Sahl Hasheesh near Hurghada

Is Sahl Hasheesh worth visiting?

Yes, for a calm evening by the sea. Sahl Hasheesh is a resort bay on Egypt's Red Sea coast, 18 km south of Hurghada International Airport and about 20 km from the city, on the road to Makadi Bay and Safaga. It isn't an old village: Egyptian Resorts Company bought the land in 1995, laid the roads and utilities and sold plots to hotel developers, which is why everything shares one style of arches, domes and sand-coloured walls.

Compared with Hurghada, it's clean, quiet and free of touts. You can stroll through the lit-up Arrival Piazza, walk the Old Town promenade, head out along the pier and snorkel over the Sunken City.

Skip it if you want history, a proper bazaar or nightlife — Hurghada has far more of all three. And don't plan to walk the whole bay: the lively stretch is short, and the far hotels sit an hour's walk away past empty plots.

Things to do in Sahl Hasheesh

• Arrival Piazza — the resort's entrance square, with a tiled fountain down the middle and archways stepping down to the sea. It's lit up after dark and is the most photogenic spot in the bay.
• Old Town — a pedestrian quarter on the northern promenade with cafés, restaurants, souvenir shops and pharmacies. It's new; only the architecture is old-style.
• The promenade — the seafront walk links the hotels. The busy part is only about a kilometre around Old Town; beyond it, you're walking past building sites.
• The pier — a long, curving pier runs out over the reef, with moorings for excursion boats. On a calm day you can see the seabed and the Sunken City columns from it.
• Snorkel the Sunken City — an artificial reef of columns and arches close to shore, the bay's main snorkelling spot.
• The gate — an Egyptian-style entrance with columns and sphinx statues; you'll see it from the taxi window.
• Abu Hasheesh Island — a reef east of the bay, visited by dive and snorkel boats.

How to see the Sunken City

The Sunken City sits in shallow water close to shore by the pier at the north end of the bay. You can spot some columns from the pier when the sea is flat, but you really need a mask: the columns are covered in coral and full of fish.

There are two ways in. From the shore, if you're staying at one of the hotels near the pier — the first columns are a short swim from their beach. Beaches here belong to the hotels, and whether a non-guest may swim from them is up to the hotel. By boat — snorkelling trips from Hurghada and from the bay's hotels stop at the Sunken City and the Abu Hasheesh reefs. Prices vary widely between operators, so check what's included: transfer, lunch and gear.

Non-guests do walk out along the pier, but the resort doesn't publish access rules — if security closes it, don't argue. Don't stand on the reef, and wear water shoes: there's coral close to shore.

How much does it cost to visit Sahl Hasheesh?

Nothing to get in: nobody charges for the piazza, the promenade or Old Town. You pay for the ride, for coffee or dinner and, if you want to get in the water, for a snorkelling trip. Café prices are higher than in central Hurghada — this is a bay of four- and five-star hotels.

Paying. The currency is the Egyptian pound. Hotels and most restaurants take international Visa and Mastercard, but carry small pound notes for taxis, tips and small shops. Uber and Careem work in Hurghada; you can pay by card in the app, though some drivers ask for cash.

Guided tour or on your own?

Going on your own is easy — easier than El Gouna, where you need a gate permit. Here there's no permit: a taxi drops you at the piazza. From Hurghada, a ride there and back plus two hours in the evening is enough.

A guided tour makes sense if you want the story of the bay and its Sunken City legend, and don't want to worry about a ride back: the guide picks you up from your hotel and drops you off again. These trips usually take 3–4 hours including the drive.

Staying in Sahl Hasheesh itself? Tour operators pick up from the bay's hotels for the same day trips as from Hurghada — boats to the islands, Luxor, Cairo and desert safaris.

Restaurants and evenings on the promenade

Restaurants and cafés cluster along the Old Town promenade and around the pier: Italian and Egyptian food, coffee shops and bars. Most stay open late, and a few bars run past midnight.

Come in the early evening, when the heat drops and the piazza lights and fountains come on. The sun sets behind the mountains, not over the sea, so there's no sea sunset — but the light on the buildings is soft. Dinner by the pier and a taxi back to Hurghada make a good end to the day.

Sahl Hasheesh vs El Gouna

Both are modern resorts with no ancient sites. For a short evening out, Sahl Hasheesh is simpler; for a full day by the water, El Gouna has more.

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How to do it right

• Arrive in the early evening, when the heat drops and the piazza and fountains are lit.
• Start at Arrival Piazza and walk towards Old Town — that's the best stretch of the promenade.
• Don't walk to the far hotels: it's about an hour past empty plots and building sites.
• For the Sunken City, a snorkelling boat trip is easiest — it doesn't depend on hotel beach rules.
• Bring water shoes: there's coral and sharp rock near the shore.
• Back in Hurghada, finish at Hurghada Marina — it stays busy late.

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