After my horrible experiences in Cairo, my plan was to breeze through all the popular attractions in the country then head to a non touristy beach somewhere so I could relax. Originally I planned to spend a week in Luxor because there’s just so much to see. I’ve been told it was a just as bad or even worse than Cairo when it comes to scammers so I decided to scrap that plan. I’d just spend a maximum of two nights there. I’d also spend one night in Aswan just to see Abu Simbel. After that I would have seen the most popular attractions in Egypt. So it’s either spend a couple of days in a beach somewhere away from all the stress, or just get the hell out of the country much earlier than I had originally planned.
I was about to purchase a train ticket to Aswan when my couchsurfing host suggested i visit Alexandria. He believed I would like the place. It’s only about two hours away from Cairo. If I didn’t like it I could easily leave the next day. My plan wouldn’t change much because I could also take the train to Aswan from there. Since he had been giving me such good advice and recommendations, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to check the place out. One good reason to visit Alexandria? Like Cairo, it also has a place in history. It was founded by Alexander the Great, it was associated with Cleopatra, it was the site of the ancient lighthouse and the ancient library, both considered wonders of the ancient world… Getting there was easy. From Cairo I could either take the train or bus. He told me taking the bus would be easier and less stressful. There are multiple buses from different companies running daily. He recommended GoBus which he found the most reliable. You can buy tickets at their ticketing office or online via their website or their app which was very convenient. A single journey bus ticket to Alexandria didn’t cost much. I clicked on the cheapest available option which was 85 EGP. Just to compare, the cheapest single journey first class train ticket from Cairo to Alexandria costs about 50 EGP, while the cheapest second class seat costs around 30 EGP. As you can see it’s much cheaper to take the train. However the journey takes longer— about an hour longer on the average. You can also buy online too. If you’re gonna take the train I suggest just booking online, it’s only 5 EGP more expensive compared to buying a ticket in person. It’s gonna save you from the hassle of dealing with people at the train station.
The next day, my host/ friend accompanied me to the bus stop in Giza. The bus looked new, it was air conditioned and it had WiFi. Those two hours just flew by. He failed to tell me though that the bus station in Alexandria was on the outskirts of the city. It’s not too far— it takes about 20 minutes to get to the city center by taxi, but it’s definitely too far to walk. There seemed to be no public transport options, all the locals were hailing cabs. In my head I thought I should’ve just taken the train even though the trip would have taken a little longer— at least the train station is at the city center. But what’s done is done. I was in no mood to haggle and I didn’t want to risk getting scammed so I booked an Uber scooter ride. Good thing Uber was also available in this city. I got my hostel address written in Arabic so I had no problems getting there.
I dunno if it was just because I tried looking for a place to stay at the last minute, but I only found one hostel in Alexandria-— the others were cheap budget hotels. Those were cheaper than the hostel but I won’t meet anyone if I stayed in a hotel. The hostel also wasn’t centrally located. But what the heck. I proceeded to book it. It seemed the location was nice, and there were cheap places to eat nearby. When I woke up the next morning and looked at the view from the balcony, I knew I made a great choice. The hostel is right by the waterfront! And they served free breakfast too. Free is always good.
It’s called Ithaka Hostel if anyone’s interested. It’s a brand new hostel, they were still in their soft opening when I got there and there weren’t too many people staying. Things should change though once word gets around on how awesome the place is.
After breakfast it was time to see the sights. In Alexandria the most popular attractions are the Citadel of Qaitbay and the library so I made it a point to visit both. The citadel was farther so I planned on going there first. I asked the hostel staff how to get there. I could see it from the balcony but it seemed too far to walk. He pretty much confirmed it. If I walked it would take 1 1/2 hours on the average. Public transport is easily accessible on the main street though. He suggested I take one of those white minivans, similar to the ones in Cairo. I’d only have to pay 3 EGP. I went downstairs and waited for a minivan. While waiting, I opened the Uber app. It would only cost 10 EGP to get to the citadel via Uber scooter, so I booked an Uber scooter instead.
I was dropped off right outside the Citadel. Several touts approached me. When I said no they left me alone, just like that. I found that so surreal. After my experience with touts who couldn’t take no for an answer in Cairo, that felt really weird. Sure there are touts in Alexandria. Like in Cairo they are gathered mostly near tourist attractions. But unlike the ones in Cairo they aren’t relentless. This made my stay in Alexandria less exhausting. I also noticed another difference. Alexandria is Egypt’s second largest city, but it’s not as crowded as Cairo. In Cairo the crowds could get overwhelming and suffocating. Even in the most congested areas, I never got that feeling in Alexandria. People also seemed to be more disciplined. In Cairo, pedestrian signal lights and pedestrian lanes/ crosswalks were practically useless. People were crossing streets from anywhere. Even when there’s oncoming traffic, people pretty much just make a run for it. In Alexandria people were actually waiting by the pedestrian lanes and they only crossed the street once the pedestrian lights turned green. The first time I saw this, my jaw literally dropped. It’s like I’ve crossed to a totally different country!
Entrance to the Citadel only costs 40 EGP which was remarkably cheap considering its size. There weren’t a lot of people inside which i found odd. It’s well preserved and I spent more than an hour just walking around inside exploring every nook and cranny. It offers remarkable views of the Mediterranean Sea too.
On the main road close to the citadel there were lots of minivans passing by so I just hopped on the next one. The driver didn’t speak English, but when I showed a picture of the library he knew exactly where to drop me off. There was a long line outside. I guess this was the main attraction for visitors in Alexandria. Maybe a lot of people were thinking it’s the same Library of Alexandria from ancient times? I knew it wasn’t the same one, this library was only built in 2002. A lot of people were recommending it though so I decided to check it out. The ticket booth is right outside the gate. Good thing there was no line. Apparently the line was for those people entering the library. It takes some time to get inside due to security checks. So one ticket costs 70 EGP. That’s not really much, I just found it odd that they charged entry for a public library. It’s not even the ancient one. It’s a modern building with no historical significance. But what the heck. Everyone was saying I’d be blown away by the architecture so I purchased a ticket. Locals get to enter for free by the way, which is the way it should be for anyone who wants to go to a library. But they have to find ways to make money from tourists. Charging an entrance fee for every popular attraction is the best way to do it.
Once I got inside I have to say the architecture is indeed amazing. There’s also a few exhibits in there so I guess that kinda justifies charging for entrance. However I don’t really think it’s worth spending 70 EGP just to get in. I’d only recommend going inside if you actually plan on spending some time in there— like if you had to do some research, or at least intend to read some books. I wouldn’t pay to go inside this place again no matter how beautiful the architecture is if I have no business being inside a library.
Overall, I did like Alexandria. The touts weren’t relentless so I had quite a relaxing time. Its location by the Mediterranean Sea makes it an ideal stop, if only to get away from the madness and chaos enveloping the rest of the country. I spent a couple of hours by the sea and no one tried to bother me. A couple of locals tried talking to me and they did not have any hidden agendas. On hindsight it was a great decision to go here before heading to Aswan. I would have probably lost my mind if I had to deal with touts and scammers for seven consecutive days. Alexandria was a much needed break.
no roads to follow 
Great post 😁
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thanks! 🙂
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