A first-time guide to the Grand Egyptian Museum

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) finally opened to the public on October 16, 2024. 

Covering an area of 500,000 square metres (5,381,955 sq ft – or about 70 soccer fields) this is the world’s largest archaeological museum complex dedicated to a single civilization.

Fronted by a spectacular alabaster and glass facade, the complex is decorated with different sizes and colors of triangles – an ode to Ancient Egypt. Even the stones, over which water tinkles in the shallow rectangular pools that decorate the vast esplanade between the ticket office and the main building, are pyramidal. 

The top of the building lies level with the Pyramids of Giza plateau and descends to the Nile Valley where the principal entrance for visitors lies.

The GEM complex is open every day from 8:30am to 6:00pm. The galleries, however, open at 9:00am and shut at 5:00pm.

When did the Grand Egyptian Museum project begin?

The building was designed by an Irish firm, Heneghan Peng Architects, who beat 1,557 competitors from 82 countries to win the Egyptian Ministry of Culture’s 2003 competition to create a museum complex to house, display and preserve the tens of thousands of ancient treasures in its trust.

Construction began in 2005 but the 2011 Arab Spring brought work to a halt throughout the three years of political instability that followed. Tourist numbers dropped sharply during this period resulting in a corresponding drop in income for the government. But from 2014 onwards work was able to resume on the project, with considerable financial and technical help from Japan. And now, finally, it is open.

You may hear that the GEM is only “partially open” and that’s because the Tutankhamen treasures have not yet been moved into their two galleries from the historic Egyptian Museum downtown and the two “Solar” boats are not yet in their assigned places. But apart from these, the museum’s 14 other galleries are open and the 3200-yr old, 82-tonne statue of Ramses II can finally welcome visitors into the vast atrium, six years after he arrived there himself!

How do I get to the Grand Egyptian Museum from Cairo?

For the moment the only way to get there is by Uber or taxi, or by hiring a driver or joining a tour. 

Sometime in the future there will be a metro stop at the site which will make it easy to reach from downtown Cairo. For the time being it’s a bit tricky getting here by public transport. 

I tried by taking the metro to Cairo University (the closest stop) and from there I had to walk along a busy highway to the main University gate for an Uber to find me and drive me the remaining 18km (11 miles) to the GEM. 

This trip cost me LE120 (€2.30 or US$2.43) and probably wouldn’t have cost much more for the extra 6km (4 miles) from the city centre! Don’t even try taking one of the local microbuses unless you speak Egyptian.

You may find it hard to get an Uber from the museum because the internet connection outside is spotty and many drivers still don't know where the pick-up location is but you may be able to grab a taxi that's just dropped somebody off or you can use the more expensive (LE400 or €7.80 or US$8) museum limo service from outside the ticket office to return to your accommodation at the end of your visit.

Where do you buy tickets and what are the opening hours for GEM?

Despite what you may have read elsewhere I was assured by senior museum staff that there is no cap on the number of visitors per day. It is vast enough to be able to absorb huge numbers of visitors! You can buy your ticket online but there is no need. You can purchase it at the ticket booths (credit cards only, no cash) at the entrance. You cannot buy a ticket after 4:00pm for a visit the same day.

In November the cost for an adult over the age of 21 was LE1,200 (€23 or US$24) and children (aged four to 21) was half that. Entry is free for children under 4.

If you want a guided tour the fee is LE1,700 (€33 or US$34).

The entry fee for Egyptian nationals is LE200 (€3.84 or US$4.05) for an adult between the ages of 21 and 60 and half that for everyone else. As a result, Egyptians flock here on the weekends (Friday/Saturday).

How much time should I spend in the Grand Egyptian Museum?

If you’re in a hurry and want to combine a visit to the GEM with the Pyramids of Giza just 2km (1.24 miles) away – you’ll eventually be able to walk between the two when the pedestrian walkway is completed – then visit the Giza pyramids first while it’s cool and the sun is behind you. If you visit in the later afternoon the sun sets behind the sphinx and all you’ll see is a silhouette. You can then have lunch at the GEM and spend the hottest time of the day in the museum’s cool interior.

If you want to take your time, then count on spending most of the day in the GEM. You may find it a lot less tiring than visiting older museums, largely because of the excellent acoustics which absorb most of the noise.

What will I see in the Grand Egyptian Museum?

The galleries are arranged in three pillars: Society, Kingship and Beliefs, each of which is divided into four groups of periods.

The first covers the era between c.700,000-2034 BC combining the Prehistoric, Predynastic, and Early Dynastic Periods together with the Old Kingdom and the First Intermediate Period. The second spans the period from c.2034-1550 BC covering the Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period. The third covers the New Kingdom (c. 1550-1069 BC). The fourth covers the Third Intermediate, the Late and the Greco-Roman Periods spanning from c.1069 BC-394 AD.

The visitor flow is very well thought out, so if, for example, you are only interested in the history of Kingship then start your visit in gallery 2 and just walk straight ahead down the length of the building through galleries 5, 9 and 11 which all deal with Kingship. If, on the other hand, you’re interested in Society and Kingship and Beliefs during the New Kingdom then you start in gallery 7 and walk across the building into galleries 8 and 9. Each gallery is clearly numbered and has a plan that shows you where you are, making it very easy to plan your visit by period, or by theme, or just to simply wander. 

There’s no need for a paper floor plan – and in any case none is available. At the information points you’ll just be pointed to a QR code that you need to download. If you don’t have a local SIM card it could be expensive (the museum apparently has wifi but I didn’t find it).

Labelling is also well thought out: the print (in English, Arabic and braille) on the information panels is big, making it easy to read; the panels are sloped so there are no reflections from overhead lighting and, even more importantly, the information is short, sharp and to the point and never takes more than a minute to absorb. At the right of each display case you’ll see a panel with a colored background. That will give you an overview of the general subject in that display case: the role of High Priests, for example. The panels with a grey or white background give you details about specific artifacts in that case.

What is missing from the GEM?

For the moment you won’t see anything to do with Tutankhamen and that is why it is not yet “officially” open. When the geo-political situation in the Middle East seems appropriate, then the Egyptian authorities will allow the Tutankhamen treasures to be moved here from their present home in the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square in central Cairo. That day will mark the official opening of the GEM.

Museum authorities told me the visitor experience walking through the Tutankhamen galleries will give a flavor of what it was like in the tomb, and that many artifacts which have never been put on public display before will be exhibited here.

In addition, you will not see any royal mummies. To see those you need to go to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization where they are displayed in the Mummies Hall.

Can I take photographs in the GEM?

No, or at least not with cameras with removable lenses. Tripods, photography/camera lights, any type of professional recording equipment or drones are also prohibited. And if you have any of this equipment with you it will be detected when you go through the security screening just after you’ve bought your ticket. You’ll be asked to leave it (for no fee) at the security office. You can take photographs with a mobile phone for your personal use.

Is the GEM accessible?

Yes. And everyone gets to the galleries’ entrance from the same place on the left of the atrium. For those who want to admire the stone objects that line the monumental staircase, you wander up the 148 steps to the top from which there is a spectacular view of the Giza pyramids and the entrance to the galleries. For those who are in a hurry to get into the galleries or have infants in strollers, for example, you can use the moving walkway that rises slowly just alongside the right of the steps. For those with mobility issues, there is a platform between the rising and descending walkways onto which a wheelchair can be pushed. Wheelchairs are available at the ticket office.

What should I wear to visit the GEM?

Like anywhere else in Egypt dress conservatively and as the museum is air-conditioned you’ll probably want a light sweater or jacket – and comfy shoes of course!

Can I eat and shop in the Grand Egyptian Museum?

In the atrium, opposite the monumental staircase, you’ll find a food hall with Zooba, 30 North, Bitter Sweet, Starbucks, Dolato and Ladurée.

Apart from the museum shop which sells souvenirs and books there are three upmarket jewellery shops and one, Atef Wassef, a family-owned silversmiths which sells in-house designed, modern, affordable silver jewellery. There’s also a handbag shop and a carpet store. Others shops will most likely fill the few retail spaces still available at the time I visited.