Alexandria Day Trips: Five Tours Compared

We run five day trips from Alexandria: a tour of the city, the monasteries of Wadi El Natrun, El Alamein, the Giza pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum. All five start with hotel pickup in Alexandria and travel by air-conditioned vehicle. With only one day, the city tour is the natural choice; the other four take you out of Alexandria for the day.

Key Takeaways

• The city tour visits the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, the Roman Theater, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Pompey's Pillar, the Citadel of Qaitbay and Montaza Palace Gardens, and ends at Stanley Bridge.
• The Citadel of Qaitbay was built in the 15th century on the site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and its last entry moves from 19:00 in summer to 17:00 in winter.
• Wadi El Natrun is a monastery day: Deir al-Baramus, Deir Anba Bishoi and Deir El-Suryani.
• The El Alamein cemetery holds more than 7,000 Allied soldiers, and the museum covers the two battles fought there in 1942.
• The two Cairo trips both leave Alexandria in the morning: one for the pyramids, the other for the Tutankhamun treasure.

The five trips at a glance

Browse them together on the Alexandria day tours page.

The city tour

The Alexandria Day Tour begins at the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, underground tombs from the 2nd century AD that mix Egyptian, Greek and Roman styles. It then visits the Roman Theater, the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Pompey's Pillar and the Citadel of Qaitbay. After lunch at a local restaurant, which the page lists, the day finishes in Montaza Palace Gardens, where you see the palace from the outside, and at Stanley Bridge.

Four of these stops are on the official ticketing portal, and all four come before lunch:

These are the hours on the official ticketing portal at the time of writing. See Ramadan opening hours for 32 sites for the rest of the country, and what to do in Alexandria and how much time to give the city if you are staying longer.

Wadi El Natrun and El Alamein

Wadi El Natrun is the quiet option. Deir al-Baramus is the oldest of the surviving monasteries in the valley, Deir Anba Bishoi is an active centre of Coptic monastic life where the body of Saint Bishoy is preserved, and Deir El-Suryani is the smallest and best preserved, worth seeing for its ancient frescoes. The page describes a full day with time for lunch on the way back.

El Alamein is a history day. The War Museum shows military vehicles, tanks, weapons and photographs from World War II, the Commonwealth War Cemetery is a memorial to more than 7,000 Allied soldiers, and the German and Italian memorials stand on nearby hills overlooking the battlefield.

To Cairo from Alexandria

Both Cairo trips are day returns by private vehicle. The pyramids trip adds a quad bike ride and a camel ride to the visits at Giza, and the Sphinx is described on the page as standing for over 4,500 years. The museum trip is the one for Tutankhamun: its page lists the complete collection, shown together for the first time, and lunch in Cairo. To choose between the museums, read the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Egyptian Museum or NMEC. Coming the other way, from Cairo to Alexandria, is covered in Cairo in a day from Alexandria, Luxor or the Red Sea.

When to go

Alexandria is on the Mediterranean. Average daily highs run from 18.3 °C in January to 30.4 °C in August, and the lows from 9.3 °C to 23.9 °C. In August that compares with 34.5 °C in Cairo and 41.0 °C in Luxor.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many day trips run from Alexandria? Five: the city tour, Wadi El Natrun, El Alamein, the Giza pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum.

Which is best for one day in Alexandria? The Alexandria Day Tour, which covers the Catacombs, the Library, Pompey's Pillar, Qaitbay and Montaza Palace Gardens.

Where does each tour start? At your hotel in Alexandria, and each one returns you there.

When does Qaitbay Citadel stop admitting visitors? At 19:00 in summer and 17:00 in winter.

Can I see the Tutankhamun treasure from Alexandria? Yes, on the Grand Egyptian Museum trip, which also includes the Grand Hall.

When is Alexandria warmest? August, with an average high of 30.4 °C.