Sandy shore and lagoons along the Alamein coast, photographed from the air

Photo: Michael Botros, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded

Mediterranean Coast · Destination guide

North Coast

The Mediterranean coast west of Alexandria — where the Eighth Army won at El Alamein, and where Egyptian families spend their summer holidays by the sea.

Plan your North Coast trip

Region: Mediterranean coast, west of Alexandria
Best for: Second World War history · summer seaside
Ideal stay: A day for Alamein · 4–7 nights for the beach
When to go: June to September for the resorts
Airport: El Alamein (DBB), services vary
Pairs with: Alexandria · Marsa Matrouh

Get your bearings

What North Coast actually is

Drive west out of Alexandria on the coast road to Marsa Matrouh and you are on the North Coast. El Alamein is about 106 kilometres along it, and roughly 300 kilometres north-west of Cairo. For British visitors the name carries weight: in the autumn of 1942 the Eighth Army, under Montgomery, broke the Axis line here, and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission now cares for the cemetery and memorial where so many of its men are commemorated. Enham Alamein, a village in Hampshire, took its name from the battle.

The same shore is where Egyptians go on holiday. Between June and September resort towns such as Marina El Alamein and the Marassi complex at Sidi Abdel Rahman fill up, and New Alamein, a city opened in 2018, is growing behind them. Outside summer it is a different place: quiet, with much of the seaside closed up. Treat it as a history visit in the cooler months and a Mediterranean beach break in high summer. The white-sand city and bay further along the road have their own page, under Marsa Matrouh.

What you're really here to see

Why people come to North Coast

Long rows of white Commonwealth war graves laid out across flat desert at El Alamein

Photo: Ian Rose, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded01

El Alamein War Cemetery and the Alamein Memorial

The cemetery holds graves from across the Western Desert campaign, laid out in the usual CWGC rows. The memorial beside it was designed by Hubert Worthington and unveiled by Viscount Montgomery of Alamein on 24 October 1954. It names 11,866 Commonwealth service members who have no known grave. If you are looking for a particular name, tell us and we will plan the visit around it.

Allow 1–2 hours · hours vary by season

A Sherman tank and a Universal Carrier on display in the grounds of the El Alamein Military Museum

Photo: David Holt, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded02

The museum, and the German and Italian memorials

Tanks and carriers stand outside the El Alamein Military Museum, with uniforms and wartime material indoors. Nearby on Tel el-Eisa hill, the German memorial is an ossuary shaped like a medieval fortress, and the Italian memorial holds 5,200 graves. A Greek cemetery lies in the same area. Together they show how many nations fought here.

A half day with the cemetery

The quayside at Porto Marina, El Alamein, lined with flags, the Mediterranean behind

Photo: TheEgyptian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded03

The summer coast around New Alamein

New Alamein was opened on 1 March 2018, and the shore around it is lined with villa compounds, marinas and beach clubs. This is the Mediterranean holiday that Egyptians take, and it only really exists between June and September. In winter much of it is shut.

Summer season only

Time to allow

How many days in North Coast?

Decide first whether you are going for the battlefield or for the beach.

A dayAlamein from Alexandria

A driver takes you out along the coast road to the cemetery and memorial, the museum and the German and Italian memorials, then brings you back to the city.

1 nightTime to reflect

Sleeping on the coast means you can reach the cemetery early, in cooler light and before the coaches, without a long drive at either end.

4–7 nightsA Mediterranean week

A summer holiday at one of the resort towns, with a day set aside for El Alamein. Book well ahead for July and August.

Carry on westAlamein, then Matrouh

Follow the same road to Marsa Matrouh for its white beaches, and on to Siwa Oasis if time allows.

Where it fits

North Coast in your itinerary

This coast works for anyone with a link to the desert war, and for summer beach-goers.

Family history

Many British families have a grandparent, great-uncle or great-grandfather who served in the desert. If yours did, El Alamein is often the reason for the whole trip.

Military history readers

The First Battle ran from 1 to 27 July 1942 and the Second from 23 October to 4 November. The sites let you stand where both were fought.

Summer by the sea

A Mediterranean beach holiday in an Egyptian resort town, from June to September, for people who would rather skip the Red Sea.

Not a winter-sun beach

Our winter-sun holidays go to the Red Sea. Here the seaside is closed up between autumn and spring, so come for the history alone.

Every way in

Ways to travel from North Coast

Day trips, classic multi-day tours, Nile cruises, hotels and private transfers – every part of an Egypt trip can be arranged from North Coast. Start wherever makes sense.

Day tours from Alexandria

Hotel pickup, a private Egyptologist, half or full day.

Classic Egypt tours

2–15 day private itineraries, hotels and guides included.

Tours with a Nile cruise

Pair North Coast with a 3–4 night river cruise in one trip.

Nile cruises

Aswan ↔ Luxor sailings, dahabiyas and classic cruisers.

Hotels in Alexandria

5★ and boutique stays, hand-picked by our team.

Airport transfers

Private meet-and-greet from the airport to your hotel.

Best time to visit

When to go to North Coast

Beach season is summer. History visits suit the other months.

June to September · beach season

Resorts are open and the sea is at its warmest. The Mediterranean breeze takes the edge off the heat, though it is still a hot desert coast.

July and August · peak

Egyptian summer holidays fill the beaches and the road. Reserve early and expect crowds.

October to May · quiet

Much of the seaside shuts or trims its hours. The war cemeteries stay open, with shorter hours in winter, and walking round them is more comfortable in cooler weather.

Ramadan

Opening hours at the sites are shortened during Ramadan, and some resort and restaurant hours change too. Tell us your dates and we will plan around them.

The practical part

Getting there & around

Allow time for the drive. The coast road is the usual way in.

By road

From Alexandria it is about 106 kilometres to El Alamein on the road to Marsa Matrouh. From Cairo it is roughly 300 kilometres. A private driver is the easiest way to link the sites.

By air

El Alamein International Airport (DBB) is on the coast, but flights have not been steady from year to year. Check before you plan around it; many people fly to Cairo or Alexandria instead.

Where to stay

We have no hotels listed on the North Coast yet. We can arrange your stay and transfers on request, to suit the season you travel in.

Seeing the sites

The cemeteries, museum and resorts sit apart along the highway, so a car and driver keeps the day simple.

Common questions

North Coast, answered

01Where is El Alamein?+

El Alamein is on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, about 106 kilometres west of Alexandria and roughly 300 kilometres north-west of Cairo. It lies on the coast road to Marsa Matrouh.

02Can I visit the El Alamein War Cemetery?+

Yes. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery and the Alamein Memorial can be visited, though opening hours change with the season and during Ramadan. We confirm them before your day out.

03Can I do El Alamein in a day from Alexandria?+

Yes. At about 106 kilometres it makes a comfortable day trip with a driver. From Cairo it is a much longer day, so most people spend a night on the coast.

04Is the North Coast open in winter?+

Only partly. The resort season runs from June to September, and much of the seaside is quiet or closed the rest of the year. The war cemeteries and museum remain the draw.

05Are there flights to El Alamein?+

The airport (DBB) exists, but scheduled flights have varied. Confirm what is operating for your dates, or fly to Cairo or Alexandria and drive. We can help you decide.

06How does the North Coast differ from Marsa Matrouh?+

The North Coast means the resort strip and the El Alamein battlefield. Marsa Matrouh is a separate city and bay further west, with white-sand beaches and the desert road to Siwa. See our Marsa Matrouh page.

Photo: Katonams, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, colour-graded

Plan your trip

Plan your North Coast holiday

Send us your dates, who's travelling and what you'd like from the sea, and within 24 hours we'll come back with a private plan: hotel, transfers and any day trips. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.

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Plan my North Coast trip