Making the most of Safaga
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Port Safaga is an industrial facility reported as about 2 to 3 km miles from Safaga town. No tourist amenities are provided inside the port.
The trip into town should be around $4, while taxis to Hurghada cost about $40 each way. Taxis can, however, be difficult to locate.
Most passengers call here to reach Luxor, approximately 3-4 hours away.
A cruise-organised excursion is recommended.
Bring a printable map for the journey.
Safaga's characteristic black-sand dune beaches are a favourite with sunbathers. The seawater is known to be highly saline and rich in minerals beneficial to the skin, making this a popular curative destination on the Red Sea Riviera.
Savage and Abu Soma, with steady winds and gently shelving sandy beaches, are the Red Sea Riviera's surfing locations.
Getting around
Safaga port gives passengers access to Luxor on the River Nile, famous for Karnak Temple, Hatshepsut's Temple, the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. Karnak is an enormous complex made up of three principal temples, several smaller enclosed temples and numerous outer temples.
Important: many firms run excursions to Luxor and are generally dependable. Your ship, however, waits for late passengers only if they booked the ship's own excursions. Carry a mobile phone, together with the ship's telephone number, in case of trouble!
Construction of the complete complex spanned 1300 years, and it contains several outstanding examples of ancient Egyptian architecture and design.
Although the Valley of the Kings tombs lost much of their contents centuries ago, their remarkable wall paintings still portray ancient Egyptian pharaohs' lives in the finest detail. Howard Carter found the most famous tomb, belonging to the young pharaoh Tutankhamun, in pristine condition in 1922.
The Valley of the Queens' best-known burial place is the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, principal wife of Ramses II, which opened to visitors only in 1995. Spectacular Hatshepsut's Temple was built by Queen Hatshepsut's architect, Senenmut, in honour of the only woman ever to rule Egypt as Pharaoh.
Every tour bus carries armed security, and police escorts often remain close to the convoy.
Food and shopping
Widely available goods include jewellery, spices, copper utensils and Coptic cloth, as well as copies of Egyptian artefacts and papyrus sheets illustrated with Egyptian pharaohs and hieroglyphs.
Egyptian food draws together many of Middle Eastern cooking's finest traditions. Local specialities include foul bean dishes, roast pigeon, kebabs and humus made from chickpeas. Although Egypt is a Muslim country, alcohol is served in café-style bars and good restaurants.
Money
Every souvenir shop readily accepts US dollars and the Euro.
Staying connected
Arabic is the language.
Internet facilities certainly exist, but their keyboards are Arabic!
In Arabic, Sahara means desert, so do not say “the Sahara desert”!
Opening Hours and
Egypt's national holidays.