Welcome to the Safaga cruise port guide. Lets be honest: Safaga is not the most attractive town in Egypt. Your cruise ship will only visit Safaga for 1 simple reason: Luxor. Safaga is the gateway to Luxor as this is the closest sea port to it. Safaga means ‘protection from bad wind’. This town is a centre for the export of phosphates from local mines. Once a year it also becomes a busy embarkation port for Muslims who are travelling to Mecca during the annual Hajj. Safaga is known for windsurfing and kite surfing, but it is also a vacation town in the making. Therefore you could also opt for a day at a resort when you are in port here. Find out in the Safaga cruise port guide underneath what your options are.
Travel information Egypt
Official currency – Egyptian pound
Accepts Euro / Us dollars – usually they do
Creditcards – are often not accepted
Drives on the – right
Timezone – UTC +2
About Egypt
Inhabitants – 89,8 million
Official language – Egyptian Arabic
Capital city – Cairo
Arab Republic of Egypt
Government – Unitary semi-presidential republic
Egyptian language
Good day – يوم جيد – yawm jayid
How are you? – كيف حالك؟ – kayf halk?
Thank you – شكرا – shukraan
Cruise ship – سفينة سياحية – safinat siahia
Port – ميناء – mina’
Also visit our cruise port guides for:
Cruise Port Guide Safaga – Egypt: docked
The port of Safaga is one of the oldest ports in the Red Sea and it shows. You have very limited facilities here. There is no cruise terminal building, no atm, no tourist information. You will find there is a very limited amount of taxis available on the pier. You’re about 2 km away from the city centre. You have limited options here in town. Lets review your best options on what to see and do from the cruise port of Safaga: – Visit Luxor. This will be worth it! This is a location you simply have to have seen in your life and check off your travel resume. The drive is about 240 km to the west and takes almost 4 hours. Please be mindful that at this point buses and other vehicles will have to travel in convoy. Therefore we strongly recommend to go with an organised shore excursion. – Visit one of the resorts in the area. Sometimes your cruise ship offers a shuttle service to one of the resorts at Soma Bay. This beautiful bay is where Safaga is in the running for becoming the next important vacation spot for Europeans. Visit one of the resorts here while enjoying cocktails, wi-fi and the beach. Soma bay is 25 km to the north and the drive takes about half an hour. – Visit Hurghada. This is the biggest town in the area mainly known for being the biggest holiday resort there is along the coastline. Hurghada lies 63 km to the north and the drive takes just over an hour. Prepare an organized shore excursion before you leave home or try to find a taxi on the pier. Taxis at Safaga Usually there are no official taxis on the pier in Safaga. When you walk on the dock look for a negotiator to see if he still has any vehicles available. When you negotiate expect that a private van with A/C will approximately cost: 80 USD dollar round trip Hurghada 160 dollars round trip Luxor Wi-fi You can find wi-fi at the resorts and possibly at the exit of the port of Safaga (10 minute walk from the ship). Across the exit of the port is where you will find hotels that offer wi-fi.
