Hurghada Mountain Safari – Desert Adventure

The Hurghada Mountain Safari is the easy way into the desert. You do not drive or need any experience: our safari vehicle picks you up at your hotel, leaves the resort strip behind and heads off-road toward the Red Sea Mountains.

Out there you get wide views of bare, rocky peaks, stops for photos and short walks, a visit to a Bedouin-style village where you drink traditional tea and hear how people live in the desert, and a short camel ride. Depending on your departure time, you finish as the sun goes down and the mountains change colour.

It suits families, couples, older travellers and anyone who wants the scenery and the culture without the noise of quad bikes. Want more adrenaline? Look at the Super Safari, which adds a quad bike ride. Prefer horses? See Horse Riding in Hurghada.

Price: €35 per person, including hotel pickup and drop-off in Hurghada.

What you actually see on a Hurghada mountain safari

Many people expect golden dunes. The desert behind Hurghada looks different, and in our opinion more interesting: it is a landscape of dark granite and volcanic mountains, gravel plains and dry valleys called wadis. These are the Red Sea Mountains, part of Egypt's Eastern Desert.

The same mountain system holds the highest peak of mainland Egypt, Gebel Shayib El Banat (2,187 m), about 40 km from the coast between Hurghada and Safaga. You will not climb it on this trip, but the ridges you see from the safari route belong to the same ranges.

The people of these mountains are Bedouin, mainly from the Maaza, described as Egypt's largest Bedouin tribe. At the Bedouin-style village you get a short, friendly introduction to that way of life over a glass of sweet tea. It is a visitor setting, not a remote nomad camp, so think of it as a window into desert culture rather than an expedition.

Bring your camera for the last part of the day. On evening departures the low sun lights up the mountains in orange and red, and the camels against that background make the classic Hurghada desert photo.

Mountain safari or super safari?

Both trips use the same idea: leave Hurghada, drive into the Eastern Desert, visit a Bedouin village and ride a camel. The difference is how much action you want.

• Mountain Safari (€35): no quad bike unless a package includes it. Calm pace, scenery, tea and a short camel ride. Good for families, older guests and anyone who gets nervous about driving off-road.
• Super Safari (on request): adds a quad bike ride after a safety briefing, and depending on the package a traditional dinner and evening entertainment such as a Tanoura show. Age limits apply to the quad bike.

If your group is split, the Super Safari usually works better, because non-drivers still get the drive, village and camel ride. If nobody wants to drive a quad, the Mountain Safari gives you the desert at a lower price.

Not sure? Send us a WhatsApp message with the ages in your group and we will tell you honestly which one fits.

Tips for a comfortable desert trip

The desert is sunny and dusty by day and cools quickly after sunset. A few simple things make the trip much more comfortable:

• Wear closed or comfortable shoes; the ground is rocky in places.
• Light long trousers are more comfortable on the camel than shorts.
• Use sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses even late in the afternoon.
• Pack a light jacket for evening departures, especially in the winter months.
• Keep your phone in a zipped pocket for the off-road drive.
• Ask before photographing people at the village.

If anyone in your group has back problems, is pregnant or has another health concern, tell us before booking: some activities have age, health or safety restrictions, and we will check what is suitable.

Travelling with children? Pack a snack and a small bottle of water for each child, and talk them through the camel ride beforehand: camels stand up back legs first, so lean back as it rises. The guide will help everyone get on and off.