Day Tour to Alexandria from Cairo: Catacombs & Citadel

See Alexandria's Greco-Roman layers in a single day from Cairo

A private guided day tour from Cairo to Alexandria covers the city's major historical sites in 12 hours, starting with a 3.5-hour drive and hotel pickup. You visit the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa (the largest Roman burial site in Egypt with three tiers of tombs), then move through the Roman Amphitheatre at Kom el-Dikka, Pompey's Pillar (a 25-meter red granite column), and photograph Qaitbey's Citadel, which stands on the site of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria. The tour ends at the Modern Alexandria Library, where you can walk the open court and visit its free museums.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day tour to Alexandria

• Depart from Cairo hotel at 7:00 am
• Drive to Alexandria (3.5 hours)
• Visit Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
• Visit Roman Amphitheatre in Kom el-Dikka
• Photo stop at Qaitbey’s Citadel
• Visit Pompey's Pillar
• Visit Modern Alexandria Library (photos if Friday)

The experience

You're picked up from your Cairo hotel around 7 a.m. in an air-conditioned private vehicle for the 3.5-hour drive to Alexandria. Your Egyptologist guide meets you in the city and takes you first to the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, a burial complex that originally served one family before becoming public. The three tiers could hold up to 300 corpses, and the walls blend Egyptian, Greek and Roman artistic styles. You'll see sarcophagi, burial shelves and cremation urns arranged across the levels.

From there the day moves through Alexandria's Roman layer. The Roman Amphitheatre at Kom el-Dikka sits in the city center and holds thirteen terraces built in the Greek style. It's the only known Roman amphitheatre in Egypt and remains well preserved. Pompey's Pillar, a towering red granite column standing 25 meters tall, likely honored Emperor Diocletian and ranks as the tallest ancient monument in the city. You stop for photos at Qaitbey's Citadel, a 15th-century fortress built on the exact spot where the Lighthouse of Alexandria (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) once stood, guarding the eastern harbor entrance.

The tour closes at the Modern Alexandria Library, a four-level underground and six-level above-ground structure completed in the late 1980s. You can walk its open court and visit the free museums covering the library's history, Alexandria's past, Egyptian civilization, and the cultures of the Arab world, Africa and the Mediterranean. The library is closed Fridays, so you'll photograph it from outside on those days. Your guide then drives you back to Cairo, arriving in the evening.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from your Cairo location.
• private air-conditioned vehicle for the full day.
• Egyptologist guide in English.
• entry to the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Roman Amphitheatre, Pompey's Pillar and Modern Alexandria Library.
• bottled mineral water.
• all taxes and fuel surcharge.

Options for this experience

2 options

Private car and tour guideGuide in English · 08:00Tour includes private guide and private car; pickup is included

Guide, car, and admission feesGuide in English · 08:00Tour includes private guide, private car, and entry fees; pickup is included

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (12 to 90 years) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

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 transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Egypt Tailor Made Day Tours

Is this one for you?Book the option with entry fees included if you want everything settled before you leave Cairo. The guide and vehicle are the same either way, so the difference is whether you pay for admission upfront or at each site. This tour runs as a private booking, so the pace and stops stay yours alone throughout the day.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.

How long is the drive from Cairo to Alexandria?

The drive takes about 3.5 hours each way, so you leave your hotel around 7 a.m. and return in the evening after a full day of sightseeing.

What exactly are the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa?

The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa are the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt, with three tiers of underground tombs that once held up to 300 bodies. The walls show a blend of Egyptian, Greek and Roman art, and you'll see sarcophagi, burial shelves and cremation urns arranged throughout the levels.

Can I visit the Modern Alexandria Library?

Yes, the Modern Alexandria Library is included in the tour. You can walk its open court and visit the free museums inside, though the library is closed on Fridays so you'll photograph it from outside on those days.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off from Giza, Downtown, Zamalek or Dokki; an air-conditioned private vehicle; an Egyptologist guide in English; all entry fees; bottled mineral water; and round-trip transfer between Cairo and Alexandria. Tourism police permission, tax and fuel surcharge are covered.