Alexandria has enough to fill a week without repeating yourself. The city's appeal is split between its ancient sites, its waterfront life, and a handful of experiences you will not find anywhere else in Egypt.
Ancient Sites and Museums
The Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa are Alexandria's most atmospheric ancient site -- a three-level underground necropolis from the second century AD where Egyptian, Greek, and Roman funeral art blend in ways that are genuinely strange and beautiful. Pompey's Pillar, a 25-meter column of red Aswan granite, stands in the ruins of the Serapeum temple complex. The Roman theater at Kom el-Dikka is a small but well-preserved amphitheater surrounded by an open-air museum with sphinxes and statues recovered from around the city. Stand on the central stone and whisper -- the acoustics amplify your voice to a shout.
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is worth a half day at minimum. The building itself is remarkable, with a sundial outside where your own shadow tells the time and the scripts of every known alphabet carved into the exterior walls. Inside you will find several specialized libraries, four museums, a planetarium, and rotating exhibitions.
The Cavafy Museum (4 Sharm El Sheikh Street, open 9 am to 2 pm except Mondays) preserves the apartment of the great Greek-Alexandrian poet Constantine Cavafy. A small, personal space that says more about the city's cosmopolitan past than any grand monument.
St. Mark's Church is reputedly the oldest Christian foundation in Africa, established by St. Mark the Evangelist himself. The current building sits on earlier remains and leads to an eleventh-century cemetery of Coptic archbishops.
Diving
Alexandria offers some of the most unusual diving in the Mediterranean. Book a trip to explore the submerged remains of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, Cleopatra's royal quarter, Roman columns, and sphinxes still lying on the seabed. Several operators run trips from the harbor.
The Corniche
Walk the corniche in the late afternoon, when the light turns golden and the fishing boats come in. The sea wall is lined with anglers, kids playing football on the sand, and families out for an evening stroll. Time it right and you will catch one of the best sunsets in Egypt.