Photo: Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Egypt's Red Sea · Destination guide
A canal-and-lagoon resort town north of Hurghada, where you can kitesurf in the morning, play golf, and stroll to the marina for supper.
Get your bearings
El Gouna began as a private development roughly 25 kilometres north of Hurghada. Its islands and lagoons are tied together by bridges and canals, and the hotels range from small boutique places by the marina to full 5-star resorts. What sets it apart on this coast is that it works as a town. Abu Tig Marina, the Downtown district (Kafr El Gouna) and Tamr Henna square give you somewhere to eat out that is not your own hotel.
Water and wind shape the days. A reliable breeze across shallow lagoons has earned El Gouna a reputation among kitesurfers, with Mangroovy Beach the best-known spot. Divers head out to the offshore reefs, golfers have two courses, and you get around by tuk-tuk, shuttle bus or boat.
What you're really here to see
Photo: Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons01A dependable wind and flat, knee-deep lagoons make this a good place to learn; stronger riders come for the breeze. If you have only heard of one beach here, make it Mangroovy.
Half or full day
02Boats leave this stretch of coast for the Red Sea reefs. Tell us your experience and we will book a dive centre or snorkelling trip to match it before you travel.
Half or full day
03The well-loved day out from Hurghada marina, some 25 kilometres to the south: sandbars, shallow reef, swim stops and a lunch served aboard. We organise the transfer from El Gouna.
Full day
Time to allow
Come for a long weekend or a full week; how long suits you depends on what you plan to do.
One lesson or lagoon outing, supper by the marina and a chance to recover from the Nile.
Room for a boat trip, a round of golf or a dive, with slow evenings in Downtown.
Roughly 4.5 hours by road from the temples, then the airport is only 30–40 minutes away.
Seven days on the water at Mangroovy Beach, with the marina to return to each evening.
Where it fits
If you want the Red Sea with a proper town beside it, this is it.
Roughly 4.5 hours by road. Many guests see the temples first, then relax among the lagoons.
About 25 kilometres up the coast, so Hurghada marina and the Giftun boats make an easy day out.
Kitesurfing on shallow lagoons, plus diving and snorkelling on reefs a short way offshore.
Two golf courses, Abu Tig Marina and Downtown for restaurants, all inside the resort.
From the catalogue
Egypt Discovery books rooms at Three Corners Rihana Resort, a four-star hotel in El Gouna on the Red Sea. The address we hold is El Gouna Resort, El Gouna. The hotel is run by its own operator and we reserve on your behalf, on request. This is a place to stay rather than a sightseeing programme, so the pleasure is in the room, the resort and the easy pace of the coast. Board basis, transfers and facilities are not fixed on this page. Ask us to check them for your dates before you commit.
A five-star resort in El Gouna, the Red Sea town where lagoons, beaches and gardens shape the views from the rooms. This page covers the hotel stay only: Egypt Discovery reserves the room with the property, and sightseeing or transfers are arranged separately. Room type, board basis and facilities change with the dates and rate, so tell us when you plan to travel and we will confirm the details before you commit.
Five stars, a spa in the name and a lagoon town for a neighbour: Mövenpick Resort & Spa El Gouna stands in El Gouna, on Egypt’s Red Sea coast. The town is a string of lagoons and low buildings, which makes it quieter and more spread out than the bigger city of Hurghada nearby. Room types, board basis and facilities change with the rate you choose, so we check them with the hotel for your dates. Egypt Discovery makes the reservation on request, and the hotel’s own staff run the resort.
La Maison Bleue El Gouna is a five-star hotel with an address in El Gouna (postcode 84513), a purpose-built town on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, north of Hurghada. El Gouna is known for its lagoons, and the hotel lies in the town itself, not in the middle of Hurghada. What we sell here is the room alone; there is no tour or itinerary with it. Board basis, facilities and any transfers are settled with the hotel for your dates before you pay, and Egypt Discovery can arrange sightseeing and transport separately if you want them.
Steigenberger Golf Resort El Gouna is a five-star hotel with its address in the Golf Area of El Gouna, a purpose-built resort town on the Red Sea coast north of Hurghada. The town is known for its lagoons and marinas, and that waterside character is what sets a stay here apart from a central Hurghada hotel. Facilities listed for the resort include a pool, spa, gym, garden, rooftop terrace and beach access. Egypt Discovery books the room for you on request, and we confirm room type, meal basis and any golf arrangements for your dates before you commit.
Fanadir Hotel El Gouna is a four-star hotel on the Abu Tig Marina North Basin, in the Red Sea resort of El Gouna. The address puts you in the marina quarter, so the water is part of the setting. We have no listed facilities or board basis for the hotel, so we confirm room type, meals and any extras with you before anything is booked. Egypt Discovery arranges the stay on request and can link it with other parts of your Egypt holiday.
Cook's Club El Gouna is a three-star hotel for adults only, in the Downtown area of El Gouna on Egypt's Red Sea coast. El Gouna is a purpose-built resort town north of Hurghada, laid out around lagoons and marinas. The listing shows a pool, gym, spa, restaurant, bar and garden among the amenities, along with beach access. Because children are not accepted, families should look elsewhere. Rooms, meal plans and facilities differ by booking, so we confirm them for your dates.
Casa Cook El Gouna takes adult guests only and carries a five-star rating. It stands in El Gouna, on the Red Sea coast of Egypt, at El Gouna, 84513. That policy sets it apart from the family hotels in town. What your room rate covers depends on the board basis you pick, so read the booking terms for your dates. Egypt Discovery can check the details for you before you decide.
Ancient Sands Golf Resort is a five-star hotel in El Gouna, a purpose-built resort town on the Red Sea coast of Egypt, north of Hurghada. The word golf is in the name, yet nothing we hold confirms course access, so we check that for your dates before you commit. Around the hotel you find lagoons, marinas and residential streets. Egypt Discovery books the room on request; this is a hotel stay on its own, with no tours attached, and meals and extras are agreed with the hotel first.
Every way in
Day trips, classic multi-day tours, Nile cruises, hotels and private transfers – every part of an Egypt trip can be arranged from El Gouna. Start wherever makes sense.
Hotel pickup, a private Egyptologist, half or full day.
2–15 day private itineraries, hotels and guides included.
Pair El Gouna with a 3–4 night river cruise in one trip.
Aswan ↔ Luxor sailings, dahabiyas and classic cruisers.
5★ and boutique stays, hand-picked by our team.
Private meet-and-greet from the airport to your hotel.
Best time to visit
Open all year, with a different appeal each season.
Pleasant for strolling the town, playing golf and taking excursions, and the right window if you are adding Luxor.
Hot ashore, with the wind kitesurfers look for. Keep golf and outings to the cooler ends of the day.
Kitesurfers rely on that steady breeze. Planning a lesson or session? Ask us about conditions for your dates.
Upper Egypt is at its hottest in summer too, so temples followed by lagoons suits October to April.
The practical part
A short drive from the airport and simple to get about once you are there.
Book flights to Hurghada (HRG). From there El Gouna is 30–40 minutes by road, and we arrange a private transfer to your hotel.
Pick smaller places near the marina and Downtown or bigger resorts on the lagoons, depending on how you want to spend your time. We help you decide.
Tuk-tuks, shuttle buses and boats connect the hotels with the marina and Downtown. For anywhere beyond the resort, take a taxi.
There are schools and centres for every ability, and we book your lessons or dive boat in advance.
Common questions
About 30–40 minutes by road. El Gouna is a privately developed resort town roughly 25 kilometres north of Hurghada, and we organise a private transfer from HRG.
Mostly for kitesurfing on shallow, windy lagoons, with Mangroovy Beach the best-known spot. Diving, two golf courses and a town of canals, bridges and marinas, reached by tuk-tuk, shuttle bus or boat, add to the appeal.
It is if you want somewhere to go in the evening. The hotels run from small marina properties to 5-star resorts, and Abu Tig Marina, Downtown and Tamr Henna square give you places to eat out.
Roughly 4.5 hours by road. Plenty of travellers explore the temples and the Nile first, then move on to the Red Sea.
El Gouna is a planned, walkable resort with lagoons and canals; Hurghada is bigger and busier, and is where the marina and Giftun boats are. Some holidays split the time between the two.
Photo: Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Plan your trip
Tell us your dates and what you want out of El Gouna – we'll send a private, tailored itinerary within 24 hours. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.
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