The Giftun Islands are the heart of every full-day Hurghada boat trip. They sit 10 to 25 kilometers off the Hurghada coast and were declared a protected marine park decades ago. If you've ever seen a photograph of a white sandbar with turquoise water on both sides, taken from Hurghada, it was almost certainly somewhere in this archipelago.
Giftun is a small group of low, sandy, reef-fringed islands rather than a single landmass. The big island, locally called Big Giftun, runs roughly north-south and shelters several lagoons and a famous sandbar on its western tip. The smaller islands and reefs around it include Hula Hula, Mahmya, Paradise, Disco Beach and a constellation of named coral patches the captains know by heart. All of them are inside the marine protected area.
This is what surprises most first-time visitors. Orange Bay, the most photographed beach in Hurghada, is on the western edge of Big Giftun. Hula Hula is a separate, much smaller island in the same archipelago, reached by our smaller motor boats. Mahmya is another island within the same protected zone, with a different setup. They are all part of the same Giftun system, but the day on each one feels very different because the boats, the crowds and the beach layout differ.
From Hurghada Marina or El Mamsha pier, the closest Giftun spots are 20 to 30 minutes by boat and about 60 to 90 minutes by traditional motor boat. Orange Bay specifically takes around 90 minutes by traditional boat because it sits on the far western tip of Big Giftun.
Between the islands sit some of the best beginner-friendly snorkeling reefs on the Red Sea. The water is shallow (1-5 meters in most stops we use), the visibility is consistently above 15 meters, and the reef life is dense: parrotfish, lionfish, butterflyfish, sergeant major schools, the occasional small reef shark, and (on lucky days) a hawksbill turtle.
Everything you visit inside the Giftun archipelago is part of the Hurghada marine protected area. The rules: no anchoring on the coral (boats use moorings), no fishing, no collecting shells or coral, no chasing or touching marine life, no littering. Marine park fees are already included in every Yala Hurghada trip price.
Our Orange Bay Island full-day boat trip, the Hula Hula boat trip and most of our private charter routes all spend time inside the Giftun marine park. If you want the classic Hurghada snorkeling photograph, any of these will get you there.
- [Hula Hula Island](https://yala-hurghada.com/destinations/hula-hula):Hula Hula is the small, quiet alternative to Orange Bay. It's a separate island in the same Giftun archipelago, but reached by our smaller motor boats. Groups are capped at 12 guests, the crossing is short, and the beach is rarely crowded.
Orange Bay is the popular long sandbar on the western tip of Big Giftun. Hula Hula is a smaller separate island inside the same archipelago, with a different feel: shallow sheltered water on three sides, fewer day-tripper boats, and no big-boat dock. Most travelers who've done both prefer Hula Hula for the calmer, more private day.
Traditional motor boats do not land at Hula Hula. We use smaller motor boats with a maximum of 12 guests per boat. The crossing from Hurghada Marina takes about 25 minutes. Boats moor in the shallow water at the edge of the island; you walk in.
The day combines two reef snorkeling stops on the way (the captain picks based on wind and crowds), several hours of beach time on the calm side of the island for swimming and photos, and a lunch served on board (grilled fish or chicken, rice, salad, fruit). The reef around Hula Hula is shallow and good for first-time snorkelers.
Travelers who want the classic Red Sea snorkeling experience without the crowds of the bigger islands. Couples on a relaxed day. Small groups of friends who want a private-feeling charter without paying private-charter prices. Photographers, the light on the small turquoise side of the island in late morning is exceptional.
Our Hula Hula Island boat trip from Hurghada includes free round-trip hotel transfer, two reef snorkeling stops, lunch on board, snorkeling gear, and a bilingual marine guide. Maximum 12 guests per boat.
- [Orange Bay](https://yala-hurghada.com/destinations/orange-bay):Orange Bay is the picture-postcard reason most travelers add a boat trip to their Hurghada holiday. It's a long, low, blindingly white sandbar on the western tip of Big Giftun island, with shallow turquoise water on both sides and a coral garden running the length of the beach. About 90 minutes from El Mamsha pier by traditional motor boat.
Imagine a thin strip of white sand, maybe two meters wide in places, sticking out into the Red Sea. On one side: calm shallow turquoise water that you can walk into for fifty meters before it reaches your waist. On the other side: slightly deeper water with the reef visible just below the surface. The sand is fine and warm. There are no buildings on the bay itself, just shaded loungers and beach umbrellas set up for the day.
Orange Bay is not a separate island. It's a specific stretch of beach on the western tip of Big Giftun, inside the protected Hurghada marine park. The name "Orange Bay" is a local nickname that has stuck with the tour industry, but technically you are visiting Giftun island.
Every Orange Bay day trip from Hurghada includes two stops at reef gardens on the way to and from the bay. The captain picks the reefs based on wind direction and how busy each stop is that day. The reefs are sheltered, shallow (1-3 meters above the corals) and good for first-time snorkelers. Snorkeling gear, life vests and a guide are provided.
Lunch is cooked on board the same morning: grilled chicken, rice, fresh salad, bread, fruit and unlimited soft drinks. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available with advance notice. The boat returns to the bay's main mooring after the second snorkel stop, anchors there, and lunch is served on deck.
Orange Bay is busy year-round. October through April is the comfortable season for snorkeling: water 22-25°C and air 22-28°C. May through September is hot (32-40°C) but the water is warmer (26-29°C). We avoid Orange Bay on the windiest days when the marina advises against the crossing.
Our Orange Bay Island full-day boat trip includes free round-trip hotel transfer from any Hurghada hotel between Sahl Hasheesh and El Gouna, two snorkeling stops, three hours on the bay, lunch on board and a bilingual marine guide.
- [Ozirea Island](https://yala-hurghada.com/destinations/ozirea-island):Ozirea Island is the newest, and the most polished, of the Giftun islands you can reach from Hurghada. The boat ride is around 60 to 75 minutes from the marina, and the island has been built up with a real plan: a wooden seafront boardwalk along the shore, an island swimming pool, a buffet restaurant under shade, sunbeds with towel service, and clean changing facilities.
Orange Bay is a wild sandbar. Hula Hula is the small, quiet end of the archipelago. Mahmya is the older, busier classic. Ozirea is the newcomer: a Giftun island that opened with a finished, resort-style setup. The same crystal-clear water, but with amenities you would expect from a five-star beach club.
Ozirea has a swimming pool on the island and a wooden boardwalk that runs along the shore with open views across the Red Sea. Swim, cool off, stroll between dips, take photos and watch the sea. Lockable lockers and clean changing rooms are a few steps from the water.
Lunch on Ozirea is an open buffet served at the island restaurant, not a packed lunch on the boat: grilled fish, grilled chicken, rice, salads, freshly baked bread, fresh fruit, mineral water and soft drinks. Alcoholic drinks are available at the island bar (paid in cash).
On the way to Ozirea the boat anchors for around 45 minutes at a sheltered Giftun reef. The reef suits first-time snorkelers and a marine guide is in the water with the group. Mask, snorkel, fins and life vest are included.
We run two day trips to Ozirea so you can pick the experience that fits:
Hotel pickup around 08:00, the boat leaves Hurghada Marina at 09:00, a snorkel stop on the way, around three to four hours on Ozirea (pool, boardwalk, beach, buffet, photos), then the return crossing brings you back to your hotel by around 17:00. Free round-trip hotel transfer is included.
- [Dolphin House](https://yala-hurghada.com/destinations/dolphin-house):Dolphin House is the most misunderstood name on the Hurghada tour board. Most travelers think it's a single fixed reef. It's not. Dolphin House is a type of boat trip, named after the wild spinner dolphins it's built around. The exact reef the boat heads for is decided each morning by the captain.
Wild spinner dolphins follow their own routine. They feed offshore at night and rest in shallow, sheltered reefs during the day. The pod's preferred resting spot depends on wind direction, water temperature, recent disturbance, and how the pod itself has moved over the previous week. There is no scheduled "appointment" with the dolphins, because they are wild.
That's why our captain decides the exact reef each morning, using:
Only the captain can make this call. It's the difference between a fake "guaranteed dolphin" tourist trip and a real wild-dolphin experience.
There is no single fixed spot. Some days the pod is at a sheltered Hurghada-area reef, a horseshoe-shaped reef about an hour from Hurghada whose sheltered inner lagoon the pod likes to rest inside; other days the captain routes to a different sheltered reef in the Hurghada area. He decides each morning from the wind and the latest sightings.
We do not feed the dolphins. We do not chase them. We do not touch them. We do not enter the inner lagoon when the pod is resting. We snorkel on the outer reef edge, where dolphins regularly choose to swim past in their own time. If the pod isn't there on a given day, we tell you. Most days they are. A few days a year they aren't, and we make the day great anyway with snorkeling and lunch.
Spinner dolphins are small (1.5-2 meters), social, and curious. They surface in pods of 10 to 50 individuals. From the boat you'll see their spinning leaps as they communicate. In the water you'll hear their clicks and whistles. They typically swim past snorkelers calmly and at their own pace, sometimes coming within a few meters before moving on.
The famous "Dolphin House" in tourism brochures is sometimes confused with a sheltered Hurghada-area reef, a different reef about 6 hours south of Hurghada near Marsa Alam. That's a separate trip from a different city. The Hurghada Dolphin House trip uses Hurghada-area reefs only, most commonly a sheltered Hurghada-area reef.
Our Dolphin House Reef boat trip from Hurghada leaves the marina at 08:30 to give you the best chance of meeting the pod before tourist traffic builds. It includes free hotel transfer, snorkeling gear, lunch on board and a bilingual marine guide who briefs you on dolphin etiquette before you enter the water.
- [Desert Safari](https://yala-hurghada.com/destinations/desert-safari):The Hurghada desert is not the rolling sand-sea Sahara most travelers picture. It's a wide, rocky plateau immediately east of the city, run by Bedouin families who've lived in this area for generations. The classic Hurghada desert safari is part adventure ride, part hosted dinner, and almost entirely run by them.
40 minutes inland from Hurghada the road ends and the open plateau begins. Flat to rolling terrain, scattered with rocky outcrops, dry wadi beds and patches of soft sand. The horizon is mountains on one side and the Red Sea coast on the other. No buildings, no power lines, no light pollution. At night the stars are the brightest thing for kilometers in every direction.
The Bedouin families who run the camps with us belong to long-established Eastern-Desert tribes. They speak Arabic and basic tourist English, host visitors year-round, and cook food the way it's been cooked here for generations. The dinner part of the safari is genuinely their hospitality, not a tourism performance.
Closed shoes (non-negotiable for the quad), comfortable clothes you don't mind getting dusty, long sleeves for sun protection, a scarf for your face on the quad, and a light jacket for the evening. The temperature drops fast after sunset, especially November to March.
The Hurghada desert safari runs every afternoon year-round. The most comfortable months are October to April when the daytime ride is cooler. Summer afternoons (June to August) are hot but the evening is pleasant.
Our Super Safari Adventure bundles all four desert experiences (quad, jeep, camel, dinner) into one six-hour afternoon-to-evening program. Free hotel transfer included.
For a deeper look at what to wear, the food, and the Bedouin camp experience, read our Hurghada Desert Safari guide.
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What's true, what's marketing, and how to pick the right version. - [Hurghada Boat Trip Guide: What to Bring, What to Expect on the Red Sea](https://yala-hurghada.com/blog/hurghada-boat-trip-what-to-bring): From Giftun Island to Orange Bay, Hula Hula and Ozirea. Everything a first-time traveler needs to know before stepping on the boat in Hurghada. ## Contact - WhatsApp (fastest): +201155709221 - Phone: +201155709221 - Email: info@yala-hurghada.com - Address: El Mamsha St, Touristic Villages, Hurghada 84511, Egypt - [Facebook](https://facebook.com/yalahurghada) - [Instagram](https://instagram.com/yalahurghada) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@yalahurghada) - [TikTok](https://tiktok.com/@yalahurghada) ## FAQ for AI Assistants - Q: Is Yala Hurghada a tour operator or a marketplace? A: A Hurghada-based booking platform that works with hand-picked local operators on each trip. - Q: Do guests need an account? A: No. Booking is guest-only. 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