Mediterranean Coast · Destination guide
Alexander's sea-facing capital – a salt-air corniche, the great library reborn, and Greco-Roman Egypt two hours north of Cairo.
Get your bearings
Alexandria faces the sea, not the desert. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and once home to the ancient world's greatest library and a lighthouse counted among the Seven Wonders, it spent centuries as the Mediterranean's intellectual capital and now carries a faded, salt-stained character unlike anywhere else in Egypt.
What survives is layered and Greco-Roman rather than Pharaonic: the catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa burrowing three levels underground, the Roman amphitheater, Pompey's Pillar, and the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina built to echo the lost library. Tying it all together is the corniche – a long curve of seafront where the city eats grilled fish and watches the waves.
Most people visit Alexandria from Cairo, two hours north by fast train. It works as a long day trip, but an overnight lets you catch the city at its best: the seafront in the evening light, and a morning at the library before the day-trippers arrive.
What you're really here to see
01A modern library built to honor the ancient one, its tilted glass disc rising like a second sun over the harbor. Inside, the vast reading room steps down toward the sea, alongside museums and a planetarium – a working answer to a two-thousand-year-old loss.
2–3 hours
02A Roman-era necropolis spiraling three levels underground, where Egyptian gods and Roman togas share the same carved walls – the strange, brilliant fusion that only Alexandria produced. One of the largest Roman burial sites in Egypt.
1–2 hours
03A 15th-century fort standing on the exact spot where the Lighthouse of Alexandria once burned – built, in part, from its fallen stones. The walk out along the harbor wall, with the sea on three sides, is the city's best hour.
1 hour · go at sunset
04The former royal summer palace sits in green gardens above its own private bay at the eastern end of the corniche – a Florentine-Turkish folly with a beach below. The grounds are a calm hour away from the city's traffic.
1–2 hours
Time to allow
Alexandria is compact – the question is really day trip or overnight.
Fast train up, the library, the catacombs and Qaitbay, grilled fish on the corniche, and back by evening. Long but doable.
An overnight catches the seafront at dusk and the sights before the day-trippers – the way to see Alexandria properly.
Add the Montaza Palace gardens, the Roman amphitheater and Pompey's Pillar, plus time to simply wander the old streets and cafés.
Slot Alexandria onto the start or end of a Cairo visit – the natural Mediterranean counterpoint to the Pyramids.
Where it fits
Alexandria is a coastal counterpoint to Cairo – close enough to fold into almost any trip.
Two hours by fast train or about three by car – an easy day trip or overnight from the capital.
Trade Pharaonic temples for Greco-Roman ruins, the desert for the sea, and the crowds for a slower coastal pace.
The best grilled fish and seafood in Egypt, eaten on a seafront that has watched ships for two thousand years.
Add it to the front or back of your Cairo days rather than treating it as a separate trip.
From the catalogue
A 13-day tour linking Alexandria, Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and Hurghada by domestic flight, road and a three-night Nile cruise between Aswan and Luxor. We arrange pr
Alexandria National Museum displays artifacts from Pharaonic, Hellenistic, Roman, Coptic and Islamic periods. We arrange private or small-group visits led by our Egyptologist and meet you at the museum entrance. We do not run large coach groups; our pace lets you study sculptures, mosaics and inscriptions without a rushed stop. Unlike many cruise-ship shore excursions that allow just 30–45 minutes, we typically schedule 60–90 minutes for the galleries. The museum occupies a multi-floor historic building with stairs and compact rooms, so the visit includes some standing and narrow passages. Standard entrance fees are included; tell us your arrival time and we can combine this visit with a Corniche walk or a visit to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
Buy timed-entry tickets to Bibliotheca Alexandrina on Alexandria's Mediterranean shore; the modern library commemorates the ancient Library's site and opened in 2002. The complex includes a circular main reading room with a sloping, inscribed roof, several specialized libraries and museum spaces. We don't bundle this ticket into rushed 'Alexandria highlights' runs; allow 90–120 minutes to see the reading room and one museum properly. Unlike many cruise-ship stopovers, an unhurried visit requires time off ship or a private transfer from Cairo (approximately 220 km / 137 miles, 2.5–3 hours' drive). Peak weekends can be busy; some exhibition halls restrict photography. Standard site entrance fees are included unless stated otherwise.
We arrange guided entry to the Graeco‑Roman Museum in Alexandria with the standard entrance ticket included. The museum's collection contains Roman statues, Hellenistic mosaics, funerary objects, and daily‑life artifacts excavated from Alexandria and the Nile Delta. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator, we supply a local Alexandria Egyptologist to explain portraiture, funerary inscriptions, and the city's Greco‑Roman urban archaeology. We keep this visit focused: we do not bundle the museum into rushed group coach circuits, and we allocate 45–60 minutes for the visit. Trade-offs: the museum is compact, lighting is subdued for conservation, and some galleries restrict photography; expect a short, concentrated visit rather than a full day. Our guide meets you at the museum entrance; timed entry avoids queues. Tickets can be booked standalone or added to an Alexandria city tour.
Kom el‑Dikka houses a Roman theatre and late-Roman houses with preserved mosaics in central Alexandria. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator, we include an Egyptologist who explains the mosaics, the theatre's plan and later reuse of the site. Unlike quick cruise-port excursions, we schedule time to study mosaics and the theatre layout rather than a drive-by stop. Expect uneven ancient stone, low steps and limited shade; bring sun protection and steady footwear. Visits typically take 45–60 minutes. Entrance fee is included; we meet you at the site entrance when arranged and private transfers can be added.
Kom El Shoqafa is an underground Roman‑era necropolis in Alexandria dating to the late 2nd century AD. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator, we include timed‑entry tickets and the services of one of our Egyptologists for an on‑site explanation. We schedule 45–60 minutes at the site; many cruise‑shore excursions allot only 15–20 minutes, which rushes the carved funerary reliefs and the triclinium. Visitors should expect narrow stone steps, low ceilings and dim lighting, and it is not ideal for limited mobility. Standard site entrance fees are included unless we state otherwise.
Qaitbay Citadel is a 15th-century fortress built in 1477 by Sultan al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Qa'it Bay on the former site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The citadel dates to 1477 CE. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and arrange timed entry, a local Egyptologist, and short harbour-side commentary. We do not run large coach shore excursions; we schedule visits early or late to avoid cruise-ship crowds and allow 45–60 minutes on site. Unlike quick port stops, our visit includes the small maritime museum inside the fort and time for views across the Eastern Harbour. Note: limited shade at midday, narrow staircases, and uneven stone floors.
Rosetta (Rashid) Archaeological Area marks the Nile’s western branch at the Mediterranean and includes Fort Julien, where the Rosetta Stone was found in 1799. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and operate private visits to Rashid rather than large coach groups. Unlike quick coach stops from Alexandria, we schedule time to walk the Nile mouth, inspect Ottoman-era Fort Julien, and visit local markets at a measured pace. The original Rosetta Stone was removed to the British Museum in 1802; local displays and excavation contexts remain on site. Trade-offs: the area is exposed, often windy, and has uneven stone and sand underfoot.
Every way in
Day trips, classic multi-day tours, Nile cruises, hotels and private transfers – every part of an Egypt trip can be arranged from Alexandria. Start wherever makes sense.
Hotel pickup, a private Egyptologist, half or full day.
2–15 day private itineraries, hotels and guides included.
Pair Alexandria with a 3–4 night river cruise in one trip.
Aswan ↔ Luxor sailings, dahabiyas and classic cruisers.
5★ and boutique stays, hand-picked by our team.
Private meet-and-greet from the airport to your hotel.
Best time to visit
A Mediterranean climate – milder than the rest of Egypt, and at its best outside deep winter.
Warm, breezy and bright (22–30°C) – the corniche at its finest and the sea swimmable. The sweet spot for Alexandria.
Hot and humid, and packed with Egyptian holidaymakers escaping the inland heat. Lively, but hotels fill and prices climb.
Mild but the wettest, windiest stretch in Egypt – Alexandria actually gets winter storms. Atmospheric, but pack a jacket.
Whenever you come, save Qaitbay and the corniche for the golden hour, when the sea and the old stone glow together.
The practical part
An easy hop from Cairo, walkable along the sea – the practical part.
The fast train from Cairo takes about two hours; a private car takes three. We usually run it as a guided door-to-door day or overnight from your Cairo hotel.
The sights string along the coast – comfortable by private car with a guide, with short walks at each stop along the corniche.
Seafront hotels along the corniche put you near the library and the evening promenade; the historic Cecil Hotel anchors the old downtown.
Alexandria's seafood is the best in Egypt – pick your catch from the ice and have it grilled. We point you to the places locals actually use.
Common questions
Yes, especially for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa and Qaitbay Citadel, plus a Mediterranean seafront unlike anywhere else in Egypt. It's a Greco-Roman, sea-facing counterpoint to Pharaonic Cairo.
Yes – it's two hours by fast train, so a long day covers the library, the catacombs, Qaitbay and lunch on the corniche. An overnight is better, letting you see the seafront at dusk and the sights before the day-trippers arrive.
The fast train is the easiest option at about two hours; a private car takes roughly three. We typically run it as a guided door-to-door trip from your Cairo hotel.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, Qaitbay Citadel, Pompey's Pillar, the Roman amphitheater and the Montaza Palace gardens – all tied together by the long Mediterranean corniche.
Spring and autumn (April–June, September–November) are ideal – warm, breezy and swimmable. Summer is hot, humid and crowded with Egyptian holidaymakers; winter is mild but the wettest, windiest season in Egypt.
One overnight is the sweet spot – enough for the headline sights and an evening on the seafront. A day trip works if you're short on time; two nights lets you add Montaza, the amphitheater and a slower wander.
Plan your trip
Tell us your dates and what you want out of Alexandria – we'll send a private, tailored itinerary within 24 hours. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.
