Your Cheat Sheet To Alexandria: An Escape From Cairo

Alexandria is a beautiful historic city that will satisfy any visitor with its rich culture and sites.

If you want to escape the chaos of Cairo for a night or two, look no further. Although Alexandria is the second biggest city in Egypt, its location along the Mediterranean Sea allows for a relaxing getaway, guaranteed to leave you with a smile.

Alexandria is located in northern Egypt, along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It’s around 220 km (140 miles) northwest of Cairo, taking about two and a half to three hours to get there, depending on traffic. Try leaving as early as possible as Cairo traffic can get pretty rough. There are a variety of methods of actually getting there, from taking a train, bus, taxi, or simply driving yourself. If you have access to a car, or a friend that does, we recommend driving there yourself; it doesn’t take too long and usually makes for a really fun road trip.

There are a good amount of hotels in Alexandria, from big names such as The Four Seasons and Hilton, to smaller, more local ones. Most of the hotels are along the sea as well, which makes for beautiful views. Prices per night range from 50 USD to 100 USD, making it quite affordable.

Since Alexandria is located along the cost of the Mediterranean Sea, there are many beautiful beaches that you can and should check out. Alexandria is a testament to why Egypt is known to have some of the best beaches in the world. One of the most famous is Maamoura Beach, so be sure to give it a visit.

There are also various places of worship you can check out in Alexandria, from historic churches to mosques. Alexandria was once considered one of the most important seats of Christianity in the world, and that will become evident with more churches you visit there.

Alexandria is also brimming with culture. You need to visit the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, one of the biggest libraries in all of Egypt and a commemoration of the Great Library of Alexandria, which was one of the biggest and most important libraries of the ancient world.

With it being the second largest city and Egypt, and having an elite location along the sea, there is no doubt that the food in Alexandria is truly special. Obviously, you will need to have some seafood, and Kadoura is one of the best seafood restaurants, with incredibly fresh fish and other dishes. If you want classic, authentic Egyptian food, go to the self service restaurant, Foul Mohamed Ahmed. There, you can choose your own falafel and salads with other local dishes. People come here particularly for the foul (beans).

Although the drinking culture throughout Egypt is not very common, there are a few places you can get a drink in Alexandria, although compared to Cairo it does fall short.

Spitfire, Alexandria’s oldest bar, should definitely be at the top of your list. Cap D’or, another classic bar erected in the beginning of the 20th century, should also be on your list.