Alexandria travel guide

Home Africa Tours Egypt Tours Alexandria Tours

Alexandria is the second-largest city in Egypt and is the country's largest seaport. It is popularly known as the "Mermaid of the Mediterranean". The city was built during the rule of the Greek emperor Alexander the Great who seek to immortalize his name through this city.

There are number of historical sites in Alexandria and so it is considered to be the most attractive city in Egypt for its moderate weather, white beaches and blue water and friendly people.

Alexandria has always been popular as a vacation destination for local Egyptians looking to escape the summer heat and enjoy the Mediterranean beaches.

Fast Facts

Some of the major Tourist Attractions in Alexandria are :

√ Greco-Roman Museum : - Greco-Roman Museum is the main museum of Alexandria and was built in 1887.

√ It exhibits large collection of antiquities from the Greco-Roman era.

√ The Roman Theatre : - The Roman Theatre is one of the important sites in Alexandria that is reserved for musical and ballet shows which attract Egyptians to this great place.

√ The fort of Qayetbay : - The fort of Qayetbay built in 1480 on the ruins of the Alexandria Lighthouse to repel raiders from the Mediterranean. It has medieval-style architecture and is named after the Mamelouk Sultan Qaitbay.

√ Al-Haramlek Palace : - Al-Haramlek Palaceis built on a low plateau region amidst several beautiful gardens. It is now a presidential palace. The palace is known for the unique architecture which is the combination of Islamic and European elements.

√ Al Manshia Square : - It is Alexandria's main square which features a statue of Mohamed Ali.

√ Stanley Bridge : - Stanley Bridge is built over the Stanley bay. It was inspired by the Montazah Palace.

√ Al-Montazah Palace : - Al-Montazah Palace is the Palace which comprises of a number of buildings like Al-Haramlek, the summer residence of the former royal family, Palestine Hotel and the tourist hotel.

√ The Antoniadis Gardens : - They contain beautifully arranged trees and flowers, as well as several Grecko statues in marble and the Antoniadis palace.

Alexandria is best known as the Egyptian city of Festivals. There is annual film festival that attracts people from all over the world. It has several events and shows to entertain the people.

But most of the Festivals in Alexandria are related to either the Coptic or Islamic religions.

The city still has some of the most grand and historic restaurants in the main city centre. But many of them have closed down to make way for more modern, eateries and hotels. Apart from the local Egyptian specialties, western-style cuisines are available everywhere.

Since most of the Restaurants in Alexandria are located near the coast, they serve freshly caught seafood which is either grilled or baked.

Agami district is known for its good selection of places to eat. It is a fun packed place with many inexpensive restaurants like the Christina and the Seagull restaurant. They serve Mediterranean-style dishes to the tourists.

Even Alexandria's Anfushi district is hard to beat when it comes to restaurants and eating outlets.

Alexandria welcomes you to the astonishing world of shopping! There are countless malls and up class markets located all around the city. The shopping malls are also known for their eateries, entertainment, cinema etc. Some of the places worth visiting are : -

• There is a traditional market located on the western side of the Midan Tahrir. Shop here for the traditional Egyptian items, handicrafts etc.
• If you are looking for the memorable shopping experience then the market near the backstreets around the Attareen area is the best place. Apart from the expensive clothes, shoes and bags, the market is flooded with antiquities and artifacts.
• For high fashion, trendy clothes and stylish handbags, the shops around the Saad Zaghloul and Sharias Safiyya Zaghloul are hard to beat.


• Some of the popular shopping malls are : -


→ City Centre Mall : - which lies to the south of Alexandria, is one of the biggest shopping malls in the city.

→ Green Plaza Shopping Mall : - it is particularly a fun place to shop. This mall is particularly famous amongst the children.

♠ Deeb Mall
♠ KiroSeiz Mall
♠ Mina Mall
♠ San Stefano Grand Plaza Mall
♠ Wataneya Grand Mall
♠ Zahran Mall.

Alexandria offers you countless activities while you are on a holiday here. You can visit several great museums exhibiting antiquities and rare collection of the items of Roman era. You can rejuvenate yourself by going for fishing and various other outdoor activities like swimming and surfing.

√ By Foot : -

√ By Taxis : -

√ By Tram and Trains : -

√ By Plane : -

√ By Train : -

√ By Bus : -