# Alexandria Corniche > The Corniche is Alexandria's seafront road, running about 17 km from the Citadel of Qaitbay east to Montaza. It is free and open around the clock. The stretch worth walking curves round the Eastern Harbour from the Bibliotheca to Qaitbay — about 3 km, an hour at an easy pace. Come before sunset: around 17:00 in winter, 20:00 in summer. Web page: https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/alexandria-corniche - City: [Alexandria](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria), Egypt - YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Hours: 24 hours, every day - Length: About 17 km, Qaitbay to Montaza - Best stretch: Bibliotheca — Saad Zaghloul Square — Qaitbay, ≈ 3 km, about an hour on foot - Sunset: Around 17:00 in winter, 20:00 in summer (calculated) - Stanley Bridge: ≈ 6 km east of Saad Zaghloul Square, 15–20 min by taxi - Getting around: Uber, taxis and microbuses along the seafront; trams suspended - Payment: Cash for street taxis and microbuses; Uber takes cards or cash - Swimming: Not in the centre; beaches further east charge entry in summer - Coordinates: 31.20350, 29.90050 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **≈ 17 km** — from the Citadel of Qaitbay in the west to Montaza in the east (source: Arabic Wikipedia (Alexandria Corniche); Wikidata Q5171755; English Wikipedia says “over ten miles”) - **1925–1934** — built in six phases over about ten years, officially opened in 1935 (source: English and Arabic Wikipedia) - **400 m** — Stanley Bridge, opened in 2001 — the first bridge in Egypt built out over the sea (source: Arab Contractors; Egyptian Geographic; English Wikipedia (Stanley; List of bridges in Egypt)) - **2001** — the biggest rebuild: the road widened from 8 m to 20 m or more, and nine beaches disappeared (source: English and Arabic Wikipedia) - **Two names** — 26th of July Road west of Mansheya, El Geish (Army) Road east of it (source: English and Arabic Wikipedia) - **4 towers** — in Islamic style decorate Stanley Bridge (source: Egyptian Geographic; Plizio) - **6 spans** — carry Stanley Bridge across Stanley Bay (source: Arab Contractors; English Wikipedia (Stanley)) - **Up to 5 lanes** — each way on the eastern section after its 2020s widening (source: English Wikipedia; Egyptian Ministry of Housing (realestate.gov.eg)) - **Unknown Soldier** — the Mansheya memorial began as a monument to Khedive Ismail and was rededicated to sailors after 1952 (source: English Wikipedia; Wikivoyage) - **≈ 3 km** — from the Bibliotheca to Qaitbay round the Eastern Harbour (source: YesGo calculation from Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap coordinates) ## Is the Alexandria Corniche worth it? Yes — for the central stretch. The Corniche is the seafront road that ties Alexandria together, and the curve round the **Eastern Harbour**, from the Bibliotheca to the Citadel of Qaitbay, is the city's postcard view. Walking it costs nothing, takes about an hour and links three of the main sights. Don't expect a quiet European promenade. Several lanes of traffic run right beside you, taxi drivers and vendors call out to foreigners, and the pavement is uneven in places. East of the harbour the Corniche turns into a wide, loud highway — ride that part rather than walk it. If you only have a few hours between trains, walk from Saad Zaghloul Square to Qaitbay and skip Stanley Bridge and the eastern suburbs. ## How to get to the Corniche 1. Start at **Saad Zaghloul Square** by Raml Station — it sits right on the Corniche, midway round the Eastern Harbour. 2. From Misr Station (trains from Cairo) walk north along Nabi Daniel Street, about 15 minutes, straight to the sea. It is closed to cars, so taxis use parallel Saad Zaghloul Street. 3. To Qaitbay or the Bibliotheca, walk the seafront (35–45 and 20–25 minutes) or take an Uber or taxi for 10–15 minutes. Street taxis rarely use the meter — agree the fare before you get in. 4. For Stanley Bridge and further east, ride: it is about 6 km in a straight line, 15–20 minutes by Uber or taxi outside rush hour. Microbuses run the length of the Corniche, but they are hard to use without Arabic. 5. Skip the tram: the whole network, the Raml line included, is suspended for reconstruction. ## The classic walk: Bibliotheca to Qaitbay The walk worth doing is the **Eastern Harbour stretch from the Bibliotheca Alexandrina to the Citadel of Qaitbay** — about 3 km, an hour at an easy pace without stops. Go west in the late afternoon: the sea is on your right, the fort grows ahead of you, and the sun sets behind it. It breaks into two halves. From the library to Saad Zaghloul Square is about 1.5 km; from there it is just over 2 km round the harbour to the citadel. Last entry to Qaitbay itself is 17:00 in winter and 19:00 in summer, so if you want to go inside, set off earlier or start at the fort and walk east instead. There are benches, cafés and grilled-corn sellers along the way, but almost no shade — avoid the midday sun in summer. ## What to see along the Corniche - The [Citadel of Qaitbay](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/qaitbay-citadel) at the western end — a Mamluk fort on the site of the ancient Pharos lighthouse. The classic shot of it is from across the harbour. - The [Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/abu-al-abbas-mosque) in Anfushi, under a kilometre from the citadel. - **The Naval Unknown Soldier Memorial** in Mansheya — a white neoclassical monument built by Alexandria's Italian community for Khedive Ismail and rededicated to fallen sailors after 1952. It is floodlit at night. - **Saad Zaghloul Square** by Raml Station — the old centre, with the Cecil Hotel facing the sea and two 1920s institutions round the corner on Saad Zaghloul Street: Délices patisserie and Brazilian Coffee Stores. - The [Bibliotheca Alexandrina](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/bibliotheca-alexandrina) — the tilted glass disc at the eastern end of the harbour, in Shatby. - **Stanley Bridge**, 400 m across Stanley Bay with four Islamic-style towers, about 6 km east of the centre. - [Montaza Palace](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/montaza-palace) and its gardens at the far eastern end, roughly 15 km from Qaitbay. ## Stanley Bridge and sunset **Stanley Bridge** is the landmark of the eastern Corniche. It opened in 2001 as part of the big rebuild of the seafront road: 400 m long, six spans, four Islamic-style towers — the first bridge in Egypt built out over the sea. Below it lies Stanley Bay and its beach, with cafés and restaurants on both sides. Sunset comes around 17:00 in winter and around 20:00 in summer, when Egypt is on daylight saving time. In the centre the sun drops into the sea behind Qaitbay — shoot it from the seafront near Saad Zaghloul Square. Stanley Bridge is better a little later, when the towers are lit; take a taxi out after dinner in town. Evenings are the Corniche's busiest time: families stroll, fishermen sit on the rocks, and the street lights stay on late into the night. > **Is it safe? Watch the traffic, not the crowds** The biggest risk on the Corniche is crossing it. It is one of the city's main traffic corridors, several lanes each way, with taxis and microbuses pulling over anywhere. Stay on the sea side and cross only at lights, with a traffic officer or by a footbridge. Pickpocketing is the usual city-level risk; persistent touts give up after a firm “la, shukran” (no, thanks). ## Can you swim off the Corniche? Not in the centre: the Eastern Harbour is a working port behind breakwaters, with no beach by Saad Zaghloul Square or the library. Beaches start further east — Stanley, Sidi Bishr and on towards Montaza and Maamoura. In summer these city beaches are packed and charge for entry, many with their own loungers and umbrellas. The beach under Stanley Bridge has private access. The 2020s widening added new beach gates and toilets on the eastern stretch, but the beaches themselves got narrower. Come to Alexandria for the evening walk, not for a beach holiday. ## Corniche names: 26th of July Road and El Geish Road Officially the seafront has two names. West of **Mansheya** — from Qaitbay round the Eastern Harbour — it is **26th of July Road**; east of Mansheya, through the centre, Shatby and Stanley to Montaza, it is **El Geish Road**, the Army Road. Nobody really uses either: locals just say “the Corniche”. When giving a taxi driver directions, name a landmark — Qaitbay, Mahattet el-Raml (Raml Station), the Bibliotheca or Stanley — rather than a street. ## Corniche vs Qaitbay and the Bibliotheca | | Alexandria Corniche | Qaitbay Citadel | Bibliotheca Alexandrina | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Seafront road and promenade, about 17 km | 15th-century Mamluk fort | Modern library with museums | | Foreign adult | Free | 200 EGP | 150 EGP; combined ticket 300 | | Hours | 24 hours | From 9:00; last entry 17:00 winter, 19:00 summer | Reading room Sun–Thu 10:00–19:00, Sat 10:00–14:00 | | Closed | Never | Never | Friday | | Time needed | An hour for the central stretch | About an hour | 1.5–2 hours | All three sit on the same line round the Eastern Harbour. A good order: the library in the morning, the citadel after lunch, the Corniche in between and again at sunset. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Setting off an hour or so before sunset - [ ] Water, a hat and sunscreen — there is almost no shade - [ ] Small Egyptian pounds in cash for taxis, coffee and street food - [ ] Comfortable shoes — the library-to-citadel walk is about 3 km - [ ] Clothes covering shoulders and knees — Alexandria is conservative - [ ] If I want to go inside Qaitbay, I'll make last entry ## Other sunset spots in Alexandria Places in Alexandria for sunset, rated by YesGo. - [Citadel of Qaitbay](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/qaitbay-citadel) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP - [Alexandria Corniche](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/alexandria-corniche) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free ## The Eastern Harbour in half a day The Bibliotheca in the morning, a Corniche walk, the fort on the point and the Abu al-Abbas Mosque to finish. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Bibliotheca Alexandrina](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/bibliotheca-alexandrina) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 150 EGP, 300 EGP with museums 2. [Alexandria Corniche](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/alexandria-corniche) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 3. [Citadel of Qaitbay](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/qaitbay-citadel) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP 4. [Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/abu-al-abbas-mosque) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free, between prayer times ## Not to be confused with “Corniche” is the word for any seafront road in the Arab world — Doha, Abu Dhabi, Beirut and Hurghada all have one. This page is about the Corniche in Alexandria, Egypt. ## Tips - Walk east to west in the late afternoon so the sunset is ahead of you, behind Qaitbay. - The best photo of the citadel is from the seafront near Saad Zaghloul Square, across the whole Eastern Harbour. - Stop for coffee one block inland on Saad Zaghloul Street — Brazilian Coffee Stores and Délices have been there since the 1920s. - Take an Uber to Stanley Bridge and the eastern Corniche — it is too far and too loud to walk. - Careem needs an Egyptian phone number, so Uber is usually the easier app for visitors. - Women will feel more comfortable with shoulders and knees covered — Alexandria is more conservative than the Red Sea resorts. - Agree the fare before you get into a street taxi: drivers don't use the meter. ## Questions ### How long is the Alexandria Corniche? About 17 km, from the Citadel of Qaitbay in the west to Montaza in the east. Most visitors walk only the central 3 km round the Eastern Harbour. ### Is the Alexandria Corniche free? Yes. It is a public road and promenade — free and open 24 hours a day. ### How long does it take to walk from the Bibliotheca to Qaitbay? About an hour at an easy pace for roughly 3 km along the sea. ### What is there to do on the Corniche? Walk round the Eastern Harbour, visit Qaitbay Citadel and the Bibliotheca, stop at the old cafés by Saad Zaghloul Square, and watch the sunset — then see Stanley Bridge lit up. ### When is the best time to walk the Corniche? An hour or so before sunset — around 17:00 in winter, 20:00 in summer. Summer middays are hot with almost no shade. ### Is the Alexandria Corniche safe at night? It is lit and busy with families late into the evening. The real danger is the traffic: cross only at lights or footbridges, and keep valuables out of sight. ### How do I get to the Corniche from Misr Station? Walk north along Nabi Daniel Street for about 15 minutes, or take an Uber. Saad Zaghloul Square, where the street ends, is on the Corniche. ### Can you swim on the Alexandria Corniche? Not in the central harbour, which is a port. Beaches are further east — Stanley, Sidi Bishr, Montaza — and charge entry in summer. ### Does the tram run along the Corniche? No. Alexandria's whole tram network, including the Raml line, is suspended for reconstruction — use Uber, taxis or microbuses. ## How we checked Length: Arabic Wikipedia and Wikidata give 17 km, English Wikipedia “over ten miles”, Wikivoyage about 30 km including the outer suburbs; we use about 17 km. English Wikipedia gives both 1934 and 1935 for completion, so we say built 1925–1934, opened 1935. Stanley Bridge is 400 m according to its builder (Arab Contractors), English Wikipedia and Egyptian Geographic; a Wikipedia list of bridges says 276 m, probably the main structure only — we use 400 m. Sources disagree on when Délices opened (1922 or 1929), so we say the 1920s. Sunset times are calculated from the Corniche's coordinates. Walking times, transport, beaches and beach fees are unofficial and marked “verifying”. We don't suggest the tram: the network is suspended for reconstruction. Distances come from Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap coordinates. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Alexandria Corniche, Stanley (neighborhood), List of bridges in Egypt, Alexandria Naval Unknown Soldier Memorial - Arabic Wikipedia: Alexandria Corniche; Wikidata Q5171755 - Arab Contractors: Stanley Bridge — Alexandria - Egyptian Geographic: Stanley Bridge — the first bridge to be constructed over the sea - Egyptian Ministry of Housing (realestate.gov.eg): Alexandria Corniche expansion - Wikivoyage: Alexandria — taxis, Uber and Careem, microbuses, cafés, beaches, dress (unofficial) - Egypt Today: Coffee Break; Local's Guide to Egypt — café history (unofficial) - Global Mass Transit, 09.04.2026; English Wikipedia: Trams in Alexandria — tram closure - Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities ticketing (egymonuments.com) — Qaitbay; bibalex.org — Bibliotheca --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.