Alexandria, Egypt - set on the Mediterranean 137 miles north of Cairo, this is the country's second city and one of the most misunderstood by American travelers. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, capital of the Ptolemies for three centuries, cradle of Hellenistic thought with the first great library of the ancient world, Alexandria was for a long time to Egypt what New Orleans is to the United States - a maritime face turned toward another culture. Today it is an Arab city of five million people, sometimes melancholy, often surprising, and it deserves far more than the half day usually set aside for it.
Our SEV team runs day trips and short 2-night getaways to Alexandria from Cairo, with private air-conditioned transport, an English-speaking guide and a seafood lunch on the Corniche. Request your quote on WhatsApp.
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Alexandria - Egypt's second capital
The numbers first. Alexandria - 5.2 million inhabitants, 20 miles of Mediterranean coastline, four working ports including the one that still handles 60% of Egypt's freight. The climate stands apart too - summers here run 11 to 14 °F cooler than Cairo thanks to the sea breeze, and it gets 8 inches of rain a year against just 1 inch in the capital. For the traveler worn down by the dry heat of the interior desert, Alexandria is a literal breath of fresh air.
The catch - the city has lost almost all of its ancient heritage. The great lighthouse collapsed between 956 and 1323 after several earthquakes, the palace of the Ptolemies sank into the bay, the library burned in successive waves between Julius Caesar and the caliphate of Omar. What remains comes down to a handful of archaeological sites and an atmosphere - that of a cosmopolitan city remembering itself. The demanding traveler who expects another Karnak will leave disappointed. The one who comes looking for the Arab Mediterranean, freshly caught seafood and the temple-library rebuilt in 2002 will get their money's worth.
How to get to Alexandria from Cairo
Three serious options, plus one to avoid. All leave the capital and all reach Alexandria in 2 to 3 hours.
- First-class train - the Cairenes' preferred way. 6 to 12 daily departures from Ramses station in Cairo, arriving at Sidi Gaber or Misr station in Alexandria. Journey 2h30 to 3h for the express VIP trains (the 2026 "Spanish train" option). First-class air-conditioned fare 100-160 EGP ($2-3) depending on the line. The wifi works hit or miss, but the buffet car serves a decent hot tea.
- Private car with driver - the SEV formula for English-speaking travelers. Allow 2h30 via the desert highway or 3h via the agricultural highway (more scenic). Door-to-door pickup from your hotel in Cairo, air-conditioning, experienced driver. Our default choice.
- GoBus or Blue Bus coach - from Almaza Cairo or Ramses, departures every hour, tickets 80-150 EGP, 3h journey. Comfortable but less flexible.
- Intercity Uber - technically possible (the "Uber Long Distance" option) but expensive (1200-1700 EGP, $13-18) and drivers are often tired on this route. Not recommended.
The cruise shore-excursion option applies here too - international cruise ships call at Alexandria, and the SEV "shore excursion from Alexandria" formula covers the city in a 7-8 hour day with a return to the ship in late afternoon.
The Citadel of Qaitbay and the ghosts of the Lighthouse
You arrive along the corniche and suddenly the yellow-white mass appears, set on a rocky spur that juts out into the sea. The Citadel of Qaitbay was built in 1477 by the Mamluk sultan Qaitbay on the very foundations of the great Lighthouse of Alexandria - sixth of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The current building is nothing ancient, but the site itself sheltered humanity's most famous beacon for sixteen centuries.
Inside, three floors of vaulted chambers, a small naval museum, and a panoramic terrace looking out over the eastern bay and the western harbor. 2026 fare - 200 EGP ($4) for foreigners, 100 EGP for ISIC students. Allow 1 hour for the visit. Our photo tip - shoot the building from the foot of the western jetty at sunset, when the light rakes across the limestone and brings out the joints between the blocks.
At the foot of the citadel, marine divers have been probing the sunken foundations of the Lighthouse and the royal quarter of the Ptolemies since 1994. More than 2,500 blocks have been identified. An underwater museum is in the works, but has been postponed repeatedly. In the meantime, the permanent exhibition at the Antiquities Museum of the Bibliotheca displays the pieces brought back up.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina - the revival of knowledge
Inaugurated in October 2002 after twenty years in the making, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a pharaonic project in the literal sense. A circular building tilted toward the sea like a sundial, a façade of Aswan granite engraved with characters from 120 of the world's alphabets, a reading room cascading across 11 levels with room for 2,000 readers. It is, without question, the finest modern building in Egypt and one of the most inspired of the 21st-century Mediterranean.
The tourist visit gives access to the great reading room (from the upper gallery) and to six integrated museums - the Antiquities Museum (objects raised from the Lighthouse and the Ptolemies), the Manuscripts Museum, the Sadat Museum (devoted to the former president), the planetarium, the History of Science Museum, and the permanent exhibition on historic Alexandria. 2026 fare - 100 EGP general admission + 70 EGP per additional museum, or roughly 400 EGP ($9) for the full combo. Allow 2 to 3 hours.
What the guidebooks forget to mention - the library hosts international-level temporary exhibitions all year long (often in partnership with the Louvre, the Met, or the British Library) along with talks open to the public. Check the program on their official website before your visit; it can transform the experience.
The Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa - syncretism underground
Two and a half miles from the corniche, in the Karmouz district, the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa descend 115 feet into Alexandria's limestone bedrock. Discovered by accident in 1900 when a donkey fell into them, they date from the 2nd century AD and offer something you see nowhere else in Egypt - an architectural and iconographic Greco-Roman-Pharaonic blend so accomplished that you forget it is a cemetery.
Three successive levels (the lowest currently inaccessible because of risen groundwater). Funeral chambers carved into the rock, sarcophagi, frescoes where Anubis (the Egyptian jackal god) wears the breastplate of a Roman soldier, where Sobek holds a legionnaire's spear, where mummy wrappings are decorated with Greek motifs. For anyone interested in comparative archaeology and ancient cosmopolitanism, it speaks louder than ten museums.
2026 fare - 200 EGP ($4) for adult foreigners, 100 EGP for students. Smartphone photography allowed, flash forbidden. Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour. The surrounding district is not the prettiest part of Alexandria - plan on a taxi to head back toward the corniche after the visit.
Pompey's Pillar and the Serapeum
Next to the catacombs, on the hill of Karmouz, stands the last column of a great ancient temple - the column known as "Pompey's Pillar". The name is misleading - it has nothing to do with Pompey the Great. Erected in 298 AD in honor of the emperor Diocletian, it is the only standing remnant of the Serapeum, the immense temple dedicated to the syncretic god Serapis (invented by Ptolemy I to unite Greeks and Egyptians around a single deity).
88 feet tall, in red Aswan granite, monolithic (a single block). It is technically the largest monolithic column of antiquity. Around it, the foundations of the temple and of the second library of Alexandria (the one that had succeeded the great library and was destroyed around 391 on the orders of the Christian patriarch Theophilus). The site is flat, uncrowded, photogenic at sunset.
2026 fare - 100 EGP ($2). Allow 30-45 minutes. The combined Pompey + Catacombs ticket exists at 280 EGP ($6) - our recommendation.
The corniche, the port and Mediterranean cuisine
The corniche runs 20 miles long, from the modern Bitash district in the west to the Montaza palace in the east. It is the city's emblematic promenade, lively morning and evening, busiest on Friday at the end of the day when Cairene families pour in. Several stretches deserve a stop - the quay near the Citadel of Qaitbay, the esplanade in front of the Bibliotheca, the section between Cleopatra Beach and Stanley Bridge, and the gardens of the Montaza palace (admission 30 EGP) that close out the promenade.
When it comes to dining, Alexandria is the Egyptian city for fish. The fish-market auctions of Anfoushi (the most authentic) supply the restaurants daily. Three reliable addresses - Kadoura in Anfoushi (grilled sea bream, sardines, calamari), Fish Market in Bahary (harbor view, pick your catch at the fishmonger's counter), White & Blue in Stanley (design setting, high prices but impeccable quality). For traditional Egyptian dishes (koshari, foul, ta'amiya), Mohammed Ahmed in the Manshiya district is the century-old institution.
When to visit Alexandria - climate and season
Alexandria is not visited the way the south of Egypt is. Its Mediterranean weather changes everything.
Compared with the rest of Egypt, Alexandria is markedly more temperate in summer (11-14°F cooler than Luxor or Aswan) and more humid in winter. To place the city within Egypt's overall climate, see our Egypt weather guide by region.
How many days do you need for Alexandria
An honest question of planning. Here are our most requested formulas.
- One day (7-8 hours on site) - doable from Cairo with a 7 a.m. departure. Coverage - Bibliotheca + Citadel of Qaitbay + Catacombs or Pompey (just one of the two) + fish lunch on the corniche. Return 7-8 p.m. Our most requested formula for travelers short on time.
- Two days / one night - a breathable pace. Day 1 - Bibliotheca, Citadel, lunch in Anfoushi, stroll along the corniche to Stanley. Day 2 - Catacombs + Pompey's Pillar in the morning, Montaza Palace in the afternoon, return to Cairo at the end of the day. Recommended hotel - Steigenberger Cecil (an institution since 1929) or Helnan Palestine (Montaza view).
- Three days - for heritage lovers or Mediterranean lovers. Add El Alamein (WW2 museum, 62 miles to the west, war cemetery), Marsa Matruh, or a beach day at Cleopatra Beach.
Alexandria combines very well within a 10-day or 14-day Egypt tour, as a northern extension after the classic Nile Valley. Allow 2 days for Alexandria slotted in after the return from the south.
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FAQ - Frequently asked questions about Alexandria
Is Alexandria in Egypt really worth it?
Yes, provided you arrive with the right expectations. You will not see another Karnak there, nor another Cairo museum. What you will find is a Mediterranean atmosphere, the contemporary Bibliotheca (one of the finest buildings of the 21st-century Arab world), the freshest fish cuisine in Egypt, and a climate 11 to 14 °F cooler than the capital in summer. For a traveler who has already done Cairo and the pyramids, it is a natural and different complement.
How much does a day in Alexandria from Cairo cost?
On a private SEV package (door-to-door air-conditioned transport + English-speaking guide + admission to the Bibliotheca + Qaitbay + Catacombs + a fish lunch in Anfoushi), figure from $155 per person for 2 people, or $100 per person for groups of 4 or more. On a first-class train + local taxi + self-guided visits, figure $40-55 per person excluding lunch.
When is the best time to visit Alexandria?
September-October and April-May are the ideal periods. Temperatures of 72-84°F, clear skies, golden light perfect for photos of the Citadel and the Bibliotheca. Summer (June-August) is a beach season with packed beaches on Friday - good if you are after the atmosphere, less good for sightseeing. Winter (December-February) is still visitable but with rain and cool temperatures (54-64°F) - bring a jacket.
Can you visit Alexandria by train from Cairo?
Yes, it is the Egyptians' preferred way. 6 to 12 daily departures from Cairo Ramses station, arriving at Sidi Gaber or Misr station in Alexandria. First-class air-conditioned fare 100-160 EGP ($2-3). Journey 2h30 to 3h for the "Spanish" VIP trains. Booking the day before is advisable through the ENR app or at station ticket windows. Decent service, nothing more.
What are the ancient sites to see in Alexandria?
Four main sites. (1) The Citadel of Qaitbay (1477) built on the foundations of the ancient Lighthouse. (2) The Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa (2nd century AD) with their unique Greco-Roman-Pharaonic syncretism. (3) Pompey's Pillar (298 AD) and the ruins of the Serapeum. (4) The Roman theater of Kom el-Dikka (2nd-4th century), downtown. Figure about 600 EGP in tickets for all 4 sites.
Is there a real beach in Alexandria?
Yes, several. Stanley Beach and Cleopatra Beach are the best known, reachable from the corniche. Decent sand, sea 64-79°F depending on the season, basic facilities (chairs 100 EGP). For prettier, less crowded beaches, Marsa Matruh (186 miles to the west) or Sidi Abdel Rahman offer turquoise water comparable to the Bahamas. If the beach is the priority, go instead for Hurghada on the Red Sea, which offers coral reefs and guaranteed sun.
Which hotel should you choose in Alexandria?
Three options depending on your style. (1) Steigenberger Cecil Alexandria - a 1929 colonial institution, Lawrence Durrell stayed here, with an iconic façade. 4-star comfort and a unique atmosphere. (2) Hilton Alexandria Corniche - a modern 5-star with a pool and sea view, recommended for families. (3) Helnan Palestine Hotel at Montaza - a garden hotel in the former royal park, quiet, with palm-tree views. Figure $85-160 a night depending on the season.
Can you combine Alexandria with other sites in one day?
Hardly. The Cairo-Alexandria distance (137 miles, 2h30) eats up the round trip. On site you have barely 6-7 effective hours, just enough for 3 major sites. To seriously combine Alexandria + El Alamein, or Alexandria + a stop at Wadi El Natrun, you need a minimum of 2 days. The SEV tour packages offer 2-day / 1-night Alexandria extensions after the return from the Nile cruise.
Is Arabic or English necessary in Alexandria?
English is understood in tourist hotels and restaurants (the corniche). Outside the tourist areas, it is Arabic only. With an English-speaking SEV guide, the barrier disappears - without a guide, plan on having an offline Arabic translation app like Google Translate. Either way, a few Arabic greetings go a long way in Alexandria, where the tourist industry is less geared to foreign visitors than in Cairo or Luxor.
Is Alexandria safe for tourists in 2026?
Yes. Alexandria is one of the safest cities in Egypt for foreign tourists. The tourist police patrol the corniche and the main sites. Pickpockets are possible in crowded market areas (Manshiya) - standard vigilance applies. Avoid walking alone at night in the outlying residential districts. For women traveling solo, street harassment exists but stays more moderate than in Cairo. US travelers can register with the US Embassy in Cairo and check current advisories from the US State Department before the trip.
Do US citizens need a visa for Alexandria?
Yes, like the rest of Egypt, Alexandria requires an entry visa for US passport holders. The simplest route is the Egypt e-visa, available online to US citizens at the official portal visa2egypt.gov.eg for about $25 (single entry), issued in a few business days. A visa on arrival is also sold at Cairo airport for $25 in cash. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of entry. SEV can guide you through the e-visa application as part of your booking.
What is the culinary specialty of Alexandria?
Fish, no hesitation. Sayadeya (fish with rice) is the emblematic dish, followed by the grilled sardines of Anfoushi, salt-crusted grilled sea bream, and seafood mezze. Also - foul medames reworked with Mediterranean lemon, and the Greek pastries inherited from Ottoman-era immigration (notably in the Manshiya district). To explore Egyptian cuisine in depth, see our complete guide to traditional dishes.