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Egypt City Trip

Alexandria in a Day: Private Trip from Cairo

Roman catacombs, a fortress on the sea and the new Great Library

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  • Duration12 hours
  • AvailabilityDaily
  • Languages6 languages
  • PickupHotel pickup included
  • CancellationFree up to 24h

Overview

Of all the long days out from Cairo, Alexandria is the best, and the desert road gets you there in less than three hours. It feels like another country: Mediterranean, founded by the Greeks, built up by Romans and Ottomans, and with hardly a pharaonic monument in sight.

The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa are the high point — three storeys of tombs cut into the rock, reached by a spiral stair around the shaft the dead were lowered through, where Egyptian, Greek and Roman art meet in a single doorway. After that come Pompey's Pillar, Qaitbay Citadel, raised from the fallen stones of the Pharos lighthouse, and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a vast tilted disc of granite and glass built in memory of the library that burned. Lunch is grilled fish on the corniche.

Highlights

  • Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa across three underground levels
  • Pompey's Pillar and the Serapeum
  • Qaitbay Citadel on the Pharos lighthouse foundations
  • Bibliotheca Alexandrina
  • Seafood lunch on the Mediterranean corniche

Itinerary

  1. 07:00

    Cairo hotel pickup

    Collected from your Cairo hotel, with coffee for the desert road.

  2. 10:00

    Pompey's Pillar & the Serapeum

    The 27-metre column of red granite and the sphinxes that surround it.

  3. 11:00

    Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa

    Three levels of tombs in the rock, where Egyptian, Greek and Roman styles merge.

  4. 12:30

    Qaitbay Citadel

    The 15th-century fort on the sea, built on the foundations of the Pharos lighthouse.

  5. 13:30

    Seafood lunch

    The day's catch, grilled, on the corniche.

  6. 15:00

    Bibliotheca Alexandrina

    The great reading room, the manuscripts museum and the carved granite wall.

  7. 16:30

    Depart for Cairo

    The drive back along the desert road.

  8. 19:30

    Cairo hotel drop-off

    Dropped at your hotel.

What's included

Included

  • Private air-conditioned vehicle from Cairo
  • Licensed Egyptologist guide
  • Cairo hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Bottled water

Not included

  • Any extras not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Personal spending and souvenirs
  • Tipping (entirely at your discretion)

Optional extras

Optional add-ons and prices
ExtraPrice
Montaza Palace gardens$12per person
Roman Amphitheatre at Kom El Dikka$15per person
El Alamein war cemeteries$45per person

Meeting point & route

Free pickup and drop-off from your hotel, apartment or Nile cruise dock.

Meeting point: Your hotel lobby in the tour city.

Important information

  • Wear comfortable closed shoes — most sites have uneven stone ground.
  • Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen; shade is limited at open-air sites.
  • Modest dress is required for mosques and churches: shoulders and knees covered.
  • Photography is free at most sites; some tombs and museums charge a small camera fee.

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations inside 24 hours are non-refundable, but we will always try to move your date instead.

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