Quad and desert trips from Makadi Bay, El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh, Soma Bay and Safaga

If you are staying outside Hurghada itself, the question is not whether you can do a quad or desert trip — every resort on this coast is collected — but how long the minibus takes, whether you pay extra for the pick-up, and whether there is something closer. A quad from Makadi Bay or Sahl Hasheesh is the easy case: your transfer to the desert stations is shorter than from a hotel in downtown Hurghada. From El Gouna, Soma Bay or Safaga the same trip means a longer day and usually a cash supplement, although El Gouna and Soma Bay have their own options on the doorstep.

Where quad trips from the resorts actually start

Hurghada's desert trips run from fixed "safari stations" on the desert edge; each group rides out behind a guide who knows the tracks. Most of those stations sit in Safari Land, a desert zone of numbered sectors on the Hurghada–Safaga road, south-west of Hurghada airport. In a straight line it is about 14 km from downtown Hurghada, about 14–15 km from Sahl Hasheesh, about 20 km from Makadi Bay, about 31 km from El Gouna, about 38 km from Soma Bay and about 47 km from Safaga.

There are three exceptions worth knowing. Some Makadi-titled trips start from a station on the Makadi side of the Safaga road instead (Makadi Excursions, for example, sends guests to its activity centre there), and BADU's camp lies in the Makadi Bay desert, 15–20 minutes from the Makadi resorts. El Gouna has its own motocross and quad track at the edge of town. And Soma Bay has a quad desk inside the resort. Everything else — including most cheap group quads sold to El Gouna hotels — drives you to a station near Hurghada.

The nearest station depends on the seller, not on your hotel. One El Gouna-based seller even sends Soma Bay guests north to a meeting point beyond the airport on the El Gouna side. Before booking from an outer resort, ask where the ride starts and what time you will be collected; the pick-up time tells you how far you are going.

Road distances from Hurghada and the airport

These are road distances and free-flow driving times. A minibus collecting guests from several hotels takes longer.

Between the resorts: Makadi Bay to Sahl Hasheesh 18 km, Makadi Bay to Soma Bay 24 km, Soma Bay to Safaga 10 km, and El Gouna to Makadi Bay 65–67 km, about an hour. El Gouna's "only 25 km from Hurghada" is measured to the city's northern edge, not to the Marina.

The times sellers publish for the shared transfer to their desert station match the map: 25–30 minutes from Makadi Bay or Sahl Hasheesh, 40–45 minutes from Hurghada, and up to an hour from El Gouna, Soma Bay, Safaga or Al Ahyaa. Because the stations are south of the city, Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay guests are often collected later than guests in northern Hurghada, while El Gouna, Soma Bay and Safaga guests face up to an hour each way.

Pick-up supplements: what the outer resorts pay

Prices usually cover Hurghada hotels; from Makadi, Sahl Hasheesh, El Gouna, Soma Bay or Safaga many sellers add €5–15 per person, often in cash on the day. Real examples at the last check:

• TUI (trips run by Travco): El Gouna €8 adult / €4 child, Safaga and Soma Bay €10 / €5, paid on site. No Makadi supplement listed on the desert trips.
• Headout: €5 per person from Makadi or Sahl Hasheesh, €15 from Safaga or El Gouna on its 7-hour combo; some of its other listings charge €10 from any outer resort.
• Local agencies: usually a flat €10 or $10 per person.
• Makadi Excursions: Hurghada, Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi included on its own quad tour; El Gouna €10 extra.
• Scorpion Safari: its direct prices exclude pick-ups from El Gouna, Safaga, Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi.

On GetYourGuide, the pick-up area and any supplement are in the listing's options and "Not included" section. Two quick rules: from Sahl Hasheesh or Makadi Bay, you are close to the stations, so there is no reason to accept a large supplement; from El Gouna, Soma Bay or Safaga, budget €8–15 per person and check whether it is paid online or in cash. The prices guide covers the other cash extras (scarf, goggles, photos, safari fee).

Resort by resort

Makadi Bay

GetYourGuide has a separate Makadi Bay location with the largest set of resort-named desert trips on the coast. Many titles say "From Hurghada: Makadi Bay…", which tells you the riding area rather than limiting the pick-up. The best-rated of the big cheap quads, the 2-hour Makadi Bay ATV tour, follows the same route as Makadi Excursions' own Makadi Bay quad (rock formation, Bedouin tea, a natural beach); GetYourGuide shows the operator's name on the listing page. Makadi Excursions lists its tour at €15 on its own site, Makadi pick-up included. Some Makadi listings ride along the coast, such as the sea and desert quad with hotel pick-up. Longer days include the Makadi Bay mega tour, with about 45 minutes on the quad inside 6 hours. BADU's quiet Bedouin dinner camp is 15–20 minutes away. Full guide: quad and safari from Makadi Bay.

Sahl Hasheesh

The closest of the outer resorts to the Safari Land stations, at about 14–15 km in a straight line. The big local listing is the Sahl Hasheesh quad safari with hotel pick-up, rated 4.8 from more than 2,000 reviews, with a classic, a sunset and a private "Blue Lagoon" option (a coastal lagoon stop on the Makadi–Sahl Hasheesh side, not Dahab's Blue Lagoon). It matches the programme of Sea Horse, a horse stable in Sahl Hasheesh that also runs quads; check the provider name on the listing. See Sahl Hasheesh and the Sea Horse review.

El Gouna

El Gouna is a separate scene. Its own operator, Motoclub Egypt, runs a motocross and ATV track at the south-west edge of town and private desert rides — private only, no published prices, booked by WhatsApp. The Dry Canyon quad tour collects from El Gouna hotels only and rides a 40 km round trip to a fossil canyon. Cheap group quads sold to El Gouna hotels, by contrast, drive you 40–60 minutes south to a Hurghada station. Full guide: quad and desert trips from El Gouna.

Soma Bay

There is no Soma Bay-specific quad listing on GetYourGuide; trips sold to Soma Bay are the Hurghada and Makadi ones with a pick-up. The resort does have its own quad desk, Alex Safari, listed in Soma Bay's official directory and open 08:00–17:00 (no prices published) — the only resort where a quad start without a long transfer is documented. Ask there before booking an hour's transfer north. BADU's dinner pick-up list does not include Soma Bay. See Soma Bay.

Safaga

No Safaga quad listing exists either. Safaga is about 47 km in a straight line from Safari Land, so expect about an hour each way and the Soma Bay supplement (€10 adult / €5 child on TUI's trips). See Safaga.

A morning quad from an outer resort, hour by hour

One seller's published timetable for a morning beach quad from Soma Bay shows what an outer-resort day looks like. From Makadi Bay or Sahl Hasheesh the transfer is about half as long; from El Gouna, expect a similar early start.

That is the honest trade-off for the outer resorts: the riding is the same as from Hurghada, but you spend more of the morning in a minibus. Pick-up times are confirmed the day before, usually by WhatsApp or email. In summer the early start helps: the desert is cooler before 10:00. For more on timing, see the morning and sunrise quad guide.

Which trip to book from each resort

• From Makadi Bay: the 2-hour Makadi Bay ATV tour for a cheap, well-rated short ride; the sea and desert quad if you want the coast; BADU's Bedouin dinner and stargazing for a quiet evening.
• From Sahl Hasheesh: the Sahl Hasheesh quad safari, with hotel pick-up included.
• From El Gouna: the Dry Canyon morning quad, the one group trip that starts in El Gouna; Motoclub's private rides if your budget allows.
• From Soma Bay or Safaga: ask at Alex Safari first; otherwise book a Makadi or Hurghada trip and confirm the pick-up and supplement in writing.
• A long day with a jeep: the Makadi Bay mega tour, or any of the combos on the desert safari page.

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See everything on GetYourGuide →See everything on Headout →Prices checked on 20 October 2026

Want the trip to yourself? A private quad tour gives you your own transfer and start time, which matters most from the outer resorts.

Booking from an outer resort without surprises

The rest is the same wherever you stay: long trousers, closed shoes, a buff and sunglasses, and a helmet on your head. The practical guide has the full list.

Quad from Makadi, El Gouna and Sahl Hasheesh: questions