Things to do in Alexandria

Alexandria sits roughly three hours from Cairo on the desert road, and that drive is a full day out, not a quick half-day add-on: budget most of a day for travel plus sightseeing, and start early. The city itself is the draw, not a single monument.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, opened in 2002, is a modern library and cultural complex rather than a ruin. The Qaitbay Citadel stands on the site of the ancient Pharos lighthouse, and the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa and Pompey's Pillar round out a Greco-Roman layer most Cairo-based visitors skip entirely.

Some day trips pair Alexandria with a stop on the same road; treat that as a long day, not a leisurely one.