Alexander the Great founded this city in 331 BCE, and for centuries it was the intellectual capital of the ancient world. The Great Library of Alexandria held 700,000 scrolls. The Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders, guided ships from 100 kilometers away. Cleopatra ruled from a palace whose foundations now lie beneath the harbor. The city she inhabited is largely gone — swallowed by the sea or buried under 2,000 years of building — but Alexandria today is still a beautiful, atmospheric Mediterranean city with a story like no other in Africa.
Egypt Day Tours offers private Alexandria day tours from Cairo (about 2.5 hours by road or express train) and private tours within the city itself.
The modern Library of Alexandria opened in 2002 as a tribute to the ancient one. The building is spectacular — a tilted disc of Aswan granite, angled toward the sea. Inside, the main reading room holds 2,000 readers at a time under a sloping glass ceiling. The complex also contains museums, galleries, and a planetarium that your guide can walk you through.
Cut three stories deep into the rock in the 2nd century CE, these catacombs are the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt. The burial chambers blend Egyptian and Greco-Roman art in a style found nowhere else in the world. Your guide explains the remarkable hybrid iconography — Anubis wearing Roman military dress, Medusa flanking Egyptian sacred eyes.
Built in 1477 CE on the exact spot where the ancient Lighthouse once stood, the Citadel of Qaitbay guards the Eastern Harbor of Alexandria. Blocks of granite from the collapsed Lighthouse are incorporated into its foundations. From the ramparts, you see the entire curve of Alexandria’s seafront.
Three floors of artifacts spanning Alexandria’s Greek, Roman, Coptic, and Islamic periods. The underwater antiquities room displays objects recovered from the sunken royal quarter of ancient Alexandria — statues, sphinxes, and column capitals that once surrounded Cleopatra’s palace.
Egypt Day Tours’ most popular Alexandria tour departs Cairo early and returns late, giving you 8–9 hours in the city with a guide specializing in the Greco-Roman period.
Duration & type: 8–9 hours | Private | Cairo hotel pickup included View tour →
Private guided tours for cruise passengers arriving at Alexandria port. The Catacombs, the Citadel, the Bibliotheca, and the Corniche — all within easy reach of the port.
Duration & type: Flexible duration | Private | Port pickup View tour →
An expertly guided tour of Alexandria’s greatest sites: the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, Citadel of Qaitbay, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and the National Museum.
Duration & type: Full day | Private | Local hotel pickup View tour →
Multi-day immersive Alexandria packages that go beyond the highlights: Roman ruins, Montazah Palace, the fish market, and the neighborhoods the day-trippers never reach.
Duration & type: 2–3 days | Private | Accommodation options available View tour →
Alexandria is about 220 kilometers from Cairo — roughly 2.5 hours by private car or express train. Egypt Day Tours includes transport in all Alexandria day tours from Cairo, leaving your hotel early and returning after dinner if you wish.
One full day covers the highlights: the Catacombs, the Citadel, the Corniche, and the Bibliotheca. Two days allow you to visit the National Museum, the Roman Amphitheatre, and take a proper seafood lunch by the harbor.
Yes. Egypt Day Tours’ most popular Alexandria tour leaves Cairo early in the morning and returns late in the evening. You get a full 8 to 9 hours in the city with a private guide who specializes in the Greco-Roman period.
Yes, genuinely. Alexandria is Egypt’s most Mediterranean city, with a distinct character and a history entirely different from the pharaonic story you see in Cairo and Luxor. It is a powerful contrast and a strong addition to any Egypt itinerary.
Your guide will take you to the right place based on your location and preferences. The harbor area near the Citadel has excellent fish restaurants where you choose your fish by weight from the display. It is one of the best lunches in Egypt.
Ready to explore Alexandria? Book your private Alexandria tour today and discover the city where East met West for a thousand years.
Private Alexandria day tours from Cairo start from $85 per person, including round-trip transportation (about 2.5 hours each way), a licensed guide, and entrance fees to all listed sites. Most clients take an early morning departure from Cairo to maximise time in Alexandria and return in the evening.
Alexandria is about 220 km (137 miles) from Cairo, roughly 2.5 hours by private car or 2 hours on the express train. We recommend driving with a private guide for maximum flexibility. The desert road is comfortable and straightforward, and your guide can share the history of the route along the way.
Alexandria’s top sites include the Qaitbay Citadel (built on the site of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria), the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa (the largest Roman burial site in Egypt), the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and the Pompey’s Pillar complex. Walking the Mediterranean Corniche where Alexander the Great’s city once flourished is an experience in itself.
A full day (8-10 hours including the drive from Cairo) is enough to see all major sites comfortably. If you stay overnight in Alexandria, two days lets you explore more deeply: the Royal Jewelry Museum, Montazah Palace gardens, and the local seafood culture along the waterfront.
Alexandria is a safe and welcoming city for international visitors. As Egypt’s second city and a major Mediterranean port, it has a cosmopolitan atmosphere and well-maintained tourist sites. Our guides stay with you from arrival to departure and handle all local navigation.
Spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November) offer the most pleasant weather with temperatures around 20-28 degrees Celsius (68-82 F). Summer is warm and humid but popular for sea breezes along the Corniche. Winter is mild compared to the rest of Egypt, making Alexandria enjoyable year-round.
Our private Alexandria tours from Cairo include round-trip private transportation, a licensed local guide, entrance fees to all listed sites, and bottled water. Lunch and personal purchases are not included. We pick you up from your Cairo hotel early in the morning and return you by early evening.
Yes, a day trip is very popular and completely doable. We depart from Cairo hotels between 7-8am, arrive in Alexandria by 10am, tour the major sites through the afternoon, and return to Cairo by 8-9pm. For a more relaxed pace, a one-night stay lets you enjoy Alexandria’s famous evening atmosphere along the Corniche.
