A port day in Alexandria is short, and the city rewards a plan. Ships dock close to the center, so you start near the main sights. The question is not whether to go out, but how far to go and how to be back on time.
We run private trips for exactly this situation. Your guide and driver meet you at the cruise port, set the pace around your all-aboard time, and bring you back to the same place.
Check your timing first
Work out your window before you pick a trip. Subtract the time it takes to clear the port and meet your guide, and keep a safety margin at the end. A ship that arrives early and leaves late gives you a very different day from one that stays for six hours.
Port traffic can be slow at the end of the day, when many ships leave and many cars head for the same gates. A buffer of at least an hour is wise. A private guide will tell you honestly when it is time to turn back.
If you have about six hours
Take the half-day private tour. It runs about five hours and covers the Citadel of Qaitbay, the Roman Theatre at Kom el-Dikka and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The distances are short and the stops are well chosen. You are back at the port with time to spare.
If you have eight to ten hours
The full-day tour fits well. It adds the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa and Pompey's Pillar, and includes a fish lunch by the sea. You see more of the older city and still keep a margin before the ship leaves.
Rosetta is the other choice for a long call. It takes about seven hours and is a very different day: a quiet river-mouth town with Ottoman houses, an old mill and the fort where the Rosetta Stone was found.
What does not fit
The Cairo day trip takes about 13 hours, including roughly three hours of driving each way. That only works if your ship stays in port for a very long time. For most calls, it is too much risk. If seeing the Pyramids matters to you, plan a Cairo visit as a separate part of your trip instead of squeezing it into a port call.
- About 6 hours in port – half-day city tour
- About 8 to 10 hours – full-day city tour or Rosetta
- Overnight or very long call – Cairo day by road
Practical points
Wear comfortable shoes and bring a hat. Carry water, though we provide bottled water on the trips. Keep your ship card with you at all times. If the ship changes its schedule, tell us as soon as you know, and we will adjust the plan.
How we plan around your ship
When you book, we ask for your ship's name, the arrival time and the all-aboard time. We work backward from the all-aboard time, add a margin, and build the day around what remains. If your schedule changes, send us a message and we will adjust the plan.
Your driver waits for you at the end of the day. If you need to return earlier because you are tired or the weather turns, say so and the guide will head back. A private trip bends to your needs in a way that a large group tour cannot.
Ask us before you book if you are unsure about a particular trip. We know the port routine and the usual traffic, and we will tell you plainly when a plan is too tight for your ship.
Plan with us
Alexandria cruise port day: what is possible
Short on time in Alexandria? See what fits between ship and all-aboard time, from a 5-hour city tour to Rosetta, and what is too far.