How to Enter El Gouna if You Are Not an El Gouna Resident – Step by Step

Typically, on Saturdays, a few of my kiters, usually those with a late Saturday flight, ask me for a recommendation on where to kite after our kite safaris. I always recommend Makani Beach Club in El Gouna, a cozy beach club with a well-organized kite school. Good energy, good food, perfect even if you have no plans to kitesurf that day (or if there is no wind).

Recently, however, entering El Gouna for a fun day of kitesurfing after our kite safaris has become more and more complicated. El Gouna is, in fact, a private town – this means there is a gate to enter, and you need to justify your presence in El Gouna to be allowed inside. It used to be no problem in the past – all you had to do was explain that you were going to Makani, and that was it. Right now, as of April 2026, the situation is different – you need to have official permission to enter El Gouna.

HOW TO GET THIS PERMISSION

You need to obtain this permission one day before arrival, before 14:00/15:00. The Makani team can provide it, but it needs to be requested. Normally, on Friday, I contact Makani and provide a picture of the IDs of the kiters interested in going there on Saturday. Makani will then inform the security center in El Gouna and have the permission prepared. No further paperwork is needed – Makani will simply inform me when everything is done.

AT THE GATE ON SATURDAY

When you arrive at the El Gouna gate on Saturday, the security at the enxtra will ask for a QR code, which you won’t have. You need to ask them to check their system for your specific permission to enter. Remember: ONLY the people who submitted their ID will be allowed in.

Once inside, you can head to Makani and spend the rest of the day in El Gouna as you please.

SEEMS TOO COMPLICATED?

A Plan B is to go kitesurfing at PlayKite, a kite school managed by my friend Sasha – a smaller kite school located right between Hurghada and El Gouna. PlayKite is less fancy and cozy, but very welcoming and, most importantly, doesn’t require any kind of permission or preparation. It’s a no-headache solution.