لا روسا / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)Alexandria is Egypt's second city and its great window on the Mediterranean, a long sweep of seafront founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC. Where Cairo is desert and river, Alexandria is salt air, a curving Corniche and waves breaking below the walls of the Qaitbay Citadel, which stands on the site of the ancient…
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Head to the Bahari and Anfushi districts near the Citadel for some of the city's best-value fresh fish, picked from the display and grilled while you wait, where Alexandrians themselves come to eat.
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A striking modern library and cultural centre on the seafront, a tilted glass-and-granite disc built to honour the memory of the ancient Great Library. Inside are a vast reading hall, museums and galleries. Buy a ticket at the entrance and consider a short guided tour to understand the building and its collections.
A 15th-century sea fort built on the exact site of the ancient Pharos lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders, guarding the eastern harbour. The stout stone walls and towers give sweeping Mediterranean views. Go late afternoon for cooler air and combine it with a walk along the Corniche and the nearby fish market.
A remarkable underground burial complex spiralling several levels down, blending Egyptian, Greek and Roman styles in its carved tombs. Rediscovered in 1900, it is one of the most fascinating ancient sights in the city. It can be humid below ground, so allow time and take care on the steep stairs.
The only Roman amphitheatre found in Egypt, a well-preserved semicircle of white marble terraces uncovered by accident in 1960. The surrounding archaeological park also holds Roman baths, villas and fine mosaics. Compact and central, it is easily combined with the nearby train station and downtown.
The must-try local dishes, sweets and fruits — including the exotic ones you won't find back home.
DishTurnopoems / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)The city's signature street food: thin strips of beef or calf liver stir-fried hard and fast with garlic, chilli, cumin and green pepper, then stuffed into a bread roll with tahini, pickles and extra chilli to taste. Sold from carts and tiny shops all over town, it is spicy, messy and beloved across Egypt.
Choose a busy stall with fast turnover so the liver is fresh off the pan, and say how hot you want it, as the chilli can be fierce.
A fragrant coastal dish of white fish baked or fried over rice cooked with deeply caramelised onions, tomato and warm spices, sometimes with a tahini-lemon sauce. Its name comes from the Arabic for fisherman, and it is a staple of Alexandria's seafood tables.
Order it at a seafood restaurant as a change from plain grilled fish; the sweet onion-rich rice is the heart of the dish.
The backbone of Alexandrian eating: fresh Mediterranean fish, prawns, calamari and more, chosen from an iced display and grilled or fried simply with lemon, garlic and cumin. Served with bread, salads, tahini and rice, it is best enjoyed slowly near the harbour.
Pick your own fish, confirm the price per kilo and the weight before it is cooked, and ask for it grilled (mashwi) to taste the freshness.
DishAshashyou / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)A pungent traditional delicacy of grey mullet salted and fermented, eaten especially at the spring Sham El Nessim festival with bread, onions and lemon. It is an acquired taste with a very strong smell, and a genuine piece of Egyptian coastal food culture rather than an everyday tourist dish.
If you try it, buy only from a trusted, reputable shop, as poorly prepared feseekh can be a real health risk.
A cold, sweet, milky drink flavoured with coconut and sometimes rice or vanilla, poured over ice and popular on hot Alexandrian days and in Ramadan. Refreshing and filling, it is sold at juice bars and seafront stalls across the city.
Have it well chilled from a busy, clean stall; it makes a cooling break on a hot walk along the Corniche.
Alexandria has a long Italian-influenced ice-cream tradition, a legacy of the cosmopolitan communities that once filled the city, and old parlours still serve dense, chewy Egyptian-style ice cream in classic flavours. Eating a cone on the Corniche is a local summer ritual.
Look for a long-established, busy ice-cream house rather than a generic kiosk for the most authentic, old-fashioned texture.
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Cum funcționează: Most Alexandria taxis do not use a meter, so a driver may quote a high flat fare once he sees you are a tourist, or claim a much larger price on arrival than was agreed, leaving you to pay several times the real cost.
Cum să o eviți: Agree the fare clearly before you get in, or use Uber or Careem, which fix the price in the app and remove the argument. Know roughly what a trip should cost, run the number in Egyptian pounds and carry small notes to pay the exact amount.
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The intercity railway links Cairo and Alexandria in around two and a half to three hours, ending at the central Misr station. Air-conditioned Spanish and VIP services are the most comfortable; the cheaper ordinary trains are slower and busier. The most relaxed way to arrive from the capital.
Alexandria's Borg El Arab airport is about 45 kilometres from the centre, so a ride into town takes close to an hour. Uber and Careem fix the fare in advance and are usually the clearest option; a shared airport bus is cheaper but slower and less frequent.
Comfortable air-conditioned coaches run frequently between Cairo, Alexandria and other cities from the main bus terminals. A cheap and reliable alternative to the train, though city traffic at each end can add time. Book a seat in advance in busy periods.
Alexandria's century-old trams trundle along the coast and through downtown for only a few pounds, a slow but atmospheric way to see the city. They can be crowded and are not fast, so use them for short, unhurried hops and keep an eye on your belongings.
Ride-hailing apps work well across Alexandria, fix the fare in advance and track the route, making them the easiest way to avoid haggling and meter disputes. Coverage is good in the centre and along the Corniche; you will need mobile data to book.
The long seafront promenade is made for walking, especially in the cooler morning and at sunset, linking many of the central sights. Traffic on the Corniche road is fast, so cross with care and use crossings, and wear comfortable shoes for the distances involved.
Spring (April to June) and early autumn (September to October) are the most pleasant, with warm days, sea breezes and comfortable temperatures. Summer is the busy Egyptian beach season, hot and humid with crowded shores, while winter is mild but the wettest and windiest time in Egypt, with grey days and occasional storms coming off the Mediterranean.
One full day covers the Citadel, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Catacombs and a Corniche walk at a brisk pace, but two days let you add Pompey's Pillar, the Roman Amphitheatre, Montaza Gardens and long seafood lunches without rushing. Many people also visit as a day trip from Cairo by train.
Yes, the train takes about two and a half to three hours each way, so an early start makes a long but doable day for the headline sights. Staying overnight is more relaxed and lets you enjoy the Corniche at sunset and the seafood dinners the city is famous for.
Yes, Alexandria is generally safe and Egyptians are famously hospitable, with serious crime against visitors rare. The main annoyances are taxi drivers avoiding fair fares and occasional overcharging, especially for seafood by weight, which are easily managed with apps and by confirming prices first.
Ride-hailing apps like Uber and Careem are the easiest and clearest option, fixing the fare in advance. The historic trams are cheap and atmospheric for short hops, and the central seafront and downtown sights are walkable, though the city stretches a long way along the coast.
Above all fresh Mediterranean fish and seafood, usually chosen by weight and grilled to order, plus the city's famous kebda eskandarani spicy liver sandwiches and sayadeya fish with spiced rice. Cold sobia and Alexandria's old Italian-influenced ice cream are classic sweet treats.