Giftun Island Snorkeling Trip from Hurghada

Giftun Island is the long, low island you see on the horizon from Hurghada's beaches. It's a protected national park, and its reefs are some of the most visited by snorkelers and divers in the area – for good reason.

On this trip the island is the whole point. You sail from Hurghada toward the Giftun area, stop at a selected reef to snorkel with your guide, then spend free time on Giftun Island to swim, rest on the beach and take photos. Lunch with soft drinks follows on board, and extra water activities depend on the boat's program and the conditions.

No experience is needed. Snorkeling equipment is provided and the guide helps you in the water. The trip suits couples, families and friends, and anyone who wants a classic Hurghada sea day with a good balance of reef and beach.

Not sure which island trip to pick? Our snorkeling & island trips page compares them side by side.

What is Giftun Island? Hurghada's national park

The Giftun islands are two islands off Hurghada: Big Giftun (Giftun Kebir), the larger one closer to the city, and Little Giftun (Giftun Soraya) further east. When people say "Giftun Island" they almost always mean Big Giftun, where the beach stops are.

Giftun is a protected national park. That has practical effects you'll notice on the day: there are no hotels or overnight stays, and the beaches must be cleared by sunset.

The protection has been fought for. In 2004 the Red Sea conservation group HEPCA campaigned against a large resort project on the island, and a presidential decree confirmed that the Giftun protectorate would stay as it is. HEPCA describes Giftun as the region's major nesting ground for green turtles, and notes that a large share of Hurghada's dive sites lie off its shores, with close to 200 types of hard and soft coral recorded.

For you, that means healthier reefs within easy reach of Hurghada – and a few simple rules: don't touch or stand on coral, don't feed fish, and leave shells and sand where they are.

Orange Bay, Paradise Island and Mahmya: all on Giftun

Many visitors don't realise it, but several of Hurghada's famous "islands" are actually beaches on Giftun:

• Orange Bay – wide, shallow turquoise water and white sand.
• Paradise Island – the name tour boats use for another set-up beach stop in the Giftun islands.
• Mahmya – an eco-beach on Giftun that opened in 1997 under the supervision of Egypt's Environmental Affairs Agency, built with simple natural materials and visited only by its own fleet of boats.

Our Giftun Island trip focuses on the park itself: a reef stop chosen for the day's conditions, then free time on the island. If you already know which beach you want, book that trip directly; if you mainly want snorkeling and a relaxed island stop, this is the right choice.

Because so many boats share the area, the best snorkel sites change with wind and traffic. Your guide picks the stop on the day – that's why we don't promise a fixed reef name in advance.

What you can see snorkeling at Giftun

The reefs around Giftun are classic Red Sea fringing reefs: hard corals in shallow water that drop away to deeper blue, with soft corals along the edges. At the surface you'll typically see reef fish in big numbers – think butterflyfish, parrotfish, damselfish and colourful wrasse – and with a little luck a blue-spotted ray on the sand or a turtle, since Giftun is an important turtle area.

Visibility is usually excellent, and the water stays swimmable year-round. Divers' guides give sea temperatures around Hurghada of roughly 21°C in winter up to 30°C in summer, so a short wetsuit or rash vest is worth considering between December and March.

A few tips from our guides:

• Listen to the briefing – the guide will point out where the shallow coral is so you don't kick it.
• Float, don't stand: the reef is alive, and standing on it hurts both the coral and your feet.
• Use a T-shirt or rash vest for sun protection while snorkeling; the sun on your back is stronger than it feels in the water.

Want more stops and less beach? Try our Hurghada Snorkeling Trip, or try diving for a deeper look at the same reefs.