Hurghada SIM Card: Airport Counters, Shops, and Signal

You land in Hurghada on a Friday morning. The airport Wi-Fi asks you to register, and the street phone shops in town don't open until 2 p.m. A taxi app and a map are the two things you need right now.

A Hurghada SIM card is easy to get at the airport, where WE lists two counters open 24 hours. WE's tourist bundle is cheap: 5 GB for 100 Egyptian pounds, about $1.80, before tax. If your phone has no SIM tray, or you want data the moment you land, install a data eSIM at home instead. It costs more, but there is no counter and no passport step.

In short:

• WE lists 24-hour counters in the arrivals halls of Terminals 1 and 2. Orange lists two Orange Travel points there, open all day.
• Street shops open at 2 p.m. on Fridays. Mall shops open at 10 a.m. every day.
• On nPerf maps from October 2026, Orange and Vodafone mostly show 4G+ and 5G in Dahar, Sekalla and at the marina.
• The Moosetrip Egypt eSIM runs on Orange and starts at $6 for 1 GB over 7 days, on 2026-10-30.

Egypt eSIM from $6Install at home, connect when you land.See plans

Your options and what they cost

Dollar amounts for pounds are rough, at about 56 pounds to the dollar on October 30, 2026.

Local plans win on price, and by a lot. Our 5 GB plan is $19.50, more than ten times WE's bundle before tax. Our eSIM makes sense if you want to skip the counter, your phone has no SIM tray, or you want your US line left alone. If your phone can take a local SIM and you don't mind a stop at the desk, take the local SIM.

Roaming needs no setup. Verizon lists TravelPass at $12 per day outside Mexico and Canada, and AT&T lists International Day Pass at $12 per day for one line. A week of use is $84. Confirm Egypt and your rate in your carrier app. If your US plan includes enough data in Egypt, you need none of this.

SIM card at Hurghada Airport

WE lists two points, one in the arrivals hall of Terminal 1 and one in Terminal 2, both open 24 hours. Orange lists two Orange Travel points at the airport, open all day. You may also see Vodafone and e& desks.

Bring your passport and an unlocked phone. It needs a SIM tray for a plastic SIM, and many newer iPhones don't have one. Check your phone here.

At the counter, do this before you walk away:

1. Ask for the final price with all taxes. WE's prices exclude tax.
2. Ask the staff to activate the SIM while you wait.
3. Turn off Wi-Fi and open a map. If it loads, the line works.

If the line is long, you can buy in town instead. The closest shops are in Al Kawthar, about 1.5 miles from the arrivals halls in a straight line. WE is at 220/A Takseem Al Kawthar, and Orange is next door. Both keep normal street hours.

Free Wi-Fi at the airport

Hurghada Airport has free Wi-Fi. Sleeping in Airports, in a guide updated February 25, 2026, calls it unlimited. Travel Extra, in September 2025, says it covers the airport but needs registration. Treat it as a backup and don't count on it for your first taxi.

The cell signal in arrivals is strong. nPerf maps show Orange mostly on 5G at both terminals, and Vodafone on 4G+.

Where to buy a SIM card in town

These addresses come from the WE and Orange store lists, checked October 13, 2026. The lists also show normal street hours:

• WE street shops: Saturday to Wednesday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• Orange street shops: Saturday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Orange doesn't list a tourist plan on its site, so ask what it sells visitors and the total with tax. On a Friday morning, the mall shops are your only choice in town before 2 p.m. Orange at City Center also closes from 4:30 to 8 p.m., and WE stays open through that break.

Signal in Hurghada by area

nPerf collects speed tests from users over the last two years. The table shows the most common network type in tests within about 200 yards of each spot. The maps were updated October 9 to 12, 2026, and we read them on October 13.

"No tests" only means nobody ran a test at that spot, not that there is no signal. The Orange column is the one that matters for our eSIM. Vodafone leads in Sekalla and at the marina, and Orange leads at City Center. In the southern hotel zone, Orange has the clearest results.

Giftun Islands and boat trips

From the marina, Orange Bay is about 5 miles away in a straight line, and Mahmya is under 8 miles. nPerf tests on the islands sit near the beaches:

• Orange Bay: only Orange has tests, mostly 4G+.
• Mahmya: Orange and Vodafone both show 4G. e& and WE have no tests.
• Paradise Island: Orange shows 4G+.
• Middle of Giftun Kebir and Giftun Saghir: no tests from any network.

We checked 25 points along the 8-mile line from the marina to Mahmya. Orange had tests at 5 points and Vodafone at 4, all near shore, and those showed 4G or better. Few people run speed tests at sea, so assume a gap on the water. Download an offline map before you board.

Roads to El Gouna, Makadi and Safaga

We checked nPerf points about every 270 yards along three roads.

• Hurghada to El Gouna, 17 miles: Orange had tests at 106 of 110 points, all 4G or better. Vodafone was also 4G or better, with a gap of over a mile midway where Orange shows 4G+.
• Hurghada to Makadi Bay, 20 miles: Orange had tests at 125 of 128 points and Vodafone at 123, all 4G or better.
• Makadi Bay to Safaga, 21 miles: Orange was 4G or better wherever tested. Vodafone drops mostly to 3G for about a mile, some 9 miles south of Makadi.

e& and WE have long stretches with no tests on these roads, including about 10 miles for WE between Makadi and Safaga.

Arriving with data already working

A data eSIM installs at home over Wi-Fi with a QR code. Your days start at your first connection in Egypt. After landing, turn on data for the eSIM line. If it doesn't connect, turn on data roaming for that line. Your US number can stay on as a second line for bank texts, and our guide on keeping your US number abroad covers the details. Turn off data on your US line so a daily pass doesn't start.

Moosetrip prices for Egypt on October 30, 2026:

As a generous guide, 1 GB is about 5 hours of maps and taxis, or 1.5 hours of video calls. So 3 GB covers about 15 hours of maps. Pick your plan on the Egypt page. You can add more data to the same eSIM if you run short.

Egypt's phone rule for tourists

Since January 21, 2026, Egypt's regulator NTRA has ended the customs fee exemption for imported phones. Khaleej Times reported how this applies to tourists. With a foreign SIM, your phone works with no fees. With an Egyptian SIM, tourists are exempt from the fee for 90 days on each visit. On a normal vacation, you have nothing to pay.

Questions

Where can I buy a SIM card in Hurghada at night?

At the airport. WE's two arrivals counters are listed as open 24 hours. In town, street shops close at 10 or 11 p.m., and WE at City Center and Senzo Mall stays open until midnight.

How much is a SIM card in Hurghada?

WE's tourist bundle is 100 pounds for 5 GB over 30 days, about $1.80, before tax. Ask for the total before you pay.

Is there free Wi-Fi at Hurghada Airport?

Yes, but it needs registration. Keep it as a backup rather than your plan for the first taxi.

Are phone shops in Hurghada open on Friday?

Yes, but street shops open at 2 p.m. Before that, try City Center or Senzo Mall, where WE and Orange open at 10 a.m.

Do I get signal on the Giftun Islands?

Near the beaches, yes. nPerf shows Orange on 4G+ at Orange Bay, and Orange and Vodafone on 4G at Mahmya. Expect gaps on the boat ride and in the island interior.

Sources

• WE, Mobile Egypt tourist bundles, checked 2026-10-30
• WE, store locator, checked 2026-10-13
• Orange Egypt, find a store, checked 2026-10-13
• e& Egypt, Traveling to Egypt, checked 2026-10-13
• nPerf, Egypt coverage map, maps updated October 9 to 12, 2026
• Sleeping in Airports, Hurghada Airport guide, updated February 25, 2026
• Travel Extra, Airport guide: Hurghada, September 28, 2025
• Khaleej Times, Egypt ends fee exemption on imported phones, January 21, 2026
• Verizon, TravelPass FAQs, checked 2026-10-30
• AT&T, International Day Pass, checked 2026-10-30

More guides

• Hurghada Taxi Guide: Uber, inDrive and Airport Fares
• Internet in Egypt for Tourists: SIM, eSIM, or Roaming
• Sharm El Sheikh SIM Card: Airport, Shops, Signal, eSIM
• Sharm El Sheikh Taxi: inDrive, Meter Fares, Airport Rides