Alexandria & El Alamein

This 4-day Alexandria & El Alamein add-on can be booked in conjunction with any of our Egypt group tours, city breaks or private tours.

Combine the coastal city of Alexandria with the Commonwealth war graves of El Alamein on this 4 day tour from Cairo. Enjoy guided sightseeing of the Roman Catacombs, Pompey’s Pillar, the Library of Alexandria exterior , promenade seafront and Qaitbay Fort in Alexandria, and of the war graves and museum in El Alamein.

Day 1 - Cairo
Included arrival transfer from the airport. The remainder of the day is free for you to relax. Overnight - Cairo

Day 2 - Alexandria
Departing at approximately 7am this morning we drive to the port side city of Alexandria on the Mediterranean Coast. Arriving at the windswept city known for its broad beaches and seafront corniche dotted with sun loungers, amusements and cafes we embark on a guided tour of the Roman catacombs. Heading underground we view the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt, complete with burial chambers, labyrinth alleyways and entertaining rooms for families coming to visit the dead. From the catacombs we visit Pompey's Pillar, a modest 25m tower, which is all that remains of an ancient column, from the ruined Temple of Serapis. Our next stop is the impressive Library of Alexandria, where free time will be offered for photos of the exterior (and if we are fortunate and it is open to the public during our stop here, those who are interested can go inside), before taking a leisurely stroll along the corniche to the Citadel of Qaitbey. We explore this attractive fortress, which was built on the site of the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, which was destroyed by a powerful earthquake 1323AD. After hotel check in and time to freshen up we'll head out for a drive along the corniche followed by dinner (included). Overnight - Alexandria (B, D)

Day 3 - El Alamein
Today we visit the Commonwealth War Graves of El Alamein. It is here where two extended battles were fought during World War II. The first began on the 1st July 1942 and lasted for 27 days, it ended as a stalemate. After 3 months of holding back the enemy, the Allies launched a second attack which lasted for 13 days. This saw the Allied forces (including British, Australian and New Zealand soldiers) push back the Axis powers for ultimate defeat in Tunisia. Some 13,000 Allied soldiers were killed and 70,000 were wounded in the battle.

Later, we tour the compact El Alamein military museum that acts as a memorial for the battle and houses lots of original war vehicles, weapons, uniforms and records. Displays in the museum detail the complete history of World War II in North Africa from all sides and stands on the site where the actual battle took place. This afternoon we return to Cairo, arriving back early evening. Overnight – Cairo (B, L)

Day 4 – Cairo Arrangements end after breakfast today. (B)