Alexandria Day Trip From Cairo: Library & Quaitbay Castle

Walk through three levels of Roman tombs, then stand where an ancient lighthouse once stood.

An Alexandria day trip from Cairo includes hotel pickup, transport by air-conditioned car, and a guide who walks you through the Library of Alexandria, the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Roman amphitheater ruins, St. Mark's church, and Quaitbay Castle. The tour runs 10 to 12 hours and covers the city's Greco-Roman and Islamic landmarks. Entrance fees and lunch are included in some options. A guide is available in English, Portuguese, Italian, German and other languages, or you can book the car and driver alone.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa1h · entry included
2. Roman Amphitheatre30m

Full day Alexandria sightseeing tour

• Pick up from Cairo hotel
• Travel to Alexandria
• Visit Library of Alexandria and President Sadat Museum
• Explore Catacombs of Kom El Shokafa
• Photo stop at Pompay's Pillar
• Walk by Old Roman City excavation site
• Visit St. Mark Church
• Pass through Mansheya market area
• Pass by Unknown Soldiers Memorial
• Photo stop at Abbo Elabbas Mosque and walk by funfair
• View corniche, old harbour, and Quaitbay Castle
• Visit Montaza Gardens and royal palaces
• Return to Cairo hotel

The experience

You start from your hotel in Cairo in the morning and travel to Alexandria by car. The day opens at the Library of Alexandria, where your guide explains the building's design from outside. The modern library now holds 8 million books and sits near where Alexander the Great's statue stands in an open courtyard, recovered from underwater. The library closes on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays. If you want to enter the reading areas, that ticket is separate. From there you move to the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, the largest Roman cemetery in Egypt, where you walk down through three levels cut into the rock.

The route then takes you past Pompey's Pillar, built in the 4th century for the Emperor Diocletian, and into the excavation site of the old Roman city. You'll see the amphitheater ruins, Roman villas and the Great Tomb site from outside while your guide describes what stood there. Next is St. Mark's church, the oldest in Africa, followed by a walk through Mansheya, the oldest market district, where narrow streets wind past gold shops and the traditional women's market. You'll pass the Abbo Elabbas Mosque, the city's largest, and the oldest funfair in Egypt before reaching the corniche and old harbor, where fishermen still work the water the way they have for centuries. Quaitbay Castle sits at the water's edge on the exact spot where the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders, once stood. It's a major photo stop.

The day ends at Montaza Gardens, the royal gardens of King Farouk, where you walk the Montaza bridge, see the Haramlek and Salamlek palaces, and reach the Tea Palace island on the royal beaches. Your driver then takes you back to your Cairo hotel. The whole day is in an air-conditioned car, and you can book with a guide, a driver alone, or add entrance fees and lunch depending on which option you choose.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Cairo.
• transport in an air-conditioned car.
• a qualified Egyptologist guide (if you select a guide option).
• entrance fees to the Library of Alexandria, Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa and other sites (in some options).
• and lunch (in the All Inclusive and certain other options).

Options for this experience

5 options

Car and driver onlyGuide in English or Arabic · 07:00Includes pickup

Guide + CarGuide in 5 languages · 06:00 and 07:00Includes a professional guide and car, with pickup included

Car, guide and entrance feesGuide in 51 languages · 06:00 and 07:00Includes entrance fees, a car and a tour guide, with pickup included

See 2 more options

All-inclusive TOP VIPGuide in 51 languages · 06:00 and 07:00Includes an air-conditioned car, a professional Egyptologist tour guide, entrance fees, lunch and a driver, with pickup and drop-off included

All Inclusive+Airport transferGuide in 51 languages · 06:00 and 07:00Car, guide, lunch and entrance tickets, with pickup and drop-off from the airport area included

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 06:00 and 07:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Bangla, Burmese, Cantonese, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Filipino, Finnish, Greek, Gujarati, Hakka Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Japanese, Javanese, Korean, Kurdish, MNP, Malay, Malayalam, Marathi, Norwegian, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Wu Chinese and Xiang Chinese

Audio guideSpanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Bangla, Burmese, Cantonese, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Filipino, Finnish, Greek, Gujarati, Hakka Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Japanese, Javanese, Korean, Kurdish, MNP, Malay, Malayalam, Marathi, Norwegian, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Wu Chinese and Xiang Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportInfant seats availableInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Ramasside Tours

Is this one for you?Pick the guided option if you want an Egyptologist explaining Alexandria's layered history (from the ancient Library to Ottoman-era mosques) as you move between sites. Choose the driver-only version if you'd rather set your own pace and decide how long to linger at each stop.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Hindi, Bangla, Chinese, Wu Chinese, Slovak, Serbian, Swedish, Korean, Kurdish, Cantonese, Tamil, MNP, Gujarati, Czech, Telugu, Punjabi, Thai, Polish, Hebrew, Danish, Javanese, Xiang Chinese, Chinese, Malay, Pashto, Filipino, Croatian, Hungarian, Hakka Chinese, Ukrainian, Urdu, Malayalam, Marathi, Greek, Finnish, Burmese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Japanese, Persian, Romanian, Dutch, Norwegian, Russian and Turkish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What's inside the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa that I'll actually see?

The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa are three levels of Roman tombs cut into the rock. You walk down through them as part of the tour, making it the largest Roman cemetery in Egypt and one of the few underground sites you enter on this day.

Can I go inside the Library of Alexandria, or is it just an outside look?

The Library of Alexandria is viewed from outside. Your guide explains the building's design and you see the courtyard statues of Alexander the Great and Ptolemy the first. Entering the reading areas requires a separate ticket you can purchase on the day. The library is closed Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays.

How much of the day is spent walking versus sitting in the car?

Most stops are photo points or short walks: the Catacombs and the old market in Mansheya involve more walking, while many other sites like Quaitbay Castle and the mosques are viewed from the car or with a brief stop. The tour is 10 to 12 hours total, with transport between sites by air-conditioned car.

Does the tour include lunch, or do I need to bring my own food?

Lunch is included if you book the All Inclusive or Guide + Car + Entry Fees options. If you choose the car and driver alone or the Guide + Car option without entry fees, lunch is not part of the package.

Is there a pickup from Alexandria or the airport, or do I need to be in Cairo?

Hotel pickup is included from Cairo hotels. If you need pickup from the airport area, that may carry an additional fee depending on which option you select.