El Gouna, Egypten - tips om hotell, stränder och utflykter

El Gouna is an Egyptian holiday resort for those who want to enjoy sun and sea in a relaxed and beautiful environment. We offer tips on hotels, beaches, activities and excursions for your holiday.

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El Gouna in Egypt

El Gouna is a tourist resort on the Red Sea in Egypt, about 27 kilometres north of Hurghada. When you arrive from the airport in Hurghada, you drive through a desolate desert landscape, where the only thing you see are half-finished houses. We almost wondered where we had ended up, but when we arrived, we were greeted by something completely different: a green and lush little town surrounded by canals and lagoons.

Artificial holiday resort with lagoons

Construction of El Gouna began in 1989 and the resort opened in 1997. The resort is owned by Samih Onsi Sawiris, a wealthy Egyptian, and now Montenegrin, businessman. However, Mr Sawiris seems to have built the resort not only to make money, but also because he obviously enjoys it himself. He has his own island where he lives.

What makes El Gouna so special is all the man-made lagoons and canals, which means that the water is always close at hand almost no matter where you live. When you walk, it's over one bridge after another. It may seem less "authentic" than other Egyptian holiday resorts, but if you're looking for peace and relaxation in a beautiful setting, this is the place to be.

Tamr Henna Square, Downtown

The centre of El Gouna is located around Tamr Henna Square. This is a fairly quiet centre where there are plenty of restaurants and outdoor cafes, but also some shops for shopping.

READ MORE: Red Sea shopping in Egypt

An artwork that symbolises keeping the sea clean

El Gouna Marina

Another area not to be missed is the marina. This is a modern and luxurious area with long rows of large luxury yachts, restaurants and shops. It's cosy to stroll around here, but be prepared for the prices to be a bit higher.

One afternoon we had a beer and some snacks at the Maritim restaurant in the marina, and when we looked up, a bird of prey was peering down at us through the tent roof.

The marina is also very charming in the evening, when all the lights are switched on. If you live a bit away from the marina, you can easily get here by tuktuk, which doesn't cost much.

Beaches in El Gouna

We sunbathed, swam and snorkelled on Zeytouna Beach Island. This lovely beach island has sunbeds, a long jetty for snorkelling, a restaurant, snorkelling equipment rental, small shops and a small spa with massages and other treatments. You can easily get here by shuttle boat from several of the nearby hotels. Here are some more beaches in El Gouna:

Buzzha Beach
Smokery Beach
Bellevue Beach Hotel
Marina Hotels Beach Club

READ MORE: Zeytouna Beach Island - Egyptian "beach island"

Snorkelling

One of the must-do activities during a holiday in Egypt is snorkelling in the Red Sea. The water is crystal clear and along the coral reefs you can see fish in every colour of the rainbow. You can snorkel directly from the beaches, or join a snorkelling excursion by boat. Of course, scuba diving is also available for those who want to.

READ MORE: Snorkelling in the Red Sea - snorkelling tour in El Gouna

More water sports

If you get tired of snorkelling and scuba diving, there are also many other water sports to enjoy, such as:

Kitesurfing
Windsurfing
Water skiing/wakeboarding
Canoe
Tramp boat

Golf and other land-based sports

Of course, you can also enjoy various sports on land. There are several golf courses and golf resorts, including the Steigenberger Golf Resort and the Ancient Sands Golf Resort. Here are some examples of sports you can do:

Golf
Cycling
Horse riding
Tennis
Beach volleyball
Go-karting
Minigolf

Excursions for adventure lovers

There are many different excursions available for those who like a bit of adventure, such as:

Desert safari by quad bike or jeep
Sailing by catamaran
Fishing trip
Glass bottom boat tour

Excursions for history lovers

If you like history and sights, there are also several excursions to choose from. Here are some suggestions. Approximate driving time from El Gouna is given in brackets.

Monasteries of St Paul and St Anthony (3 hrs)
Luxor (4 h)
Cairo (4.5 hours)
Aswan and Abu Simbel (7 hrs)

Excursion to Hurghada

If you're staying in El Gouna, be sure to check out Hurghada, which offers a more 'authentic' Egyptian feel. Here you can experience the bustling El Dahar market and see the grand Al Mina mosque. You can book a guided tour, or explore Hurghada on your own by bus or taxi.

READ MORE: Things to do in Hurghada - 17 tips for activities and excursions

More things to do in El Gouna

One of the first offers we got when we stepped outside the door of the hotel on the first day was a spa or massage. There are plenty of spas and if you want to, you can take the opportunity to try out a Turkish bathing ritual. El Gouna also has a large cinema, with a capacity of 649 people, called Sea Cinema.

El gouna for children

We saw very few children in El Gouna at all, in fact so few that we reflected on it. This is not at all because children are not welcome, but perhaps because many of the hotels that market themselves hardest with children's activities and playgrounds are located elsewhere around Hurghada. Perhaps the tranquil El Gouna is more appealing to couples without children. Activities for children include:

Diving and golf courses for children
Go-karting and mini-golf
Pony riding
El Gouna Aquarium
Children's clubs in the hotels
Cheeky Monkeys play centre in the marina

Restaurants in El Gouna

There are indeed lots of restaurants in El Gouna. We visited, among others Hydra Seafood Restaurant, which is located in the centre and which we can highly recommend. Several of the restaurants in the marina also have a good reputation, although you should be prepared to pay a little more there.

Hotels in El Gouna

During our holiday in El Gouna we stayed at the 4-star hotel Sultan Bey. This is a slightly smaller and very cosy hotel on the waterfront, with a pool and shuttle boat to Zeytouna Beach Island.

READ MORE: The cosy Sultan Bey hotel

There are also many other hotels, such as Mövenpick Resort, Sheraton Miramar, Rihana Resort, Casa Cook, Bellevue Beach and Cook's Club.

Facts about El Gouna in Egypt

Country: Egypt
Location: On the Red Sea, about 2.7 miles north of Hurghada.
Population: Around 24 000 (2017)
Language: Arabic, but most people you meet in El Gouna also speak English.
Tourist information: Read more on the resort's official website

Good to know

Currency: Egyptian pounds (EGP), but Euros often work well too
Price mode: Egypt is generally cheap (index 56 according to Forex, winter 2018/2019), but El Gouna is slightly more expensive than the rest of Egypt.
Farting: It is normal to haggle in markets, bazaars and many shops.
Tips: You can give some tips to cleaning staff, drivers, guides etc. who are often low paid.
Electrical outlets: Usually the same plug as in Sweden, but some earthed plugs (e.g. computer cables) may have too thick pins, so an adapter is needed.
Clothes: Western holiday clothing works well in El Gouna. If visiting Hurghada, for example, it may be appropriate/feel better for women to cover their shoulders and knees.

Getting around in El Gouna

Go for a walk: There are many great walking routes.
Tuktuk: A cheap and easy way to get around the area.
Bus: Buses run to Hurghada.
Taxi: Taxis can be used to get to Hurghada or the airport, for example.

14 Comments

Add yours →

diana's dreams says:

Wonderful tips, it's been a while since I was in Egypt Hugs and happy new year / Diana

04 January 2020 - 8:00

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Thank you very much Diana! Keep up the good work!
  
  04 January 2020 - 17:38
  
Ama de casa says:

Looked really nice and there was no shortage of things to do 😉.

By the way, the bird of prey looking at you was an osprey. One of the few birds of prey I recognise because it is in black and white instead of brown. That robbery mask is also a clear sign that it is just such a bird of prey 🙂.

04 January 2020 - 9:42

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Thank you, perfect to get a name for the pippin, I am soooo bad at birds and flowers! But it was nice anyway 😉
  
  04 January 2020 - 17:39
  
Emma, sun like sun? says:

What a place, it looks so tidy, very organised. Like the artwork with the rubbish, I first thought it was a rubbish bin and thought it must be difficult to empty, poor cleaning staff.

Thinking about the fact that there were so few children, could it also have to do with the time of year that you travelled?

04 January 2020 - 11:21

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, it is quite neat and tidy, if you say so 😉 And you may be absolutely right about the children! I do believe that there are other places that are more child-oriented, but yes, it is probably true as you say. If you are there on school holidays, there are probably more children!
  
  04 January 2020 - 17:41
  
BP says:

You posted a similar post before, didn't you? But now there were some new motifs. I am totally fond of the artwork and the delicious building at the golf course.
Absolutely fantastic pictures through and through:-)

04 January 2020 - 16:51

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  We posted a "collection" post about Hurghada recently, which is 27 km south of El Gouna, so there are certainly several things that are similar. And also maybe some photos were repetition. But I still thought that El Gouna would get its own post 🙂 🙂.
  
  04 January 2020 - 17:42
  
Gertie says:

Yes, yes, I'm sure it's nice, sunny, relaxed...and absolutely awful? I met the man who built El Gouna in 1988 when he was young and beautiful. He tried everything, but I turned him down...and today he wouldn't even recognise a 65-year-old woman, who is also not impressed by superficiality, bragging and stuff. I mean and want no harm, but I want to show some of the truth. I've written a little story about everything on my old blog... feel free to check it out... http://www.gertiebgranvik.com/2018/01/att-vara-resenarav-fodsel-och-ohejdad.html

04 January 2020 - 21:14

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Thanks for your comment and link Gertie! It is true that El Gouna is artificial and in that way can feel superficial. We think it depends a bit on what you are looking for, and that El Gouna can be perfectly suitable for a sun and beach holiday, but of course it is good to be aware that this is a place built for tourists and for residents with money.
  
  05 January 2020 - 9:37
  
Ditte says:

Good tips if you're thinking of coming here. And great pictures. Looked in here with Gertie and read. Interesting. Because often there are two sides to most travel destinations.

04 January 2020 - 22:20

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Of course it is. El Gouna is artificial and you have to take it for what it is. We think it's a great place for sunbathing, swimming and relaxing, although it would be interesting to see more of Egypt!
  
  05 January 2020 - 9:39
  
Lena - good for the soul says:

Oh how I long for sun and warmth! It will be exciting to see what kind of weather this spring and summer will bring.

That place you ended up in seems really great. You can line up one activity after another. And sun and heat at that! Nice.

Hug Lena

05 January 2020 - 8:49

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  We thought El Gouna is nice and for once managed to slow down a bit during a trip 😉.
  
  05 January 2020 - 9:39

El Gouna, Egypt - tips on hotels, beaches and excursions

El Gouna in Egypt

Artificial holiday resort with lagoons

Tamr Henna Square, Downtown

El Gouna Marina

Beaches in El Gouna

Snorkelling

More water sports

Golf and other land-based sports

Excursions for adventure lovers

Excursions for history lovers

Excursion to Hurghada

More things to do in El Gouna

El gouna for children

Restaurants in El Gouna

Hotels in El Gouna

Facts about El Gouna in Egypt

Good to know

Getting around in El Gouna

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14 Comments

diana's dreams says:

Helena says:

Ama de casa says:

Helena says:

Emma, sun like sun? says:

Helena says:

BP says:

Helena says:

Gertie says:

Helena says:

Ditte says:

Helena says:

Lena - good for the soul says:

Helena says:

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