Trade the desert for sea breeze for a day. Alexandria was built by Alexander the Great and ruled by Greeks and Romans, and this private trip from Cairo takes you through its catacombs, its citadel and its modern library.
Overview
Alexandria is Egypt with the windows open: sea breeze, Mediterranean light and a city founded by Alexander the Great, ruled by Greeks and Romans, and still full of cafes and stories. This private day trip from Cairo takes you there in comfort and shows you the best of it without rushing.
After the morning drive along the desert road, you explore Pompey’s Pillar and the Serapeum site, then descend into the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, a rare blend of Egyptian, Greek and Roman funerary art. A seafood lunch overlooking the harbor follows, and you continue to the fifteenth-century Qaitbay Citadel, built on the site of the ancient Lighthouse of Pharos, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
You finish at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a modern library that carries the memory of the ancient one, before the evening drive back to Cairo. It is a long day, but a rewarding one, and the changes of scene, from catacombs to sea to books, keep it fresh from start to finish. You will see how Alexandria differs from Cairo in every way, from the cooler air and the open horizon to the cafes and the layers of Greek, Roman and Islamic history stacked along the shore.
Choose this Alexandria day trip from Cairo if you have one day to spare and want something completely different from temples and pyramids. EgyptLens handles the car, the Egyptologist, the entrance fees and a fresh seafood lunch, so you can enjoy the sea air and the stories.
Highlights
- Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, a unique Egyptian, Greek and Roman tomb
- Pompey's Pillar and the Serapeum site
- Qaitbay Citadel on the site of the ancient Pharos Lighthouse
- Corniche drive along the Mediterranean
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the story of the ancient Library
- Seafood lunch overlooking the harbor, private vehicle and guide
