Grand Egyptian Museum
Giza, Egypt
al-Mathaf al-Misri al-Kabir (المتحف المصري الكبير)
Tutankhamun's complete treasure and Khufu's boat, 2 km from the pyramids.
Checked 7 October 2026
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) on the edge of Giza shows the whole Tutankhamun collection together for the first time, along with Khufu's 4,600-year-old boat and twelve galleries of Pharaonic Egypt. Buy only at visit-gem.com, the museum's single official ticket site: you pick an entry window, which limits when you arrive, not how long you stay. Admission rarely sells out, but the museum's own English guided tours in the morning can go a day or two ahead.
About Grand Egyptian Museum
The Grand Egyptian Museum is a vast new museum on the desert edge of Giza, built only for ancient Egypt. Its alabaster-and-glass front is cut into triangles, and the building climbs from the Nile valley up to the level of the pyramid plateau, so the pyramids appear in the windows at the top of the Grand Staircase. Inside are the Grand Hall, the six-storey staircase lined with statues, twelve main galleries running from prehistory to the Roman period, the Tutankhamun Galleries, a separate hall for Khufu's boats and a children's museum.
The reason most visitors come is Tutankhamun. For a century his treasure was split between the crowded old Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square and storerooms; here more than 5,000 objects from his tomb are shown together for the first time, from the gold mask and throne to his personal possessions, laid out in five sections from the discovery of the tomb to a reconstruction of the young king's face.
The museum took more than twenty years. An architecture competition in 2002 drew 1,557 entries from 82 countries and was won by Heneghan Peng, an Irish practice. Building began in 2005, stopped after the 2011 revolution and restarted with heavy Japanese funding. The 83-tonne colossus of Ramesses II, moved out of central Cairo in 2006, was set in the Grand Hall in 2018, and Khufu's cedar boat was moved here from the foot of the Great Pyramid in August 2021.
Parts of the museum opened on trial in 2024. It was inaugurated on 1 November 2025 at a ceremony for world leaders and opened fully to the public on 4 November 2025, the 103rd anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb.
What to see
Tutankhamun Galleries
More than 5,000 objects from the boy king's tomb, shown together for the first time, in five sections: Discovery, Lifestyle, Rebirth, Funeral and Identity. You enter from gallery 7. The museum suggests a 2-hour route; Lonely Planet's writer spent six hours here alone. Only phone photography is allowed in parts of these galleries.
Grand Hall and Ramesses II
The entrance hall is dominated by the 11-metre, 83-tonne granite colossus of Ramesses II that stood in Cairo's Ramses Square until 2006. At the main gate stands the Hanging Obelisk of Ramesses II, raised up so its base can be seen.
Grand Staircase
Six storeys of stairs lined with more than 60 statues and monuments in four themes, ending at a window with a view of the pyramids. A moving walkway runs beside it: ride up, then walk down to see the statues close.
Main Galleries
Twelve galleries arranged by period and by three themes (society, kingship, beliefs), from prehistory to the Graeco-Roman era. Each is numbered, with a map, so you can follow one theme straight through or one period across. Labels are short and in Arabic, English and Braille.
Khufu's Boats Museum
A separate building behind the main museum, across a plaza, included in the ticket. It holds the 42-metre cedar boat found dismantled beside the Great Pyramid in 1954, moved here in 2021, and the second boat from the same pit, which is to be rebuilt in view of visitors.
Children's Museum
Hands-on rooms for children aged 6 to 12 that introduce ancient Egypt through play, open daily 10:00–17:00. It is a paid add-on (EGP 150) to the admission ticket, and children must stay with an adult.
Grand Egyptian Museum tickets: which to buy and where
Most visitors should buy the plain admission ticket at visit-gem.com for a date and entry window: it covers the Tutankhamun Galleries, the main galleries, the Grand Hall, the Grand Staircase and Khufu's boats. There is no separate Tutankhamun or boat ticket. Tickets carry your name, cannot be refunded or changed, and allow one entry, so once you leave the premises you cannot go back in.
The official ticket site
Grand Egyptian Museum official ticketing website
The museum's own shop at visit-gem.com (the booking runs on tickets.gem.eg, the museum's domain). The home page states that it is the only official website for GEM tickets and that the museum is not responsible for tickets bought on other platforms. Prices are in Egyptian pounds and appear only after you pick a date.
Admission ticket
EGP 1,570 adult (over 24); EGP 790 student (13–24, with student ID) or child (6–12); under 6 free. Raised from EGP 1,450 since the November 2025 opening: the booking page shows the current price
(€27 · €13 · €25)
Official ticketsSkips the ticket line
- Includes
- Entry window of your choice (you can stay as long as you like): Tutankhamun Galleries, Main Galleries, Grand Hall, Grand Staircase, Khufu's Boats Museum, gardens. Bags may be checked by security
- Best for
- Almost everyone
Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Guided tour ticket
EGP 2,070 adult; EGP 1,040 student (13–24) or child (6–12)
(€35 · €18)
Official ticketsSkips the ticket line
- Includes
- Admission plus the museum's own guided tour in English or Arabic, with a headset, at a fixed start time
- Best for
- Independent travellers who want an Egyptologist for the highlights without paying for transport
Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Children's Museum add-on
EGP 150
(€3)
Official ticketsSkips the ticket line
- Includes
- Entry to the hands-on Children's Museum (ages 6–12, daily 10:00–17:00); added to an admission ticket during booking
- Best for
- Families with children aged 6 to 12
Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Grand Egyptian Museum: Skip The Line Ticket
from €31.14
ResellerSkips the ticket line
- Includes
- Museum entry only, as a phone voucher; no guide or transport. Supplied by a Cairo agency
- Best for
- Only if you cannot pay on the official site; the official EGP 1,570 ticket (about €27 in October 2026) is the same entry for about 15% less
Tiqets · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Pyramids of Giza + Grand Egyptian Museum: Entry Ticket + Optional Tour
from €51.61
ResellerSkips some lines
- Includes
- Entry to the Giza plateau and the GEM with hotel transfers; options with a guide and lunch. A 7–8 hour day
- Best for
- Visitors who want both sights and transport sorted in one booking
Tiqets · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)
How to buy
- Go to visit-gem.com and choose Book Tickets. Pick Admission Ticket or Guided Tour Ticket, then a date (on 7 October 2026 dates up to 31 December 2026 were open).
- Choose an entry window: 08:30–11:00, 11:00–13:00, 13:00–15:00 or 15:00–17:00, plus 17:00–20:00 on Wednesdays and Saturdays. For a guided tour, choose English or Arabic and a start time.
- Choose "Arab or Other Nationality" (or "Expatriate" if you live in Egypt and can prove it) and the number of adults, students and children. Add the audio guide or Children's Museum if you want them.
- Enter the name of the lead visitor, your email and phone, confirm the code sent by email and pay by card. The e-ticket with a QR code arrives by email.
- Bring the passport or ID that matches the booking, and a student card for student tickets: staff check eligibility at the gate.
Look-alike sites
The only official shop is visit-gem.com, which hands you on to tickets.gem.eg to choose and pay; the museum's information domain is gem.eg. Prices there are in Egyptian pounds. In May 2026 the museum warned of a new wave of fake websites, social media pages and Google Play apps copying its name and logo and offering "instant booking" or discounted tickets to steal card details, and said it had shut more than 50. Treat any site or app that quotes GEM entry in euros or dollars, sells "Tutankhamun-only" tickets, or asks you to pay by bank transfer or WhatsApp as unofficial. Platforms such as GetYourGuide and Tiqets resell real tickets with a mark-up, but the museum says it is not responsible for tickets bought anywhere but its own site.
We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.
Guided tours of Grand Egyptian Museum
The museum is well labelled and easy to follow alone, so a plain ticket plus the official audio guide is enough for many visitors. A guide pays off if you have only two or three hours and want the Tutankhamun highlights explained. The museum's own guided tour is the cheapest way to get one; a private guide with transport makes sense if you also need a car from Cairo or want to combine the pyramids. Check whether a tour actually visits the Tutankhamun Galleries: some itineraries list only the Grand Hall and main-gallery highlights.
Official guided tour
GEM guided tour
Grand Egyptian Museum
Led by museum Egyptologists in English or Arabic, with headsets. English start times from 10:00 to 15:30 (to 18:00 on Wednesdays and Saturdays), about 40 places each. The ticket system also lists an upgrade from admission to the tour at the ticket office (EGP 500 adult).
EGP 2,070 adult incl. admission; EGP 1,040 student or child
(€35 · €18)
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)Audio guide
GEM Audio Guide
Grand Egyptian Museum
130 stops across the Grand Hall, Grand Staircase, Main Galleries, Tutankhamun Galleries and Khufu's boats, in Arabic, English, Japanese and German, with headphones. You leave an ID as a deposit. The online quota is small (30 a day) and was sold out for some October dates, so book it with your ticket.
Private guided tour with transfers
Cairo: The Grand Egyptian Museum Private Guided Tour
Sun Pyramids Tours (via GetYourGuide)Cairo operator. Private guide in seven languages, hotel pickup in Cairo or Giza, entry included, wheelchair accessible. The listed route covers the Hanging Obelisk, Ramesses II, the staircase from a distance and royal regalia; ask for the Tutankhamun Galleries. Includes a shopping stop. The operator's own site showed $128.25 for one adult.
Ticket with optional guide and hotel transfer
Cairo: Grand Egyptian Museum Ticket w/ Opt. Guide & Transfer
OceanAir Travel (via GetYourGuide)Choose ticket only, ticket with Egyptologist (English, French, German, Italian) or with transfer from Cairo or Giza. Tickets are sent by WhatsApp. Several 2026 reviews say the transfer option had a driver but no guide inside, so pick the guide option if you want one.
Small-group day tour
Cairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramids, Sphinx Tour & Lunch
OceanAir Travel (via GetYourGuide)Pyramids, Sphinx and Valley Temple in the morning, then about 2 hours in the GEM, with an Egyptologist, lunch, hotel pickup and both entry tickets included. Camel ride and going inside the Great Pyramid cost extra. Not for wheelchair users.
We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.
Grand Egyptian Museum deals and discounts
The official ticket at visit-gem.com is the best buy: resellers charge about 15–20% more for the same entry. The real savings are the student and child prices and free entry for under-6s and disabled visitors. The Cairo Pass is reported not to cover the GEM, so don't buy it for this museum.
Half price for students up to 24
Foreign students aged 13 to 24 pay EGP 790 instead of EGP 1,570 (EGP 1,040 instead of EGP 2,070 with the guided tour). Bring a valid student card; it is checked at the gate.
Children: under 6 free, 6–12 half price
Children under six enter free; children aged 6 to 12 pay EGP 790. The Children's Museum is EGP 150 extra.
Free for visitors with disabilities and ICOM members
Visitors with disabilities and members of the International Council of Museums enter free every day, with ID showing they qualify. Free visitors pay the difference at the ticket office if they want the guided tour.
Residents of Egypt pay about half
Foreigners who live in Egypt can buy the Expatriate ticket (EGP 790 adult, EGP 400 student or child) with ID and proof of residency. Foreign spouses and children of Egyptians can buy the Egyptian ticket (EGP 200) with proof of the relationship.
Cairo Pass: reported not to cover the GEM
The Ministry's five-day Cairo Pass covers its own sites in Cairo, Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur. The Ministry last published its price in 2023 ($130, students $70). A December 2025 Earth Trekkers guide still gives $130 and reports that the pass does not include the GEM, and the museum's ticket site has no pass option. Plan on a separate GEM ticket, and ask at a Ministry ticket counter for the current pass price before you buy one for the other sites.
Best time to visit Grand Egyptian Museum
Time of day: the museum is cool and air-conditioned, so the classic plan is the pyramids at 07:00 and the GEM from early afternoon. On ordinary days the last entry window runs 15:00–17:00, and galleries close at 18:00.
Days: Sunday to Thursday are quieter. Egyptian families come in large numbers on Fridays and Saturdays. Wednesday and Saturday have late opening (galleries until 21:00, last entry 20:00), which gives a calmer evening visit.
Season: October to April is high season for foreign visitors. In early October 2026 every entry window still had thousands of places for the next day, but the 10:00 and 11:00 English guided tours were sold out a day ahead. Opening hours may change during Ramadan.
Tips and tricks
Gathered from travel forums, locals and the sight’s own advice, rewritten in our own words. What worked for others, not a guarantee.
Do the pyramids first, the museum after
Book a GEM entry window for the early afternoon and spend the cool morning on the plateau with the sun behind you. Have lunch in the museum food hall and see the galleries in the heat of the day.
From Lonely Planet GEM guide, after the November 2025 opening
Your window is only for arriving
The time on your ticket is when you must enter, not when you must leave. Once inside you can stay until closing, so a morning window does not cut your day short.
From GEM ticketing site; TripAdvisor Cairo forum, December 2025
Start with the galleries
The galleries close an hour before the complex (18:00 against 19:00 on most days), so leave the shops, cafés and gardens for the end.
From Enterprise GEM guide, November 2025
Ride up the staircase, walk down
Take the moving walkway beside the Grand Staircase to the top for the view of the pyramids, then walk back down past the statues. The Tutankhamun Galleries are entered from gallery 7.
From Enterprise GEM guide, November 2025; Lonely Planet GEM guide
Bring a card and your passport
Tickets are tied to a name and student prices need a student card. Buy online before you go: the museum suspended on-site sales after the opening, and although its terms still mention ticket counters and self-service machines, don't count on buying at the gate. If you do pay on site (for example to upgrade to the guided tour), expect card only.
From GEM ticketing site, 2026; Enterprise GEM guide, November 2025
Leave the big camera and backpack
Bags larger than 40 × 40 cm go to the cloakroom, and tripods, monopods, selfie sticks, drones and flash are banned. In parts of the Tutankhamun Galleries only phone photography is allowed.
From GEM visitor rules, 2026
Plan your ride back
Mobile signal outside can be weak and ride-hail drivers may struggle to find the pickup point. Agree a return time with a driver, grab a taxi that has just dropped people off, or ask at the ticket office for the museum's limousine service (Lonely Planet reported about EGP 400 after the 2025 opening).
From Lonely Planet GEM guide, after the November 2025 opening
Bring a layer
The galleries are cold compared with outside. A light jacket or scarf helps, and covered shoulders and knees are the norm in Egypt.
From Lonely Planet GEM guide, after the November 2025 opening
How to get to Grand Egyptian Museum
- The museum is on Remaya Square at the start of the Cairo–Alexandria desert road, about 2 km from the Giza pyramids. From central Cairo take Uber, InDrive or a taxi; allow 45 minutes to an hour in traffic.
- There is no metro to the door yet. A station on the planned Metro Line 4 is reported to be under construction, with no opening date; Lonely Planet's writer took the metro to Cairo University and an Uber for the last 18 km.
- From the pyramids: a pedestrian walkway with electric shuttles between the GEM and the plateau was reported as complete in September 2025, but guides in 2025–2026 still describe a short taxi ride between the museum and the Pyramids Visitor Centre. Plan on a taxi and ask at either entrance whether the walkway is open to visitors.
- Sphinx International Airport, on the same Cairo–Alexandria desert road west of Giza, is the closest airport, with some scheduled and charter flights; Cairo International Airport is on the far, eastern side of the city. Tour operators charge extra for pickups from either.
- Going back: ride-hail pickups can be slow; Lonely Planet reported a museum limousine service from outside the ticket office at about EGP 400 after the 2025 opening (check the current price there).
Scams and problems to watch for
Fake ticket sites and apps
Copy sites, social media pages and Google Play apps use the museum's name and logo, promise instant or cheaper tickets and steal card details. The museum shut more than 50 by May 2026. The tell-tale signs: prices in euros or dollars, a domain other than visit-gem.com or tickets.gem.eg, or payment by bank transfer or WhatsApp.
Ticket "helpers" at the gate
Men outside the entrance offer to sell you a ticket or "help" with the booking for a fee. Official tickets come only from visit-gem.com or the museum's own counters and machines inside the complex, paid by card. Anyone selling outside is either charging a mark-up or selling a fake.
Unofficial guides
A friendly man attaches himself to you at the entrance or in the Grand Hall, explains a few statues and then demands money. Licensed guides are booked in advance and carry official ID. Say no politely and keep walking.
"The museum is closed today"
A driver or stranger says the GEM is closed for a holiday or a ceremony and offers to take you to a papyrus or perfume shop instead. The museum opens every day; check visit-gem.com and only believe uniformed staff.
Shop stops on cheap tours
Some tours, including ones sold on the big platforms, include a "shopping tour" or papyrus institute in the price. You do not have to buy anything; if you do not want the stop, ask the operator to drop it before you book.
Accessibility
The GEM is a modern building designed to be step-free: ramps and lifts serve all the main galleries, accessible toilets are provided, and wheelchairs can be borrowed free at the ticket office. A platform between the moving walkways lets a wheelchair user ride up beside the Grand Staircase, and there are lifts straight to the top. Labels include Braille, and the staircase has small touchable models of some statues; the museum offers special tours for visitors with visual or hearing impairments. Visitors with disabilities enter free with ID showing eligibility; for group or special arrangements the museum lists booking@gem.eg. The site is very large, so plan rests: there is seating throughout.
Combine it with
Pyramids of Giza
On SightsaleAbout 2 km away: the Great Pyramid, Khafre, Menkaure and the Sphinx. Do the plateau at the 07:00 opening, then the museum in the afternoon.
National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
In Fustat, Old Cairo. The royal mummies are shown here, not at the GEM, in a dimmed hall of their own. Easy to combine with Coptic Cairo.
Saqqara
About 30 minutes south: the Step Pyramid of Djoser and painted Old Kingdom tombs, far quieter than Giza. Often combined with Memphis and Dahshur on a day tour.
Questions people ask about visiting Grand Egyptian Museum
How do I buy Grand Egyptian Museum tickets?
Buy online at visit-gem.com, the museum's only official ticket site, which runs the booking on tickets.gem.eg. Choose a date, an entry window and "Arab or Other Nationality", pay by card and you get an e-ticket by email. Tickets carry your name and cannot be refunded.
How much is the Grand Egyptian Museum ticket for foreigners?
EGP 1,570 for adults over 24 and EGP 790 for students aged 13 to 24 and children aged 6 to 12; under 6 free (October 2026). With the museum's guided tour it is EGP 2,070 or EGP 1,040. Prices have risen since the November 2025 opening (EGP 1,450 then) and may change again, so check the booking page.
Do I need a separate ticket for Tutankhamun or the solar boat?
No. The admission ticket covers the Tutankhamun Galleries, the main galleries, the Grand Staircase and Khufu's Boats Museum, with no separate time slot inside. Only the Children's Museum (EGP 150), the audio guide (EGP 270) and the Discovery Challenge game (EGP 125) cost extra.
How far in advance should I book the Grand Egyptian Museum?
For plain admission a day or a few days is usually enough: on 7 October 2026 there were thousands of free places in every window the next day. Book the museum's English guided tour 2–5 days ahead for a morning start in season. The museum releases dates in batches, about two to three months ahead.
How long do you need at the Grand Egyptian Museum?
Three to four hours covers the Grand Hall, the staircase, the Tutankhamun Galleries and Khufu's boat. Seeing all twelve main galleries properly takes a full day or two visits.
Is the Grand Egyptian Museum worth a guided tour?
Not essential: the labels are clear and the audio guide (EGP 270) covers 130 stops. A guide helps if you have little time and want Tutankhamun explained. The museum's own tour (EGP 2,070 including admission) is the cheapest option; private guides with transport start at about €51.
Can you take photos inside the Grand Egyptian Museum?
Yes, personal photos and video with phones and cameras, without flash, tripods, monopods or selfie sticks. In parts of the Tutankhamun Galleries only phone photography is allowed. Drones and live streaming are banned.
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Before you go
The things that apply at every big sight: booking ahead, what skip-the-line really means, and the scams that follow tourists everywhere.