Citadel of Qaitbay
15th-century fort on the waterfront, built on or near the site of the ancient Pharos lighthouse. Visitors can walk its walls and look out over the harbour and the Mediterranean.
Alexandria
Alexander the Great founded this Mediterranean port, which has Qaitbay Citadel, a modern grand library and seafood along the corniche.
Attractive locations
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Modern library and cultural centre with a disc-shaped roof tilting towards the sea. It honours the ancient library of Alexandria and includes museums, galleries and a huge reading hall.
Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
Underground tomb complex dating from Roman times, reached by a spiral staircase. Its carvings blend Egyptian, Greek and Roman styles, making it one of the city's most unusual sights.
Pompey's Pillar
Tall Roman column of red granite, standing on a hill amid the ruins of an ancient temple. It was named for Pompey by mistake, and the site also includes underground chambers.
Roman Theatre of Alexandria
Small Roman theatre at Kom el-Dikka, with tiers of white marble seats. Ruins of baths and a villa surround it, and it is one of the few Roman sites visible in the modern city.
Montaza Palace and Gardens
Former royal summer palace on the eastern shore, set in large grounds of palms, lawns and a beach. The gardens are open to visitors, while the palace itself is mostly seen from outside.
Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque
Large mosque near the Eastern Harbour with a tall minaret and domes, built in the 1940s over the tomb of a thirteenth-century saint. The prayer hall is for worshippers, so most visitors admire the exterior.
Airports
Alexandria International Airport HBE
It is about 35 km in a straight line from Alexandria.
El Alamein International Airport DBB
It is about 140 km in a straight line from Alexandria.
Scams and safe taxis
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan13.9 °C23 mm
- Feb14.6 °C16 mm
- Mar16.7 °C9 mm
- Apr19.5 °C14 mm
- May23.1 °C1 mm
- Jun26.2 °C1 mm
- Jul27.8 °C1 mm
- Aug28.2 °C0 mm
- Sep26.7 °C0 mm
- Oct23.8 °C7 mm
- Nov19.9 °C13 mm
- Dec16.0 °C20 mm
Driest months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep. Wettest months: Jan, Feb, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 15% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 122. Ambulance 123. Fire 180. Tourist police 126.
local government
Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities visitor hotline 19654
Helps with: Egypt's tourism ministry hotline. It answers tourists' questions during their stay, such as site opening hours, and takes complaints and suggestions. The page says 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, in Arabic and English.
Who qualifies: Tourists in Egypt with questions, complaints or suggestions. The page is undated, so check the number is still in service.
Phone: 19654
ngo
Egyptian Red Crescent Society
Helps with: Egypt's national Red Crescent society, the local member of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement. Contact its head office in Cairo for its humanitarian services.
Who qualifies: People in Egypt who need its humanitarian services; contact the head office.
Phone: +20 2 25985555
Address: Abd El Razak El Sanhouri St., Nasr City, Cairo, 11371, Egypt
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Egypt
Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Egypt since 1991. Its work includes migration and border management, crisis response, services for migrants and a migrants assistance hotline.
Who qualifies: Migrants in Egypt, including people fleeing conflict, and government partners. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +20227365140
Address: 47C Abu El-Feda Street, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt 11211
local government
Police emergency number 122
Helps with: Reaches the police in Egypt. The number comes from UK government travel advice, which also lists 126 for the tourist police.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 122
local government
Ambulance emergency number 123
Helps with: Reaches the ambulance service in Egypt. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 123
local government
Fire emergency number 180
Helps with: Reaches the fire service in Egypt. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 180