In short
Hurghada is the big Red Sea resort on the mainland side, facing Sinai. It runs for tens of kilometres along the coast, which changes everything: two hotels "in Hurghada" can be an hour's drive apart.
El Dahar is the old town, with the souk and ordinary Egyptian life. Sekalla is the tourist centre. The Marina is the developed promenade. El Gouna, twenty-five kilometres north, is a privately built town laid out around lagoons; Makadi and Soma Bay, to the south, are hotel zones.
Arriving and getting around
The international airport is heavily served by charter flights from Europe, often cheaper than Sharm el-Sheikh.
Unlike Sinai, there is no simplified entry permit here: the ordinary Egyptian visa regime applies, and it depends on nationality. Check with the relevant consulate before departure.
The bus remains the standard link to Cairo and Luxor; Luxor is about four hours by road, which makes it a long but feasible excursion.
What it really costs
All-inclusive dominates, and Hurghada is generally cheaper than Sharm el-Sheikh for an equivalent standard.
El Gouna operates at an entirely different price level, closer to a European resort.
When to come
March–May and October–November. Summer passes 40 °C. Winter stays mild and sunny but the northerly wind blows and the water cools.
That wind is precisely what gives the region its kitesurfing reputation: it is most reliable from May to September.
What nobody tells you
Giftun Island is the target of the most heavily sold boat trip. It is a national park and an entry fee is added to the excursion price; the boats are numerous in high season.
Quad excursions in the desert and "Bedouin villages" are tourist products built for the purpose, and are sold as authentic.
The reef is reachable from the shore in front of several hotels, without a boat: it is often the best snorkelling of the day, and it is free.
