On October 16, 2024, the Grand Egyptian Museum opened up all of its main galleries to the public! Check out the 12 new galleries in the GEM, see how to buy Grand Egyptian Museum tickets, learn how to get to and from the newest museum in Cairo, plus read answers to all the frequently asked questions about the Grand Egyptian Museum.

Grand Egyptian Museum Opening 12 New Galleries

The GEM announced the opening date of all its main galleries in early October, and just a few days later, the public was able to enter and tour these galleries for the first time.

The Grand Egyptian Museum's Great Hall, Grand Staircase, and hanging obelisk have been open for several months, but these 12 new galleries that just opened take us just a few steps away from the full opening of the premier museum for ancient Egyptian artifacts (the only areas yet to open are the Tutankhamun Galleries and the Solar Boat museum, which contains a massive, ancient ship, uncovered at the nearby Giza Plateau).

You can check out the new galleries, and see the design of this world-class museum through this video walkthrough I made. on the same day as the big opening.

The main galleries are organized both chronologically and thematically - moving through the galleries in numerical order:

Galleries 1-3 focus on the Prehistoric Period, through the Old Kingdom (the builders of the Pyramids), until after the First Intermediate Period.

Galleries 4-6 feature the Middle Kingdom and the Second Intermediate Period.

Galleries 7-9 are on the New Kingdom, arguably the most famous part of Egypt's history (but these galleries do not contain the treasures of King Tutankhamun, which will be in their own galleries, which haven't had their official opening yet).

Galleries 10-12 take us from post-New Kingdom Egypt all the way through the Graeco-Roman period.

How to Buy Grand Egyptian Museum Tickets

It's easy to buy Grand Egyptina Museum tickets online, through the Grand Egyptian Museum official website (www.visit-gem.com). Sometimes this website has glitches or issues, though, so travelers can always buy tickets in-person at the Grand Egyptian Museum's ticket office (with a Visa or Mastercard only - cash is not accepted).

In order to buy tickets to the GEM online, you'll:

1. Click on the "GEM Main Galleries" banner

2. Select whch ticket type you want ("book admission tickets" for self-guided tours or tours where you bring your own Egyptologist guide, or "book guided tour tickets" for tours where you are in a group of other travelers, with one of the in-house guides from the GEM)

3. Choose the date (and time if you're doing the guided tour with the GEM staff) of your visit

4. Select "Arabs and other nationalities" if you are a foreign tourist booking a ticket

5. Skip the "GEM Discovery Challenge" unless you're traveling with children who would enjoy this experience

6. Enter your contact information and payment information, and you'll be emailed your tickets

Is the Grand Egyptian Museum Wheelchair Accessible?

Yes, the Grand Egyptian Museum has elevators, ramps, and every display is almost 100% accessible to someone using a wheelchair or with other mobility needs.

The Grand Staircase at the GEM has elevators that can move guests from level to level (you will not be able to get close to every object in between levels on the stairs, but you can see each main level before getting on the elevator to the next level.

The main galleries at the GEM all have either ramps or lifts to move guests from different levels.

All other areas of the Grand Egyptian Museum, like the Great Hall, bathrooms, restaurants, and shops are wheelchair accessible.

If you want help planning a trip to Egypt and you use a wheelchair or have other mobility needs, I would love to help! You can fill out an interest form and I will get back to you.

How much time do I need to see the Grand Egyptian Museum?

The Grand Egyptian Museum, at this point, is around 60% open. I recommend blocking off a half-day to see the museum in its entirety, which will include time to see all of the 12 main galleries, the Great Hall, the Grand Staircase, the hanging obelisk, and to stop for a meal at the delicious Egyptian restaurant, Zooba, that has a branch inside of the GEM. Three or four hours should be enough for all of this (for comparison, the GEM's guided tour is 90 minutes long).

I have people reaching out asking if they need an entire day (or even two days) to see the GEM, and at this point, not enough is open to warrant that amount of time.

How much are tickets to the Grand Egyptian Museum?

Grand Egyptian Museum tickets are 1,200 Egyptian Pounds for adult foreign tourists, and 600 Egyptian Pounds for foreign tourist children (under 18) or students who are foreigners (with a valid student ID including expiration date). There are other ticket prices for Egyptians or Expatriates (who have a passport with them that has a residency visa, or who have a residency card).

How to get to the Grand Egyptian Museum

This new Egyptian museum is around 45 minutes to an hour's drive outside of downtown Cairo (depending on traffic), and is in Giza, right by the Pyramids. If you don't already have a private transfer arranged through a tour company, I recommend taking Uber to get to and from the Grand Egyptian Museum.

The museum is not in a walkable location, and there is not any public transport that is easy to use and will drop you off within the GEM's vicinity (they are working on extending the Cairo Metro, which will eventually have a stop underneath the museum, but I anticipate this will take years to complete), which is why I recommend taking an Uber.

Once you finish touring the GEM, it's easy to get an Uber from outside the museum's main parking area.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Grand Egyptian Museum

What is the Grand Egyptian Museum official website?

The official website of the GEM is www.visit-gem.com. Use this website to buy tickets online and read more about the GEM museum.

Where is the Grand Egyptian Museum?

You can see the location of the Grand Egyptian Museum here (link to Google location). This new Egypt museum is in Giza, just across from the Giza Plateau site and the Pyramids.

Why is the Grand Egyptian Museum closed?

The Grand Egyptian Museum is now around 60% open! The galleries that are closed, like the Tutankhamun galleries and the Solar Boat museum will have an official opening later on (we are not sure when), but other all the other main galleries are now open.

Will the Grand Egyptian Museum fully open in 2025?

We have no idea when the Grand Egyptian Museum will fully open to the public, but the King Tut galleries and the museum with the large, ancient ship discovered next to the Giza Pyramids might have its full opening in 2025.

Why isn't the Grand Egyptian Museum open?

Numerous things have delayed the opening of the GEM, including inconsistencies with the promised timeline of the museum's contstruction, delays due to the pandemic, other massive projects happening concurrently (like the expansion of the metro and the redevelopment of the Giza Plateau), and the Egyptian Government's desire to make the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum a huge event, taking time and planning to execute.

Is the Grand Egyptian Museum the largest in the world?

The Grand Egyptian Museum is not the largest museum in the world (that title is currently held by the Louvre Museum in Paris), but it will be the largest museum dedicated to a single civilization once it fully opens.

What is inside the Grand Egyptian Museum?

The museum currently houses thousands of ancient Egyptian artifacts, from small pieces of pottery all the way to monumental stautes, some of which are the largest we have remaining from ancient Egypt. When all the museum's galleries are open, the museum will also contain all of the treasures of King Tutankhamun, and the solar boat, a massive ship discovered buried at the Giza Plateau.

Can you visit the Grand Egyptian Museum? Is the Grand Egyptian Museum open now?

Yes - anyone can buy a ticket and visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, and see all of the galleries that are currently open to the public. The Grand Egyptian Museum is open to the public.

When will the Grand Egyptian Museum fully open?

Unfortunately, we have no idea when the Grand Egyptian Museum will fully open - even this October opening of the main galleries took us all by surprise! Hopefully the Grand Egyptian Museum will have its full opening soon, hopefully in 2025!

Is the Grand Egyptian Museum worth visiting?

For travelers who are in Cairo for just one or two days, I still recommend visiting the original Egyptian Museum (the "old museum") in Tahrir Square, since this museum has the King Tut mask at the moment, the most prized artifact from ancient Egypt, and thousands of other amazing objects. However, if travelers want to see the GEM for its amazing architecture or for the objects on display in its main galleries, it's worth a visit!

Who designed the Grand Egyptian Museum?

The largest of all museums Egypt has to offer was designed by the Irish architecture firm called Heneghan Peng Architects. It's an amazing design and building!

What other Cairo museums are there?

In addition to the Grand Egyptian Museum, other Cairo museums include:

- The Egyptian Museum (old museum): the original Egyptian museum dedicated to ancient Egypt, located in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. This museum has thousands of artifacts on display still, and is a great museum to visit if you love ancient Egypt! It will never close, and a common misconception is that everything from this museum is being moved to the GEM, which isn't true! This, out of all the museums in Egypt, will always be a great one to visit, with thousands of ancient artifacts on display.

- The National Museum Of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC): the NMEC is the best of all the museums in Cairo if you want to see mummified remains, since this museum has the mummified remains of 22 royal pharohs and queens of Egypt's New Kingdom period. Pharaohs like Ramses II and Hatshepsut can be seen here. The museum also has a small, well-curated (and labeled/expalined) display that goes through Egyptian civilization, from before the ancient Egyptians, through all time periods of the pharaohs, all the way throught the 20th century in Egyptian civilization.

What is the official name of the Grand Egyptian Museum?

I often see people calling this museum things like:

- Egyptian Grand Museum

- Giza Grand Museum

- Great Egyptian Museum

The official name is the Grand Egyptian Museum (abbreviated as "GEM"), so now you know!

What questions do you have about the Grand Egyptian Museum? What do you think of Egypt's largest museum? Leave a comment and let me know!