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Voykit pocket guide · Egypt
Alexandria
الإسكندرية
Give Alexandria 1–2 nights: the library, the Qaitbay Citadel and a Corniche seafood dinner. Skip the beaches in July–August unless you want crowds.
Egypt's second city and its Mediterranean port, 2 h 40 min from Cairo by fast train. The sights sit on a 5–6 km strip along the Corniche, so one full day covers the core and a second adds the catacombs, Montazah and a slower meal. It is a working Egyptian city, not a resort: come for the library, the harbour and the seafood.
- Country
- Egypt
- Local name
- الإسكندرية
- Best months
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, humid and packed with Egyptian summer visitors)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EGP
- Money
- Currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP, also written LE or £E). Hotels, cruise boats and larger restaurants take cards; taxis, markets, small cafés, tips and toilet attendants are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget EGP 900–1,600 excl. bed · Mid EGP 1,600–3,000 excl. bed · High EGP 3,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Orange, Etisalat (e&) and WE sell tourist SIMs at Cairo airport with passport; about EGP 500–1,000 for 20–40 GB — check.
- Emergency
- Police 122 · Ambulance 123 · Tourist police 126 · Fire 180
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European round-pin sockets.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% even when service is added (it rarely reaches staff).; Guide, full day: US$10–20 per person.; Driver, full day: US$5–10.; Cruise crew: About US$5–10 per person per day in the envelope.; Toilet, porter, small help: EGP 10–30.
- Water
- Tap water is chlorinated in cities but most visitors drink bottled; do not drink Nile water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; attendants at sites expect EGP 10–20. Carry tissue.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | EGP 30–80 |
| Seafood meal on the Corniche | EGP 250–600 |
| Taxi across the centre | EGP 60–150 |
| Tram ride | EGP 1 (check) |
| Citadel of Qaitbay entry | EGP 150 foreigners / EGP 60 Egyptians (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | EGP 400–700 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HBE · Borg el Arab Airport
- About 45 km southwest of downtown; no public transport, taxi 60–90 min (check the fare)About 28 mi southwest of downtown; no public transport, taxi 60–90 min (check the fare)
Typical fares
- Cairo → Alexandria, fast train
- about 2 h 40 min; AC2 about US$35 (check)
- Borg el Arab Airport → downtown taxi
- 60–90 min; at least EGP 400 (check)
- Tram, any line
- flat fare, bought on board (check)
Get around
Taxis and Uber/Careem cover the Corniche strip; agree the fare before you get in, as meters are rarely used. The tram is the cheapest option — the blue Ramleh lines run east from Raml Station, the yellow city lines run west; flat fare bought on board. Buses and microbuses are cheap but confusing for a short visit.
See and do
Known for
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina
- Citadel of Qaitbay
- Corniche and eastern harbour
- Seafood and Greek-era cafés
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| El Alamein | Train or car west along the coast | About 2–3 h each way |
| Cairo | Fast train from Misr or Sidi Gaber station, about 2 h 40 min | About 3 h |
| Saqqara | Train to Cairo, then car or taxi south | 4 h+ |
Sleep
- Saad Zaghloul / Raml Station
- Central, walkable to the library and the Corniche; the best base for one or two nights.
- Anfushi / Ras el-Tin
- Near the Citadel and the harbour; quieter, fewer hotels.
- San Stefano / Montazah (east)
- Beachfront and upmarket; 20–30 min by taxi from the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | أهلاًahlan |
| Thank you | شكراًshukran |
| How much is it? | بكام؟bekam |
| The bill, please | الحساب لو سمحتel-hesab law samaht |
| Where is the toilet? | فين الحمام؟fein el-hammam |
| No, thank you | لا شكراًla shukran |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Salam alaykum', handshake; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging strangers
- Eating: Right hand; accept tea; avoid: Refusing hospitality flatly
- Bargaining: Humour and patience; avoid: Anger
- Dress: Shoulders and knees covered in cities; avoid: Beachwear outside resorts
- Baksheesh: Keep small notes ready; avoid: Showing a thick wallet
- Photos: Ask; pay if agreed; avoid: Photographing police or military
Scams and watch-outs
- Taxis refuse the meter: agree the price first, or use Uber/Careem.
- Summer (Jul–Aug) is hot, humid and crowded with domestic beach visitors.
- The Corniche has heavy traffic; cross with care and allow extra time at rush hour.
- Baksheesh is expected for small services: keep EGP 20–50 notes ready.
Alexandria is generally safe for tourists, including solo women in the central areas, but take normal big-city care: use Uber/Careem at night, agree taxi fares first, and expect persistent small-scale baksheesh requests.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Alexandria yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina
- Citadel of Qaitbay
- Corniche and eastern harbour
- Seafood and Greek-era cafés
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Alexandria, revision 5297933 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5297933
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Alexandriaالإسكندرية
إلى هذا العنوان، لو سمحت
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies are in Cairo; check your country's mission there before you travel.
Tipping (baksheesh) is expected for small services: EGP 20–50 is normal.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/alexandria). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.