Quick answer
An Alexandria day trip from Cairo is a long but worthwhile day: about 2.5 to 3 hours each way by road or train, leaving around six hours in the city. Start with the Roman catacombs and Pompey's Pillar, have a seafood lunch near the harbour, visit the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and finish at the Citadel of Qaitbay as the sun sets over the Mediterranean.
Is Alexandria worth a day trip from Cairo?
Yes, if you already have three days for Cairo itself; no, if it means cutting Giza, Saqqara or Islamic Cairo short. Alexandria is a different Egypt: a Mediterranean port founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, capital of the Ptolemies and Cleopatra, and for a long time the most cosmopolitan city in the eastern Mediterranean. Very little of the ancient city survives above ground, so you come for its Roman underground tombs, its modern library, its sea air and its seafood rather than for pharaonic monuments.
A day trip suits travellers spending four or more days in Cairo, repeat visitors, and anyone with an interest in the Graeco-Roman period. If you can, stay a night instead: our Cairo and Alexandria tour and the where to stay in Alexandria guide show what an overnight adds.
The day, hour by hour
Leave Giza at 6.30am, work from the south of the city to the harbour, and be on the road home by 6pm. The plan follows the city's geography, so you never backtrack.
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6.30am | Leave Cairo | Giza sits at the start of the Desert Road; add 30–45 minutes from downtown |
| 9.15–10.15am | Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa | Three levels of 2nd-century tombs mixing Egyptian and Roman styles |
| 10.20–11.00am | Pompey's Pillar and the Serapeum | A 10-minute walk; a single 27-metre shaft of Aswan granite |
| 11.15am–12.15pm | Kom el-Dikka Roman Theatre or the Alexandria National Museum | Choose ruins or a compact museum with underwater finds |
| 12.30–2.00pm | Seafood lunch in Anfushi or on the Corniche | Choose your fish by weight and have it grilled or fried |
| 2.15–4.00pm | Bibliotheca Alexandrina | Reading room and Antiquities Museum; historically closed on Fridays |
| 4.15–5.30pm | Citadel of Qaitbay | On the site of the ancient Pharos lighthouse; best in the late light |
| 5.45pm | Leave for Cairo | Back in Giza by about 8.30–9pm |
In winter, when sunset is around 5pm, swap the Bibliotheca and Qaitbay so you reach the citadel with light to spare. Opening hours for all of these change, so confirm them the day before.
Should you go by car or by train?
A private car is easier and more flexible; the train is cheaper, more relaxed and gives you a glimpse of the Delta, but adds taxis at both ends.
By car, the Desert Road from Giza is a fast divided highway of about 220 km, and a private driver can wait between stops in Alexandria, which is the main advantage: the sites are spread across about 8 km from Karmouz to the harbour. By train, services from Ramses Station in central Cairo take about 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on stops, and the faster services and first class are comfortable. You then need taxis or ride-shares in Alexandria, where Uber and Careem both operate. Book seats a day or two ahead on the official railway app or at the station with your passport, and allow 30 to 60 minutes to reach Ramses from Giza. Our trains in Egypt guide explains classes and booking.
What can you swap in or out?
Swap the Bibliotheca for Montaza's gardens in summer, add the Wadi el-Natrun monasteries on the way, or trade the whole afternoon for the El Alamein war cemetery if you stay overnight.
- Montaza Palace Gardens, at the eastern end of the Corniche about 18–20 km from downtown, are a cool green escape in summer, though the palaces themselves are not normally open.
- Wadi el-Natrun, about 100 km from Cairo just off the Desert Road, has four Coptic monasteries founded from the 4th century. A visit to one adds about 1.5 to 2 hours and suits travellers interested in Christian Egypt.
- El Alamein, about 110 km west of Alexandria, is where the 9th Australian Division and the 2nd New Zealand Division fought in 1942. It is too far to add to a day trip from Cairo, but many Australians and New Zealanders make it the reason to stay a night.
- The Graeco-Roman Museum reopened in 2023 after a long restoration; if it is open when you visit, it is a strong alternative to the National Museum. Check current hours.
When is the best time for an Alexandria day trip?
From October to May on a weekday other than Friday, when the city is mild and the roads are clear. Alexandria is several degrees cooler than Cairo in summer thanks to the sea breeze, and that is exactly why Egyptians flock there from June to September: the Corniche and the Desert Road can both be slow on summer weekends and public holidays.
Winter brings Alexandria's rainy season, with most of its modest annual rainfall between November and February and occasional storms rolling in off the Mediterranean; take a light jacket. Fridays are also a poor choice because the Bibliotheca has historically closed that day, and midday prayers slow everything down. Before you travel, check the public holidays in Egypt for your dates.
Should you go with a guide or on your own?
Independently is perfectly doable by train and ride-share; a private car with an Egyptologist is worth it if you want the Graeco-Roman story told well and no time lost between stops.
Alexandria is a working city of several million people rather than a tourist town, so English signage is limited away from the main sites, and the stops on this plan are spread from the Karmouz district in the south-west to the harbour in the north. Independent travellers can manage with the train, the Uber or Careem apps and a little patience, and will save money. With a guide, you gain context that the sites themselves do not supply: how the catacombs blend Egyptian gods with Roman dress, where the Ptolemaic palaces and the Great Library are thought to have stood, and why the modern Bibliotheca was built where it was. You also gain a driver who knows where to park, which in central Alexandria is a real advantage.
Whichever you choose, set off early: the difference between a 6.30am and an 8am start is roughly an extra hour of Cairo traffic on the way out, and an hour less in Alexandria.
Tips for a smooth day in Alexandria
Eat seafood, carry cash, dress a little more conservatively than in Cairo's hotels, and give yourself slack on the drive home.
- Lunch. Alexandria's fish restaurants work by weight: you choose from the display, agree the price per kilo and how it is cooked, and salads, tahini and bread follow. Confirm the total before you order.
- Money. Smaller sites and cafés may be cash only; carry Egyptian pounds in small notes.
- Photography. The catacombs have restricted photography inside at times; ask at the gate.
- Background reading. The city makes more sense if you know its founders and rulers; see Alexander the Great in Egypt, Ptolemaic Egypt and Cleopatra VII.
For other options within reach of the capital, from Saqqara to the Fayoum, see day trips from Cairo.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Cairo to Alexandria?
About 2.5 to 3 hours by car on the Desert Road from Giza, and about 2.5 to 3.5 hours by train from Ramses Station, depending on the service.
Can you see Alexandria in one day?
Yes, the main sights fit into about six hours: the catacombs, Pompey's Pillar, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Citadel of Qaitbay, with a seafood lunch. An overnight stay is more relaxed.
Is it better to take the train or a car to Alexandria?
A private car is more flexible and saves taxi transfers; the train is cheaper and more relaxing. For a day trip with several stops, most of our travellers prefer a car and driver.
Can I see El Alamein on a day trip from Cairo?
Not comfortably together with Alexandria. El Alamein is about 110 km beyond Alexandria, so combine them with an overnight stay.
Is there anything left of ancient Alexandria?
Little above ground: the Roman theatre at Kom el-Dikka, Pompey's Pillar and the catacombs survive, and the Pharos lighthouse's stones lie partly beneath Qaitbay and in the harbour.
