Ancient library legacy & sea breezes
Alexandria
Alexandria · Mediterranean pearl of antiquity
Founded by Alexander the Great, Egypt's great Mediterranean port once held the ancient world's greatest library and a wonder-of-the-world lighthouse. Today a faded-glamour corniche, a reborn library and Greco-Roman ruins make it a cooler, seaside counterpoint to Cairo.
Top sightsSights
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The dramatic modern library honouring the lost ancient one.
Citadel of Qaitbay
A 15th-century seafront fort built on the ruins of the ancient lighthouse.
Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
A haunting Greco-Roman underground necropolis.
Corniche
The sweeping waterfront promenade along the Mediterranean.
Montaza Palace gardens
Royal gardens and a beach at the city’s eastern edge.
What to eatFood
Sayadeya
Spiced fish baked over rice, an Alexandrian specialty.
Fresh seafood
Pick your catch at a corniche fish restaurant.
Freska
A local sesame flatbread sold from street carts.
Good to know
- It’s an easy day trip or overnight from Cairo, under three hours by train.
- Sea breezes make it noticeably cooler than the capital in summer.
- The tram is a charming, cheap way to ride along the coast.
Getting there
Borg El Arab Airport (HBE) serves the city; frequent trains connect Cairo in about two and a half hours.
Next city
Giza