Quad biking and desert safari from Safaga: what the long drive means

A Safaga quad trip is a Hurghada quad trip with a long drive attached. Safaga is one of the furthest pick-up points for Hurghada sellers, and the safari stations are in Safari Land, a desert zone of numbered sectors on the Safaga road past Hurghada airport — about 47 km from Safaga in a straight line. Sellers give up to an hour each way.

That changes the maths. A ride with 40–60 minutes on the quad becomes a half-day, and the cheapest listing plus a €10–15 pick-up is no longer the bargain it looks. This page explains the distances, what the pick-up costs, and which desert safari from Safaga is worth the time.

How far Safaga is from the desert stations

Safaga town is 53 km by road from Hurghada airport and 58 km from Hurghada Marina, about 45 minutes in free traffic. A minibus collecting several hotels takes longer, which is where the "up to an hour" comes from. Soma Bay is 10 km to the north and shares the same pick-up rules.

From the station the group rides, or is driven, to a Bedouin-style camp 15–35 km further inland. The nearest station depends on the seller, not on your hotel, so ask where the trip starts. The resorts guide has the drive times from every resort, and the Soma Bay page covers your neighbour, which has an in-resort quad desk.

Safaga quad tours: what you can book

GetYourGuide has no quad listing that starts in Safaga. The desert trips sold to Safaga guests are the Hurghada and Makadi listings with a Safaga pick-up added. Message the operator to confirm they collect from your hotel and what the supplement is before you pay.

The listings below are where we would start:

• The 2-hour Makadi Bay ATV tour, from about $17 and rated 4.7 on 3,168 reviews: the GetYourGuide listing whose route matches Makadi Excursions' own Makadi Bay quad. Short and simple; ask for Safaga pick-up.
• The 7-hour super safari with quad, buggy, camel and BBQ, from $23. A long day that makes the transfer a smaller share of your time.
• The desert experience with quad, buggy and camel, from about $45 and rated 4.8 on 2,398 reviews — a listing with the same programme as Scorpion's Discovery tour (GetYourGuide shows the operator's name on the listing page).
• The jeep star-watching trip with dinner, from about $28, for an evening rather than a ride.

Daytimefrom$17

GetYourGuide2 hMakadi Bay

From Hurghada: Makadi Bay ATV Tour

4.7 (3,168)

per personCheck dates

Eveningfrom$23

GetYourGuideFull day

Hurghada: Super Safari Adventure with ATV, Camel Ride & BBQ

4.6 (2,198)

per personCheck dates

Daytimefrom$45

GetYourGuide4.5 h

Hurghada Desert Experience with Quad, Buggy & Camel

4.8 (2,398)

per personCheck dates

Eveningfrom$28

GetYourGuide5 h

Hurghada: Star Watching Desert Adventure by Jeep with Dinner

4.6 (503)

per personCheck dates

Daytimefrom$24

GetYourGuide4 hSahl Hasheesh

Sahl Hasheesh: Quad Bike Desert Safari with Hotel Pickup

4.8 (2,057)

per personCheck dates

Daytimefrom$23

GetYourGuide3 h

Hurghada: Desert Quad Bike Adventure With Hotel Transfers

4.9 (1,169)

per personCheck dates

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

The longest desert trips sold around Hurghada are 7–10 hour jeep days into the Red Sea Mountains; there are no multi-day desert safaris among the platform listings we checked. For what the mountain trips involve, see the jeep guide.

Pick-up from Safaga: what it costs

Desert-trip prices are usually set for Hurghada hotels. From Safaga the supplement is among the highest on the coast, and it is often paid in cash on the day:

Add the supplement to the listing price before comparing. Some listings also add a cash "safari fee" of about €5–10 per person on the day — look under "Not included". Scarves and goggles are often sold at the station for around €5 each; bring your own buff and sunglasses. The prices page puts all the extras together.

A sunset quad from Safaga, hour by hour

One local agency runs a sunset beach quad for Soma Bay and Safaga hotels, and its archived timetable shows how the transfer shapes the day:

The same agency prices that beach quad at €40 per adult in archived versions of its price list, and sells a private buggy from Soma Bay and Safaga at €95 per person. Neither is cheap, but the timetable is the honest part: whatever the ride, add an hour each way.

Which desert safari from Safaga is worth the drive

Our view, given the transfer:

• Skip the cheapest short quad. A $10–17 listing plus €10–15 pick-up and two hours in a minibus buys less than an hour of riding. If a short ride is all you want, the in-resort desk at Soma Bay, 10 km away, may save most of the drive.
• Pick a long programme. A super safari with quad, buggy, camel, dinner and show uses the day better, although the time at the controls is still short — usually 30–45 minutes on the quad and 15–30 in a buggy. The super safari guide shows which combos include what.
• Make it an evening. A sunset trip with dinner, or a stargazing trip, turns the drive into one evening out. BADU Camp in the Makadi Bay desert lists Safaga among the pick-up areas for its quiet, alcohol-free dinner (BADU Camp review).
• Ride at the cool end of the day. May to September choose sunrise or sunset; avoid the late-morning super safaris whose quad leg starts around 12:30, in the hottest hour.

Safaga excursions for kids and families

Quad drivers must be 16 on every listing that states an age, so families need another plan. A buggy with an adult driving and a child beside them is the usual answer: on TUI's trips buggy passengers ride from age 4, and children under 4 cannot join. Some sellers put a child behind a parent on a double quad, others allow single riders only — check the option. On a camel, one rider per animal, so no parent and child together. The kids guide covers the rules by vehicle and the buggy guide the buggy options.

For everyone: long trousers and closed shoes, sunscreen and water, a warm layer for desert evenings from November to March, and a helmet — the UK government advises "always wear a crash helmet" on quads (FCDO safety advice). Many UK travel insurance policies exclude quad biking unless you add cover. The practical guide has the full list.

Safaga quad: questions