In short. El Gouna is a private town about half an hour north of Hurghada. To get in without staying there, you need an entry permit, requested the day before by 2pm or 3pm, with a photo of each visitor's passport. The restaurant, beach club or activity you're visiting sends the request for you. Or hand the whole thing to us on WhatsApp: we book, we request, you turn up. Around the holidays and the film festival, plan a little further ahead.
A dinner on the quays of Abu Tig Marina starts the day before. Here's the full routine, in order.
Why does El Gouna need a permit?
Because El Gouna isn't a district of Hurghada. It's a private town, built around lagoons, with its own staffed gates. That's what gives it its polished resort feel, a sort of Red Sea Saint-Tropez, with a marina full of yachts and terraces lined up along the canals.
Residents and hotel guests are registered through where they stay. Day visitors come in on a permit. According to the El Gouna forum on Tripadvisor, the system has been in place since late February 2026.
Who requests the permit?
The place you're going to. A restaurant at Abu Tig, a beach club, a kitesurf school: they pass your ID to the gate team, based on your booking. Sick Dog Surf, a kite school that explains the process in an April 2026 article, gives the example of Makani Beach Club: the team files the request, as long as you contact them directly.
Two practical consequences. You need an actual booking: a plan to wander about won't get you through. And every person in the group needs to have sent their passport photo, because only those names go through the barrier.
Step by step
- Pick your plan: dinner, beach club, an activity.
- Book with the venue, or ask us to do it.
- Send a photo of each person's passport, the day before, by 2pm or 3pm.
- On the day, show up at the gate with the original passport.
- Security finds your name in the system, and in you go.
One small detail saves a wait. At the gate you may be asked for a QR code. Didn't get one? Just ask the guard to check your permit in the system, which is what Sick Dog Surf suggests.
The easy way: let us handle it
At All To Hurghada we sort out El Gouna entry for you. Tell us on WhatsApp what you'd like to do and send a photo of each person's passport. We book the table or the activity, file the permit request in time, and can add a return driver on request. All that's left for you is choosing what to wear for dinner.
Message us the day before by noon at the latest. Two or three days ahead is even better.
Dates to plan ahead for
Eid, Easter, Christmas, New Year, the film festival. During these busy spells, access for outside visitors is tighter, according to travellers on the El Gouna Tripadvisor forum. The 2026 El Gouna Film Festival runs from 15 to 23 October, according to Cairo Scene.
Your trip falls on those dates? Let us know as soon as you've booked your flights. We'll tell you what's doable, and if El Gouna needs too much notice that week, we'll suggest an evening that's every bit as good at Hurghada Marina.
What to do once you're in
Stroll through Downtown (El Balad) and its colourful little streets, head down to Abu Tig Marina as the light drops, and have dinner by the water. The restaurants cover every style, and prices sit a notch above Hurghada: this is the dressed-up night of the week. By day, El Gouna is also a well-known kitesurf spot, thanks to the steady north wind.
Want to fill the rest of the week? Every boat, desert and day trip we book is on our Hurghada excursions page. Landing soon? A driver can meet you at the airport: see Hurghada airport transfers.
For the evening itself, our guides to Hurghada nightlife and where to eat in Hurghada list the Abu Tig addresses.
FAQ
Do I need a passport to enter El Gouna?
You need ID and a permit requested the day before by 2pm or 3pm. A photo of your passport goes in advance, sent by the venue you're visiting or by us on WhatsApp. Carry the original on the day.
Can I get into El Gouna without a booking?
For a visitor who isn't staying there, the permit goes through a venue that's expecting you: a restaurant, a beach club or an activity. Book first, and the request follows.
Can I go to El Gouna on the same day?
Rarely, since the request is made the day before. Message us at least one day ahead.
Does the permit cost anything?
None of the sources we checked mention a permit fee. You pay for what you eat and drink there, plus the ride.
How long does it take from Hurghada to El Gouna?
About half an hour and 27 km by road from central Hurghada, and 40 km from the airport, based on our OSRM route check of 23 September 2026.
Sources: Sick Dog Surf, "How to enter El Gouna if you are not an El Gouna resident", April 2026 (sickdogsurf.com) · El Gouna forum on Tripadvisor, "Entry into El Gouna for non resident/hotel guests", 2026 (tripadvisor.com) · Cairo Scene (2026 festival dates) · OSRM route check, 23 September 2026.