Alexandria Day Trip: Qaitbay Citadel & Roman Theatre Tour

15th-century fortress tour with underground chambers showcasing ancient burial practices

A private full-day tour from Cairo to Alexandria with a live guide, hotel pickup and lunch included—you visit Qaitbay Citadel, the Roman Theatre, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Pompey's Pillar and the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa across roughly eight to ten hours. The guide speaks English, Spanish, French or German; you choose whether to add entry fees at checkout or arrange them separately. Children from age one are welcome, and the vehicle is wheelchair accessible.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full-day tour of Alexandria from Cairo

• Pickup from hotel in Cairo
• Drive to Alexandria (2.5 hours)
• Visit Bibliotheca Alexandrina
• Explore Qaitbay Citadel
• Tour the Roman Theatre
• Visit Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa
• Enjoy lunch at local restaurant
• See Pompey's Pillar
• Return to Cairo (2 hours)
• Drop off at hotel in Cairo

The Experience

You're picked up from your Cairo hotel in an air-conditioned private vehicle for a 2.5-hour drive to Alexandria. The route gives you time to settle in with your guide before you arrive at the coast, where the day's stops unfold along the city's layered history. The guide is yours alone—no group, no fixed pace beyond the itinerary itself—so questions and timing bend to what interests you.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina opens the tour: a modern library and cultural center built to honor the ancient Library of Alexandria, with galleries and exhibitions inside. From there you move to Qaitbay Citadel, a 15th-century fortress that rises from the Mediterranean on the ruins of the Lighthouse of Alexandria; the views of the sea and the fortifications themselves are the reason this stop anchors the day. The Roman Theatre comes next—a semi-circular relic with 13 tiers of marble seats, a direct line to Alexandria's Roman period. Then you descend into the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, an underground burial site where Egyptian, Greek and Roman practices blend in the sculptures and inscriptions carved into the chambers. Pompey's Pillar, a 27-meter granite column erected for Emperor Diocletian, stands as one of the city's most prominent landmarks and closes the archaeological sequence.

Lunch happens at a local restaurant partway through, where you eat traditional Egyptian food in the rhythm of the city around you. By evening you're back in Cairo, dropped at your hotel. The whole day runs eight to ten hours. If you book the option that includes entry fees, your guide handles the logistics; if you choose the version without them, you arrange access separately—either way, the transport and the guide are constant.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Cairo.
• a private guide in your choice of English, Spanish, French or German.
• lunch at a local restaurant.
• bottled water.
• air-conditioned private vehicle for the full day.
• entry fees to all sites (on the option you select at checkout).

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by tripco

Is this one for you?Book this if you're based in Cairo and want to see Alexandria's main sites in one day—the private vehicle and guide let you control the pace, though the 2.5-hour drive each way means you'll spend significant time in transit.

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Top questions

How long is the drive from Cairo to Alexandria?

The drive takes 2.5 hours each way in a private air-conditioned vehicle, so you spend roughly five hours on the road across the full day.

What exactly is the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa?

The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa is an underground burial site where Egyptian, Greek and Roman practices blend together—you walk through chambers filled with sculptures and inscriptions that show how the three cultures mixed in ancient Alexandria.

Does the tour include entry to all the sites?

Entry fees are optional: you can book the tour with guide, transport and lunch plus all entry fees included, or choose transport and lunch without the tickets and arrange entry yourself at each stop.

Is this tour suitable for children and babies?

Yes—children are welcome from age one, infants can sit on an adult's lap or ride in a pram or stroller, and the vehicle is wheelchair accessible for all passengers.

What languages does the guide speak?

The guide speaks English, Spanish, French or German; additional languages carry an extra fee.

What's included in the lunch?

Lunch is a meal at a local restaurant where you eat traditional Egyptian cuisine; the specific dishes depend on the restaurant's menu for the day.