Giftun Island
Tours & tickets

Hand-picked by our editors — only the best 5 experiences from 118 reviewed.

Open today 09:00–18:00
Attendance: Moderate — autumn shoulder season
Arrival by 11:00 is recommended to secure the best spots before midday peak.
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Tickets

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Hurghada Luxury Cruise to Orange Bay with Lunch 8 hr 30 min
Luxury / Private

Hurghada Luxury Cruise to Orange Bay with Lunch

★ 4.9 (6920)
$59
per person
Instant Mobile voucher Flexible — change up to 24h

Sail to Orange Bay for snorkeling, a seafood buffet, and an onboard massage in the Red Sea.

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Hurghada Three Islands Yacht Trip with Dolphins & Lunch 8 hr
Luxury / Private

Hurghada Three Islands Yacht Trip with Dolphins & Lunch

★ 4.7 (8787)
€40
per person
Instant Mobile voucher Flexible — change up to 24h

Full-day yacht cruise to three islands with snorkeling, dolphin watching, and seafood lunch.

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Prices from verified partners. Availability updates in real time at checkout. Free cancellation policies apply where shown.

Highlights

What you'll see inside the attraction

The landmarks, rooms, and views travelers on this tour remember — all visible on a single visit.

Orange Bay

Renowned for its shallow turquoise waters and white sandbar, making it the most photogenic beach on the island.

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Orange Bay Beach

Mahmya Beach

Located in the northern protected zone, this area offers a more secluded atmosphere with a high-quality reef just offshore.

sandy_shoreline_red_sea_reef

Mahmya Island Beach

Paradise Island

A low crescent of sand known for its Caribbean-like feel and convenient access for casual snorkelers.

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Paradise Island Hurghada

Dolphin House

A natural habitat area nearby where snorkelers often spot wild dolphins swimming in the open sea.

wild_dolphin_underwater_swimming

Dolphin House Snorkeling

The Coral Gardens

This protected reef area surrounding the island contains over 190 coral species and serves as a vital nursery for marine life.

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Red Sea Coral Reef

Head to head

Giftun Island Private Tour vs Group Excursion — Choosing Your Maritime Experience

Private charters provide a tailored Red Sea experience, while group vessels are superior for social travelers seeking a structured Hurghada day trip. They complement each other; most visitors who do both call the private vessel more relaxing.

Feature Top pick Private Charter Group Excursion
Privacy Level
Shared deck space
Flexibility of Itinerary
Fixed schedule and stops
Group Size
20–50 passengers
Average Cost
800–1,500 EGP
Snorkeling Time Flexibility
Strict 45–60 minute intervals
Onboard Amenities
Standard shared restrooms and deck

Verdict: Securing giftun island private tour tickets is recommended for those prioritizing solitude, whereas group snorkeling tours remain the economical choice for travelers needing a pre-planned Red Sea itinerary.

How your ticket works

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  1. 01

    Book online

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  2. 02

    Receive your mobile voucher

    Instant confirmation by email, with a mobile voucher you can save offline. No printing, no queuing at a collection desk.

  3. 03

    Show & enter

    Arrive at the entrance, show your voucher on your phone, and walk in. Most tickets include priority or skip-the-line access.

Plan your visit

Everything you need to know before you go

Practical details for your visit straight from our verified partners — hours, access, rules, and how to get there.

Open today · 09:00–18:00
Opening Hours
09:00–18:00
Address
Giftun Island, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt
Accessibility
Boat-accessible via private or group charter
Best arrival window
09:00–11:00
Storage
Limited; bring only essentials for the boat
Location
Red Sea, accessible from Hurghada Marina
Mon
09:00–18:00
Tue
09:00–18:00
Wed
09:00–18:00
Thu
09:00–18:00
Fri
09:00–18:00
Sat
09:00–18:00
Sun
09:00–18:00
Location

Address
Giftun Island, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt
Storage
Limited; bring only essentials for the boat
Location
Red Sea, accessible from Hurghada Marina

Dress code

Light, breathable summer clothing is recommended for a giftun island private tour. Ensure you have swimwear, a cover-up for when you are off the boat, and comfortable sandals or water shoes.

Bags & security

Travel light on your giftun island private tour, as space on private charter boats is limited. Keep valuables in a dry bag to protect them from sea spray.

Photography

Capture your giftun island private tour memories easily, but please be mindful of sensitive coral reefs when snorkeling. Underwater camera housings are highly recommended for the best shots.

Accessibility

Access to the island requires boarding a boat from the Hurghada marina, which may not be suitable for all mobility needs. Consult your operator regarding specific vessel capabilities before booking your giftun island private tour.

What to bring

  • Reef-safe sunscreen
  • Wide-brimmed hat
  • Water shoes
  • Swimwear
  • Towel
  • Cash for tips
  • Dry bag

Not allowed

  • Single-use plastics
  • Glass bottles
  • Harpoon guns
  • Spearfishing gear
  • Chemical sunscreens
  • Fireworks
  • Drones
  • Pets

Families & strollers

A giftun island private tour is excellent for families looking for calm waters and sandy beaches. Many operators provide life jackets in various sizes to ensure safety during your snorkeling day trip.

Food & drink

Most private boat charters include a buffet lunch and refreshments as part of the package. It is advisable to confirm the specific menu inclusions when booking your giftun island private tour.

Around your visit

Everything else worth knowing

Best time to go, insider tips, nearby landmarks, and the cancellation fine print — flip through to skim what matters to you.

Cancellation policy

Flexible, no hidden fees.

Full refunds are typically available for cancellations made at least 24 hours in advance. Please note that the 300 EGP conservation fee is a mandatory island entry charge per person.

About

The place, in context

Every visitor who steps ashore here pays 300 EGP, a conservation fee, per person, typically collected by boat operators. That money supports a protected area Egypt declared in 1995, when the Red Sea islands were placed under state protection to slow unregulated building. A Giftun Island Private Tour therefore buys passage into a managed landscape, not an open beach. Two islands make up the group: Giftun Kebir, the larger, and Giftun Soraya, the smaller, lying east of Hurghada across a channel that falls quickly from turquoise into deep blue. Hurghada was a fishing settlement of a few hundred people when oil prospectors arrived in the early twentieth century. The reefs offshore were charted as hazards, not attractions; Admiralty surveys marked them as obstacles to shipping. Sport diving rewrote that coastline in the 1970s and 1980s, and the islands moved from navigational nuisance to destination. A Giftun Island Private Tour tour now traces water that fishermen worked for generations, out past Umm Gamar and the shallow banks where spinner dolphins rest in daylight. Giftun itself is an uplifted fossil reef, a limestone platform, its surface bleached and brittle, its edges fringed by living coral. More than two hundred species of hard and soft coral grow in the Red Sea, and the walls off Giftun Soraya carry a dense cross-section: table corals, fire coral, gorgonian fans. Butterflyfish, parrotfish and bannerfish work the shallows. Giftun Island Private Tour tickets are, in practice, access to that reef system; the sand is incidental. Orange Bay and Mahmya, the two developed beaches, occupy small footprints on an otherwise uninhabited shoreline. The islands matter now for what they restrain. Mooring buoys replaced anchors on the main reefs. Boat numbers are counted. Rangers police the line between the bay's umbrellas and the coral behind them, and the 09:00–18:00 window on the island keeps vessel traffic predictable rather than continuous. Hurghada island tours sell sunlight and snorkelling, but the underlying asset is a reef that has absorbed forty years of tourism better than most in the region. Giftun Island Private Tour tours are, at their best, a short lesson in that arithmetic: a shallow, fragile shelf, held in balance by a fee, a boundary and a ranger's patience.

"The sand is incidental; the reef is the reason."
Your experience

What a tour day looks like

A step-by-step walkthrough of the visit — what you'll see, how long each stage takes, and the details that matter.

You leave the marina in the 09:00–11:00 window, before the heat settles and before the day boats stack up at the jetty. The crossing takes most of an hour. Spray dries on your arms in minutes. Past the first reef the skipper cuts the engine, and you go in off the swim platform, mask first, into water clear enough to count the fins on a passing bannerfish. Back aboard, you dry out on the foredeck while the crew sets up lunch — grilled fish, rice, salad, cold drinks. The 300 EGP conservation fee is per person, typically collected by boat operators, so you settle it on the boat rather than in a queue at the jetty. A Giftun Island Private Tour buys you the quiet version of all this: your own skipper, your own snorkel stops, no shared timetable. Ashore, you walk the waterline to the far end of the bay, where the umbrellas stop and the bleached limestone shelf begins. Barefoot is a mistake here — the rock is sharp. You wade back out, hang above the reef wall for a last twenty minutes, then climb the ladder with salt drying in your hair. The crossing home is bumpier. Nobody minds.

Frequently asked

Frequently asked questions about giftun island private tour tours

What are the opening hours for a giftun island private tour?

The island is open daily from 09:00–18:00. Private tours usually operate within these hours.

Is the conservation fee included in giftun island private tour tickets?

No, the 300 EGP conservation fee is typically collected by boat operators separately per person.

What is the best time to arrive at the island?

Arrival between 09:00–11:00 is recommended to avoid peak heat and the crowds of larger excursion boats.

Are there age restrictions for this snorkeling activity?

Most operators welcome families, but ensure life jackets are provided for children on your giftun island private tour.

Can I book a private boat for my giftun island private tour?

Yes, booking a private charter is the best way to enjoy a tailored giftun island private tour experience.

How do I get to the departure point?

Most operators include hotel pick-up and drop-off in Hurghada for your giftun island private tour.

Is food provided on a giftun island private tour?

Most tours include a buffet lunch and drinks, but verify this with your operator when finalizing your giftun island private tour booking.

What should I bring on a giftun island private tour?

Bring reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, water shoes, and a dry bag for your giftun island private tour equipment.

Can I cancel my giftun island private tour?

Check your specific operator's policy; generally, a 24-hour notice is required for a full refund on your giftun island private tour.

Are there nearby attractions to combine with my visit?

You can combine your trip with visits to the Hurghada Marina or other nearby Red Sea snorkeling spots.