Grand Egyptian Museum: tips for your visit

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) stands at the edge of the Giza plateau, about two kilometres from the Pyramids. It holds the complete Tutankhamun collection for the first time, along with thousands of other objects. Here is how to visit it well.

How long to allow

Plan three to four hours for a first visit. You can spend a full day there, but most people are tired after four hours, and so are children.

When to go

• Combine it with Giza. See the Pyramids at opening time, have lunch, and go to the museum in the early afternoon.
• Avoid Friday and Saturday afternoons if you can, when local visitors add to the crowds.
• Check opening hours before you go. They can change, and we confirm them with your itinerary.

What not to miss

1. The Grand Staircase, lined with statues of kings and gods, with a view of the Pyramids at the top.
2. The Tutankhamun galleries, with the gold mask, the shrines and objects from daily life in the boy king's tomb.
3. The colossal statue of Ramses II in the atrium.
4. The Khufu boat, the solar boat found beside the Great Pyramid.

Tickets

Tickets are sold at set time slots on busy days, and some galleries may need a separate ticket. We buy tickets in advance for every guest, so you do not queue.

With a guide or alone?

The museum is well labelled, but a good Egyptologist makes the difference between seeing objects and understanding them. We match guides to groups: a specialist for guests who want depth, a storyteller for children.

For a quieter visit, we can arrange a private visit outside public hours where the museum allows it.

A simple day plan

• 08:00 Giza plateau at opening: the Great Pyramid, the panorama point, the Sphinx.
• 12:00 Lunch nearby.
• 13:30 Grand Egyptian Museum, three hours.
• 17:00 Back at your hotel.

That is our Pyramids, Sphinx and GEM day tour, and the second day of most of our trips.