Top Things to do in Alexandria

 

Things to Do in Alexandria

Alexandria feels like a city that breathes differently. Much of Egypt will feel vastly different from Cairo’s energy or Aswan’s calm, but Alexandria is its own planet, with a hopping coastline that stretches lazily along the Mediterranean, finally harboring the whispers of a place where pharaohs, Romans, and scholars met, beneath the sea blue sky.

Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great, and over the years, Hellenistic to Roman and even Islamic monuments have shaped an eccentric place that exudes nostalgia and layered history, all the while being continually kissed by undeviating Mediterranean breezes. This terribly diverse city is best discovered at its own pace, with a coffee in your hand, and a tale in your heart — both the concrete and the half-buried.

In this guide to the best things to do in Alexandria, we’ll highlight everything the city has to offer, from its named landmarks down to its quiet shores. Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great, and over the years, Hellenistic to Roman and even Islamic monuments have shaped an eccentric place that exudes nostalgia and layered history, all the while being continually kissed by undeviating Mediterranean breezes. This terribly diverse city is best discovered at its own pace, with a coffee in your hand, and a tale in your heart — both the concrete and the half-buried.

In this guide to the best things to do in Alexandria, we’ll highlight everything the city has to offer, from its named landmarks down to its quiet shores.

Stroll the Corniche and Sense the Sea

The Corniche is the lifeblood of Alexandria, with many kilometers spilling over the Mediterranean. Walking the Corniche at sunset is almost ceremonial: families come together, friends take a stroll, and fishermen cast into the surf.

From the 19th-century grandeur of the Stanley Bridge to the historic harbor by Qaitbay Citadel, the Corniche is the quintessential heartbeat of Alexandria, the lifeblood of everyday living. Relax in a seaside café, order a Turkish coffee or lemon mint juice, and allow oneself to soak in the experience — the waves, the wind, the people, and the light. Check our day tours offers!

Visit the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina represents Alexandria’s ancient glow of antiquity and the modern rebirth of culture. It is more than just a library; it is a cultural complex, a museum, an art space, and a memorial to the lost Library of Alexandria, one of the wonders of the ancient world.

The building is brilliant — it is tilted toward the sea and bathed in inscriptions of hundreds of languages carved into its granite. Exhibitions include Egyptian history, Egyptian science, manuscript preservation, and contemporary art.

Don’t consider yourself a bookworm? The vibe of knowledge and possibility here is palpable. Check our day tours offers!

Visit the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa

Among the most intriguing ancient sites of Alexandria, the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa represent a real mix of Roman, Hellenistic, and Egyptian funerary style. Dug into rock in the 2nd century AD, the catacombs descend several stories underground, resulting in a long walk where you can experience how various cultures met and changed in this place.

You will pass through burial chambers, spiraling staircases, and sculpted reliefs which are at once Egyptian, Roman, and Hellenistic in English gods’ clothing and facial features. You’ll see a lot, and feel a lot too — spooky, surreal, and simultaneously beautiful. Check our day tours offers!

Visit the Qaitbay Citadel

Situated right next to the Mediterranean coast and on the spot of the former great Lighthouse of Alexandria, stands the Qaitbay Citadel. It was built in the 15th century and took some stones from the sunken lighthouse — historical and picturesque!

You can walk up and explore its ramparts and gain a view from the citadel, trying to imagine its former glory (the lighthouse which guided sailors from all over the world). The air is always blowing, the horizon open, and the feeling is expansive. Check our day tours offers!

Visit Pompey’s Pillar and the Serapeum

Pompey’s Pillar is a huge Roman column that stands alone on a hilltop, having originally been surrounded by a temple complex that housed the Serapeum, an edifice dedicated to the Greek-Egyptian god Serapis. Although only the column remains above ground, the site retains a faded sense of grandeur.

Below ground, the site consists of several subterranean chambers and statues including two odd black granite sphinxes. This is a quick stop, but one that evokes the imperial history of Alexandria.

Get Lost in the Alexandria National Museum

The Alexandria National Museum is located in an artistically restored Italianate house and is quiet, unbusy, and richly stocked. The museum covers the history of Alexandria and the surrounding region from ancient Egypt to the Roman occupation, through the Islamic period, and into the contemporary age.

Statues pulled from the floor of the harbor, ancient coins, royal jewelry, and religious art all tell the story of a city always looking outward — toward the sea, toward Europe, toward the future. Check our day tours offers!

Stroll Montaza Palace Gardens

On the eastern edge of the city, the Montaza Palace Gardens offer a peaceful escape. Built during the reign of Khedive Abbas II in the early 20th century, the palace itself is a blend of Turkish and Florentine architecture, and while you can’t go inside, the grounds are open and lush.

Wander through palm-lined paths, over stone bridges, and along the shoreline. There’s a soft elegance here, far from the city’s rush.

Eat Fresh Seafood by the Sea

No trip to Alexandria is complete without a meal of freshly caught seafood. The city is dotted with fish restaurants — some elegant, some simple — where you can choose your catch from a chilled display and have it grilled or fried to order.

Head to Fishawi or Sea Gull, or ask locals for a family-run favorite near the harbor. A table with a sea view, some grilled calamari, and warm baladi bread — it’s one of Alexandria’s finest experiences. Check our day tours offers!

Take a look at the Roman Amphitheatre

Discovered in the 1960s , the Roman Amphitheatre at Alexandria is a unique expression of Roman architecture in Egypt. The stone seats are still arranged in a semi-circle around the central stage, where audiences of up to 800 spectators once attended concerts, readings or political gatherings.

Alexandria’s Roman Theater is certainly smaller than what most people expect, but it is one of the intact examples of this kind of theatre in Egypt, and it is a reminder that Roman Alexandria was once a great cultural centre.

Final Thoughts

Alexandria doesn’t shout its history — it whispers it. A breeze carrying salt and stories, a fragment of a column, a quiet library overlooking the sea. This is not a city that demands your attention but one that stays with you long after you’ve left.

From tranquil strolls along the Corniche to uncovering Greco-Roman secrets and enjoying fresh seafood by the Mediterranean, Alexandria offers a refreshing contrast to Egypt’s desert grandeur.

Pair your visit with expertly crafted Egypt Tours, enriching Egypt Day Tours, or even extend your journey from the Nile to the sea with luxurious Nile Cruises that reveal Egypt’s full spectrum.

Let Alexandria enchant you. Begin your journey with an Egypt Trips Package and discover Egypt’s coastal soul.