Montaza Palace and Gardens, Alexandria

Montaza Gardens entry fee and opening hours

Expect to pay about 50 EGP per person at the gate — the figure Egyptian press gives for the gardens. There is no official price list for foreign visitors: neither the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities nor the park publishes one, and travel guides quote anything from 25 to 100 EGP. You buy the ticket at the gate; there is no online sale.

The gardens open daily at 8:00 with no weekly closing day. Closing time varies — early evening on ordinary days, as late as 23:00 on public holidays and summer nights. The beaches inside charge their own fee.

Bring Egyptian pounds in cash, ideally small notes. Foreign cards work in hotels and bigger shops in Egypt, but card payment at the garden gate is not confirmed. Ride-hailing apps can take your card in the app.

What is Montaza Palace?

Montaza is a royal estate on a headland at the eastern end of Alexandria's seafront: two palaces in more than 150 hectares of gardens that slope down to sandy bays. The landmark is the Haramlik, with long sea-facing arcades and a tall Florentine tower you can spot from almost anywhere in the grounds.

Khedive Abbas II came first, building the Salamlik hunting lodge in 1892. King Fuad I added the much larger Haramlik as the family's summer palace, and his son Farouk added the bridge across the bay and a tea pavilion on the point. After the 1952 revolution the estate was nationalised and the gardens opened to the public.

Today the Salamlik is a hotel, the Haramlik is used by the state, and the gardens are Alexandria's favourite park. Think of it as a long seaside walk with a palace in the frame rather than a museum visit.

Is Montaza Palace worth visiting?

Yes, if you have two or more days in Alexandria or need a break from the noisy centre. It is the city's largest green space, with sea views and a fairy-tale palace as the backdrop, and on weekday mornings it is close to empty.

Skip it on a one-day visit. The round trip eats up an hour and a half and you can't go inside the palace anyway. With one day, stick to the centre: Qaitbay Citadel, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Kom el-Shoqafa catacombs are much closer together.

What to see in the Montaza Gardens

• The Haramlik — sea-facing arcades on every floor and a tower dressed in Italian Renaissance detail. The best views are from the avenues in front and from the edge of the bay.
• The bridge to the island — a curving Italian Gothic bridge built under King Farouk across the bay to a tiny island.
• The tea pavilion — a single-storey 1930s pavilion in its own garden on the point; ask at the gate whether it is open.
• The Salamlik — the older 1892 lodge, now a hotel; park visitors see it from outside.
• Avenues and groves — palms, pines and flower beds; quiet even at midday on weekdays.
• Bays and beaches — sandy coves along the gardens, for swimming in summer with a separate ticket.
• Sadat's chalet — the late president's small cliff-top house right above the sea.

Montaza, the Royal Jewelry Museum or Qaitbay Citadel?

Museum and citadel prices and hours are official, from Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. With half a day out east, pair Montaza with the jewellery museum — they are in the same direction.

How to do it right

• Come on a weekday morning: the gardens are quiet and cool, while summer evenings and public holidays bring huge crowds.
• Bring water and a snack — cafés inside are few and beach prices are higher than in town.
• Never get into a street taxi without agreeing the fare first; there are no meters in Alexandria, so Uber is simpler.
• If interiors are what you want, visit the Royal Jewelry Museum first — it closes long before the gardens.
• Ride back along the whole Corniche for a free tour of the seafront.

Questions