Where to book excursions and boat trips in Hurghada at fair prices instead of through hotel travel agents?

A traveler noted excursions can be booked anywhere — through a tour operator for around $120 or directly on a yacht for about $30; dolphin sightings depend on whether dolphins are currently in the area, not on the price paid, so the cheaper option gives the same chance of seeing them.

Travelers warn against booking the Tiran Island excursion from a beach tout known as Hazim, who charges $50 per person while people picked up from other hotels paid only $35 for the same trip; the outcome was disappointing — no dolphins, 3 hours wasted waiting near Sunrise Remal hotel for divers, only 20 minutes at the reef, a poor lunch, plus a stop at Park Regency hotel before heading back.

One traveler booked a yacht rental through the Anex hotel agency for $700, but later found the same boat could be booked online for $280 all-inclusive — when the trip was cancelled due to illness, the hotel only reluctantly refunded 50%.

A paid city excursion offered by guides reportedly turns out to be just a tour around shops with inflated prices — travelers describe it as more of a sales trip than a real excursion.

Near Hotel Moreno there's a nice reef, and a diving boat called Mignon departs daily from their pier — last year it cost $20-25 per person for a full day, including food and 2 dives with instructors.

A boat trip with diving to Orange Bay island can be found online for $27 per person, versus $75-100 when offered by a guide; the island itself got poor reviews — overcrowded, poorly organized, overpriced, with only about an hour allowed there. Also, poolside touts at the hotel offer a 'VIP' boat (not yacht) excursion for $105 for 4 hours.

One boat trip option takes you to a nice beach from morning until about 4pm, with swimming and fish-watching, lunch included. Price is around $38 per person — look for one with a Russian-speaking guide.

A traveler who just checked into Seagull Beach Resort noted the hotel's excursion desk quotes inflated prices for Cairo, Luxor, diving and safari, plus massage — better to find real market prices separately before booking.

For a family snorkeling boat trip, it's better to find a group tour that includes hotel-to-marina transfer instead of hiring a private guide — it works out much cheaper.

A hotel guide from a major tour operator quoted $600 for a private boat excursion — travelers found this overpriced and looked for alternative operators with access to good reefs.

Reefs right by the hotel are described as poor for snorkeling — for better reefs, travelers suggest looking for boat trips departing closer to Hurghada Marina.

Guides also offered a free excursion along Hurghada's promenade and shops, where medicine is said to be cheaper and a customs receipt is provided — travelers were unsure whether the receipt is actually required.