Ending an Egypt Trip on the Red Sea: Luxury Resorts Compared

From Luxor, the Red Sea coast near Hurghada is a drive of about three to four hours, so luxury resorts at Sahl Hasheesh, Soma Bay and El Gouna suit a trip that ends after a Nile cruise. Sharm El Sheikh, on the Sinai Peninsula, is reached by air. The site's two Red Sea journeys drive from Luxor to The Oberoi Beach Resort, Sahl Hasheesh, for 3 nights.

Road or air: what decides where the trip ends

Egypt's Nile cruises sail between Luxor and Aswan, so most trips reach the Red Sea from one of those two cities. From Luxor, the coast around Hurghada is a road transfer. The sources put the drive at about three hours to Soma Bay, about three and a half to four hours to Sahl Hasheesh, and about four hours to Hurghada or El Gouna; they differ on the distances, so none is given here.

Sharm El Sheikh is a different case. It lies on the Sinai Peninsula, and the road from Luxor runs through the Suez Canal tunnel; sources differ on its length, and it is a very long drive. In practice the trip is made by air: Air Cairo operates nonstop flights between Luxor and Sharm El Sheikh, and Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh is 10 minutes by car from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport. Domestic flights are not included in any of the site's journeys; they are booked and paid separately.

Five luxury Red Sea resorts compared

The table lists five luxury resorts by area, in no order of preference. Three of them, The Oberoi Beach Resort Sahl Hasheesh, La Maison Bleue and Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh, are on the operator's checked list for the ultra-luxury level. Where the sources disagree on a figure, the table says so instead of choosing one.

The resorts one by one

The Oberoi Beach Resort, Sahl Hasheesh

This is the resort the site's Luxury journeys use on the Red Sea. It is set across 48 acres of beachfront with an 850-meter private beach, and all 102 of its units are suites. According to Oberoi, the Deluxe and Superior Deluxe Suites measure 85 square meters in total with 53 inside, the Grand Suite with Private Pool 125 square meters, and the Royal Suite 225 square meters, with its own outdoor pool and a canopied dining pavilion; every suite sleeps 2. The 43-meter infinity pool has an adults-only swimming area. There is The Oberoi Spa with private treatment rooms, an onsite PADI-certified dive center and snorkeling on the house reef. Hurghada International Airport is 17 km away, about 20 minutes by car.

Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay

Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay stands on the Red Sea coast at Soma Bay, 45 km, about 45 minutes by car, from Hurghada International Airport. It has a 400-meter private sandy beach, a main pool heated in winter and a lazy river around the family pool. The Cascades Spa & Thalasso extends over more than 7,500 square meters, there is an ORCA dive center, and a jetty runs over the edge of the house reef. Sources differ on the number of rooms and suites and on the opening year.

La Maison Bleue, El Gouna

La Maison Bleue sits right on Mangroovy Beach in El Gouna, with a private lagoon. It has 13 suites of 80 to 120 square meters, plus a Pool Villa of 200 square meters with two suites and a private pool, and it is exclusively for guests aged 16 and older. There is a heated outdoor pool and a spa with sauna and hammam, and boat trips leave for scuba diving or snorkeling on nearby reefs. It is on the operator's ultra-luxury list.

The Chedi El Gouna

The Chedi El Gouna has 82 rooms and suites on the beachfront, a short distance from the center of El Gouna, with a 250-meter natural cove beach. Its spa has 4 single suites with steam showers, 2 couples suites with whirlpool tubs and two traditional hammam baths. Sources differ on the number of pools, on the distance to Hurghada International Airport and on the opening date.

Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh

Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh is set on a hill overlooking the Red Sea on the Sinai Peninsula, a short drive from the waterfront cafés and restaurants of Naama Bay. It opened in May 2002. According to Four Seasons, it has 1 kilometer (3,280 feet) of private beachfront. There are four outdoor pools, two jetties and the resort's own dive shop, and the beach extends into a house reef. The signature suites are two Presidential Suites, a Royal Suite and The Palace, which has three bedrooms, two swimming pools and 24-hour personal attendant service. Sources differ on the total number of rooms. Ras Mohammed National Park, at the southern tip of Sinai, is about 12 km from Sharm El Sheikh. The resort is on the operator's ultra-luxury list.

Which journeys end on the Red Sea

Two of the site's journeys end on the Red Sea. Both last 11 days, both spend 3 nights at The Oberoi Beach Resort, Sahl Hasheesh, and both go from Luxor to the coast by road.

• Egypt, the Nile and the Red Sea, 11 Days: 2 nights in Cairo, a 3-night Nile cruise from Aswan on The Oberoi Zahra (alternative Sonesta St. George I), Karnak and Luxor Temple on day 6 before the drive to Hurghada, 3 nights on the coast on an all-inclusive plan with two free days, then a flight to Cairo on day 9 for 2 final nights.
• Cairo, Upper Egypt and Hurghada, 11 Days: 3 nights in Cairo, 1 in Aswan and 1 in Luxor, the road from Aswan to Luxor on day 5, Karnak and Luxor Temple on day 6 before going on to the coast, 3 nights on an all-inclusive basis, then a flight to Cairo on day 9 and 2 final nights.

In both journeys the domestic flights, Cairo to Aswan and Hurghada back to Cairo, are not included, and neither are optional tours and activities such as snorkeling or diving. Any Luxury journey can be quoted at the ultra-luxury level, where the operator's list adds La Maison Bleue and Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh, and its length, hotels and pace can be adjusted before you confirm, subject to availability. See the ultra-luxury journeys, or send your dates for a written proposal. The ship on the first journey's cruise is compared with its sister ship in Oberoi Zahra or Oberoi Philae.

Weather and sea temperatures

Average daily highs from the WMO climate normals for Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh, with average sea temperatures at Sharm El Sheikh:

The sea at Sharm El Sheikh is coolest in February, at about 22.4°C (72°F), and warmest in August, at about 28.8°C (84°F). Summer is hotter at Sharm El Sheikh than at Hurghada: the August average high is 38.8°C (102°F) against 35.1°C (95°F).

What official travel advice says

The UK Foreign Office advice for Egypt, updated 4 August 2026 and still current on 20 October 2026, says travel to Red Sea tourist areas in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula is generally low risk, and it advises against all travel to North Sinai Governorate. It also notes that safety standards of Red Sea diving operators and boats vary considerably. The US State Department's advisory for Egypt is Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, issued in July 2025; it says not to travel to the northern and middle Sinai Peninsula. Australia's Smartraveller, updated 14 September 2026, names Sharm El Sheikh among the areas where travelers should exercise a high degree of caution.

Advice changes, so check your own government's current advice before you book, for example the UK travel advice for Egypt or the US advisory for Egypt. The rest of the country is covered in Is Egypt safe to visit.