Top ten things to do in El Gouna

El Gouna sprang like an oasis from the surrounding deserts in the late 1980s to become one of Egypt’s most famous holiday resorts. It lies some 30km north of Hurghada, around 45 minutes by Uber from Hurghada Airport. Follow Uber’s guide to things to do in El Gouna to get the best from your visit.

El Gouna’s network of canals and lagoons – the Venice of the Red Sea – makes for a wide choice of beach offerings. All the resort’s beaches are privately owned and many hotels have their own private stretch of sand. Popular options include Marina Beach, which is home to Moods Restaurant & Beach Club  and Zeytuna Beach, which is set on a private island and can be reached by boat.

Designed by Italian architect Alfredo Freda, the Venetian influences of this epicenter of El Gouna life are obvious. Home to a harbor with luxurious yachts, five hotels, and numerous restaurants, it’s a great place for an early evening stroll.

The heart of Downtown El Gouna is this popular square, lined with palm trees, shops, and cafes with outside seating. Great as a spot to chill out by day, it becomes busier in the evening with many places offering music or shows of tanoura folk dancing.

Shallow reefs, deep walls and a choice of shipwrecks… El Gouna offers some fabulously varied diving. Depending on your choice of location, there’s the chance to spot leopard sharks, turtles, dolphins, and tuna. Take lessons to become a PADI qualified diver, or simply rent a snorkel and mask to open a whole new world.

To the north of the main town and away from the lagoons, the beaches are more exposed to winds making them ideal for board sports. Surfing, kitesurfing, and windsurfing are all popular on Buzzha Beach and Mangroovy Beach.

Where the main town meets the desert, visitors will find this Olympic standard cable park, one of the biggest in the world. The cable allows wakeboarders to be pulled around a course without the need for a motorboat. Family and friends can enjoy the beach club and pools.

Off Tamr Henna Square, this small museum offering an insight into
ancient history and art have more than 90 exhibits, including replica statues and contemporary art by Hussein Bikar.

An extension of Alexandria’s famed library, visitors can link back to the sister collection online, watch a multimedia show of Egypt’s history or loan books from the fiction library.

El Gouna’s two main golf courses are designed by the equivalent of golf royalty. The Steigenberger course is the work of renowned pro golfer Fred Couples, while course architect Karl Litten also designed the course at Ancient Sands 

It’s true there’s lots to do on the Red Sea in El Gouna, but the surrounding deserts also offer thrills such as biking, horseback riding, and quad biking. And don’t forget the resort’s tuktuks – run by Uber, they’re an excellent way of getting from one place to another.