Horse or camel ride between sea and desert?
Updated October 18, 2026 · 5 min read
Marsa Alam sells the same idea twice: a ride through the desert and along the Red Sea, on a horse or on a camel. The horse tour and the camel tour both cost €29.36 per person, so the choice is not about price. It is about timing, pace and how much riding you want.
What the listings actually say
The horse tour (2 to 5 hours, 4.6 stars, 408 reviews, the most reviewed offer in our Marsa Alam data) lets you choose a sunrise, morning or sunset ride, with optional swim stops and hotel transfers. The camel tour lasts 3 hours and has 119 reviews at 4.4 stars. Its description is a copy of the horse text, down to the words “a calm horse”, so do not assume it has the same options: ask the operator what the camel ride includes and whether you can pick a time.
There are more horse rides than that. A sunrise ride with breakfast (2 to 4 hours, €23.13) ends with a traditional oriental breakfast in the desert. A sunset ride with dinner, show and stargazing (3 to 4 hours, €25.80) finishes at a Bedouin camp. Both mention VIP options in which you swim with your horse in the Red Sea. A two-hour beach ride costs €50 and has only 2 reviews.
Horse or camel?
Choose the horse if you have ridden before or want a choice of times: it has the longer menu, from sunrise to sunset. Choose the camel if you want a simpler outing, usually at a slower pace, for the experience of sitting on one. Neither listing mentions weight limits, minimum age or riding experience, so ask before booking.
Sunrise and sunset rides avoid the midday heat, which is the hardest hour in the desert. Bring sun protection and water either way.
The short version
For a first ride with the most choice and the most reviews, the horse tour is the safer pick. The camel makes sense when a horse feels like too much.
