# Alexandria National Museum > The Alexandria National Museum tells the city's story from the pharaohs to the 20th century in a 1926 Italianate mansion: about 1,800 objects on three floors, including finds raised from the sea. Foreigners pay 220 EGP, students 110 EGP. Open daily from 9:00, last entry 16:00. Allow about 75 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/alexandria-national-museum - City: [Alexandria](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria), Egypt - YesGo score: 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 15 min - Entry: 220 EGP, students 110 EGP - With kids: Fine with kids - Foreign visitors: 220 EGP - Students: 110 EGP, aged 24 or under with a valid student ID - Children: Free under 6 - Hours: Daily from 9:00, last entry 16:00, closes 17:00 - Ramadan: Last entry 15:00 per the ticketing system; the Ministry site says the ticket desk shuts at 14:00 - Where to buy: Ticket office at the door or the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' official system (Egymonuments) - Payment: Visa and Mastercard accepted, at the desk and online - Photos: Free with a phone; no flash, tripods or monopods - Getting there: About 25 minutes on foot from Saad Zaghloul Square, or 10 minutes by Uber - Address: 110 El-Horreya Road (formerly Rue Fouad), Alexandria - Coordinates: 31.20110, 29.91320 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **≈ 1,800** — objects, from the pharaohs to the 20th century (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; History Hit; Egypt Tours Plus) - **3 floors** — in time order: ancient Egypt at the bottom, Greeks and Romans in the middle, Coptic, Islamic and modern at the top (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; History Hit) - **2003** — the year the museum opened (source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **1926** — when the mansion was built (some sources say 1928) (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; History Hit; Egypt Tours Plus) - **Asaad Basili Pasha** — the timber merchant who built it as his home (source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; Russian Wikipedia; Egypt Tours Plus) - **Italianate** — a palazzo-style villa with a garden and basement (source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; English Wikipedia) - **US consulate** — the building's use before it became a museum (source: English Wikipedia; History Hit; Egypt Tours Plus) - **1996–97** — bought by the state (the Ministry says 1996, Russian Wikipedia 1997) (source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; Russian Wikipedia) - **From the seabed** — some pieces were raised by underwater archaeologists in Abu Qir Bay and the ancient Eastern Harbour (source: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; Franck Goddio (IEASM); Egypt Tours Plus) - **Bilingual** — labels are in Arabic and English (source: History Hit; Lonely Planet) > **Last entry is 16:00 — the doors close at 17:00** The Ministry asks visitors to arrive at least an hour before closing. The museum opens every day. In Ramadan the day is shorter and the two official sources differ (last entry 15:00 vs ticket desk until 14:00), so aim to arrive before 14:00. ## How much are Alexandria National Museum tickets? Foreign visitors pay **220 EGP**; students aged 24 or under with a valid ID pay 110 EGP, and children under 6 go free. These are the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' official prices, and one ticket covers all three floors. Phone photography is free; flash, tripods and monopods are not allowed. Buy at the door or in advance through the Ministry's official ticketing system, Egymonuments, or its Experience Egypt app. Online tickets are dated and non-refundable. There is rarely a queue, so booking ahead is optional. Officially, Visa and Mastercard are accepted at the ticket desk as well as online. Still carry some small Egyptian pound notes — street taxis, tips and toilets are cash only. ## Opening hours and the best time to go The museum is open **every day from 9:00**, with last entry at 16:00 and closing at 17:00. There is no weekly closing day, which makes it a useful fallback on a Friday, when the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is shut. It works best in the heat of the day. Do the open-air sites — Pompey's Pillar, the catacombs, the Roman theatre — in the cooler morning, then come here around midday or early afternoon when the streets are baking and the galleries are cool. During Ramadan the hours shrink. The Ministry's ticketing system gives a last entry of 15:00, while its main website says the ticket desk closes at 14:00 — arrive before 14:00 and you are safe either way. ## What to see, floor by floor - **Lower floor — ancient Egypt.** A reconstructed burial chamber with mummies, canopic jars, statues and royal heads. Look for the small ushabti of a servant kneading bread. - **Middle floor — Ptolemies and Romans.** A sculpture thought to portray **Alexander the Great**, a mosaic portrait of Queen Berenice II, Medusa heads and a bust of Emperor Caracalla wearing a pharaoh's headdress. - **Finds from the seabed** — objects raised by underwater archaeologists from Abu Qir Bay and the ancient Eastern Harbour, where the Ptolemaic palaces once stood. This is the part you won't see in Cairo or Luxor. - **Upper floor — Coptic, Islamic and modern.** Coptic textiles and icons, a coin room spanning many eras, Islamic-period weapons, and gold and silver jewellery that belonged to the family of Muhammad Ali. - **The mansion itself** — the double staircase, high ceilings and the garden. The best photo of the facade is from the garden gate. ## Is the Alexandria National Museum worth visiting? Yes, if you want to understand in one visit why Alexandria is different from the rest of Egypt: a Greek city under the pharaohs, a Roman provincial capital, a Coptic centre and a cosmopolitan port. Three floors take about **75 minutes**; read every label and linger over the underwater finds and it is closer to two hours. Be realistic: it is a small museum, and after the Egyptian Museum in Cairo or the Luxor Museum the pharaonic floor will feel modest. Its strengths are the Greco-Roman and underwater pieces and the way the whole city story fits under one roof. If you only care about antiquity, the Graeco-Roman Museum 700 m away goes deeper, but costs almost twice as much and has shorter weekday hours. With a single museum slot in Alexandria, this one gives the broader picture. ## How to get to the Alexandria National Museum 1. From Saad Zaghloul Square on the Corniche, the museum is about 1.3 km east as the crow flies and 1.8 km on foot — roughly 25 minutes. Walk south from Raml Station to El-Horreya Road (formerly Rue Fouad) and follow it east. 2. Faster: Uber or a taxi, about 10 minutes depending on traffic. Careem needs an Egyptian phone number. With a street taxi, say "Mathaf al-Iskandariya al-Qawmi" and agree the fare before you get in — meters are rarely used. 3. Alexandria's trams, including the Raml line, are suspended for reconstruction, so don't plan around them. 4. Arriving by train from Cairo at Misr Station? The museum is about 1.3 km away on foot, 18–20 minutes north-east. 5. From the Graeco-Roman Museum it is 700 m, about 10 minutes' walk; from the Roman theatre at [Kom el-Dikka](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/kom-el-dikka) about 1.1 km as the crow flies, 15–25 minutes. ## Before you go - [ ] I'll make the last entry at 16:00 (before 14:00 in Ramadan) - [ ] Card or an online ticket - [ ] Small Egyptian pound notes for taxis and tips - [ ] Student ID if I have one - [ ] Phone flash switched off - [ ] Next stop planned: the library or the Corniche ## National Museum vs Graeco-Roman Museum vs Royal Jewelry Museum | | National Museum | Graeco-Roman Museum | Royal Jewelry Museum | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Alexandria's history, pharaohs to 20th century | Greek and Roman Alexandria in depth | Muhammad Ali dynasty jewels in a palace | | Foreign adult ticket | 220 EGP | 400 EGP | 220 EGP | | Students | 110 EGP | 200 EGP | 110 EGP | | Last entry | 16:00 daily | Sun–Thu 15:00, Fri–Sat 19:00 | 16:00 daily | | Where | El-Horreya Road, central | ≈ 700 m from the National Museum | Zizinia, ≈ 6.5 km east | Prices and hours are the Ministry's official figures. The National and Graeco-Roman museums are neighbours: both in one day is a lot, but doable. ## Historic Alexandria: compare and choose Every historic site in Alexandria 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 - [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 - [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 - [Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/kom-el-shoqafa) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP - [Roman Amphitheatre (Kom el-Dikka)](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/kom-el-dikka) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP - [Pompey's Pillar](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/pompeys-pillar) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP - [Alexandria National Museum](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/alexandria-national-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · 220 EGP, students 110 EGP - [Royal Jewelry Museum](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/royal-jewelry-museum) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · 220 EGP, students 110 - [Montaza Palace and Gardens](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/montaza-palace) — YesGo score 22/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 50 EGP, gardens ## Central Alexandria in a day The Roman theatre, the National Museum, the library, then a seafront walk to the citadel for sunset. Add it to your route and YesGo works out the timing and walks. 1. [Roman Amphitheatre (Kom el-Dikka)](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/kom-el-dikka) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP 2. [Alexandria National Museum](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/alexandria-national-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · 220 EGP, students 110 EGP 3. [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 4. [Alexandria Corniche](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/alexandria-corniche) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 5. [Citadel of Qaitbay](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/qaitbay-citadel) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 200 EGP, students 100 EGP ## Don't confuse The Alexandria National Museum is not the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square in Cairo, nor the Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza. It is also not Alexandria's Graeco-Roman Museum, 700 m away, which has its own ticket and hours. ## Tips - Start at the top floor and work down: you meet the city's history in reverse and reach the mummies before museum fatigue sets in. - Give the underwater finds proper time — they are the one thing Cairo and Luxor museums can't show you. - Do [Pompey's Pillar](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/pompeys-pillar) and the catacombs in the cool morning and save the museum for the hot early afternoon — just be in by 16:00. - Shoot the facade and its double staircase from the garden gate. - Students aged 24 or under pay half with a valid ID — bring it. - Walk on to the [Bibliotheca Alexandrina](https://yesgo.io/egypt/alexandria/bibliotheca-alexandrina) afterwards — about 1.5 km, 20 minutes; it is closed on Fridays. ## Questions ### How much is the ticket to the Alexandria National Museum? 220 EGP for foreign adults and 110 EGP for students aged 24 or under with ID; children under 6 go free. These are the official Ministry prices. ### What are the Alexandria National Museum opening hours? Daily from 9:00, last entry 16:00, closing at 17:00. In Ramadan arrive before 14:00. There is no weekly closing day. ### Where is the Alexandria National Museum? At 110 El-Horreya Road (formerly Rue Fouad) in central Alexandria, about 1.8 km on foot east of Saad Zaghloul Square and 1.3 km from Misr Station. ### How do I get to the Alexandria National Museum? Walk about 25 minutes from Saad Zaghloul Square, or take Uber or a taxi, around 10 minutes. The trams are suspended for reconstruction. ### Is the Alexandria National Museum worth visiting? Yes, as the best single overview of the city's history and for its underwater finds. It is small, so don't expect a Cairo-scale collection. ### How long do you need at the Alexandria National Museum? About 75 minutes for the three floors; up to two hours if you read the labels. ### Can you take photos inside? Yes, phone photography is free. Flash, tripods and monopods are not allowed, and you shouldn't photograph other visitors or staff. ### National Museum or Graeco-Roman Museum — which is better? The National Museum covers all periods and costs 220 EGP; the Graeco-Roman Museum focuses on antiquity in more depth for 400 EGP. They are 700 m apart. ### Can I pay by card? Officially, yes — Visa and Mastercard are accepted at the ticket desk and online. Keep cash for taxis and tips. ## How we checked Prices, hours and rules (student age limit, free entry under 6, phone photography) come from the museum's page in the Ministry's official ticketing system; card payment from its FAQ; the 17:00 closing and the ban on flash and tripods from the Ministry's main website. Ramadan hours differ between the two (last entry 15:00 vs ticket desk until 14:00), so we show both and advise arriving early. The build year (1926 or 1928) and purchase year (1996 or 1997) differ between sources, so we give both. The floor layout was checked against English Wikipedia and History Hit. Walking times come from OpenStreetMap routing; taxi times are estimates and marked as checking. ## Sources - Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, official ticketing system (Egymonuments): Alexandria National Museum — prices, hours and rules - Egymonuments FAQ — Visa and Mastercard, non-refundable tickets - Egymonuments: Graeco-Roman Museum and Royal Jewellery Museum — prices and hours for comparison - Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities website (egymonuments.gov.eg): Alexandria National Museum — closing time, history of the building, photography rules - English Wikipedia: Alexandria National Museum - Russian Wikipedia: Alexandria National Museum; Wikidata Q201383 - History Hit — Alexandria National Museum - Egypt Tours Plus — museum guide (unofficial) - Franck Goddio, IEASM — underwater finds in the museum - OpenStreetMap — address, distances and walking routes --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.