Alexandria
Alexandria is Egypt's Mediterranean face — a breezy coastal city built on the site of the ancient world's most famous Library and Lighthouse, both long gone but still shaping everything the city builds and markets around them today. A day trip from Cairo (about 2.5–3 hours each way by train) covers the highlights; an overnight lets you add the Corniche waterfront and a proper seafood dinner. Expect Greco-Roman and Ottoman history here, not ancient Egyptian temples — a genuinely different flavor from Cairo, Luxor, or Aswan.
Alexandria doesn't look or feel like the rest of Egypt, and that's the whole point of going. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE, it was once home to the ancient world's greatest library and one of the Seven Wonders — both long since destroyed, which makes visiting a slightly strange, genuinely interesting exercise in imagining what's no longer there.
How many days do you need in Alexandria?
One full day covers the essentials as a day trip from Cairo — the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Qaitbay Citadel, and the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa. An overnight adds a proper evening on the Corniche waterfront, a seafood dinner, and a slower morning at Montaza Palace's gardens, without the pressure of a same-day train back to Cairo.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Opened in 2002, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a striking, tilted-disc modern library and cultural complex built near the site of the ancient Library of Alexandria — not a reconstruction of it, since almost nothing is known about the original building's exact appearance, but a deliberate homage. Inside: a vast main reading room, several small specialized museums (antiquities, manuscripts, a planetarium), and rotating art exhibitions. Budget 1.5–2 hours.
Qaitbay Citadel
A 15th-century Mamluk fort standing directly on the site of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria (the Pharos), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, destroyed by earthquakes centuries ago. The citadel itself — not the lighthouse, which is entirely gone — is what you're visiting today, and the harbor views from its walls are genuinely worth the modest entry fee (around $5).
A lot of first-time visitors arrive at Qaitbay Citadel expecting some trace of the actual Lighthouse of Alexandria — a fragment, a foundation, something. There isn't one above water; the original Pharos collapsed in a series of medieval earthquakes, and its stones were reportedly reused to build the very citadel standing on the site today. What you're seeing is a 15th-century fort built from a wonder of the ancient world's own rubble, which is arguably a better story than a preserved ruin would be — just don't go in expecting to see the lighthouse itself.
The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa
A genuinely eerie, three-level underground Roman-era necropolis (1st–2nd century CE) that mixes Egyptian, Greek, and Roman styles in the same burial chambers — sphinxes and pharaonic gods carved in a distinctly Roman sculptural style, the kind of cultural mashup unique to Alexandria's cosmopolitan ancient history. Photography is limited underground in some sections; check current rules at the entrance.
What else is worth your time
- The Corniche — Alexandria's long Mediterranean waterfront promenade, best at sunset with a coffee or a fresh juice from a corniche-side stall.
- Montaza Palace gardens — the former royal family's palace grounds, now a public park with sea views; the palace building itself is not generally open to the public.
- Fresh seafood — Alexandria is genuinely the best seafood city in Egypt; a handful of harbor-side restaurants near the fishing port sell the day's catch by weight, grilled to order.
Getting there
| From | Method | Approx. time |
|---|---|---|
| Cairo | Train (several daily, express options) | ~2.5–3 hours |
| Cairo | Bus (Go Bus, Super Jet) | ~3–3.5 hours |
| Cairo | Driving | ~3 hours (desert or agricultural road) |
What it costs
| Item | Approx. cost |
|---|---|
| Mid-range hotel, per night | $40–90 |
| Bibliotheca Alexandrina entry | ~$8–10 |
| Qaitbay Citadel entry | ~$5 |
| Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa entry | ~$8 |
| Seafood dinner at a harbor restaurant | $12–25 |
Combine all three main sights (Bibliotheca, Qaitbay, Catacombs) in one day if you're day-tripping from Cairo — they're spread along or near the Corniche and reachable by a short taxi ride between each, so a single hired driver for the day (roughly $30–50) is usually easier than public transport for a tight schedule.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- Day-tripping Alexandria without checking the train schedule back — the last convenient express trains to Cairo leave in the early evening, not late night.
- Expecting ancient Egyptian temple-style sights — Alexandria's history is Greco-Roman, Ottoman, and modern; it's a different kind of trip from the Nile Valley circuit, not a lesser version of it.
- Skipping the seafood — this is genuinely one of the best reasons to overnight rather than rush back to Cairo the same day.
Where to stay in Alexandria — hotels
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