On 1 November 2025, Egypt officially inaugurated the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization. Heads of state, royalty and international dignitaries attended the opening ceremony on the Giza Plateau, around 2 km from the Pyramids, and the museum opened its doors fully to the public on Tuesday 4 November 2025. The occasion ended a project that had been announced in the early 2000s, with construction stretching over more than 20 years and opening dates postponed several times.
A gradual opening
The GEM opened in stages. Its colossal statue of Ramesses II was moved from Cairo to the museum site in 2006 and into the atrium in January 2018. The Grand Staircase had a soft inauguration in 2023, and on 16 October 2024 the museum began a trial operation, opening its 12 main exhibition galleries to visitors while the Tutankhamun collection and Khufu’s boat remained closed. The official grand opening in November 2025 finally added the two Tutankhamun Galleries and the Khufu Boats Museum to the visitor route.
What to see
The museum covers an area of more than 500,000 square metres and holds over 100,000 artefacts. The Grand Atrium holds the 11-metre, 83-tonne granite statue of Ramesses II, which for decades stood in Cairo’s Ramses Square. Outside, a hanging obelisk of Ramesses II allows visitors to walk beneath it and see the cartouche carved into its base.
From the atrium, the six-storey Grand Staircase rises past around 60 large statues, sarcophagi and architectural pieces of kings and gods, arranged by theme, and ends at a vast window framing the Pyramids of Giza. The 12 main galleries tell Egypt’s story from prehistory to the Greco-Roman period, grouped into eras and arranged around three themes: society, kingship and beliefs.
The main draw is the Tutankhamun collection. For the first time since Howard Carter discovered the tomb in 1922, all of the boy king’s treasures, more than 5,000 objects, are displayed together, including the gold funerary mask, the gilded shrines, chariots, jewellery, thrones, weapons and ritual furniture. The Khufu Boats Museum houses the 4,600-year-old cedar solar boat found beside the Great Pyramid in 1954, which was moved to the GEM in August 2021 in a single overnight operation, together with the ongoing restoration of the second boat. The complex also includes a Children’s Museum, conservation centre, gardens, shops and restaurants.
Visiting the GEM
The museum is on the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road at the edge of the Giza Plateau. It is roughly 30 to 40 minutes by car from Downtown Cairo; ride-hailing apps are the easiest way to get there, and the nearest metro station is Giza, followed by a short taxi ride. Tickets must be bought online through the official booking platform, with time slots, and are non-refundable.
As last reported, the galleries are open from 9 am to 6 pm on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (last ticket 5 pm), and from 9 am to 9 pm on Wednesday and Saturday (last ticket 8 pm). General admission for foreign non-resident visitors was EGP 1,450 for adults and EGP 730 for students and children, with guided tours in English or Arabic available at a higher price. The museum announced a price rise from 1 November 2026 of about USD 5 for foreign visitors and EGP 20 for Egyptians (Egyptian adults EGP 220); confirm the current tariff before booking. Children under six enter free. Flash photography, tripods, selfie sticks and drones are not allowed, and outside food is not permitted. Allow at least three to four hours, and consider combining your visit with the Pyramids (last checked October 2026).
Official website: gem.eg.
Sources: gem.eg, khaleejtimes.com, africanews.com, english.ahram.org.eg, euronews.com.
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Frequently asked questions
Where is the Grand Egyptian Museum?
On the Cairo–Alexandria Desert Road at the edge of the Giza Plateau, about 2 km from the Pyramids. It is roughly 30 to 40 minutes by car from Downtown Cairo; ride-hailing apps are the easiest way to get there.
Is the Tutankhamun collection on display?
Yes. Since the official opening in November 2025, more than 5,000 objects from Tutankhamun's tomb, including the gold mask, are shown together in two dedicated galleries.
Can I buy tickets at the door?
Tickets must be bought online through the museum's official booking platform, with timed slots, and are non-refundable.
How much are tickets and are prices changing?
The museum announced a price rise from 1 November 2026 of about USD 5 for foreign visitors. Check the current tariff on the official booking platform before you book; children under six enter free.
Can I see Khufu's solar boat at the GEM?
Yes. The Khufu Boats Museum within the complex houses the 4,600-year-old cedar boat found beside the Great Pyramid, along with the ongoing restoration of the second boat.
