What's Worth Doing in Sahl Hasheesh? A 2026 Tours and Activities Guide

Sahl Hasheesh is a quiet, purpose-built bay about twenty kilometres south of Hurghada International Airport, but anyone who treats it as a sun-lounger destination only is leaving the best of it untouched. The real reason to come is what sits within an hour's drive of the bay: world-class diving, an underwater temple, the Eastern Desert, and day trips to some of the most famous archaeological sites on earth. Here is what to book.

Diving, snorkelling, and the Sunken City

The signature underwater attraction is the Sunken City, a replica ancient temple sunk in shallow water a few hundred metres out from the main pier. It is not the real thing, but the corals and fish moved in years ago, and it makes for an unusual snorkel or shallow dive. Most resorts can arrange a guided trip from their beach.

The bay reef itself is accessible from shore at almost every hotel, which saves the cost of a boat for casual snorkelling days. For proper diving, local operators run daily trips to outer sites like Abu Hasheesh Island, Ras Disha, and the wider Giftun Islands National Park. Conditions in Sahl Hasheesh are gentler than at the open-sea sites off central Hurghada, which makes it a good base for PADI Open Water courses, refreshers, and trying-it-out introductory dives. Night dives off the resort piers are bookable through the in-house dive centres for around forty euros.

[Image: Red Sea coral reef]

Boat day trips

The standard full-day boat trip from Sahl Hasheesh runs out to the Giftun Islands National Park, stopping at two or three reefs and a beach for lunch. Mahmya and Paradise Island are the busy options with full beach facilities; Orange Bay is calmer and the water is unreal. Boats leave around eight in the morning and return by mid-afternoon.

Dolphin trips to Sha'ab Samadai are worth the early start. The horseshoe reef has a resident pod of spinner dolphins and the chances of an encounter are about as reliable as wild dolphin watching gets. For non-swimmers and small children, semi-submarines and glass-bottom boats run shorter trips from the marina at central Hurghada. Sunset dinner cruises leave around four in the afternoon and return after dark, and are the standard couples option.

[Image: Giftun Island boat trip]

Desert tours

The desert is the other half of the experience and most travellers skip it. Quad bike safaris into the Eastern Desert leave Sahl Hasheesh most afternoons, run for about three hours, and end with sunset, mint tea, and a Bedouin barbecue. Jeep safaris are the softer option for families and cover the same ground without the helmet hair. A short camel ride is included in most packages.

Star-gazing dinners are worth doing once if you have never seen a properly dark sky. Pickup is from your hotel, the drive in takes about an hour, and dinner is grilled meat and rice eaten on cushions around a low table. Evenings can be cold even in summer, so bring a layer. Sunrise hot air balloon flights operate further south near Luxor rather than from Sahl Hasheesh itself.

[Image: Desert excursion with quad bikes]

On the beach and on horseback

Horseback riding along the beach is one of the genuinely memorable activities here, especially at sunrise or sunset when the sand is cool and the bay is empty. Most stables run rides for an hour to half a day and cater to complete beginners. Sea horse rides, an unusual combination of beach riding and shallow-water swimming with the horses, are run by a small number of local operators and are worth the search.

Kitesurfing and windsurfing are better catered to up at El Gouna and Soma Bay, both of which are an easy drive from Sahl Hasheesh if the wind is what you came for.

[Image: Camel and sunset]

Day trips inland

Luxor is the standard inland day trip. It is a five-hour drive each way, which makes for a long day; most tours leave around three in the morning and have you back by ten at night, covering the Valley of the Kings, Karnak, and Hatshepsut's mortuary temple in a single run. Cairo is better done as an overnight than a day trip. The new toll road has cut the drive to roughly four hours, and the Pyramids and the new Grand Egyptian Museum each deserve a half-day at minimum.

Many travellers combine a Sahl Hasheesh base with excursions that pick up in central Hurghada , which has a wider selection of dive boats, marina day trips, and inland tour departures. The drive between the two takes around half an hour.

How to book

You can arrange most excursions through your hotel reception, although the mark-up is usually significant. Independent local agencies in Sahl Hasheesh and central Hurghada run the same trips for less, but quality varies. If you would rather have transfers, excursions, and guides handled end to end without the back-and-forth, Touriesta.com bundles the lot into a single booking, which saves the trial-and-error before you fly.