Spend Two Days in Alexandria with Me!
So, you’re visiting Egypt and have exactly two days to see the sublimely historic, infinitely famous, and absolutely stunning city of Alexandria?
No sweat, kitten. If you’re pressed for time but determined to make a stop, I’ve got you covered with the first timer must-sees, eats, and treats. Let’s get from Cairo to Alexandria and back, with plenty of steps and stops along the way.
Alexandria is more than a line of buildings on the breathtaking Mediterranean Sea—take a look at this view for days!
Alright. Bags are packed. Snacks are in hand. One of your lifetime travel dreams is finally about to come true. Now, how ya gonna get there?
BY TRAIN: My favorite mode of travel between Cairo and Alexandria is by train. Jump in an Uber from your location in Cairo (or hop on the metro if you’re a baddie) and head to Ramsis Station. Upon arrival, go directly inside the main station—you can’t miss it. There are plenty of staff and security officers willing to help you find where you need to be if you’re a foreigner, so don’t sweat the possibility of confusion. Ask for the office on the second floor where you will purchase a $50USD Express Train ticket to Alexandria, and confirm if the ticket is one-way or roundtrip. Don’t lose that ticket! Between entering the platforms and porters on the train, you’ll show your ticket at least twice. Head back downstairs, pass through the turnstile, and ask to be directed to your platform if you haven’t quite gotten the Arabic numbers down just yet. If you make it on the right train (and you totally will), there will be zero stops until you hit Alexandria. I wouldn’t get off at the first stop. Wait until the second and final stop which is downtown and closer to the corniche—that’s where you’ll start your classic adventure.
BY CAR: (1) If $50USD for a train ticket sounds expensive, I can pretty much guarantee you will spend more on a private driver. However, if you prefer the quiet and direct transport to your accommodations, hiring a driver is the way to go. Unless you made some local friends in Cairo who can hook you up with a family member who’s a personal driver, Viator is a good place to start. (2) Now, again if you’re a baddie (with an international drivers license this time) you can also consider renting a car. Driving in Egyptian cities is not for the faint of heart, but it is for the confident adventurer who is up for new experiences. Check out Sixt for rental options, and be sure to ask about some quick driving tips like speed limits on bridges + different types of roads.
BY VAN: Another safe way to go for the semi-adventurer is SWVL. Kind of like a microbus but way smoother, SWVL vans get you from Point A to Point B fairly quickly and without a lot of hassle. This is also BY FAR the cheapest way to get from Cairo to Alexandria and back (roughly $2.50USD-$3.50USD per person, per one-way). Be sure to get your pickup and drop-off locations exact, and try to book a couple days in advance—it will fill up!
*Tip: Whether you go by train, car, or van, have small cash on you. You’ll want it for snacks on the train, tolls if you’re driving, and tips for a private driver or van.
Express Train revving up to leave Alexandria and head back to Cairo. DO NOT BE LATE. Those trains leave on the dot.
Okay. You made it to your new favorite city on the Mediterranean. You checked into your Airbnb, thrifty hotel near the corniche, or that upscale 5-star place you’ve been racking up credit card points for—whatever, zy ma enta 3aiz as the locals would say. Now it’s time to grab a bite at a most likely weird time of day. Here are some of my favorite eats in the city:
This is one of the first restaurants I tried in Alexandria and remains a favorite to this day. You absolutely can not visit this coastal city and not eat fresh seafood, and fresh seafood is exactly what you’ll find at this relaxing gem alongside one of my favorite views in town. Choose the exact fish you’d like grilled along with a few giant prawns, and ask to see a menu to pick out some sides and drinks. I suggest sitting outside to take in the sea breeze + boat views while releasing your inhibitions and potentially feeling the (light) rain on your skin—you know, depending on the time of year.
Breathe in that fresh, less-polluted Mediterranean air while enjoying stuffed sea brim and baba ganoush at Seaside.
Want that delicious seafood but feel up to a way more local vibe? Give Shaaban a chance! Just a ten-minutes walk from the corniche, down some alleys and around a few corners, have a seat next to your new street cat friend and let the owner suggest your meal. They’ll serve you up some warm seafood broth in a short glass before adorning your table with bread and salads—drink the broth. Question it if you must, and then take a nice sip and let yourself relax in the small joys after probably walking several thousand steps around a few thousand new acquaintances.
Shaaban is a great example of the smiles that going off the internet-beaten path can bring to your face and your heart. So, go. DO IT.
You’re going to have to eat breakfast at least once on a quick two-day adventure. Places like multiple locations of both Holybelly and La Poire are easy picks sure to fill the hole of hunger (and sometimes that’s exactly what you need), but let me suggest something a little more fun: enter Teatro Eskandria.
We’ll get to places to visit soon with the Ancient Roman Theater smack dab in the middle of the list, and this unassuming cafe is on the way to the ruins—the perfect stop for some Egyptian food fare and morning-ish atmosphere. Order up some fuul and fried potatoes alongside the balady bread, and don’t forget the simple pleasure of a mid cappuccino with the backdrop of walls filled with classic movie scenes.
Serving up delicate desserts and tasty caffeinated beverages since 1922, this Greek-founded patisserie must be on your To-Do List for Alexandria. Brush up on the fun history of this local haunt, and make sure to stop in for a treat in-between the sites. With vibes that remind my southern self of New Orleans cafes, it’s a site itself and worth your time.
Delices is its best during the Christmas season. Step off those dreamy cobbled streets and into a magical space of goodies that Santa’s elves can only imagine.
Mashy, mashy, mashy (okay, okay, okay). The food is probably not your highlight. I mean it might be, because like, we eat and we don’t judge amirite?? However, if it’s not, just what are those handful of sites to take-in with less than 48 hours in this eponymous city?
The library, at least the one not burned down before the birth of Christ and then completely demolished a few hundred years later (absolute freaking loss to the world), will always be at the top of my places to see in Alexandria. Seriously, if you only have time to see two or three things let the library be one of them. Inshallah, you’ll be back one day and can see everything else then. Though this library is obviously a modern replacement of the loss knowledge-nerds will forever mourn, it’s a dang good replacement. Levels upon levels of books, resources, and art galleries are stacked in this beautiful building on the coast. Take your time searching out the works of art as well as the impressive printing-press collection, and maybe peep the planetarium and gift shop on the way out.
Don’t forget: this is a functioning library with lots of students and the bookish kind. Use those inside voices or none at all!
Support your local balady dog while enjoying that beautiful, modern architectural marvel.
Is this Italy we’re in? Is there spaghetti around the corner? Nah, my friend. It’s ancient Roman ruins with maybe macarona bechamel around the corner, all right here in Egypt.
For nigh on 700 years, the Romans ruled Egypt. And like, duh, is it not named after one of the most famous Romans in history? Ruins are speckled around the country, and one of my favorite sites is this ancient amphitheater which just so happens to be a seven-minute walk from that little cafe we covered earlier in this post. Carve out a few hours of your day to fully enjoy the space where the theater, the bath houses, a lecture hall, and several homes with incredible mosaic flooring once stood.
Hey, look! That’s me! Your favorite person you might not ever meet, looking like a cutie in front of some old-as-dirt theater seating!
My current floors wish but could never.
There’s not an exact spot to start your stroll on the Alexandrian corniche, but directly in front of the park housing the Saad Zaghloul statue isn’t the worst place to begin. Be careful crossing those streets: there are microbuses galore in this area alongside the normal chaos of car and pedestrian traffic alike. Once you get on the sidewalk right next to the Mediterranean, breathe for a second. Take a photo. Then go on that leisurely stroll you’ve been waiting for forever. There will be ice-cream and cotton candy vendors, men selling balloons, and people offering little necessities such as tissue for next to nothing. Keep that small change on you to enjoy it all! Don’t actually want to walk? The corniche is an excellent place to sit and watch the fishermen. While they catch their last fish of the day, you can catch that sunset, and don’t be afraid to get into a conversation with a stranger. The people of Egypt are lovely and more than happy to share a story with a newcomer.
The corniche remains the sweetest place to visit with your habibi <3
Alright, dear friends. That’s about it for a quick 2-day trip to Alexandria. There are many, MANY more things to see, eat, and do. These are my suggestions for a first-time visitor without a lot of hours.
Still have a few hours to kill somewhere? Pop in a cafe with a sea view for some shisha and chai. They dot the corniche like freckles on a pasty girl in summer time (not that I know about either of those from personal experience or anything).
Maybe jump in one of the cutest taxis in the world to get between two of your destinations, and be sure to pack your comfiest shoes to take all those steps in stride.
Until next time, yalla y’all!