Quad biking is the fastest way to get the desert feeling in Hurghada. The tracks start about 20 minutes behind the hotel strip, the quads are automatic, and our guides run the route at a pace that suits the group, so first-timers do fine. You can keep it short with a three hour ATV and camel combo from EUR 20, or turn it into a full evening with buggy, camel, BBQ dinner and a live show on the Super Safari. This page covers what the ride actually feels like, real prices, minimum ages, pickup zones from El Gouna to Soma Bay, and how to pick between the morning and the sunset slot.
You get a helmet, a short briefing, and a practice loop before anyone touches open desert. Then the group rolls out in a line behind the guide, and a second guide rides at the back so nobody gets dropped. The quads are automatic, so it is thumb throttle, brakes, and steering, nothing else to learn. Expect around 45 to 60 minutes of real riding time on the standard tour, with photo stops where the desert looks widest. The pace lifts once the guide sees the group is steady, and slows again whenever someone needs it.
The Hurghada side is classic open desert: packed sand tracks, gravel plains, and low dunes with the Red Sea mountains as the backdrop. It is forgiving terrain, wide and flat enough that beginners can relax, but with enough dips and soft patches to keep it fun. Routes run out to a Bedouin stop where you park the quad, drink tea, and take a short camel ride before heading back. On afternoon departures the last stretch lines up with the sunset, which is when the sand turns properly orange and every phone comes out.
The ATV quad and camel combo starts at EUR 20 per adult and EUR 12 per child, and that price already covers hotel pickup and drop-off, the quad, a helmet, the camel ride, Bedouin tea, and a guide. The two-seat spider buggy ride is EUR 30 if you want more power under you. The Super Safari, at EUR 25 per adult, adds buggy time, a Bedouin village visit, BBQ dinner, and a Tanoura show. The usual extras are personal photos, scarves and goggles sold at the station, and tips. No surprise charges in the desert.
On quad-only tours like the ATV and camel ride you need to be 12 or older to drive your own machine. On the combined Super Safari, kids from 7 can join, and anyone under 12 rides as a passenger with a parent or guardian on the same quad. That setup works well for families: the adult drives, the child gets the wind and the view, and nobody misses out on the dinner and show. Children under 7 do not go on the fast routes at all, not even as passengers, so plan a camel or jeep day for the little ones instead.
Both run daily. The morning departure around 8:00 has cooler air and emptier tracks, and you are back at the hotel by lunch, so it slots neatly around beach or diving plans. The afternoon slot rides into golden light and cooler evening air, and it is the one to pick for photos. In July and August we would push you toward one of the two edges of the day, because midday desert heat is no joke. From October to April, honestly, any slot is comfortable, and the sunset run still wins on looks.
Pickup and drop-off are included from Hurghada town, El Gouna, Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh, Safaga and Soma Bay. We confirm the exact pickup window after booking, since it depends on where your hotel sits on the route. Transfers are air conditioned and the drive to the quad station is short, about 20 minutes from most central hotels and a little longer from El Gouna or Soma Bay. If your hotel sits outside these zones, message us before booking and we will check whether the road works for the driver.
Closed shoes, sunglasses, and a scarf or buff for dust are the big three. Add sunscreen for morning rides and a light jacket for the afternoon slot, because the desert cools fast once the sun drops. Helmets are provided, every tour starts with a safety briefing plus a practice loop, and the guide checks that everyone can steer and brake before the route opens up. Leave loose bags at the hotel; a zipped pocket for your phone beats anything hanging off your shoulder at 40 kilometres per hour.
• First-time riders, because the quads are automatic and the pace is guided • Couples and friend groups chasing the sunset slot • Families with kids 12+ who each want their own quad • Travellers on a beach week who want one action morning • Anyone combining desert riding with a BBQ evening on the Super Safari
• Pregnant guests • Riders with back or neck problems • Children under 7, even as passengers
No. The tours run on private desert tracks, not public roads, so no licence is needed. You just need to be 12 or older and able to follow the briefing.
The ATV and camel combo starts at EUR 20 per adult with pickup, helmet, camel ride and guide included. The Super Safari with BBQ dinner and show starts at EUR 25.
Yes. From 12 they drive their own quad. From 7 they ride as a passenger with an adult on the Super Safari. Under 7 sits this one out.
No. The quads are automatic, the tour starts with a practice loop, and guides ride front and back, so the group settles at a pace everyone can hold.
Morning for cooler air and a free evening, sunset for the light and the photos. In summer, either one beats midday by a mile.
Yes. Hurghada, El Gouna, Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh, Safaga and Soma Bay are all covered in the listed price.