Hurghada: Red Sea & Desert Horse Riding Tour with Swimming

This Hurghada tour is interesting because it is not just one scenery stop. You ride through the desert, then you hit the Red Sea beach, and if you choose it, you even spend time swimming with the horse in the water. I love the clear beginner setup (helmets, chaps, and a safety briefing), and I love the two setting mix that keeps the day from feeling repetitive.

The big, headline choice is the swim option, about 1 hour in the sea with your horse. I also like how the guides (I have seen names like Karim, Ameen, Keo, and Sasa) focus on comfort and control, which matters if you are nervous. One consideration: it is still a physical activity, and there is a horse safety weight limit of 220 lbs (100 kg).

Key Things That Make This Tour Worth Your Time

• Desert riding plus Red Sea beach riding gives you two very different feels in one outing
• Helmets, chaps, and an intro safety briefing make this easier to handle for first-timers
• Optional swim with your horse in the Red Sea is the standout, with a full hour in the water
• Well-cared-for horses and calm handling helped many riders feel confident quickly
• Guides take lots of photos and videos, often using your own phone too
• A freshly cooked meal after the ride, with music, turns the day into more than just riding

Why This Hurghada Horse Tour Feels Like Two Trips in One

Hurghada is famous for the water, but it also has that wide, stark desert around it that can feel almost unreal. This tour uses both. You start in the stable world, then the day stretches outward, first into golden sand and then into the Red Sea shoreline where the air changes and the sound of waves takes over.

What I like is how the day is built around moments, not just time. You get a ride through the desert that gives you space to breathe and look around. Then you ride along the beach, so you feel the sea breeze and keep the Red Sea in view for long stretches. If you pick the swim option, the tour turns into a rare kind of bonding moment that you cannot easily recreate on your own.

For first-timers, the tour is also set up to reduce stress. The staff provides helmets and chaps, and they do an orientation before you move into the ride. That matters. Horse riding is easier when you know what to expect, where to sit, and how to respond when your horse changes pace.

Pickup, Timing, and Getting to the Stables

The experience starts with hotel pickup in Hurghada. From there you ride to the stable, meet your guide, and get introduced to your horse. The provider contacts you with exact pickup details, so it is smart to send your room number if they ask.

A few practical notes help you plan your day:

• Pickup time depends on your hotel location.
• There can be a pickup delay of up to 10 minutes.

If you are staying outside Hurghada, pickup may cost extra. The tour lists add-ons for areas like El Gouna, Al Ahyaa, Sahl Hasheesh, Makadi Bay, and Soma Bay, with an extra €10 per person. If you are in one of those areas, build that extra cost into your budget so there are no surprises.

Languages used on the tour include English, German, and Arabic, so you should be able to follow instructions without guessing.

The Start at the Stable: Orientation, Safety Gear, and Meeting Your Horse

When you arrive at the stables, expect a straightforward routine: meet the guide, meet your horse, and get a quick orientation. This is where the experience becomes more than a random activity. You are told how to sit, how to hold on, and how to stay comfortable during the ride.

Safety gear is part of this from the start. You will be given a helmet, and you also get chaps. The goal is simple: help keep you secure and reduce friction while you ride.

You will also get a safety briefing for both rider and horse. Guides keep an eye on everyone throughout, and you will often hear familiar names like Karim, Kareem, Ameen, Keo, Abdul, and Sasa. Different groups get different guides, but the pattern stays consistent: they teach you, they stay attentive, and they adjust their pace to the riders in the group.

If you are worried about falling, you are not alone. Plenty of first-time riders feel nervous at the beginning, and the staff typically helps you gain confidence quickly.

Riding in the Desert: 40 to 60 Minutes of Open Space

The desert portion is where the tour earns its quiet, grounded feel. You ride through sand and open stretches where the scenery can look almost endless. It is a good moment to slow down mentally, because you feel the horse moving under you and the space around you doing its own thing.

The tour notes that each riding station is 40 to 60 minutes. So this desert segment is long enough to feel like you left the hotel world behind, without draining you for the rest of the day.

Practical things to know:

• This is still horseback riding, so you will be using your core and balance more than you expect.
• If you lack experience, you might find the physical rhythm a challenge at first.

The desert ride also gives you a chance to see local flora and fauna. You probably will not stop for a safari-style walk, but you may spot plant life and small details that show you this area is not just sand and sun.

Red Sea Beach Riding: Where the Air, Sound, and Views Change

After the desert, you head to the Red Sea beach. This shift is part of what makes the tour fun. The heat and the wide sand turn into the sound of waves and the cooler, salty feel of the waterfront.

The beach riding portion is also 40 to 60 minutes, so you keep a steady rhythm across the day. The guides typically guide your pace, and if you like getting a little speed, you may even have a chance to trot and canter depending on how the session is running and your comfort level.

What you get here is the view from the saddle. You are not just looking at the water from a beach chair. You are moving alongside it, which makes the Red Sea feel close. It is also a great photo moment, because your perspective changes with the shoreline.

The Optional Swim with Your Horse in the Red Sea

If you want the tour’s signature moment, pick the swim option. It is listed as about 1 hour of swimming in the Red Sea with your horse.

This is not a quick dip. It is a full activity in the water, and it changes the whole day’s emotional tone. Riders often describe it as the highlight because it feels unusual and personal, like you are sharing the environment rather than just riding past it.

Before you go in, listen carefully to the guide instructions. You want to feel confident about what you will do in the water and how to keep your balance. The staff is usually very hands-on with beginners, including riders who are scared of going into the water at all.

Also plan for the basics:

• Bring swimwear if you choose the swim.
• Expect to get wet.
• Wear clothes that dry or that you are okay with being soaked.

When it works well, it feels calm in a way that is hard to describe until you are there. The horses move with the water, and the ride becomes a shared floating moment.

Food, Music, and the Real End of the Day

After about three hours of riding total, you head back to the stable. At that point, the tour includes a freshly cooked meal. Music is part of that post-ride downtime too, which helps the day feel like a proper experience, not just a timed ride that drops you off again.

The tour also includes coffee and/or tea and water, so you are not left scrambling for a drink.

If you are the kind of traveler who likes to get value from an excursion, this meal detail matters. It turns your day into a full block of time with a natural reset.

Guides, Horse Care, and How Confidence Gets Built

This tour succeeds because the guides run it like a real operation. You get a mix of humor and coaching, and multiple guides show up as favorites, including Karim, Keo, Ameen, Mohamed (sometimes nicknamed Crazy), Abdul, Sasa, and Yusef.

The consistent theme is that the staff makes you feel safe while they still let you enjoy the ride. For first-timers, that is huge. You are less likely to tense up when you trust the people guiding you, and that trust usually starts right at the stable with the orientation.

Horse comfort is also part of the story. The tour provides helmets and chaps, and the horses are described as well trained and cared for. In real terms, calm horses mean fewer sudden surprises for you. That helps your body relax and makes it easier to follow instructions when you need to.

There is one limit you should take seriously: riders should not weigh more than 220 lbs (100 kg) for horse safety.

What to Wear So the Ride Is Actually Comfortable

Horse riding feels simple until you are in the saddle for 40 to 60 minutes a few times. This tour gives you safety gear, but you still control your comfort with clothing.

I recommend you bring:

• Comfortable, breathable long pants. The tour specifically notes that flexible long pants are ideal to help prevent chafing.
• Closed-toe footwear that you can grip in.
• A small plan for sun protection, since you are outdoors for multiple segments.

If you are choosing the swim option, add a straightforward layer of common sense. You will want swimwear and then something to change into after, or at least clothes that do not ruin your comfort for the rest of the day.

Photos, Videos, and How to Capture the Day

One thing that repeatedly shows up with this tour is how much media the guides help you get. Guides take plenty of photos and often help with videos too. Some riders even describe the team taking photos with their own phone while others get professional shots using the guides’ cameras.

This is a practical benefit. You can focus on the experience while someone else handles the moment. And if you are traveling with friends or family, it helps everyone get solid pictures without juggling a selfie stick in the saddle.

Price and Value: Why $20 Can Make Sense Here

The listed price is $20 per person, and for what you get, it can be a very good value.

Here is what is included at that base level:

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Hurghada
• A guide
• 1-hour horse riding tour in the desert
• 1-hour horse riding tour in the beach
• Swimming with horses if you select that option
• Coffee and/or tea and water
• Helmet
• Chaps

You are getting transportation, safety gear, instruction, and multiple riding segments. In places where you pay separately for a short ride, this combo format is the reason the price feels attractive.

The swim option adds a major unique experience. It is not just scenery. It is water time with the horse, about 1 hour. If that is the moment you want most, you should treat the swim selection as the value driver, not the desert or beach segments alone.

Who This Tour Fits Best (and Who Might Want a Different Plan)

This is a great fit if you:

• Want a nature-heavy outing that mixes desert and Red Sea water
• Like animals and want hands-on connection, not just viewing
• Are a confident beginner or willing to learn, since the guides teach you and stay close
• Want photos without doing all the work yourself

It may feel less ideal if:

• You are very sensitive to physical activity in the saddle
• You are over the weight limit of 220 lbs (100 kg)
• You hate getting wet, especially if you choose the swim option and then get surprised by how involved it is

Also, if you are in a hurry and want a short, low-effort stop, this is not the right shape. The day is meant to be a real chunk of time from pickup to return.

Before You Book: Quick Checks That Save Stress

Do these checks and you will glide through the day:

• Confirm your pickup time with the provider the day before. Pickup depends on your hotel.
• If you are outside Hurghada, check whether pickup is an add-on and budget the extra €10 per person.
• Tell the provider your room number if they request it.
• Plan for long pants to prevent chafing.
• Decide early whether you want the swim option, so you can pack swimwear.

Should You Book This Horse and Red Sea Swimming Tour in Hurghada?

I think you should book this tour if you want a memorable day that feels different from the usual beach-and-bus pattern. The best reason to go is the combination: desert riding plus beach riding, and then the option to swim with your horse in the Red Sea for about an hour. That is the kind of experience that genuinely changes how you remember a destination.

If you are a first-time rider, you also have good odds of enjoying it, because the staff uses helmets, chaps, and clear coaching. Names like Karim, Ameen, Keo, and Sasa come up often for a reason: they help people relax and move at the right speed.

If you dislike physical activities or you want a totally hands-off experience, you might choose a lighter alternative. But if you can handle a couple of hours in the saddle and you are curious about the sea-swim moment, this is a strong pick for Hurghada.

FAQ

Is this horseback riding tour offered every day?

Yes. The tour is available every day.

What is included in the tour price?

The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Hurghada, a guide, 1 hour riding in the desert, 1 hour riding on the beach, helmet and chaps, and coffee and/or tea plus water. Swimming with horses is included only if you choose that option.

How long will I be on the horse?

You will ride for each station between 40 and 60 minutes, and the day includes about three hours of riding total.

How long is the swim with horses in the Red Sea?

If you select the swim option, swimming with the horse is listed at around 1 hour.

What safety gear do you provide?

You get a helmet and chaps. There is also an introductory safety briefing before riding.

Are there limits for riders?

Yes. For horse safety, riders should not weigh more than 220 lbs (100 kg).

Where does pickup happen, and is there an extra fee outside Hurghada?

Pickup is available from hotels in Hurghada. Pickup from areas like Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh, El Gouna, Safaga, and Soma Bay is available for an extra charge of €10 per person.

What should I wear for the ride?

Wear comfortable clothing, and long pants are recommended to help prevent chafing while riding.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.