A day trip to Alexandria

We didn't want to miss Alexandria on our trip around Egypt so we booked a private tour on one of the free days we had in Cairo. Romani organised it for us and, once again, Ray was our guide. I say guide, but perhaps that should be 'escort' or 'chaperone' because he is proving to be less and less able as a guide every time we go out with him! 😂

We set off at 7.30am because Ray said it would take 3 hours to get to Alexandria. In the event, the freeway was clear and we did the journey in only 2!

Alexandria is Egypt's second city with a population of around 16 million compared to Cairo with 25 million. It is located on the Mediterranean coast and is a popular tourist resort for visitors from the rest of Egypt 🇪🇬 and overseas.

The city is named after Alexander the Great who founded it in 331 BC when he was just 25 years old. Alexandria's towering Pharos lighthouse, marking the ancient harbour's entrance, was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It's Great Library with its 750,000 books and manuscripts, was considered the archive of ancient knowledge. However, the city suffered a number of disasters. The Pharos collapsed and the Great Library burnt to the ground. Part of the ancient city disappeared under the sea and part under the modern city, so there are few visible remains of the glorious part.

Nevertheless, Alexandria is still well worth a visit - we thoroughly enjoyed our time here.En savoir plus