What to See in One Day in Alexandria, Egypt: A Day Plan from Cairo

What to see in one day in Alexandria, Egypt? In one well-planned day you can see the five sights that tell the city's story: the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, Pompey's Pillar, the Roman theatre of Kom el-Dikka, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Citadel of Qaitbay, with a fish lunch and a walk on the Corniche. Start in the south of the city with the Roman sites and finish by the sea at Qaitbay for the late afternoon light. If you have time for a museum, read our guide to the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria.

One day is enough for these highlights, even on a day trip from Cairo, though not for the beaches, museums and cafés that make people fall for Alexandria. Below is the order our guides use, how long each stop takes, how to get there and around, and where to eat.

Yes, for the main sights. A day trip from Cairo gives you about six to seven hours in the city, enough for four or five stops if you follow a logical route. Our week in Cairo, Luxor and Alexandria includes a day trip of this kind. If you can stay overnight, do it: you add the Alexandria National Museum, an evening on the Corniche and a slower morning, and you avoid two long drives in one day. Three days let you add the beaches, Montaza gardens and the old cafés. With children, also see our guide to the Alexandria Aquarium Museum.

The first three stops are close together in the old southern and central districts; the Library and Qaitbay are on the sea front. If you come from Cairo, leave by 6:30 to arrive around 9:30, and start back after sunset.

1. Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa

The largest Roman-period burial site in Egypt was found by accident in 1900, when a donkey fell into the access shaft. The tombs were cut into the rock in the 2nd century AD and used until the 4th century. A spiral staircase takes you down to three levels; the lowest is often under groundwater. What makes the catacombs unique is the mix of styles: Egyptian gods such as Anubis dressed as Roman soldiers, Greek columns with Egyptian capitals, and Egyptian funerary scenes beside Greek myths. In the side hall known as the Hall of Caracalla, bones of horses and people were found. Take a light jacket in winter and good shoes: the steps can be damp.

2. Pompey's Pillar and the Serapeum

Pompey's Pillar is the tallest ancient monument in Alexandria and the only one still standing in its original place. The column of red granite from Aswan rises about 26.85 metres with its base and capital; the shaft alone is about 20.5 metres, cut from a single block. It was put up between about AD 298 and 303 in honour of the Roman emperor Diocletian, whose statue in porphyry once stood on top.

Despite the name, it has nothing to do with the Roman general Pompey. The name comes from a misreading of the Greek dedication on the base, which names the prefect Publius ("Pouplios"); later readers took it for "Pompeios" and the story stuck. Medieval travellers even believed Pompey's head was kept in an urn at the top.

The column stands on the hill of the Serapeum, the great temple of the god Serapis built under Ptolemy III and rebuilt by the Romans. Little of the temple survives above ground, but you can walk down into its rock-cut underground galleries and see the two granite sphinxes beside the column. Read more in our guide to the Serapeum of Alexandria.

Our tip: the site is small, so 30 to 45 minutes is enough. Walk round the base to see how the shaft sits on reused older blocks, then go down into the galleries. It is 5 to 10 minutes by car from Kom el-Shoqafa, so see them together.

3. The Roman theatre of Kom el-Dikka

Often called the Roman amphitheatre, it is in fact a small theatre or odeon of the 4th century AD, with tiers of marble seats in a horseshoe. A Polish-Egyptian mission has worked on the site since 1960 and uncovered a whole Roman quarter around it: baths, lecture halls and the Villa of the Birds, a house with floor mosaics of birds from the 1st to 3rd centuries. It is in the city centre, close to Misr railway station.

4. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina

The modern library on the Eastern Harbour, opened in 2002, recalls the great ancient Library of Alexandria. Its tilted disc of a roof and the granite wall carved with letters from scripts of the world are worth seeing even from outside. Inside are the vast reading hall and several small museums, including antiquities and manuscripts. Opening days and visitor tickets change, so check before you go. Our guide to the Alexandria Library covers the history.

5. The Citadel of Qaitbay

The Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay built this fort between 1477 and 1479 on the tip of the old island of Pharos, on the site of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Some of the lighthouse's stones are thought to be built into its walls. Come in the late afternoon for the light on the harbour and the view back over the Corniche. See our guide to the Citadel of Qaitbay.

If you have more time

• Alexandria National Museum: a clear, compact collection from the pharaohs to the Islamic period, including finds from the sunken harbour. Read about the Alexandria National Museum.
• Abu el-Abbas el-Mursi Mosque: the city's best-known mosque, near Qaitbay, built over the tomb of a 13th-century Sufi scholar from Andalusia. Visitors are welcome outside prayer times, with modest dress.
• Montaza gardens: the royal park and palace on the eastern edge of the city, good for a walk by the sea. Our Alexandria half-day tour starts at the Montaza gardens and follows the Corniche west to the old harbour.

• By car: about 220 km on the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road, 2.5 to 3 hours each way depending on traffic. A private car or tour is the easiest way to see everything in one day.
• By train: trains from Ramses Station in Cairo to Misr Station in Alexandria take about 2.5 to 3 hours. Book a seat in advance and plan a car or taxi in Alexandria between the sights.

Cruise passengers arriving at Alexandria port can see the same sights in a shore day.

• Ride-hailing apps: the simplest way for visitors; the price is fixed in the app.
• Taxis: the black and yellow taxis are everywhere; agree on the fare or ask for the meter before you start.
• Tram: the old tram is slow but fun for a short ride along the city centre.
• Walking: the Corniche between the Library and Qaitbay is a pleasant 30-minute walk in the cooler hours.
• Buses and microbuses: cheap but crowded and hard to use without Arabic.

Avoid summer weekends and Egyptian public holidays if you can; traffic on the Desert Road and in the city is heavy. Read our ideas for Alexandria's beaches if you come in summer.

Alexandria is a fish city. Choose your fish by weight from the counter, say how you want it cooked (grilled, fried or baked with spices) and it comes with rice, salads and tahini.

• Kadoura: a classic, long-running fish and seafood restaurant, simple and busy; ask your guide for the branch nearest your route.
• Mohamed Ahmed: the best-known place for foul and falafel, an Alexandrian breakfast.
• Trianon: one of the oldest cafés in the city, by Raml Station, for coffee and pastries.
• Street food: try Alexandrian liver sandwiches and, on the beach in summer, the sweet roasted-nut wafer called freska.

For more choices, see our list of the top fish restaurants in Alexandria. Opening hours change, so check on the day.

If you stay the night, walk the Corniche after sunset, when families come out for the sea breeze, eat dinner by the Eastern Harbour, and browse the markets around Raml Station or Zenkat El Setat. The city stays lively until late, especially in summer.

• Tickets: each archaeological site has its own ticket; many ticket offices now take cards, so carry one, plus small cash for tips and toilets.
• Dress: Alexandria is more conservative than its holiday image; cover shoulders and knees in the old districts and in mosques.
• Shoes: the catacomb steps and the Serapeum galleries can be damp and uneven.
• Guide: the Graeco-Roman layers are easy to miss without explanation; a licensed guide makes the catacombs and the Serapeum much clearer.
• Order: keep Qaitbay for the end of the day; the light over the harbour is best in the late afternoon.

Our Alexandria archaeological day tour covers Kom el-Shoqafa, Pompey's Pillar, the Roman theatre, the Library and Qaitbay with a guide and private transport. For a slower visit, the 5 Days Cairo and Alexandria tour gives the city a full day and a night, and our Alexandria day tours list every option, including shore trips from the port.

Can you do Alexandria as a day trip from Cairo?

Yes. The drive is about 2.5 to 3 hours each way, which leaves six to seven hours in the city for four or five sights.

What is the most important site to see in Alexandria?

If you only have time for one, choose the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, the most unusual site in the city, then Pompey's Pillar nearby.

Why is it called Pompey's Pillar?

Because of a misreading of its Greek dedication. The column was raised for the emperor Diocletian around AD 298 to 303 and has no link with the general Pompey.

How tall is Pompey's Pillar?

About 26.85 metres with its base and capital; the red granite shaft from Aswan is about 20.5 metres.

Can you see the Lighthouse of Alexandria?

No. It collapsed in the Middle Ages; the Citadel of Qaitbay stands on its site.

When is the best time to visit Alexandria?

Spring and autumn. Summer is busy with Egyptian holidaymakers, and winter brings wind and rain.