Port Said

This Port Said travel guide covers the best things to do in Port Said: the Suez Canal Authority building, the canal promenade and the ferry to Port Fouad. Below you will also find the best time to visit Port Said, how to get there and around, and where to stay.

Port Said is the capital of Port Said governorate and stands at the northern, Mediterranean entrance of the Suez Canal. Built from scratch for the canal, it has wooden-balconied colonial buildings, a busy seafront, a free-trade zone famous across Egypt for shopping, and a constant parade of ships.

History

Work on the city began on 25 April 1859, when digging of the canal started here; it was named after the Khedive Said. Port Said grew rapidly as a cosmopolitan port, with Greek, Italian, French and Maltese communities. Across the water, the twin town of Port Fouad was laid out on the Asian bank in the 1920s for canal company staff. The city is closely associated with the Suez Crisis of 1956, and its resistance is remembered each year on 23 December, Port Said’s national day.

What to see and do

• Suez Canal Authority building: the elegant, green-domed headquarters on the waterfront is the city’s emblem, though you can only see it from outside.
• Port Fouad ferry: the free ferry across the canal gives close-up views of passing ships and the Authority building. Port Fouad’s quiet streets of canal-era villas are worth a stroll.
• Port Said Lighthouse: built in 1869 and 56 m tall, one of the first major structures made of reinforced concrete.
• Military Museum: on 23 July Street, opened in 1964, with displays on the 1956 war and later conflicts.
• Colonial architecture: the old quarter around the seafront has rows of wooden verandas and arcades, many of them in need of care.
• Shopping and seafood: the free-trade zone’s markets draw bargain hunters, and there are fish restaurants along the coast.

Practical tips

One full day or an overnight stay is enough, and Port Said combines well with Ismailia on a canal-cities trip. The centre is walkable, with taxis for longer hops. Customs checks can apply when leaving the free zone with goods, so keep receipts. Do not photograph military or port installations. The seafront is busiest on summer evenings.

Last checked October 2026. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org.