Private Day Trip to Alexandria from Cairo: Catacombs & Citadel

Walk through three centuries of Alexandria's layered history in a single day

A private full-day tour from Cairo to Alexandria with a professional guide, departing at 7 AM from your hotel and returning by evening. You visit the Roman Theater in Kom El-Deka, descend into the three-level Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa dating to the 2nd century AD, and walk the ramparts of Qaitbay Citadel, built on the site of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria. Hotel pickup and drop-off, bottled water, and an English-speaking art historian guide are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full-day Alexandria historical tour

• Meet guide at 7:00 AM hotel pickup
• Travel to Alexandria by air-conditioned bus
• Visit Roman Theater in Kom El-Deka
• Explore Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa
• See Pompey Pillar
• Walk Qaitbay Citadel ramparts
• Return to Cairo by bus
• Drop off at hotel

The experience

The marble Roman Theater in Kom El-Deka opens the day: a 2nd-century structure that once held 800 spectators, its galleries still intact. From there, the tour moves to the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, a three-level necropolis where Egyptian, Greek, and Roman styles collide in the same stone. You'll see the Roman triclinium, a banquet hall carved for honoring the dead, alongside statues and reliefs showing Egyptian gods dressed in Roman armor. The Pompey Pillar stands nearby, a granite column that has marked the site for nearly two thousand years.

The day ends at Qaitbay Citadel, a 15th-century fortress built directly on the ruins of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria. Walking the ramparts gives you both the structure itself and the story of what stood there before: the Pharos, one of the ancient world's seven wonders. Your guide, a professional art historian, connects these three stops across the centuries, explaining how each layer of the city reflects the rulers and cultures that shaped it. The return to Cairo happens in the evening, giving you time to absorb what you've seen.

Your guide meets you at 7 AM at your Cairo hotel (either in Downtown Cairo or the Pyramids area), and the tour runs on an air-conditioned bus for the full day. Bottled water is provided throughout. Entrance tickets to the sites are not included in the price, so you'll purchase those on arrival at each location.

What’s included

• Bottled water throughout the day.
• professional art historian guide speaking English.
• hotel pickup and drop-off from selected Cairo hotels.
• air-conditioned bus transportation for the full day.

Before you book

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

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (21 to 49 years) · Senior (50 to 80 years) · Youth (10 to 20 years) · Child (3 to 7 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 2 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 effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Amon Ra Toura

Is this one for you?The private format means your guide adjusts the pace and depth of explanation to your interests, and you avoid the crowds and fixed schedules of group tours: useful if you want to linger at one site or move through another quickly. Entrance tickets are separate, so budget for those when you book.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 20 years); Child (3 to 7 years); Infant (under 3).

What is the Roman Theater in Kom El-Deka like when you get there?

The Roman Theater in Kom El-Deka is a marble structure from the 2nd century AD with galleries still standing, originally built to seat 800 spectators. It remains one of Alexandria's best-preserved Classical monuments.

How deep do you go into the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa?

The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa are three levels deep, dating from the 2nd century AD. You'll see the Roman triclinium (a banquet hall for honoring the dead), statues, reliefs, and a pillared lobby with depictions of Egyptian gods in Roman armor, all blending three different architectural traditions in one necropolis.

What is Qaitbay Citadel built on?

Qaitbay Citadel is a 15th-century fortress constructed on the ruins of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. You walk the ramparts and stand on the site where the Pharos once stood.

When does the tour start and how do I get picked up?

Your guide meets you at 7 AM at your hotel in Downtown Cairo or the Pyramids area. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and you travel in an air-conditioned bus for the full day.

What does the guide know about these sites?

Your guide is a professional art historian who speaks English and can explain the history and architecture of each stop, connecting Alexandria's ancient Egyptian, Classical, and Roman periods across the three main sites.