How do things work in Hurghada Airport? How to transport to and from Hurghada Airport? How about a visa to Egypt? Here is all the information you need to know when arriving at and leaving from Hurghada Airport.
This guide to Hurghada Airport (HRG) has been written to help you to have a good experience and understand how things work at the Hurghada International Airport.
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Every time I step my feet to Hurghada Airport, I get annoyed. I have been visiting there way too often lately. To be honest, going through Hurghada Airport can be a nerve-wracking experience. Long lines and security controls everywhere, one after another.
Actually, it’s the same everywhere these days. Take off your shoes, open your luggage, show me your passport. If you are lucky, you may survive through Hurghada Airport relatively fast. If not, you may get frustrated very fast, like I usually do.
So, when you are flying out from Hurghada, be at the airport on time. It’s better to be too early at the airport, rather than late.
At the end of the day, I know that being annoyed because of the security measures is very stupid. If it was because of the lack of security, it would be more understandable. To become annoyed because of the strict security control is pure idiotism. I admit, sometimes I may act like an idiot.
Since I have been spending lots of time at Hurghada airport lately, I thought that it would be a good idea to write a guide to Hurghada Airport. Here you are A guide to Hurghada International Airport.
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Next: General information about Hurghada Airport
Hurghada Airport
Hurghada got a new airport in 2015. Before that, there was a huge tent, which was supposed to be an airport. The old airport didn’t have enough capacity to handle huge tourist masses at the same time since it wasn’t built for that. This led to big problems, and there used to be small chaos constantly at Hurghada airport.
This new Airport was supposed to make things easier and faster, but we’ll see. There are two terminals now, instead of one. Most of the international flights depart from and arrive at new terminal 1.
Terminal 2 is an old part of the airport and used mostly for domestic flights. You can’t see big chaos there anymore, or I haven’t seen, but things could still work faster and effective.
If you get frustrated at Hurghada Airport; remember that the situation could be so much worse.
Hurghada airport facilities
Hurghada Airport doesn’t have many facilities. First of all, there is no WI-FI available at Hurghada Airport, and secondly there are no VIP lounges at the Hurghada airport.
But there are cafes, restaurants and duty-free shops. Like any other airports, drinking and eating are relatively expensive at Hurghada Airport.
Good news for smokers, and for the ones who are travelling with a smoker. There are many smoking areas inside Hurghada airport. I used to smoke before, so I know this is very important and valuable information for smokers. You are welcome!
Next: Hurghada airport transfer
Hurghada airport transfer
One of the best things in Hurghada Airport is that it’s located very close to the city and hotels (link to google maps here).
Some hotels are only 10 minutes drive away from the airport and the furthest ones maximum 45 minutes away. This means that you don’t need to spend your valuable holiday time sitting on the bus. After you have survived out from the airport, you get to start to enjoy your holiday almost immediately.
- If you have booked your trip through a travel agency, you don’t have to worry about airport transportation. You get into the bus, that drives you to your hotel and back. The only thing you need to do is to find your guide. This is one of the benefits of package holidays.
- In case you have booked a hotel yourself, you need to arrange yourself to your hotel and back from the airport. Some hotels have an airport pickup service; their representative will be waiting for you outside at the airport with a sign.
- If you need to arrange airport transportation yourself, there are many options. I usually order a taxi from a private taxi company. Last time in February 2019, it was about 80 Egyptian pounds from the airport to the beginning of Sheraton Street. Usually, I make a call and order a taxi after landing, the taxi comes to the airport in 10 to 20-minutes.
There is no WI-FI available at Hurghada Airport, which makes it hard to order a car online. I have my Egyptian sim-card, so it’s easy for me to order a private taxi or uber/careem ride. If you don’t have an Egyptian sim-card, you can also book a taxi before travelling to Egypt. Many companies use what’s up-service, so it’s easy to reach them beforehand.
You can also purchase a sim card from the airport, but I don’t recommend it as a first choice.
Here is s post about the sim cards and where and how you should purchase them:
Internet in Egypt | How and where to buy a data sim card from Hurghada?
A taxi from Hurghada airport
You can also take a taxi from the airport, just prepare yourself for haggling. 100 Egyptian pounds is a fair price if you go close to the airport (Mamsha, Sheraton, El Kawthar). And the farther you go, the more you pay. Just remember, don’t pay the first price asked. And don’t believe the stories, that they need to pay this and that to get inside the airport.
But to be honest, I have also paid way too much to get out of Hurghada airport. When you are tired after travelling, and the only thing you can imagine is getting a shower, changing your clothes and start your vacation. At this time you don’t care if the taxi to a hotel costs 100 or 150 Egyptian pounds. Here is a currency converter to check, how much does it cost in your own currency. After converting you see what I mean.
In the end, I’m sure you will find your way out of the airport, somehow.
Transportation for the groups from Hurghada airport
If you are travelling with a bunch of people, you may want to consider using a hoppa service. They offer airport transfer with a shuttle bus, also a minibus is an option. Even if you are travelling alone, Hoppa is a recommended service. You can order and pay the airport transfer in Hurghada online before travelling.
Here is a link to Hoppa service: hoppa.com
Next: Arriving at Hurghada Airport
Arriving at Hurghada Airport
When you arrive at Hurghada airport, the hardest part there is the queuing. queues are everywhere. First, after you get out of the airplane, you need to go and buy a visa to Egypt. In case you haven’t purchased e-visa beforehand.
Read more: A visa to Egypt | Frequently asked questions about Egypt visa
For the ones who are going to buy a visa from the airport, there are two different “places” to purchase the visa to Egypt.
30-days tourist Visa to Egypt from the bank costs 25 USD or equivalent in British pounds £ or Euros €. Only cash is accepted.
- In case you haven’t bought your visa beforehand, you go to the banks on your right side. There will be a queue, so it’s impossible not to see the banks. You can also buy a visa from the representatives instead of the bank, but it is more expensive. Have done it, was tired.
- In case you have paid your visa beforehand from a travel agency, you go to the travel representative desks. Your guide will tell you more specific, which counter to go to. You go to the queue, and you will attach a visa sticker to your passport. Yes, it’s a sticker.
If you have purchased an e-visa, you pass the visa desks and go straight to immigrations desks.
After you have purchased a visa to your passport, you will move to the immigration line. Here you get your visa stamped and get rid of the migration/landing card, which you should fill at the aeroplane. Aeroplane staff will help you with the card, in case you need help with it.
Remember to pack a pen with you; you will need it at the aeroplane and when leaving Egypt for filling the migration card.
After your visa has been stamped, the airport officers will check your visa and passport a few more times. So don’t pack your passport yet. Next, you go to pick up your luggage and customs.
At customs, some of the luggage are x-rayed and you may have to open your luggage. Sometimes offices check all the luggage, sometimes they don’t. You never know.
If you have medication, don’t forget to take your prescriptions with you!
Departing from Hurghada airport
After your holiday is over, it’s time to pack belongings and head to home. I hope you had a good holiday, and you feel relaxed. Now you know better, how to use taxis and how to reach the airport. You don’t need to worry about the visa anymore. The only thing you need to worry about is how to close your luggage and hope there is no extra weight on it.
Before the security officers at the airport let you go inside, you need to show your reservation/boarding pass on the paper. On the paper. Maybe they accept electronic-tickets now when there is e-visa.
Next: Security measures at Hurghada Airport
Security controls
If you have been worried about the security controls at the airports of Egypt, no need to worry anymore. You are checked very carefully and many times.
You have taken off your shoes, being x-rayed and you have been opening your luggage and so on.
After all the security and passport controls you can relax for a while before taking off (unless there is a security control at your gate). You can do your last-minute shopping and spend your last pounds in the duty-free shops at the airport.
If you get hungry there are some restaurants and even Burger King, which I saw opened first-time last month. This also tells that there is more traffic at the airport now. If you want to check Hurghada airport arrivals and departures, click here. The site seems to be very old, but flight information is dated.
Here is also a link to Hurghada airport official page. From my point of view, the site is not very user-friendly. Click with your own responsibility.
Next: Final thoughts about visiting in Egypt
Thoughts about visiting Egypt
At the end of the article, I want to share some thoughts about Hurghada and visiting Egypt. So, when I left Hurghada last time, I was positively surprised that there were more people at the airport when compared to earlier.
Even though I don’t like to queue, I love to see people there. This means that there are more tourists in the town. More readers to my blog and most of all more income for Egyptians.
I have probably mentioned this earlier, but I’m so happy that there are more people coming to Egypt. Egypt has been going through an economic crisis for years now.
Now foreigner tourists get to enjoy the outcomes of the crisis; Devaluation of the Egyptian pound made the value of Egyptian pound to drop half at the end of 2016. Egypt is now a very cheap destination.
For foreigners, this is a really good thing since everything in Egypt is almost free, but for locals, the situation is not that good. People weren’t rich before, and due to the devaluation taxes and prices have increased. Rent, gas, sugar, everything has become more expensive. This means that poor people have become poorer.
Therefore don’t get annoyed when someone tries so hard to get you to buy something or anything. Competition is hard, and you may be the only customer for days.
If you get good service, tip a waiter for an extra 20 pounds, for you it’s not much but for someone, it’s a big money. Everyone in Egypt is happy, that tourists have come back. So am I.
HAVE A SAFE FLIGHT AND ENJOY HOLIDAY TO HURGHADA!
Hanna
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