Quad, Buggy or Jeep? Choosing Your Hurghada Desert Safari

The desert behind Hurghada starts a few minutes from the hotels, and every safari goes to roughly the same landscape: dunes, low mountains and a Bedouin village. What changes is how you cross it, how long you stay and whether you are there for the sunset. Three questions settle almost every choice.

1. Do you want to drive?

On a quad you ride your own four-wheeler behind the guide — the most hands-on option, and the most popular. A buggy has two seats side by side and a roll cage, so it suits couples and anyone who wants to drive without balancing a bike; our buggy morning covers about 30 km of sand tracks. In a 4×4 jeep a driver does the work and you enjoy the dune bashing and the views — the choice for families with children and anyone who would rather not drive.

2. How much time do you have?

The 3-hour quad is hotel to hotel in about four hours, with tea, warm bread and a camel ride in the Bedouin village — ideal if you have a pool afternoon planned. The 3-hour buggy runs in the morning. If you are staying in Makadi Bay, the 2-hour quad from Makadi crosses the dunes to a quiet stretch of coast. The longer trips take the whole afternoon into the evening.

3. Do you want the desert at night?

The 5-hour quad, the Super Jeep Safari and the Om Dalfa jeep trip all stay for sunset and a BBQ dinner with a show. The stargazing evening goes furthest: camel ride, 4×4 through the dunes and valleys, dinner by candlelight and the Milky Way once the lights are out. If one evening in the desert is what you will remember, choose one of these.

A few practical points

Bring closed shoes, sunglasses and a scarf for the dust — the camps lend scarves too. Evenings in the desert are cool from November to March, so pack a layer. Children can join the jeep trips; for quads and buggies the guide will tell you the minimum age for driving.

Still not sure?

Open any desert safari and use Which one is right for me?: tick quad, buggy, jeep, dinner or stars, add your time and budget, and it suggests the option that fits. Or send us a message — we answer ourselves.