Welcome to Alexandria! Walk along a sea wall where waves crash against centuries of memory, sip mint tea in faded cafés where poets once scribbled, and trace history through Roman pillars, pharaohs’ shadows, and French façades. Alexandria is a city of salt, stone, and stories — and travelers come here to stand where the ancient Library once lit the world.
☑️ Alexandria Checklist
- Book your Flight: Fly into Borg El Arab Airport (HBE), about 45 minutes from the city center
- Reserve your Hotel: Stay along the Corniche for Mediterranean sunrises and easy walks to the landmarks
- Join your Tour: Book a guided visit to the Catacombs, Pompey’s Pillar, and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina
📚 Day 1: Ancient Echoes
- Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa: Descend the spiral staircase into a second-century blend of pharaonic, Greek, and Roman tombs — lions with wings, sarcophagi with Greco-Egyptian faces, and silence so thick it wraps around your shoulders
- Pompey’s Pillar: Stand beneath this lone towering column — once part of a grand temple complex — and imagine the statues, courts, and fire altars that stood here when Alexandria was a seat of Roman power
- Serapeum Ruins: Wander among fallen columns and underground chambers that once belonged to a temple of Serapis, the city’s hybrid god of healing and knowledge
- Lunch Near the Roman Amphitheater: Choose a shady spot and order grilled fish, lentil soup, and tahini with warm baladi bread while ruins sit quietly just beyond the fence
- Roman Amphitheater Visit: Step onto stone seats where senators and citizens once gathered — the mosaic floors still shimmer in the sun
- Souk Al-Attarine Walk: Stroll through this narrow alley of copper pots, perfumes, and antique keys — the kind of market that feels older than the street it’s built on
- Sunset from the Corniche: Watch the sky go soft over the Mediterranean, where fishermen cast lines and couples walk beneath old French balconies
🏛️ Day 2: Sea & Stories
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina: Begin your day at this massive modern library — not a replica, but a resurrection — where architecture curves like the sun and exhibits echo the original wonder of the ancient world
- Manuscript & Antiquities Museums: Inside the Bibliotheca, step through halls of scrolls, globes, and ancient writings from across continents
- Lunch by the Sea: Grab a table facing the water and order sayadeya — rice and fish seasoned with caramelized onions and spice, a classic Alexandrian comfort
- Fort Qaitbay: Walk the ramparts of this 15th-century citadel built from the stones of the fallen Lighthouse of Alexandria — the sea crashes at its feet, and gulls circle above like sentries
- Lighthouse Site Lookout: Stand on the breakwater and picture the ancient Pharos that once stood here, its beacon blazing across the Mediterranean for a thousand years
- Ras El-Tin Palace View: While not open to visitors, you can admire this royal summer palace from outside — its white domes and columns watching over the waves
- Tea at an Old Seafront Café: Sip mint tea at a timeworn café where wooden chairs wobble and the breeze tastes like salt — time feels slow here, and that’s the point
🕌 Day 3: Faith & Keepsakes
- Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque: Visit Alexandria’s most famous mosque — cream-colored domes, carved stonework, and a courtyard dappled in light and shadow
- Saint Mark’s Coptic Cathedral: Step quietly into the heart of Coptic Alexandria, where incense and icons tell stories of faith that stretch back nearly two millennia
- Lunch in Anfoushi: This old fishing neighborhood is the place for fried calamari, fava beans, and pickled vegetables, served in simple spots where flavor beats flash every time
- Alexandria National Museum: Explore three floors of well-curated treasures — pharaohs, Greco-Roman statues, Islamic coins, and colonial-era artifacts
- Montaza Palace Gardens: Wander through palm-lined gardens that slope toward the sea, where families picnic and the 19th-century palace still glows above the pines
- Souvenir Shopping in Downtown: Pick up alabaster statues, blue-glass evil eye charms, hand-painted ceramics, Arabic calligraphy bookmarks, or camel leather sandals
- Farewell Dinner on the Corniche: Order mulukhiyah or grilled shrimp, with rice and tahini on the side — as the sea laps against the wall and Alexandria lights shimmer on the water
📅 Alexandria Calendar
- Coptic Christmas (Jan 7): Churches glow with candlelight, choirs sing through the night, and traditional sweets fill homes across the city
- Bibliotheca Science Festival (March): A week of exhibits, workshops, and lectures fills the modern library’s plaza with curiosity and kids in lab coats
- Alexandria International Book Fair (April): Writers, scholars, and publishers gather at the Bibliotheca to share pages and ideas
- Eid al-Fitr (dates vary): After Ramadan ends, the city comes alive with family feasts, new clothes, and laughter spilling from balconies
- Summer Music Nights at Montaza (July–Aug): Local musicians perform under palm trees in one of the city’s most regal garden settings
- Pharos Light Festival (Sept): An annual celebration near Fort Qaitbay honoring the ancient lighthouse, with storytelling, boats, and sea lanterns
- Christmas on the Corniche (Dec 25): While low-key, many cafés hang twinkling lights and serve up cakes and cocoa to mark the Western holiday
💡 Alexandria Tips
- Start Early: Many sites close by mid-afternoon, and the morning light makes the stone glow
- Wear Layers: Sea breezes can turn cool, even in warmer months
- Fridays Are Quiet: Many places open late due to morning prayers — plan accordingly
- Public Transit is Limited: Use Uber or taxis to cover distances, especially in summer heat
- Ask Before Photos in Religious Sites: Always a good rule in mosques or churches
- Avoid Tap Water: Bottled water is cheap and widely available
- Bring Cash: Smaller cafés, market stalls, and museum gift shops may not take cards
🐟 Alexandria Menu
- Sayadeya: Basmati rice cooked with cinnamon, cumin, and caramelized onions, topped with baked white fish — the soul of coastal Alexandria
- Mulukhiyah: Chopped jute leaves simmered in garlicky broth and served over rice with chicken or seafood
- Kebda Eskandarani: Spicy Alexandrian-style liver sautéed with garlic and chilies, often stuffed into soft bread
- Foul Medames: Slow-cooked fava beans seasoned with lemon and cumin — usually eaten at breakfast with eggs and flatbread
- Fried Calamari & Shrimp: Caught that morning, battered lightly, and served with tahini, lemon, and a tomato-cucumber salad
- Roz Bel Laban: Creamy Egyptian rice pudding, chilled and topped with cinnamon or pistachios
- Baklava with Honey & Nuts: Flaky, syrup-soaked pastry found in pastry shops from downtown to the Corniche