Montaza Palace Gardens and Alexandria Seafront Tour

The tour begins with a drive east along the Corniche, the seafront road that runs the length of the city. Beyond Stanley Bridge, the old downtown gives way to the seaside districts that grew up in the 20th century, each with its own beaches, cafes, and apartment towers facing the water.

Your guide talks you through the changing city as you go: the early 20th-century villas that still stand between newer buildings, the summer crowds that pour in from Cairo in July and August, and the fishermen who cast from the sea wall all year round.

Traffic on this stretch can be heavy, especially on summer evenings and weekends, so the drive time varies. Your driver can stop for photographs where it is safe to pull over.

You enter the Montaza estate through its gates and leave the traffic behind. The park is a large expanse of gardens and woodland, with avenues of palms, groves of pine, lawns, and flowering shrubs, laid out when the estate was a royal retreat.

Your guide walks you along the main paths at an easy pace, pointing out the trees and plants and the views toward the sea. On weekdays the gardens are calm, with families picnicking under the trees; on Fridays and holidays they fill with Alexandrians enjoying the shade and the breeze.

There are benches throughout, and kiosks selling drinks and snacks, so you can stop whenever you like.

At the center of the estate stands the Haramlik, the palace built in 1932 for King Fuad I as a summer residence. It mixes Ottoman and Florentine styles, with long arcaded balconies and a tall tower that rises above the trees and can be seen from across the bay.

King Farouk, the last king of Egypt, spent his summers here, and the palace was later used as a presidential residence. The interior has generally not been open to visitors, so you see it from the gardens and the terraces around it, which offer good angles for photographs.

Your guide tells the story of the royal family, the lavish summers at Montaza, and the end of the monarchy in 1952, when the king left Egypt from Alexandria.

A short walk away is the Salamlek, the older of the two palaces. It was built in 1892 for Khedive Abbas II Hilmi, reportedly as a hunting lodge and retreat, in a European style with turrets, balconies, and ornate woodwork.

Today the Salamlek is a hotel, so it is seen from outside unless you are staying there. Its cream facade and green surroundings make it one of the most attractive buildings in the estate.

The Salamlek and the Haramlik together show two moments in the history of modern Egypt: the khedives of the late 19th century, who ruled under Ottoman and then British influence, and the kings of the 20th century.

The walk ends at the water. Montaza Bay is a small, sheltered bay enclosed by the estate, with a little lighthouse on its breakwater and an arched footbridge that crosses to a small island.

This is one of the most photographed corners of Montaza, especially in the late afternoon. Your guide leaves you time to walk along the shore, cross the bridge if it is open, or simply sit and watch the boats and the swimmers. The estate's beaches have their own entry fees and rules, so if you want time on the sand, mention it when you book.

Afterward your driver takes you back along the Corniche to your hotel or the cruise port. If you would like to stop for seafood on the way, your guide can recommend a place.