Stand at the base of the de Lesseps tourist jetty on Palestine street and you look straight down the Suez Canal, with the Lighthouse of Port Said on the same street frontage, facing the canal. This is a city that grew up around the water, and the water is still where its best hours are spent.
Port Said suits travellers who are passing through the canal zone, who like working ports, old concrete and long waterfront walks more than polished resorts, and who are happy to build a day around a bazaar, a museum or two and a ferry ride. The old town was bombed during the Suez crisis, so what remains is a mix of survivors and rebuilds rather than a preserved colonial quarter.
This guide covers the sights named in the source material, grouped so you can plan a route on foot along the corniche and Palestine street, with one detour out onto Lake Manzaleh.
Top things to do in Port Said
1. Lighthouse of Port Said
On Palestine street, at a beautiful location in front of the Suez Canal, the lighthouse is one of the icons of the city. Built in 1869, it is the oldest building remaining in Port Said, and it holds a further distinction: it was the first building in the world made from reinforced concrete.
Come here as part of a walk along Palestine street rather than as a standalone trip, since the jetty and the canal frontage are close by. Look at the structure itself as much as the view, because the material is the reason it matters.
2. De Lesseps tourist jetty
An old jetty on the Suez Canal on Palestine street, constructed in 1899. At the end of the jetty stands the base of the statue of Ferdinand de Lesseps, which was removed by the outraged Egyptians after the Suez crisis in 1956.
The empty base is the point of interest as much as the jetty. Combine it with the lighthouse on the same street, and time your visit for the passing of the huge container ships and supertankers into the canal, which is an impressive sight.
3. The port and the canal traffic
The most obvious sight in Port Said is the port itself, where some ancient facilities remain. Watching the huge container ships and supertankers pass into the canal is the experience most visitors come for.
Treat the ships as the main event of a waterfront afternoon rather than something you glance at in passing. The corniche and the jetty both give you frontage onto the canal.
4. Corniche
The Corniche is a glorious 8-km walkway along the harbour, dotted with restaurants, markets and historic sights. It is the spine of a day in Port Said.
Walk it in one direction and stop as things catch your eye, since the restaurants and markets along the way make it easy to break the route. It also links you to the historic sights rather than leaving them as separate errands.
5. Port Said National Museum
On Palestine street, this is a history museum with about 9000 archaeological pieces exhibited chronologically. The basement is devoted to Prehistoric and Pharaonic times and narrates the story of Port Said.
Go to the basement first if you want the city's own story rather than the wider chronology. It sits on the same street as the lighthouse and the jetty, so it slots naturally into a Palestine street morning.
6. Port Said Military Museum
Inaugurated in 1964, the museum consists of several halls showcasing battles fought by the Egyptian Army and the people of Port Said. It covers both ancient battles and recent wars such as the Suez crisis, the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur war, and displays captured war material.
Entry is 5 EGP and use of a camera is 2 EGP. Given how directly the Suez crisis shaped the modern city, this is the museum that explains the streets you have been walking.
7. Building of the Suez Canal Authority headquarters
Built in 1895 directly on the Suez Canal, this is one of the city's historical monuments and a reminder of how completely the canal organised Port Said's existence.
View it as part of your canal-side route rather than as an interior visit. It pairs well with the jetty and the lighthouse on the same stretch of waterfront.
8. War memorial
On 23rd of July street, this is an obelisk in the shape of the ancient Pharaonic ones, commemorating the martyrs of Port Said.
It sits on the same street as the Museum of Modern Arts and the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin, so you can see all three in one pass. Read it in light of the city's national day, which marks the withdrawal of the last foreign soldier on 23 December 1956.
9. Cathedral of the Holy Virgin
On 23rd of July St, this is a large magnificent church built in 1934. It was first constructed as a Catholic cathedral and is now used by the Coptic church.
The change of use is part of what makes it worth a look, given the city's history of shifting communities. Combine it with the war memorial and the Museum of Modern Arts on the same street.
10. El-Abbasy Mosque
On Mohamed Ali street, this mosque was built in 1904 by Abbas II of Egypt to be the second mosque in Port Said.
It is a short, quiet stop rather than a long visit. Fit it into a walk between the old town and the waterfront.
11. Museum of Modern Arts
On 23rd of July street, this museum contains paintings by artists. It is a small, focused stop rather than a full afternoon.
Use it as a break between the street's other sights, the war memorial and the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin. It suits a hot middle part of the day when you want to be indoors.
12. Great Saint Bishoy Church
On Al Habashi St, this is one of the city's religious sites and worth including if you are working through the churches and mosques of the old town.
Pair it with the other religious sites rather than making a special journey, and keep your expectations of scale modest.
13. Church of Saint Eugénie
Another of Port Said's religious sites, listed among the city's churches. It adds to the picture of a port that was inhabited by various nationalities and religions, mostly from Mediterranean countries, who coexisted in a cosmopolitan community.
Include it on a walk through the old town, which is worth a visit in its own right even though much of it was bombed during the Suez crisis.
14. Tennis Island
On Lake Manzaleh, this was an ancient Islamic city at the site of Port Said, well known for textile products, and it was demolished during the crusades. It is 9 km away from Port Said and you can visit by launch or a boat.
This is the one item on the list that needs arranging, so treat it as a half-day rather than a stop you add on. Go for the boat trip and the sense of the lake as much as for anything standing at the site.
15. The local bazaar
The local bazaar is a great way of spending a day looking at all the shops. It is the counterweight to the monuments: a day of browsing rather than a route between sights.
Give it real time rather than an hour at the end of an afternoon. Port Said has been a duty-free port since 1976, which is part of why the shopping draws people from all over Egypt.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start on Palestine street with the Lighthouse of Port Said, the oldest building remaining in the city, then walk out along the de Lesseps tourist jetty to the base of the removed statue and watch the container ships and supertankers entering the canal. Follow with the Port Said National Museum, heading for the basement where the story of Port Said is told.
Afternoon: Move to 23rd of July street for the war memorial, the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin and the Museum of Modern Arts, then take in the Port Said Military Museum and its halls on the Suez crisis, the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur war. Finish the afternoon on the Corniche, walking part of the 8-km harbour walkway past restaurants, markets and historic sights, with the Building of the Suez Canal Authority headquarters on the canal frontage.
Evening: End at the local bazaar, looking at the shops, which is a good way to spend the remaining hours of the day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the single sight most worth your time in Port Said?
The Lighthouse of Port Said, on Palestine street. It is one of the icons of the city, sits at a beautiful location in front of the Suez Canal, dates from 1869 as the oldest building remaining in the city, and was the first building in the world made from reinforced concrete.
Can you watch ships passing through the Suez Canal?
Yes. The passing of the huge container ships and supertankers into the canal is an impressive sight, and the port itself is the most obvious place to see it, along with the de Lesseps tourist jetty on Palestine street.
How do you get out onto Lake Manzaleh?
Tennis Island, an ancient Islamic city site on Lake Manzaleh, is 9 km away from Port Said and you can visit by launch or a boat.
Is the old town worth visiting given the wartime damage?
Yes. The rest of the old town, bombed during the Suez crisis, is also worth a visit, and the local bazaar is a great way of spending a day looking at all the shops.
Start with the corniche and Palestine street, decide whether Tennis Island fits your schedule, and build the rest of your days around the canal.