Alexandria is not a city that fits into a single checklist. It has Roman tombs, a Mamluk fort, a modern library and a long seafront, and none of them is far from the others. Where people go wrong is trying to squeeze in too much. The right trip is the one that fits the hours you actually have.
Every trip we run here is private, with your own vehicle and an English-speaking guide. That means you can slow down at one stop and skip another without holding anyone up. The notes below explain how the five options differ so you can pick one in a few minutes.
If you have half a day
The half-day tour takes about five hours. It starts at the Citadel of Qaitbay on the Eastern Harbor, then moves to the Roman Theatre at Kom el-Dikka, where you also see the mosaics of the Villa of the Birds. It finishes at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. It is a good fit for a morning before a flight or a short stop between ship and onward plans.
You see three very different places, and the driving between them is short. For many visitors this is enough, especially in the hot months when a long day outdoors is hard work.
If you have a full day
The full-day tour runs about eight hours. It adds the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, the Roman-era tombs cut into rock, and Pompey's Pillar with the remains of the Serapeum. Lunch is a seafront fish meal. The library comes in the afternoon, which is a quiet way to finish.
Choose this one if you want the layers of the city in a single day: Ptolemaic, Roman, medieval and modern. It is also the better choice if you are staying in Alexandria and have no other plans.
If you want something outside the city
Rosetta, also called Rashid, sits where the western branch of the Nile meets the sea. The day is about seven hours with roughly 1.5 hours of driving each way. You walk through restored Ottoman merchant houses, see an old mill and a hammam, and visit the fort where the Rosetta Stone was found in 1799.
The Cairo day is the opposite kind of trip. It is a long private journey by road to Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum. It suits travelers who will not have another chance to see the Pyramids, and who are fine with about 13 hours away from Alexandria.
- Half day – about 5 hours, three central sights, easy pace
- Full day – about 8 hours, six stops including lunch
- Rosetta – about 7 hours, quiet town and river fort
- Cairo by road – about 13 hours, Giza and the museum
- Food walk – about 4 hours, evening, five or more tasting stops
If you want to eat
The food walk is a private evening on foot with a local guide. You taste ful and falafel, a liver sandwich, grilled fish and seafood rice near the harbor, then rice pudding and coffee in an old café. Come hungry and skip the big lunch.
It works well as a second activity on the same day as the half-day tour. Rest in the afternoon and meet your guide around five.
Matching the trip to your group
Older travelers and anyone short on energy usually prefer the half day. Families often like Rosetta because the walking is easy and there is less to queue for. History fans lean toward the full day. First-time visitors to Egypt who will only be on the north coast, and who want the Pyramids, should take the Cairo day.
If you are unsure, tell us your dates, who is traveling and how you arrive. We will suggest one trip and explain why, and we will say so plainly if the Cairo day is more than you need.
Plan with us
Alexandria day trips: how to choose the right one
City sights, Rosetta, Cairo by road or an evening food walk: compare the Alexandria day trips by length, effort and who each one suits.