Day Trips to Alexandria from Cairo

Visiting the city of Alexandria is a delight for the senses and an excursion that I recommend you take seriously during your next trip to Egypt. As you will see, Alexandria is a very different destination with a personality all of its own; it is possibly the Egyptian city with the most Mediterranean influence as well as a unique gastronomy and an exciting historical past.

But... What excursion options to Alexandria can you find from Cairo? Fortunately, several! Here are the most interesting and popular ones.

Among the best excursions to do from Cairo is the classic day trip to Alexandria. This represents the popular choice for most tourists visiting the city, so you'll find many tour operating companies offering this service.

What these tours usually include

Day tours to Alexandria usually start early in the morning with pick-up from your hotel accommodation in Cairo or Giza; almost all companies offer this service as well as a guide who is an expert in Egyptology and trained to speak your language. You can find companies offering this type of experience in English, Arabic, German, French, Spanish and more.

The Alexandria adventure includes stops to see some of the major sights; while these may vary depending on the tour operator, some of the archaeological monuments you can expect to see on this time itinerary include the catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, the famous Pompey's Column, the Citadel of Qaitbay, the new Library of Alexandria (built in honour of the old one) and the Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque. Many companies may also include lunch in the price.

Useful information

• Price: This type of excursion can be found in a range of prices from €50 to €130. Be sure to read carefully what is included in each of the alternatives.
• Duration of the tour: As the name suggests, this is a full day tour, the tour and exploration of Alexandria usually takes approximately 10-12 hours.
• Recommended if... You want to get to know the most of Alexandria, this is one of the shortest excursions you can find to this destination. They are also usually the cheapest.

A two-day trip to the city is an ideal way to see all the sights and enjoy the city to the fullest. Alexandria is only 220km by road from the capital, which means that visiting Alexandria from Cairo doesn't take too long - a 2.5-3 hour drive is usually enough.

What these tours usually include

Generally, the first day's excursion starts with an expert Egyptian guide who picks travellers up directly at their hotel, most companies offer pick-up for accommodation in Cairo and also in Giza, as well as expert guides in several languages, the most popular being English, German, Spanish and French. Other benefits such as overnight accommodation in Alexandria, all transfers between destinations, lunch and entrance fees to museums or attractions are usually included in the price.

While it is true that the travel itinerary is tailored to the plan offered by the company, it is also true that most companies offer travellers the opportunity to see the best of Alexandria and a little more; this includes: the famous catacomb of Komel-Shokafa; the Pillar of Pompey, the Citadel of Qaitbay, the new Library of Alexandria, the Alexandria Museum, the Roman Amphitheatre and more.

Useful information

• Price: This type of experience is available from €180 per traveller.
• Duration of tour: The itinerary includes approximately two days of sightseeing.
• Recommended if... You have a multi-day travel plan in Egypt and can devote two days to a trip to Alexandria from Cairo. This plan with time to explore each of the attractions can be the best bang for your buck.

Alamien is a small town located 118 km from Alexandria, approximately 1.5 hours' drive; it is a favourite holiday destination for locals living in the capital as well as those living in Alexandria. The cool waters of Alamien can be a great escape if you visit Cairo during the warmer months of July or August; during your trip, consider taking an excursion that will allow you to appreciate that there is much more to Egypt than its monumental pyramids.

What these tours usually include

As with other excursions to Alexandria, the trip usually starts early in the morning when the designated expert guide picks up the traveller in private transport; make sure you find a company whose guide speaks a language you are fluent in, preferably Spanish.

We recommend reading the itinerary of the company you hire carefully. However, as a general rule, the first day is usually focused on getting to know the best of Alexandria, which includes one or more of the following stops: the Library of Alexandria, the Pillar of Pompey or the Citadel of Qaitbay. In Alamein, your excursion may include enjoying the coastline and eating a delicious meal by the sea, but you may also visit the famous War Museum, which tells the story of Egypt and its role in World War II.

Useful information

• Price: The price to pay for this experience is approximately €250 per traveller.
• Duration of the tour: The tour of both cities from Cairo takes two full days, departing on the morning of the 1st day and returning on the evening of the 2nd.
• Recommended if... Your intention on your trip to Egypt is to see as many cities and destinations as possible. This tour will take you to two very peculiar and totally different cities so that you can get to know all the different sides of Egypt.

What do you think about visiting the city of Alexandria using a less traditional form of transport? The city of Alexandria is located about 220 km north of Cairo, and following the natural course of the river it is possible to connect the two destinations without much hassle. This hard to match adventure combines two of the best thingsto see and do in Cairo: a cruise on the Nile and a visit to beautiful Alexandria, so you can easily find tour companies in Cairo that offer this service.

What these tours usually include

Usually, the adventure starts with the guide picking you up at your hotel accommodation; depending on the company you hire you can find guides in English, so I recommend you to study carefully the available alternatives.

Depending on the pre-arranged itinerary, in the city of Alexandria you will see some of the highlights including the Catacomb of Komel-Shokafa, the famous Pillar of Pompey, the fort and citadel of Qaitbay, the new Library of Alexandria and more. You will have a lunch break which often includes a seafood restaurant on the coast of Alexandria; sometimes lunch is not included in the price so you will need to check with the company you hire. At the end of the day's exploration of Alexandria, the return journey to the city is planned, arriving in the evening.

Useful information

• Price: For this type of tour, one-day experiences are available from €80 per traveller; three-day tours can cost around €150.
• Duration of tour: The minimum time required for a Cairo-Alexandria cruise tour is one day.
• Recommended if... you want to see Egypt from a new and interesting perspective and save money in the process. By combining both experiences you may get a better price than if you book each of them separately.

To save travellers from having to plan every detail of their trip, some tour companies offer visitors a package tour of all the main attractions in Cairo, nearby cities such as Giza and Dashur, and destinations a little further afield such as beautiful Alexandria. Is this your first time in Egypt and you want to experience it all without the hassle of planning details and coordinating schedules? Then seriously consider hiring this service.

What these tours usually include

This type of experience takes place over several days, depending on the company you hire it can be between 3 and 5. In this way, the companies offer the traveller an itinerary with the activities timed day by day, agreeing the arrivals and departures of each of the attractions or monuments.

Be aware that the order of activities and the number of tourist attractions to be visited may vary depending on the number of days and the way the company organises trips. However, when organising experiences, the most popular destinations for tourists are always considered, which means: Visiting the Pyramids of Giza and the pyramids of Dahshur and Saqqara in southwest Cairo; In the city you might explore the Cairo Museum, the Khan Al-Khalili, some important religious temples and Saladin; In Alexandria you might explore the ancient Catacombs, the new Library and the Pillar of Pompey.

Useful information

• Price: For this type of experience you will have to pay approximately €260 per person.
• Duration of the tour: It may vary depending on the company you hire but the minimum duration to include as many activities in and out of Cairo as possible is 3 days.
• Recommended if... You are travelling to Cairo for the first time and are looking for a simple way to experience as many adventures as possible; the money you pay is 100% compensated when you explore everything the company has to offer and the individual cost of each of the excursions.