A desert safari from Hurghada: what actually happens

The Eastern Desert starts minutes from the Hurghada hotels, and that is what makes an evening trip possible at all: you leave in the afternoon and are back after dinner without losing a whole day.

How the evening usually runs

1. Hotel pickup in the afternoon; the time shifts through the year with the length of the day.
2. The drive out, tarmac first and then a desert track.
3. Quad bikes — a run on a set route, with a safety briefing first.
4. The sunset stop. This is the moment people photograph more than any other part of the trip.
5. Dinner at the camp, usually with tea and music afterwards.
6. Back to the hotel in the evening.

What to wear — the part everyone gets wrong

The desert cools fast once the sun is down, and it surprises anyone who judged the weather from a hotel balcony at three in the afternoon. Bring a jacket or a sweatshirt, even in summer.

• Closed shoes, not sandals. The sand is hot in the day and fine enough to get everywhere.
• Clothes you do not mind ruining. Quad dust reaches all of it, and that is part of the trip.
• A face covering or goggles. Usually provided, but bring your own if dust bothers you.

Who this trip does not suit

Said plainly, because it is better known before booking than after: quad bikes are not suitable during pregnancy, for anyone with back or neck problems, or for children under the age shown on each trip page. The track is rough by nature and there is no way to soften that.

If you want the desert, the dinner and the sunset without the bikes, tell us when you book — that can be arranged.

Which one to pick

• Quad bike safari — the shortest and simplest, focused on the riding.
• Super safari: sunset and Bedouin dinner — the full evening, and the one most people book.
• Makadi Bay safari — for guests staying in Makadi and further south.

All dates and remaining seats are on the trips page.