starts from €85. 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.

Our Luxor day trip by bus starts from €90 per adult, and children aged 5 to 10 pay from €45. That covers hotel pickup, an Egyptologist guide, entrance to Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut, and lunch. The private trip to Dendera and Abydos starts from €140, and two days in Luxor with a balloon flight from €250. There is no deposit.

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.