Alexandria Full Day Tour: Catacombs, Palace Gardens & Corniche

Three levels of Roman tombs cut into bedrock, then a royal palace garden where you stand on the grounds King Farouk walked.

A full-day guided tour of Alexandria covers the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Montazah Palace Gardens, the Library of Alexandria, Qaitbay Castle and the city's mosques and waterfront on a seven to eight hour itinerary. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included. Entrance fees and lunch are available depending on which option you select at checkout. The tour runs in English, Portuguese, Italian, German and ten other languages.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa1h · entry included
2. Montazah Palace Gardens1h · entry included

Explore Alexandria's historical sites

• Pick up from hotel
• Visit Catacombs of Kom El Shokafa
• Photo stop at Pompay’s Pillar
• Walk by Old Roman City excavation site
• Visit Alexandria Library open court
• Visit President Saddat and impressions museums
• Photo stop at Abbo Elabbas Mosque
• View corniche and old harbour
• Photo stop at Quaitbay Castle
• Pass by Alexandria Unknown Naval Soldier Memorial
• Visit Church of St. Mark
• Pass by Stanley Bridge
• Visit Montazah Palace Gardens and royal beaches

The experience

The guide picks you up from your hotel and heads straight to the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, the largest Roman cemetery in Egypt. You descend three levels cut directly into the rock, moving through chambers where families were buried two thousand years ago. From there the car takes you past Pompey's Pillar (built in the 4th century to honor the Emperor Diocletian), and stops at the excavation site of the Old Roman City of Alexandria, where you see the Amphitheater Ruins and the Great Tomb site from outside while the guide explains what each ruin was.

Next is the Library of Alexandria, the world's largest library, where you walk the open court to see the statue of Alexander the Great and the statue of Ptolemy the First, which divers found underwater. The itinerary includes the President Sadat Museum and the Alexandria Museum. From there you drive to the Abbo Elabbas Mosque for a photo stop, then to the corniche and old harbour where traditional fishermen still cast nets and mend them by hand. The guide notes this is one of the best spots on the tour for photographs. The car then takes you to Qaitbay Castle, built on the exact site where the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, once stood. You see the Unknown Naval Soldier Memorial, dedicated to those lost in sea battles, and pass the Church of St. Mark, Africa's oldest church, while driving through downtown Alexandria's baroque architecture and Italian and French colonial buildings.

The final stop is Montazah Palace Gardens, the royal estate of King Farouk, Egypt's last king. You walk the grounds, pause for photos at the palace itself, and explore the royal beaches of the queens. The entire route is covered by air-conditioned vehicle, and all areas are wheelchair accessible. Choose your option at checkout: car and driver alone, or add the guide, entrance fees and lunch as needed.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Alexandria.
• all transfers by air-conditioned vehicle.
• a live guide in your chosen language (if your option includes it).
• entrance tickets to the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, the Library of Alexandria, the President Sadat Museum and the Alexandria Museum (if your option includes them).
• lunch (if your option includes it).
• all service charges and taxes.

Options for this experience

4 options

Car with driver onlyGuide in English or Arabic · 09:00Pickup is included

Guide + CarGuide in 48 languages · 5 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 11:00Professional guide and car are included, with pickup

Car, guide and entrance feesGuide in 51 languages · 5 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 11:00Entrance fees, car and tour guide are included, with pickup

Top VIP TreatmentGuide in 51 languages · 5 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 11:00Air-conditioned car, professional Egyptologist tour guide, entrance fees, lunch and driver are included, with pickup

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 day5 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 11:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (2 to 11 years) · Infant (under 2): free

GroupUp to 35

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 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

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 16 pickup points.

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 transportStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Ramasside Tours

Is this one for you?Book the option with guide and entry fees if you want the historical context for each site and don't want to navigate the catacombs, museum hours or palace grounds on your own. Choose car and driver alone if you prefer to move through the city at your own pace and handle entry decisions as you go.

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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 (2 to 11 years); Infant (under 2): free.

What exactly are the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa?

The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa are the largest Roman cemetery in Egypt, with three levels carved directly into the rock where families were buried during the Roman period. You descend into the chambers themselves as part of the tour.

Can I enter the Library of Alexandria, or do I just see it from outside?

The Library of Alexandria is open to visitors on the tour, and you walk its open court to see the statues of Alexander the Great and Ptolemy the First. Entering the reading area requires a separate ticket you can purchase on the day. The library is closed on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays.

Do I see Qaitbay Castle from the outside or go inside?

You see the outside of Qaitbay Castle, which was built on the same site as the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It's a photo stop, and the guide explains its historical significance.

Is lunch included in this tour?

Lunch is included only if you select an option that covers it at checkout. The base car-and-driver option does not include a meal.

Will I be able to photograph Montazah Palace Gardens and the royal beaches?

Yes. You have time to explore Montazah Palace Gardens, pause for photos at King Farouk's royal palace, and visit the royal beaches of the queens. The corniche and old harbour are also noted as excellent photo stops.