🇪🇬 Tour Guides in Alexandria

Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC on the western edge of the Nile Delta, Alexandria rapidly grew into the intellectual capital of the ancient world. The city's fabled Great Library once held the largest collection of scrolls in antiquity, and the Pharos Lighthouse — one of the original Seven Wonders — guided sailors into its busy harbor for centuries before earthquakes toppled it into the sea. Walk Alexandria's Corniche today and you trace the same waterfront where Cleopatra ruled, Euclid formulated geometry, and Ptolemaic astronomers mapped the stars. Layers of Greek, Roman, and Arab civilization sit beneath the modern streets, surfacing in underground tombs, granite columns reused in medieval mosques, and sunken palace ruins visible through glass-bottomed boats. A knowledgeable local guide untangles these overlapping eras, connecting the Bibliotheca Alexandrina's gleaming disc to the lost library it honors, and explaining how stones from the Pharos ended up inside the Citadel of Qaitbay.

• Bibliotheca Alexandrina reading room — Stand beneath the world's largest reading hall, a cascading space that seats 2,000 readers across seven terraced levels
• Qaitbay Citadel at sunset — Watch fishing boats return to the Eastern Harbor as the Mediterranean sky turns amber behind the fortress walls
• Kom El Shoqafa's spiral staircase — Descend three levels underground past carvings that merge Anubis with Roman armor and pharaonic crowns with Greek drapery
• Corniche waterfront walk — A 15-kilometer promenade tracing the crescent-shaped harbor from Qaitbay to Montaza Palace gardens
• Pompey's Pillar and the Serapeum — A 27-meter red granite column marks the site of the ancient temple to Serapis, with sphinx statues still guarding its base
• Fresh seafood at Abu Qir — This fishing village east of the city serves the catch of the day grilled over charcoal, a local tradition since Ptolemaic times
• Submerged royal quarters — Glass-bottom boat tours glide over Cleopatra's sunken palace columns and sphinx statues resting on the harbor floor

Per person, glass-bottom boat or snorkel, 2–3 hours

Site entry fees are separate. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina costs EGP 150 ($3), Qaitbay Citadel EGP 200 ($4), and Kom El Shoqafa EGP 200 (~$4). Prices are subject to change — confirm with your guide before departure.

• Getting there — Alexandria is 220 km northwest of Cairo — express trains take about 2.5 hours from Ramses Station, or private car transfers run $60–90
• Currency — Egyptian Pound (EGP); most tourist sites accept only local currency, so withdraw from ATMs near Raml Station
• Dress code — Alexandria is more liberal than Upper Egypt, but cover shoulders and knees when visiting mosques — the Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque is worth a stop
• Sea breeze factor — Coastal winds keep Alexandria 5–10 °C cooler than Cairo year-round, but carry a light jacket for evening walks along the Corniche
• Tipping — EGP 50–100 for site guards who open restricted areas, 10–15 % for private guides, and a few pounds for helpful locals
• Photography — The Bibliotheca allows photos in the main hall but not in special exhibition rooms — ask your guide about current restrictions at each site