Hurghada: Private Charter Boat Trip with Snorkeling & Islands

4.92

(599 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We were already out of the Hurghada Marina before I realized how salty the air actually tastes here. The boat felt bigger than I expected — we had space to sprawl out and watch the city fade behind us, and our guide (Mahmoud) kept grinning at my attempts to say “Giftun” properly. The water was this unreal blue, but not in a postcard way — more like you’re staring at a color you can’t name yet. Someone spotted dolphins before I even finished my tea. I still get goosebumps thinking about that first fin slicing through the surface; there’s this hush that falls over everyone when wild animals show up, you know?

The snorkeling part was… well, I’m not a strong swimmer so I hesitated, but Mahmoud just handed me the mask and said “slow is fine.” Coral everywhere — some bits looked like old bones, others like neon mushrooms. We saw these tiny Picasso fish darting around and a clownfish that honestly seemed annoyed by us. My mask kept fogging up but I didn’t care much after a while. Lunch was served right after — grilled fish, rice, fresh fruit — nothing fancy but tasted better than any restaurant meal because of the sea air (and maybe hunger). There was coffee too; somehow it tasted saltier here.

Later we stopped at Abu Minqar Island — sand so soft it squeaked underfoot. Some folks paid extra to head over to Orange Bay or Eden Island for cocktails and music (I stuck with our group). The sun got heavy in the afternoon and everything slowed down: kids napping under towels, someone playing quiet music from their phone. Mahmoud told us stories about growing up in Hurghada; he said his uncle used to fish these waters before tourists ever came. That stuck with me more than I expected.

I guess what surprised me most about this private boat trip in Hurghada wasn’t just the snorkeling or seeing dolphins up close — it was how unhurried everything felt. No one rushed us off the boat or tried to sell us anything extra (which honestly happens a lot elsewhere). Just sunburned noses, sticky fingers from watermelon slices, and that weirdly comforting sound of water hitting the hull as we drifted back toward land.