8 h8,583 reviews
8 hHurghada: 3 Islands, Dolphins & Snorkel Yacht Trip w/ Lunch
★ 4.7 · 8,583 reviews
- Eight hours, for dolphin watching
- Snorkeling in the Red Sea
- Most booked
- Free cancellation
$46$5.75 / hour
Check availability→ Giftun Island
Hurghada island trip: Giftun, the national park, and the boats that go there
A Hurghada island trip usually means one of two things, and they are not the same purchase. Either you are going to a beach island with loungers on it, or you are going to Giftun — which is a national park, has its own entry charge collected separately from the boat ticket, and is protected because of what is under the water rather than what is on the sand. This page covers the second kind: the six listings on this site that put island stops and reef into one day, from $22 for two hours to $245 for a private hull.
Giftun and the island days at a glance
- What Giftun is
- A national parka protected island off Hurghada. Entry to the park is charged separately from the boat ticket and is collected on the day — the listings say so, and none of them prints a figure here
- Our pick here
- $46Hurghada: 3 Islands, Dolphins & Snorkel Yacht Trip w/ Lunch, eight hours, rated 4.7 across 8,583 reviews — the most reviewed tour on this site
- The most islands in a day
- $46Hurghada: 6-Island Speedboat, Dolphin watching & Snorkeling, eight hours, rated 4.8 across 2,571 reviews
- The short version
- $38Hurghada: Speedboat, Dolphins, Snorkeling & 2 Islands, four hours, rated 4.6 across 4,181 reviews
- Without getting wet
- $22Royal Seascope, two hours: a boat with an underwater viewing deck rather than a submarine, rated 4.4 across 5,499 reviews
- The beach alternative
- $53Orange Bay is the island with the loungers, 8.5 hours with lunch, rated 4.9 across 6,815 reviews
- What the park protects
- The reef, not the beachthe rules that come with a protected island are about coral and what you stand on in the water
- Cancellation
- Free cancellationstandard on every tour on this site
Quick answer
The short answer. For the Hurghada island trip with the most feedback behind it, book $46: eight hours on a yacht, three islands, dolphin watching and lunch, rated 4.7 across 8,583 reviews. For more stops in the same eight hours, book $46. For half a day, $38 does two islands in four hours. And if you want the reef without swimming over it, $22 is two hours with an underwater viewing deck.
How it works
A protected island is a different kind of stop
Giftun sits a short crossing from Hurghada and it is the reason a lot of people come to this coast at all. It is a national park. That status is not decoration: it is why the water around it is in the condition it is in, and it is why entry to the park is charged on the day, separately from whatever you paid for the boat. The amount is not printed on the listings we work from, so we are not going to invent one — ask the operator, or read the inclusions, and the number arrives before you do.
That single fact reshapes a Hurghada island trip more than anything else on the page. On a beach island the day is about sand and shade. On a protected island the day is about what is under the boat: coral heads close to the surface, fish that are used to being looked at, and crews who know exactly where to drop anchor. Giftun island snorkeling Hurghada boats organise is the point of the stop, not a feature of it.
Most of the listings on this site do not name a single island. They name a number — three islands, six islands, two islands — because the routes are built to cover several anchorages in a day, and which ones a boat calls at depends on wind and on the day's traffic. That is honest of them, and it is worth reading that way: a Hurghada island trip sold as three islands is selling you three stops on good water, not three specific postcards.
The other name you will see in searches is Paradise Island. A paradise island trip Hurghada agencies advertise is generally the same stretch of water reached by the same boats; the listings on this site use the island count rather than that name, so if it is what you are looking for, book by the route and the hours rather than by the label.
Every trip, current fare
Seven boats that call at islands
Seven ways to take a Hurghada island trip, chosen because an island stop is what they are built around. The cost-per-hour column compares a two-hour outing with an eight-hour yacht day fairly, because those are not the same purchase.
| Tour | Length | Price | What is included | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurghada: Royal Seascope Submarine Cruise with Snorkel StopHurghada: Royal Seascope Submarine Cruise with Snorkel Stop | 2 h | $22 | Two hours on the Royal Seascope with an underwater viewing deck | $11.00 | 4.4 · 5,499 |
| Hurghada: Hula Hula Cruise with Lunch, Massage, & SnorkelingHurghada: Hula Hula Cruise with Lunch, Massage, & Snorkeling | 8 h | $31 | A full-day cruise with lunch, a massage and a reef stop | $3.88 | 4.5 · 2,065 |
| Hurghada: Speedboat, Dolphins, Snorkeling & 2 IslandsHurghada: Speedboat, Dolphins, Snorkeling & 2 Islands | 4 h | $38 | A half-day speedboat run to two islands with dolphin watching | $9.50 | 4.6 · 4,181 |
| Hurghada: 6-Island Speedboat, Dolphin watching & SnorkelingHurghada: 6-Island Speedboat, Dolphin watching & Snorkeling | 8 h | $46 | A speedboat day around six islands, with dolphin watching | $5.75 | 4.8 · 2,571 |
| Hurghada: 3 Islands, Dolphins & Snorkel Yacht Trip w/ LunchHurghada: 3 Islands, Dolphins & Snorkel Yacht Trip w/ Lunch | 8 h | $46 | A yacht day around three islands, with dolphin watching and lunch | $5.75 | 4.7 · 8,583 |
| Hurghada: Luxury Cruise Trip to Orange Bay with LunchHurghada: Luxury Cruise Trip to Orange Bay with Lunch | 8.5 h | $53 | A full day cruising to Orange Bay, with lunch on board | $6.24 | 4.9 · 6,815 |
| Hurghada: Orange Bay & Magawish Island Speedboat with FruitsHurghada: Orange Bay & Magawish Island Speedboat with Fruits | 4 h | $245 | A private speedboat to Orange Bay and Magawish with fruit | $61.25 | 4.7 · 1,610 |
Choosing between them
Three islands, six islands, or two hours with a window
The yacht day is the default. $46 runs eight hours around three islands with dolphin watching and lunch on board, rated 4.7 across 8,583 reviews — more feedback than any other listing on this site by a clear margin. A big hull means shade and space between the stops, and a Hurghada island trip of this length is what most people mean when they picture the day.
Six stops instead of three. $46 does six islands by speedboat in the same eight hours, rated 4.8 across 2,571 reviews — a higher score on a smaller crowd. More anchorages means less time at each, so this is the listing for people who would rather see more water than settle into one bay.
Half a day. $38 is four hours with two islands, dolphin watching and snorkelling, rated 4.6 across 4,181 reviews. It is the busiest of the short outings on this site, and it gives the afternoon back.
Without swimming. $22 is two hours on the Royal Seascope, which is a boat with a glass-sided viewing deck below the waterline rather than a submarine — the hull stays on the surface throughout. Rated 4.4 across 5,499 reviews, it is the listing that works for somebody who does not swim, and it includes a snorkel stop for anybody on board who does. A Giftun island boat trip Hurghada visitors take for the reef alone often ends up being this one.
And the beach option, honestly labelled. $53 at 8.5 hours and $245 at four hours go to Orange Bay and Magawish, which are beach islands with loungers rather than protected reef. Rated 4.9 and 4.7 respectively. If sand is the reason for the day, those are the two to read.
Before you book
Five lines to read on the listing before you pay
The same five lines decide what a Hurghada island trip costs and what you get out of it, and all five are easier to settle at booking than on the deck. The right-hand column is what tends to happen when they are left.
| What to check | Where it lives | Why it matters | If you skip it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether a park fee is separateand how it is paid | The inclusions and the fine print | A protected island charges entry on the day, on top of the boat ticket | A payment at the landing that you had not planned for |
| How many stops, over how many hoursnot just the island count | The title and the duration | Six stops in eight hours is a different rhythm from three stops in the same eight | A day of engine noise when you wanted a day of water |
| Whether it is a yacht or a speedboatshade, or speed | The title on the listing | A big hull gives shade and room; a fast hull gives crossing time back | A long hot day on an open deck with nowhere to sit out of the sun |
| Whether lunch is on boardor whether the day is shorter | The inclusions on the listing | The eight-hour yachts feed you; the four-hour runs mostly do not | An afternoon spent thinking about food instead of coral |
| What gear is providedmask, fins, a vest | The inclusions on the listing | Snorkel gear is usually on board, and buoyancy vests matter over reef | A first stop spent negotiating instead of swimming |
Book direct
Book an island day
The six listings above, with the current price, the rating and the number of reviews behind each one. Every tour on this site has free cancellation, which is worth having when wind decides a Hurghada island trip as much as the calendar does.
8 h2,571 reviews
8 hHurghada: 6-Island Speedboat, Dolphin watching & Snorkeling
★ 4.8 · 2,571 reviews
- Eight hours, on a speedboat cruise
- Spot dolphins
- Snorkel in Giftun National Park
- Free cancellation
$46$5.75 / hour
Check availability→ 
Lowest price here6,815 reviews
8.5 hHurghada: Luxury Cruise Trip to Orange Bay with Lunch
★ 4.9 · 6,815 reviews
- 8.5 hours, to Orange Bay Island
- Massage on board
- Buffet lunch
- Free cancellation
$53$6.24 / hour
Check availability→ 
4 h4,181 reviews
4 hHurghada: Speedboat, Dolphins, Snorkeling & 2 Islands
★ 4.6 · 4,181 reviews
- Four hours, in their natural habitat
- See dolphins
- Snorkeling and sunbathing
- Free cancellation
$38$9.50 / hour
Check availability→ 
2 h5,499 reviews
2 hHurghada: Royal Seascope Submarine Cruise with Snorkel Stop
★ 4.4 · 5,499 reviews
- Two hours, aboard a semi-submarine
- Underwater observation deck
- Departs from Hurghada
- Free cancellation
$22$11.00 / hour
Check availability→ 
4 h1,610 reviews
4 hHurghada: Orange Bay & Magawish Island Speedboat with Fruits
★ 4.7 · 1,610 reviews
- Four hours, to Orange Bay and Magawish Island
- Sunbathe on white sand beaches
- Snorkel in crystal-clear waters
- Free cancellation
$245$61.25 / hour
Check availability→ What to expect
Seven things people say after an island day
All of it comes from what the listings themselves sell, or from the shape a Hurghada island trip has in common with the next one.
- The park charge is real and separate
It is collected on the day and it is not part of the boat price. The listings are clear that it exists; the figure comes from the operator rather than from us.
- The reef is shallow enough to see from the boat
Red Sea coral comes close to the surface, which is why Giftun island snorkeling coral reef Hurghada crews can anchor and simply point at it.
- The stops are chosen on the day
Wind moves boats around, so a Hurghada island trip sold as three islands is a promise of three good anchorages rather than of three specific names.
- Dolphins turn up on some runs
Several of these listings name dolphin watching. It happens often and it is never promised, and that is exactly how the operators word it too.
- A yacht day has an hour where nothing happens
On the long crossings the deck goes quiet. People who bring a book are glad of it; people who wanted constant activity book the speedboats.
- Vests are worth asking for
Over shallow coral a buoyancy vest keeps feet away from the reef, which is the whole reason the island is protected in the first place.
- Free cancellation on the tours
It applies to every tour on this site, which matters when a boat day is booked before anybody knows the forecast.
When to sail
Morning, midday, or a short afternoon
A Hurghada island trip runs at several different hours on this site, and the hour changes the water more than the boat does.
Early morning
Calm water for the crossing
$46 and $46 both leave early for eight hours. The first hours of the day are usually the flattest.
Midday
The reef at its brightest
Overhead light is what makes coral read properly through a mask, which is when the anchorages earn their reputation.
Afternoon
Four hours and home
$38 covers two islands in half a day, rated 4.6 across 4,181 reviews.
Any hour
Two hours with a window
$22 runs short trips through the day, and the underwater deck does not need anybody to get into the water.
The verdict
What to book if the island was your starting point
For the day with the most feedback, book $46. Eight hours on a yacht around three islands with dolphin watching and lunch, rated 4.7 across 8,583 reviews — the most reviewed listing on this site.
For the most stops, book $46. Six islands by speedboat in eight hours, rated 4.8 across 2,571 reviews.
For the beach rather than the reef, book $53. Eight and a half hours with lunch on board, rated 4.9 across 6,815 reviews — the highest-rated tour here. A paradise island Hurghada day trip in the sense most people mean it.
For half a day, book $38. Four hours, two islands, rated 4.6 across 4,181 reviews.
For two hours without swimming, book $22. The Royal Seascope and its underwater viewing deck, rated 4.4 across 5,499 reviews.
And for a private hull, book $245. Four hours to Orange Bay and Magawish, rated 4.7 across 1,610 reviews — the boat is yours for the morning.
Want the beach island with the loungers rather than the protected one? Start with the Orange Bay page.
See the Orange Bay trips→Common questions
Common questions about the islands
Is there an entry fee for Giftun?
Yes. Giftun is a national park and entry is charged separately from the boat ticket, collected on the day. The listings say that it applies; the amount comes from the operator, and we are not going to print a figure we cannot stand behind.
Which island has the best beach?
Orange Bay, and it is not close. A Hurghada island trip that goes there finds sand, loungers and a shallow shelf. Giftun is protected water and the stop there is organised around the reef.
How many islands do we actually visit?
Whatever the title says — two, three or six — on anchorages chosen on the day for wind. A Hurghada island trip sells a number of stops rather than a fixed list of names.
Can I do it without swimming?
Yes. $22 is two hours on a boat with an underwater viewing deck below the waterline. You watch the reef through windows and stay dry. It is not a submarine and we would rather say so.
Is snorkel gear included?
On a Hurghada island trip it is normally on board. The inclusions line on each listing is specific, and it is the line worth reading before the first stop rather than at it.
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