Alexandria Day Trip From Cairo: Library & Quaitbay Castle

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Duration10h–12h

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN · HI +15

PickupAt your hotel

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.

10h–12h

Step-by-step itinerary

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).

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair 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.