Mediterranean Coast · Destination guide
Alexander's sea-facing capital — a salt-air corniche, the great library reborn, and Graeco-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 Graeco-Roman rather than pharaonic: the catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa burrowing three levels underground, the Roman amphitheatre, 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 catches 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
01 A modern library built to honour the ancient one, its tilted glass disc rising like a second sun over the harbour. Inside, the vast reading room steps down towards the sea, alongside museums and a planetarium — a working answer to a two-thousand-year-old loss.
2–3 hours
02 A Roman-era necropolis spiralling 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
03 A 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 harbour wall, with the sea on three sides, is the city's best hour.
1 hour · go at sunset
04 The 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 real question is 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 amphitheatre 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 holiday.
Two hours by fast train or about three by car — an easy day trip or overnight from the capital.
Trade pharaonic temples for Graeco-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 9-day, land-based tour that visits Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan and Luxor with private Egyptologists and a combination of domestic flights and a first-class train. We arrange all airport meet-and-assist, modern private transfers and guides for the major sites named in the itinerary. Unlike large coach programmes, every major visit is private and paced to avoid peak crowds whenever possible. We do not run fixed-seat group buses; instead you travel in air-conditioned cars with your Egyptologist. Entrance fees for the listed monuments are included, while pyramid interiors and premium tombs are excluded unless requested.
Four nights in Cairo with two full days of guided sightseeing to Khufu, the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel and Khan El-Khalili. We assign a Cairo‑based Egyptologist and a private car; we do not run coach-style group tours. We include private airport transfers and timed-entry at the Egyptian Museum. Khufu pyramid interior entry and premium tombs (Tutankhamun/Seti I) are not included unless requested. Expect early starts, busy peak hours and walking on uneven ancient stone at Giza. Optional extras such as a felucca at sunset or a tailored departure transfer can be added.
This 6-day Cairo and Alexandria holiday combines Cairo’s pharaonic and medieval sites with a full-day visit to Alexandria. You travel with an expert Egyptologist and private air-conditioned transfers. Highlights include the Giza Pyramids Complex and Great Sphinx, the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), Saqqara’s Step Pyramid and a day in Alexandria to see Qaitbay Citadel and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. We run departures daily and use private vehicles rather than coach-style group transfers, which gives flexibility on pickup times and pacing. Entrance fees listed in the itinerary are included; international flights, the Egypt entry visa and tipping are not included in the price.
A 13-day guided holiday combining Alexandria, Cairo, a three-night Nile cruise between Aswan and Luxor, and a Red Sea break in Hurghada. We arrange domestic flights, private transfers and a dedicated Egyptologist throughout. This itinerary suits travellers who want museum and city sightseeing in Cairo and Alexandria followed by the paced sightseeing a short Nile cruise affords, then four nights for snorkeling and beach time in Hurghada. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator, we book the hotels and cruise with local suppliers and manage timings so you move comfortably between cities.
Overnight stay at San Giovanni Stanley Hotel and Restaurant in Alexandria, arranged by our licensed Egyptian tour operator. We book this property for travellers seeking an overnight base in Alexandria rather than a hurried day trip from Cairo. We don't run mass coach groups in Alexandria; bookings here are for private or small parties so arrival times and transfers remain flexible. We arrange private transfers and experienced local guides; ask us to add an evening Corniche walk or an early start for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Central hotels can be subject to traffic noise and limited parking; ask about quieter room options or alternative drop-off times. Bookable as a single-night stay or as part of a longer Alexandria programme.
The Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria exhibits mosaics, statues and domestic artefacts from the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Allow 45–60 minutes for a focused visit. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator we arrange timed tickets and private guided visits with our Alexandria Egyptologists. We don't treat this as a rushed stop; our visits prioritise the key Kom el-Dikka mosaics and epigraphic panels. Unlike the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the collection concentrates on provincial Alexandria and urban Roman life. Small galleries and limited seating mean this site suits a concentrated visit; we commonly combine it with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina or Kom el-Dikka excavations.
Book timed-entry tickets to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the modern library complex opened in October 2002 and designed by Snøhetta. We treat the planetarium as an optional add-on because shows require separate bookings and most guests prefer a guided visit to the Manuscripts and Antiquities sections. The complex houses specialised libraries, museum displays and a planetarium; expect security screening, bag checks and photography limits in manuscript galleries. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and can add an English-speaking local guide on request or coordinate a combined Corniche sightseeing half-day.
Helnan Mamoura is a seafront hotel on Alexandria's Corniche offering a quiet Mediterranean base for short stays and conference use. We favour it for single-night stopovers because it places guests on the Corniche at sunset without central traffic. Montazah Royal Gardens and Montazah Palace lie a short drive away; Qaitbay Citadel is reachable by Corniche drive. Corniche rush-hour can add to transfer times and some rooms face the road rather than the sea. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator, we arrange room reservations, private cars and half-day tours from Helnan Mamoura.
Two-night private itinerary from Cairo to Alexandria, visiting Wad Natrun monasteries, Pompey's Pillar, the Kom el-Shoqafa catacombs, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Roman Museum. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and we arrange private transfers and an Egyptologist to accompany key visits. Cairo to Alexandria is about 220 km (roughly 2.5–3 hours by car). Unlike rushed one-day coach excursions, this itinerary gives you two nights and a full day in Alexandria to see the main sites at a steady pace. Trade-offs: expect early starts, a long road transfer each way and limited shade at several outdoor sites.
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 Graeco-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 amphitheatre 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 amphitheatre 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.
