Thinking of taking a one day trip to Alexandria from Cairo, Egypt? Good idea. When deciding whether or not to go to Alexandria, we got mixed reviews at first. Some said not to go, and some said it was worth more than a weekend. So we decided to meet in the middle and spend one day in Alexandria Egypt – a very full one, at that.
We were lucky enough to have a local show us around the city on a jam-packed big day exploring everything Alexandria has to offer, from museums to historical sites to seafood (Thanks, Mina!). So the things to do below are from a local’s (and our) perspective! Check out my video below for a quick video travel guide.
Getting to Alexandria from Cairo
You can take a day trip to Alexandria from Cairo by bus, car, minivan, or train. The busses are sometimes faster, but we really enjoy the train experience (and the seats are bigger/comfier, too)! View your options and book online here – it’s easier booking online than in person in many cases!
Assuming you’re also visiting Cairo, check out my Cairo travel guide below:
Taking the Bus to Alexandria from Cairo
You can grab a bus from the Cairo Gateway bus station (West & Mid Delta or Superjet lines) in downtown Cairo, not too far from the train station, or the GoBus station near the Egyptian museum. The buses are pretty comfortable and should take about 3.5 hours depending on traffic at the time.
The bus station is a bit farther from town so you will need to negotiate a taxi or call an uber to get to the bus station.
If you plan on staying later in Alexandria, you might want to plan a bus ride back to Cairo afterward as the busses depart much later into the night than the trains.
Taking the Train to Alexandria from Cairo
I would recommend taking the train from Cairo to Alexandria simply for the experience. The trains in Egypt are surprisingly comfortable and even serve food. You can take a train from the Ramses train station, which will arrive to Alexandria’s Misr train station quite close to downtown.
Trains say they will take 2 hours, but the reality is that they’ll take at least 3.5 or 4 due to random stops and slowness that no one can explain. I mean, this is Egypt after all! The last trains go back to Cairo around 8:30 or 9pm.
Tour from Cairo to Alexandria
an organized tour. But if you read this post and think you can’t be bothered, you can also book a day tour with a guide from $70 per person. You won’y see ALL of these things (in fact just a couple) but it will be hassle-free.
What to Bring on Your One Day Trip to Alexandria from Cairo
If you are arriving in the early morning and leaving late at night, you will at least need to bring a backpack with basic items for a day out – sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat, comfortable walking shoes (important), a camera, and comfy clothes.
Depending on the time of year, you will want to have a swimsuit in case you want to take a dip in the sea (and a change of clothes if so), and possibly some warmer layers for after dark (Alexandria gets COLD in the winter).
You will need to have cash for entrance fees to historical sites, and something to cover your skin if you wish to enter any churches or mosques.
Things to Do in Alexandria in 1 Day: Attractions + Activites
Below are the best things to do on a jam-packed one-day trip to Alexandria from Cairo. It may seem like a lot, but you can do it! With a good pace and an adventurous spirit, you can accomplish most of the main sights in Alexandria today… but you WILL be tired (and will need to take a taxi sometimes)!
Royal Jewelry Museum
At first glance, the Royal Jewelry Museum might sound quite boring (at least it did for me anyway). But it is honestly worth a visit if you can conveniently visit the area (it’s a bit down the coast from downtown).
This museum is an old estate of the Egyptian Royal family, started in the early 1800s by Mohammad Ali Pasha. It’s full of absolutely incredible the jewels and gems that this family possessed – from diamond jewelry to precious jewel-encrusted items from chess sets to toiletry boxes.
It’s incredible to see the glimmer of the diamonds as you walk through the rooms of this Victorian estate, which also has incredible furnishings and touches as well.
Walk the Corniche
The ‘corniche’ anywhere in Egypt is the boardwalk along the water, and Alexandria has one of the longest corniches in the country. This walkable beachside path stretches from the Citadel ALL the way along Alexandria’s waterfront – over 15 kilometers!
It’s lovely to stroll along the Alexandria Corniche at any time of day. But if you are only there for a day trip, try taking the scenic walk along the corniche while walking in between Alexandria attractions.
Citadel of Quaitbay (on the Alexandria Lighthouse Site)
The Citadel of Quaitbay is one the most important military strongholds of the Mediterranean sea, built in the late 1400s and renovated in the 1800s. You can enter the citadel and climb up to see to a lot of the vantage points and cannons.
But the coolest part about the Citadel of Quaitbay is that it was built on the site of the ancient Alexandria Lighthouse – which is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. They say that traces of the lighthouse are still able to be found deep underwater by scuba divers.
Serapeum and Pompey’s Pillar
Located a bit more inland from the coast, the Serapeum and Pompey’s Pillar are remains of an Ancient Greek acropolis and catacombs that used to occupy the area. The pillar is said to have supported a statue of the Roman Emperor Diocletian (290’s AD), but the original structure and catacombs are from a few hundred years earlier during the rule of the Greeks.
The catacombs are said to have contained a special storage of scrolls and information from the Library of Alexandria. You will see the spaces in the walls where they were placed!
Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
The catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa are one of the most fascinating sites in Egypt because of the incredible mixture between Egyptian, Greek, and Roman figures and styles.
These catacombs held dozens of tombs, and the main tombs are adorned with carvings and hieroglyphs on the walls that have a uniquely blended style you can’t find anywhere else in Egypt.
Let me explain. You can see figures with the head of Egyptian gods (such as Anubis), Roman clothing/skirt, and the body of a snake… covered by Greek-style columns. You must walk down a huge spiral staircase to enter these tombs, and you can see the slots of the walls where dozens of people were buried. Creeeepy, but cool!
Alexandria Library “Bibliotheca Alexandrina”
It’s common knowledge that the ancient library of Alexandria is long gone – and with it, a lot of ancient knowledge was lost. But, it’s still cool to visit the site of this ancient wonder, and the incredible new library that now occupies the space.
The New ‘Bibliotheca Alexandrina’ is an architectural marvel, with picturesque open spaces and modern design. There’s also a planetarium on the site too! Check the Bibliotheca Alexandrina website for a current schedule – there’s always a lot going on.
Kom el Dikka Ancient Roman Theatre
You can actually find an amazingly well-preserved Ancient Roman theatre right next to the train station in Alexandria. It’s a very small one, but it’s worth checking out. As you only have one day in Alexandria, you might want to see it from the street if you are trying to save some money on entrance fees and time.
Cathedral of St Mark
Tucked inside downtown Alexandria, you can find the Cathedral of St Mark. This is the oldest Christian church in Alexandria and one of the oldest in the country (but not quite as old as the Hanging Church in Cairo).
As Alexandria was an important historic center for Christianity, this is a very important church and the seat of the pope of Alexandria. You can enter this church and walk around the beautiful old pews, and if you’re lucky you may be shown into the back where they say they have a piece of the palm of St Mark himself… which is equal parts fascinating and creepy.
Sidi Morsi Abo Al Abass Mosque
Don’t worry about trying to pronounce this one; it’s the main mosque near downtown Alexandria that you truly can’t miss. It’s a beautiful and ornate mosque with multiple domes and buildings that are as intricate on the inside as they are out.
Currently they only open the main mosque for men, but soon they might open it for females again (apparently they closed it for females due to c*vid, whatever that means).
Things to Do on a One Day Trip to Alexandria from Cairo: Food + Fun
Here are some more open-ended things to do in Alexandria on your day trip. Squeeze them in when you have time!
Explore Downtown
Downtown Alexandria is full of surprises. You can find tucked-away cafes, restaurants everywhere, and also tons of shops from electronics to souvenirs to clothing.
It’s fun to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the downtown area, wander into a few shops, and really feel the Alexandria city vibe (which you can compare to the beach later)!
Explore the Souk District
The Souk District is visible on Google Maps and is home to streets and alleys of different kinds of shops. The souk district is organized into sections based on different items.
The ‘womens’ alley’ is a street selling material, lingerie, and dresses that used to be limited to women. You can find an electronics area, a kids’ market, a jewelry section, some more standard souvenirs, and more.
Try some Street Food After
In the souk district, you will find lots of vendors selling different kinds of street food. On your way around, don’t pass up grabbing some interesting snacks like freshly baked sweet potatoes, corn, and even PALM TREE to snack on. Yes, we tried sliced palm tree, and it tasted like healthy chips!
Watch the Sunset
Watching the sunset is a MUST in Alexandria, and the best places to watch it are from the corniche near the Alexandria Library, or near the Citadel of Quaitbay. There’s nothing better than a sunset over the sea, and Alexandria serves up lovely Mediterranean sea sunsets on a daily basis.
TRY SEAFOOD!
Alexandria unsurprisingly has some of the BEST seafood. The seafood here comes straight from the sea to the restaurants, where you can select your fish, squids, prawns, mussels, etc right as they arrive.
We went to a restaurant called Samakmak which was honestly our favorite meal in Egypt and maybe one of the best seafood meals I have EVER had. We picked out our fish right from an ice bed outside the restaurant and got 4 different dishes, each more delicious than the last. My tastebuds were doing dances all evening long. We got butter prawns, a fajita calamari, garlic fish, and more.
Visit the Beach
Alexandria is a popular beach destination for Egyptians throughout the summer, and still has good beach weather through about November. One of the BEST things to do in Alexandria is to relax on the beach!
The beaches on the north side are better for swimming, but if you just want to hang out along the water, there are some beaches right month corniche near the main mosque where you can catch a sea breeze and a great view.
Gleem Bay
Gleem Bay is a cool thing to do to wrap in your one day trip to Alexandria from Cairo. It’s essentially a long and skinny mall built onto a jetty in the ocean. It’s lit up in bright lights and is home to tons of restaurants, dessert bars, ice cream, bars, and places to sit and relax and enjoy an evening with the food of your choice.
It’s the busiest after dark, so it could be a great place to wrap up your day in Alexandria before heading back to the train or bus.
THat’s about it for things to do in Alexandria on a one day trip from Cairo! Let me know what you thought and if you made it to everything.
See Also:
- Most Unexpected Views of the Pyramids if Giza
- Cairo’s Garbage City: Redefining Trash
- Things to Do in Maadi Cairo
Passionate, full-time travel blogger with over 230k on social media and 150kMPV blog. Extraordinary photographer with two DSLR's + a drone with a love for capturing candid moments, epic drone shots, and magical compositions. I'm a natural-born content creator originally from California, but I've been on the road for 9 years living, working, traveling, blogging, and photographing my way around the world. I recommend the most amazingly adventurous and unique + boutique travel experiences/stays and helpful products to my audience and write comprehensive guides on my website that have helped millions of travelers so far. I love to inspire people to plan their dream trips, and many readers have given feedback as such. The reach on my platforms continues to soar, especially when combining cutting-edge social content with optimized articles on my high-authority website.