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Voykit pocket guide · Egypt
El Gouna
الجونة
Go for 3–5 nights if you want a walkable resort town with a marina, kitesurfing and diving; skip if you want Egyptian street life or cheap prices.
El Gouna is a purpose-built resort town on the Red Sea, 35 km north of Hurghada airport, built from 1989 as a real town rather than a strip of hotels: lagoons, islands, bridges, three marinas, an 18-hole golf course and over a hundred restaurants and bars. It is quiet, walkable and safe, and it is priced for European package tourism rather than for backpackers. Three to five nights covers diving or kitesurfing plus a day in Hurghada or the desert; one night is not worth the transfer.
- Country
- Egypt
- Local name
- الجونة
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (scorching), Dec–Feb (strong winds)
- Stay
- 3–5 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EGP
- Money
- Currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP, also written LE or £E). Hotels, cruise boats and larger restaurants take cards; taxis, markets, small cafés, tips and toilet attendants are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget EGP 1,500–2,500 excl. bed · Mid EGP 3,000–5,000 excl. bed · High EGP 6,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Orange, Etisalat (e&) and WE sell tourist SIMs at Cairo airport with passport; about EGP 500–1,000 for 20–40 GB — check.
- Emergency
- Police 122 · Ambulance 123 · Tourist police 126 · Fire 180
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European round-pin sockets.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% even when service is added (it rarely reaches staff).; Guide, full day: US$10–20 per person.; Driver, full day: US$5–10.; Cruise crew: About US$5–10 per person per day in the envelope.; Toilet, porter, small help: EGP 10–30.
- Water
- Tap water is chlorinated in cities but most visitors drink bottled; do not drink Nile water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; attendants at sites expect EGP 10–20. Carry tissue.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea at a marina café | EGP 60–120 |
| Main course, mid-range restaurant | EGP 250–500 |
| Beer or glass of wine | EGP 120–250 |
| Tuktuk across town | EGP 50–100 |
| Shuttle bus day ticket | EGP 100–150 |
| Two-tank dive day | EGP 2,500–4,500 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | EGP 300–600 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HRG · Hurghada International
- 35 km south; taxi or pre-booked transfer, about 35–45 min22 mi south; taxi or pre-booked transfer, about 35–45 min
Typical fares
- Hurghada airport → El Gouna, private transfer
- about EGP 1,000–1,500 per vehicle, 35–45 min; pre-booked fares confirmed before booking.
- Tuktuk anywhere in town
- EGP 50–100 flat for up to three; agree before you get in.
- GoBus Cairo → El Gouna
- about 6 h; book ahead via GoBus.
Get around
Shuttle buses link the main hotels and run until about 02:00; day and week tickets are sold at hotel receptions or from the driver. Tuktuks are flagged on the street and usually charge a flat fare for up to three passengers anywhere in town. Taxis can be booked through your hotel, cars can be rented with or without a driver, and water taxis cross the canals. Roads are quiet with pavements, so walking between the marina and Downtown is realistic.Shuttle buses link the main hotels and run until about 2:00 AM; day and week tickets are sold at hotel receptions or from the driver. Tuktuks are flagged on the street and usually charge a flat fare for up to three passengers anywhere in town. Taxis can be booked through your hotel, cars can be rented with or without a driver, and water taxis cross the canals. Roads are quiet with pavements, so walking between the marina and Downtown is realistic.
See and do
Known for
- Abu Tig Marina
- Kitesurfing at Mangroovy Beach
- Red Sea diving and wrecks
- Lagoon beaches and Downtown
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hurghada | Taxi or shuttle south along the coast road | About 45 min |
| Desert Breath land art | Taxi or rented 4x4 west of the resort | About 30 min |
| Tawila Island | Dive or snorkel boat from the marina | Full day |
| Cairo and Giza | Bus from the El Gouna stop west of town, or fly from Hurghada | 6 h by bus |
Sleep
- Abu Tig Marina
- North end; yachts, restaurants and bars on the doorstep, walkable to Mangroovy and Marina beaches. Best for a first visit.
- Downtown / El Balad / Kafr el-Gouna
- Town centre with shops, the aquarium and the mosque; cheaper rooms, 10–15 min by tuktuk from the marina.
- Tamr Henna
- Between the two, across a bridge; quiet, close to the tourist office and a short walk from Downtown.
- Golf and lagoon resorts
- South and inland; resort beaches, pools and dive centres, but you need the shuttle or a tuktuk for everything else.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | أهلاًahlan |
| Thank you | شكراًshukran |
| How much is it? | بكام؟bikam |
| The bill, please | الحساب لو سمحتel-hesab law samaht |
| Where is the beach? | فين الشاطئ؟fein el-shati |
| I don't need help, thank you | لا شكراًla shukran |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Salam alaykum', handshake; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging strangers
- Eating: Right hand; accept tea; avoid: Refusing hospitality flatly
- Bargaining: Humour and patience; avoid: Anger
- Dress: Shoulders and knees covered in cities; avoid: Beachwear outside resorts
- Baksheesh: Keep small notes ready; avoid: Showing a thick wallet
- Photos: Ask; pay if agreed; avoid: Photographing police or military
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer heat: July and August highs near 35 °C; plan diving, kitesurfing and walking before 10:00 or after 16:00.
- Winter wind: December to February can be windy and cool enough for a jacket in the evening.
- Cash: bring Egyptian pounds for tuktuks, tips and small shops; cards work in hotels and marina restaurants.
- Baksheesh is expected for almost every service: EGP 20–50 small tips, 10–15% in restaurants.
- Diving and kitesurfing courses need a medical questionnaire; check certification and insurance before you pay.
El Gouna is one of the safest places in Egypt: a gated, walkable resort town with a tourist police presence. The real risks are sun and heat, strong winter wind on the water, and diving or kitesurfing without proper certification.
One and two days
No timed day plan for El Gouna yet. Suggested stay: 3–5 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Abu Tig Marina
- Kitesurfing at Mangroovy Beach
- Red Sea diving and wrecks
- Lagoon beaches and Downtown
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- El Gouna official site: www.elgouna.com/
- Abu Tig Marina: abutig-marina.com/
- GoBus Egypt: go-bus.com/?lang=en
- Wikivoyage: El Gouna, revision 5340299 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5340299
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/el-gouna). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.