Orange Bay Hurghada Giftun

How to Book an Orange Bay Day Trip

I’ll be honest — I almost skipped Orange Bay. After three long days of temples and tombs, the last thing I wanted was another crowded tour boat. But my hotel receptionist in Hurghada insisted, and she was right. The water is the color of melted glass.

Orange Bay sits on Giftun el Seghir, the smaller of two islands about an hour northeast of Hurghada marina. The sandbar runs ankle-deep for what feels like a hundred meters before the reef drops into deep blue. If you only have one beach day during your Red Sea trip, make it this one.

Orange Bay on Giftun Island with turquoise shallows and white sand, near Hurghada Egypt
The signature shallows at Orange Bay — this is the image every tour brochure uses, and for good reason.

In this guide I’ll walk through the three Viator tours I researched for their snorkel stops, boat quality, and food. I’ll also cover what to pack, how to avoid the 11am crush, and how Orange Bay compares to the other snorkel spots off the Hurghada coast.

Contents

The Quick Picks — My Three Favorite Orange Bay Tours

Most Orange Bay trips from Hurghada cost between $15 and $40 per person and include hotel pickup, breakfast, lunch, and two or three snorkel stops. The differences come down to boat size, crowd level, and whether you get a single beach stop or a multi-island itinerary.

My favorite value pick is the $15 Giftun Islands snorkeling trip — it’s the cheapest full day on the water I could find, with two reef stops plus the Orange Bay sandbar. If you want more polish, the VIP Orange Bay Island Cruise at $25 adds unlimited drinks and a quieter boat. For a full day that includes Hula Hula Island as a second stop, the luxury cruise combo is a strong $25 too.

White sand beach at Giftun Island with clear shallow water and tourist boats anchored offshore
Giftun Island’s beach in the early afternoon, shortly after the first wave of day boats arrived.

One thing worth noting up front — all three tours leave from Hurghada marina between 8:30 and 9:00am, and all three get back around 4:30pm. You’re looking at a full seven-hour day on the water, so bring reef-safe sunscreen and a hat.

The Islands Themselves — Giftun, Orange Bay and Hula Hula

Giftun Island is actually two islands, Giftun el Kebir (the big one) and Giftun el Seghir (the small one). Orange Bay is the sandbar on the southwestern corner of the small island. The whole area sits inside the Giftun Islands Protectorate, which means the reefs are better protected than the mainland house reefs.

Aerial view of Giftun Island coastline with coral reef structures visible through clear Red Sea water
The reef structure along Giftun’s western edge drops fast — great for snorkelers who stay near the dropoff.

The sandbar at Orange Bay gets its name from the orange-tinted coral fragments that wash up along the waterline. At low tide you can walk a good distance out, and the water never comes above your waist until you reach the edge. It’s one of the few snorkel spots in the Red Sea where beginners can stand up and adjust their masks without panicking.

Hula Hula Island is the smaller stop most combo tours add in the afternoon. It’s basically a pristine sandbar with no facilities — you swim, take photos, and move on. If you’re doing the luxury cruise combo, Hula Hula is where you’ll drop in for a second snorkel before heading back.

Orange Bay beach with parasols and wooden walkway over shallow turquoise water at Giftun
The wooden walkway at Orange Bay — it lets boats drop swimmers without tearing up the seagrass.

One logistical note — Giftun el Kebir (the big island) has a military base on its northern end, so no tour boats stop there. Every Orange Bay trip you’ll find online actually lands at the small island.

Tour #1 — VIP Orange Bay Island Cruise with Breakfast, Lunch and Drinks

VIP Orange Bay Island Cruise — $25 per person

VIP Orange Bay Island Cruise boat with sun deck
The VIP cruise uses a mid-size yacht with open sun deck — my top pick for quieter boats.

This is the pick I’d give to anyone who wants a beach day without feeling packed onto a party boat. The VIP cruise keeps its guest count capped so you actually get a sun bed, and the breakfast and buffet lunch are served onboard with unlimited soft drinks, tea and coffee included.

Hotel pickup runs from 8:00 to 8:30am depending on where you’re staying in Hurghada. The boat makes one reef snorkel stop before anchoring at the Orange Bay sandbar for about three hours — enough time to swim, eat, and nap before the return run.

It’s the most popular pick I saw, with a strong 5.0 average across 38 responses. You can see the full breakdown in our review of the VIP Orange Bay Island Cruise.

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Snorkel boat anchored off Giftun Island with clear Red Sea water and rocky shoreline
Snorkel boats anchor inside the reef lagoon — the dropoff is 30 meters from where the dinghies pull in.

One small quirk with the VIP boat — the breakfast is light (bread, cheese, tomato, olives, jam) so eat at the hotel first if you’re a big breakfast person. The lunch, by contrast, is a full buffet with grilled chicken, rice, salads and a vegetarian option.

Tour #2 — Giftun Islands Snorkeling Trip with Lunch and Water Activities

Giftun Islands Snorkeling Trip — $15 per person

Giftun Islands Snorkeling Trip boat with swimmers in turquoise water
The $15 Giftun snorkel trip delivers two reef stops and the sandbar — my value pick.

If the VIP boat feels like too much at $25, this $15 trip gives you almost the same itinerary on a bigger, more social boat. You still get hotel pickup, a buffet lunch, two snorkel stops and time at the Orange Bay sandbar — just with more people around you.

Water activities on this tour include a banana boat ride and the option to add jet ski time as an extra on the day. Snorkel gear is included in the base price, but bring your own mask if you’re picky about fit.

I’d point first-time Red Sea visitors here, especially families traveling on a tight budget. The full trip breakdown is in our Giftun Islands snorkel review.

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Paradise Island beach near Giftun with shallow green water and wooden pier
Paradise Island, just north of Orange Bay — some tours add this as a third stop when sea conditions allow.

A small warning on this one — it’s a busy tour, and if you’re the type who wants a quiet boat, upgrade to one of the smaller cruises. That said, the price is hard to beat if you just want to tick off the Orange Bay experience.

Tour #3 — Hurghada Luxury Cruise to Orange Bay and Hula Hula Island

Luxury Cruise to Orange Bay + Hula Hula — $25 per person

Hurghada luxury cruise yacht to Orange Bay and Hula Hula Island
The combo cruise adds Hula Hula Island as a second stop — best option if you want two sandbars in one day.

This is the longest-running option on the list, with 61 reviews and a 4.5 average. It gives you the Orange Bay sandbar plus Hula Hula Island, which is a smaller and quieter sandbar about 20 minutes further northeast. No buildings, no umbrellas — just sand and water.

The boat is a proper twin-hull cruiser with a big sun deck and indoor salon for the trip out. Breakfast, open buffet lunch, and soft drinks are included. The schedule is identical to the other Orange Bay tours — 9am departure, 4:30pm return.

Pick this one if you want two islands in one day and can handle a slightly longer time on the water. Full details on the tour are in our luxury cruise review.

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Paradise Island sandbar with small umbrella shelters and turquoise Red Sea water
Afternoon light on the sandbar — the breeze usually picks up around 2pm, which is actually a relief after the hot morning.

What the Snorkeling Is Actually Like

Let me set expectations honestly. The snorkeling at Orange Bay is good, not great. For the best reef, you need to go to the dropoff on the west side of Giftun el Seghir, which is about 200 meters from the sandbar and where the tour boats make their dedicated reef stop before anchoring.

Coral reef edge with fish at Giftun Islands in the Red Sea near Hurghada
The reef dropoff west of Giftun — this is where the snorkel stop takes place, not at the sandbar itself.

Expect to see parrotfish, sergeant majors, blue surgeonfish, and the occasional pufferfish or moray eel. If you’re lucky you’ll spot a small reef shark in the deeper blue, but they tend to stay well off the dropoff during busy hours.

Brain coral and soft corals at shallow reef in the Red Sea
Brain coral and sea fans — the coral cover at the Giftun dropoff is healthier than the mainland reefs closer to Hurghada.

If you’ve snorkeled Ras Mohammed or Tiran Island off Sharm, Giftun will feel like a step down. But if this is your first Red Sea snorkel or your baseline is the Caribbean, you’ll be impressed.

School of reef fish over coral in shallow water at Giftun Island
Fish density is highest in the first hour after sunrise and in the late afternoon, which you’ll mostly miss on the standard tour window.

One tip — ask your guide if the boat stops at Aquarium, the reef channel on the northwestern edge of the small island. It’s not on every itinerary, but when conditions allow, it’s the best reef patch in the whole protected area.

Orange Bay vs. the Other Hurghada Options

Hurghada has a lot of snorkel trips. You’ll see boats advertised for Sahl Hasheesh, Abu Ramada, Mahmya Island, and a dozen other names. Here’s how Orange Bay stacks up.

Snorkel boat traffic at Giftun Islands with multiple white boats anchored near beach
Peak boat density around 11:30am — this is why I recommend booking a tour that leaves the marina by 8:30.

Mahmya Island is the nicest beach of the three, but it charges a $25 island access fee on top of whatever you pay for the tour. Orange Bay has no access fee — the sandbar is free to land at, and boats just pay the protectorate fee as part of their operating costs.

Tourists wading in shallow turquoise water near snorkel boats at Giftun
This is the typical mid-morning scene — arrive earlier and you’ll have the shallows mostly to yourself.

If the sea is rough (which happens October to March), Orange Bay is also the most sheltered option because of how the small island wraps around the sandbar. Sahl Hasheesh and Abu Ramada get choppy fast.

Row of beach umbrellas at Orange Bay with turquoise water and sandbar
Beach umbrellas are included on most tours, but they’re first-come-first-served once you step off the boat.

If you only have one beach day, Orange Bay wins on value. If you have two, do Orange Bay first and add a Mahmya day if you want a quieter, higher-end experience.

How Orange Bay Fits Into a Hurghada Itinerary

Most travelers I talked to in Hurghada were doing some version of this: one beach day, one desert day, one Luxor day, and then pool time at the hotel. That’s a solid four-day rhythm.

Aerial view of Hurghada beach resort with long jetty stretching into Red Sea
Most Hurghada resorts have their own house reef, but day trips to Orange Bay or Giftun deliver much better snorkeling.

I’d slot Orange Bay on day two or three — you’ll want at least one acclimatization day in the sun before a seven-hour boat day. For the desert component, see my notes on the Hurghada desert safari and quad bike tours. For the Luxor component, the long day trip to Luxor is a 14-hour commitment but worth every hour.

Beach umbrellas on white sand with blue Red Sea water stretching to horizon
The view from the sandbar looking west toward Hurghada — the mountains you see across the water are the Egyptian mainland.

A common mistake is doing the Luxor day trip the day before Orange Bay. Don’t — the Luxor trip leaves at 4am and gets you back at 10pm, and you’ll be wrecked for the boat. Put Orange Bay first, then Luxor, then a rest day.

Red Sea sunset from Hurghada with silhouetted boats and orange sky
Back in Hurghada around sunset — the marina restaurants are busiest from 7pm onward, so eat late if you want a table.

What to Pack

This is a full day in Red Sea sun, and it’s brutal. If you underpack, you’ll come home sunburned and dehydrated.

Aerial view of Hurghada resort with multiple pools swimming areas and the Red Sea beyond
Hurghada’s resorts stretch for kilometers along the coast — most have shuttle desks that can rebook you if your tour is cancelled.

My packing list: reef-safe sunscreen (SPF 50 minimum), a long-sleeve rash guard, a hat with a chin strap, polarized sunglasses, and a big beach towel. Add a dry bag for your phone and passport if you want to keep them off the boat.

Most tours include snorkel gear, but the masks are hit-or-miss. If you wear glasses or have a narrow face, buy your own mask from one of the dive shops along the Hurghada marina before you go. A decent mask is $15 to $25.

Hurghada Marina with yachts moored at docks and restaurants along the waterfront
The Hurghada Marina — this is where almost every Orange Bay boat departs, and where you’ll get picked up if you stay in the old town area.

Cash is useful on the boat for tips and drinks if yours aren’t all-inclusive — budget 50 to 100 Egyptian pounds for the crew. Card isn’t reliable once you’re off the marina.

Booking Timing — When to Go

The high season for Orange Bay is October through April. Water temps are still in the 24-26°C range, but the air is pleasant and the sea tends to be calmer.

Egyptian flag on stern of snorkel boat with Red Sea in background
Egyptian flag on the stern of an operator boat — local operators make up the bulk of the fleet, with prices typically lower than international tour operators.

July and August are hot — daytime temps hit 40°C and the boats are crowded. Avoid these months if you can, or book the earliest departure to beat the heat.

January and February bring the most wind, which can cancel tours at short notice. Book refundable options, and if you see a forecast over 20 knots, expect your trip to be rescheduled.

White yacht anchored near Giftun Island with clear water and rocky shore
Private yacht charters are an option if your group is five or more — prices start around $300 for a full day split across the group.

On the day, check the wind direction. North winds are fine for Orange Bay. Strong easterlies push chop into the sandbar and make the snorkel stops uncomfortable.

Is There a Diving Option at Orange Bay?

Yes, but Orange Bay isn’t the best dive site near Hurghada. The real dive reefs are further out — Umm Gamar, Shaab el Erg, and the wrecks at Abu Nuhas.

Scuba divers in Red Sea with regulator bubbles rising to surface near reef
Scuba divers at a Red Sea reef — if you’re a certified diver, the Hurghada day-dive boats head to deeper sites than the snorkel tours.

That said, intro dives (try-dives) are offered from many Orange Bay boats for about $40 to $60 extra. You’ll get a 20-minute guided dive to 8 meters with an instructor, which is fine for a taste of scuba but nothing serious.

Coral bommie rising from sand with tropical fish at Red Sea reef
A typical Red Sea coral bommie — these formations are what you’ll see on intro dives from the Orange Bay boats.

If you’re a certified diver, book a dedicated dive boat instead. Hurghada dive shops like Emperor Divers and Subex run proper two-tank days to the better sites for around $80.

Combining Orange Bay with Other Egypt Trips

Hurghada works well as a base for a mixed beach-and-culture Egypt trip. Two beach days in Hurghada, a desert day, a Luxor day trip, and then fly to Cairo for the pyramids. That’s a solid ten-day itinerary.

Hurghada waterfront promenade with palm trees and boats in harbor
The Hurghada waterfront promenade — not a tourist sight in itself, but a pleasant place to walk at sunset between tour days.

If you’re building a longer trip, consider flying from Hurghada to Aswan and doing a four-day Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor before returning to Cairo. That way you see the Red Sea, the Nile, and the pyramids in one loop.

The alternative is to skip Hurghada entirely and base yourself in Sharm El Sheikh for the beach portion. Sharm’s reefs are better, but the town is more sprawling and the transfers from Cairo are longer. See the Sharm El Sheikh adventures guide for that comparison.

Red Sea coral reef scene with colorful soft corals and small tropical fish
Soft coral stands like this are scattered throughout the Giftun protectorate — most dense on the leeward side of the small island.

If you’re adding a Cairo dinner cruise on the back end of the trip, check my notes on the Cairo Nile dinner cruise options — it’s the easiest evening add-on after the pyramids.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Orange Bay cost from Hurghada? The standard price range is $15 to $40 per person, including hotel pickup, breakfast, lunch, and snorkel gear. Premium cruises with fewer people run up to $60.

Can I go to Orange Bay without a tour? Not easily. There’s no public ferry, and private boat hire from the marina starts around $200 for the day. Almost everyone books a tour.

Is Orange Bay good for kids? Yes — the shallow sandbar is one of the safest Red Sea swim spots for kids. Bring kid-size snorkel gear from home, as rental sizes are limited.

What’s the best time of year? October to November and March to April give the best balance of warm weather, calm seas, and smaller crowds. Avoid August if you can.

How does Orange Bay compare to the pyramids? Different experience entirely. If you’re mixing beach and culture, add the Giza Pyramids tour from Cairo to cover the Cairo side.

Do I need to tip the crew? Yes — 50 to 100 EGP per person is the norm for a full-day boat. If the service was unusually good, round up.

What if the weather cancels my tour? Most operators reschedule for the next available day or refund. Book through a refundable channel if you only have one beach day.

Can I combine Orange Bay with a sunrise balloon? Not in the same day — the balloon is in Luxor, a 4-hour drive away. But if you’re doing both, see the Luxor sunrise balloon guide and plan them on separate days.

My Bottom Line

Orange Bay is the best single beach day from Hurghada. It’s accessible, affordable, and the shallows are genuinely beautiful. The snorkeling is decent if you make it to the reef stop, and the sandbar itself is a standout Red Sea photo spot.

For most travelers, the $15 Giftun Islands snorkeling trip is the right call. For couples or anyone who wants a quieter boat, go with the VIP Orange Bay Island Cruise. For people who want two island stops in one day, take the luxury cruise to Hula Hula.

Book a day or two ahead in peak season — these tours sell out, and walking into the marina the morning of will cost you twice the online price with no guarantee of a seat.