Day 01
Full-Day Alexandria Excursion from Cairo
- Your tour representative will pick you up from your hotel in Cairo or Giza. From there, drive लगभग 210 kilometres to Alexandria, the second-largest city in Egypt, known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean." Its great natural beauty and rich cultural and historical heritage make it one of Egypt's most popular traveller attractions. The city was founded by the Macedonian leader Alexander the Great, who conquered Egypt in 332 B.C.
- You will begin your Alexandria tour from Cairo with a transfer to Alexandria in a modern air-conditioned vehicle, accompanied by your knowledgeable tour guide. The drive takes about two hours, and you may stop at the nearest rest area if you would like a drink, need to use the toilet, or want to stretch your legs.
- Start sightseeing with a visit to Pompey's Pillar, an architectural marvel located amid the ruins of the Serapeum in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria. It is one of the largest monuments of Antiquity. The Serapeum was an ancient Greek temple built during the reign of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt. It was dedicated to Serapis, a deity worshipped in Alexandria and throughout Egypt, who was believed to be the protector of Alexandria.
- Then visit the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa. These tombs represent the last great existing construction created for the ancient Egyptian religion. The catacombs consist of three layers of tombs and chambers cut out of the rock underground, along with the beautifully decorated burial site of a rich Romanized Egyptian family.
- Continue to the wonderful reincarnation of the famed ancient Library of Alexandria. The original library held the largest collection of manuscripts in the world and was a great centre of learning for 600 years until it burned down in the 3rd century. The New Library of Alexandria is now one of the biggest libraries in the world, with 8 million books. It also stands on the site of a lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Enjoy a tour of this dramatically beautiful new library. Then drive to the Roman Amphitheatre, the open-air museum for sunken monuments, the unknown soldiers of Alexandria, and the statue of Alexander the Great, built east of Alexandria on a high hill overlooking one of the most beautiful beaches in the city.
- Then proceed to see Qaitbay Citadel, which was built on the site of the ancient lighthouse of Alexandria. Named after the Mameluke Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaitbay, the Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria is considered one of the most important defensive strongholds in the Mediterranean Sea. Visit the citadel, which formed an important part of the fortification system of Alexandria in the 15th century A.D.
- After that, drive to Montazah Palace, the summer residence of King Farouk, the last king in the history of Egypt. Enjoy the embracing gardens blazed with colours and the beautiful architecture of Montazah Palace. Then drive along the Corniche to see the whole city, passing over Stanley Bridge, a landmark of modern Alexandria.
- Later, return to your hotel in Cairo or Giza to conclude the tour.
