Alexandria and the North Coast

01

About the region

Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria was the capital of Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt and home to the ancient Library and the Pharos lighthouse. Little of that city survives above ground, but later layers do: the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, the Roman theatre at Kom El Dikka, Pompey’s Pillar and the 15th-century Qaitbay Citadel on the lighthouse site. The modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the seafront Corniche and old cafés give the city a breezier, more Mediterranean feel than Cairo.

West of Alexandria the coast runs for about 300 km of white sand and turquoise water. El Alamein has the Commonwealth, German and Italian war cemeteries and a military museum marking the 1942 battles. New Alamein City and the resorts around it are busy with Egyptian holidaymakers in summer, and Marsa Matrouh, further west, has some of the clearest bays on the coast, including Agiba and Cleopatra’s Beach.

In July and August the coast is packed and prices rise; in late spring and early autumn it is quieter. Marsa Matrouh is also the gateway to Siwa Oasis.

02

Highlights

• Bibliotheca Alexandrina and its antiquities museum
• Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa and Pompey's Pillar
• Qaitbay Citadel and a walk along the Corniche
• El Alamein war cemeteries and military museum
• Agiba and Cleopatra's Beach near Marsa Matrouh
• Seafood in Alexandria's Anfoushi district

03

Plan your visit

Best time: May, June, September and October are best for the beaches; July and August are hot and crowded, and winter is mild in Alexandria but often too cool and windy for swimming.

Getting there: Alexandria is about 2.5 hours from Cairo by train or 3 hours on the Desert Road, and Borg El Arab Airport has domestic and regional flights. El Alamein International Airport has seasonal flights from Europe and the Gulf, and Marsa Matrouh, about 5 hours from Cairo by road, has its own airport. A high-speed line linking Ain Sokhna, Alexandria, New Alamein and Marsa Matrouh is in trial running, with passenger service provisionally targeted for July 2027.

Trip ideas:

• 2 days: Alexandria's Graeco-Roman sites and the Bibliotheca
• 1 day: El Alamein cemeteries and museum from Alexandria
• 5 days: Alexandria, El Alamein and Marsa Matrouh's beaches