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Grand Egypt Museum is Open
In case you missed it… THE GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM IS OPEN! (Finally!)
The Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Cairo has been heralded as one of the biggest cultural openings EVER. Located near the Pyramids of Giza, this magnificent colossus is the world’s largest institution dedicated to a single civilisation, with almost 872,000sq feet of floor space displaying tens of thousands of artefacts.
Basking within site of the iconic Great Pyramids of Giza, The GEM (Grand Egyptian Museum) is officially the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization. Following over two decades of planning, construction and delays, the $1.2 billion mega-complex fully opened its doors to the public in November 2025.
Key Highlights of the GEM
The Complete Tutankhamun Collection: For the first time in history, all 5,000+ artifacts excavated from King Tut’s tomb are being displayed together in one place. This includes his iconic golden burial mask, chariots and throne.
Unprecedented Scale: Spanning over 480,000 square metres (roughly twice the size of the Louvre in Paris), it houses over 100,000 ancient artifacts tracking 7,000 years of Egyptian history—from the prehistoric era to the Greco-Roman period.
The “Fourth Pyramid” Architecture: Designed by the Irish firm Heneghan Peng Architects, the building features a striking, translucent alabaster facade and a blunt triangular design that aligns geometrically with the Pyramids.
The Grand Atrium & Staircase: Upon entering, visitors are greeted by an 83-tonne, 3,200-year-old colossal statue of Ramesses II. A sweeping grand staircase leads up past statues of ancient deities to massive exhibition spaces with floor-to-ceiling windows looking directly out at the Pyramids.
Khufu’s Solar Boat: The museum houses the intact, 4500-year-old solar vessel of King Khufu, which was carefully relocated to the GEM from its original pit next to the Great Pyramid.
At Simply Egypt, our ‘Classic Cairo’ tour provides you the perfect itinerary to help tick off that bucket list visit to see The Great Pyramids of Giza & GEM in style.
Available from just £699pp, our ‘Classic Cairo’ tour is including a luxury hotel with pyramid view room for you & private airport transfers. As well as a full day guided tour of ancient Giza including Pyramids educational, the brand new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), a five-star lunch and more.
Also included on a separate evening is a ‘Dinner Cruise on the River Nile’. Watch the Cairo skyline light up after dark on a dinner cruise of the Nile with two remarkable dance performances then enjoy a sumptuous Egyptian meal on deck. Enjoy belly dancers and Tannoura performers bring their traditions to life with a mesmerizing blend of twirling skirts and sensuous movements. Listen to live music from an Egyptian band and take in stunning views of the city.
Book & secure your ABTA & ATOL protected Egypt Tour or Holiday with a low deposit, 0% interest on instalments & the final balance due 4 weeks prior to travel. All our tours can be tailored to your specific needs. Click on the links for more details, use our live chat service or call our ‘Egypt Specialists’ to book.
ABTA & ATOL Protected Package Holidays & Tours to Egypt
A Short History of The GEM
They were so close… but the government of Egypt made the difficult decision to delay the planned July 2025 ‘grand opening’ of the Grand Egyptian Museum (The GEM) once again. Until, eventualy, the day finally arrived (again). The Grand Egyptian Museum’s main artefact galleries and exhibit halls opened (fully) to the public (again) on Tuesday 4th November 2025. This is after one further delay was added…
After a soft phase of opening, then a full dress rehearsal opening, The GEM had to close temporarily for a period of 2 weeks. This was while a huge number of artefacts were moved from the old museum to the new. Then, high office officials and dignitaries enjoyed the first full opening sessions after a grand opening ceremony on Saturday 1st November. After which, The GEM opened again, fully, for all general public on Tuesday 4th November 2025.
The GEM’s opening date was originally planned for well over a decade ago, then shifted to 2018 and beyond, with a phased launch adding to the timeline.
Grand Egyptian Musuem Highlights:
Visitors can expect:
• The full Tutankhamun collection, displayed together for the first time.
• Massive artefact halls, including the colossal statue of Ramses II at the entrance.
• Interactive and digital exhibits, featuring augmented reality and virtual reconstructions of ancient Egyptian sites.
• Panoramic views of the Pyramids, making it a visually stunning experience.
• New tram, travellator and escalator public transport opportunities to travel from Pyramids to GEM (date TBC).
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) Opening Hours:
GEM Complex & Galleries: 9AM – 6PM
Last ticket purchase: 4PM
Extended Wednesday and Saturday: 9AM – 10PM
Last ticket purchase: 730PM
The GEM Facts & Figures:
The highly anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) marks a landmark moment for the country and its unique ancient history. This includes the vast galleries and collections that allow you can be among the first to experience this wonderful new addition to the museum world and an absolute must see for Egypt enthusiasts.
The GEM is located in Giza, Egypt, and will house over 100000 artefacts from ancient Egyptian civilization, including the complete Tutankhamun collection. It is the world’s largest archaeological museum, with 81000m2 of floor space.
The GEM’s opening has been delayed by major events such as the Covid pandemic with the original estimated completion date set in 2013! Construction of this mega project began all the way back in 2005 and has overcome numerous challenges over the years, including environmental, financial and political hurdles.
Set outside of Cairo, this new museum houses over 100000 ancient artefacts, plus King Tut’s entire treasure collection.
Just over 20 years ago, the Egyptian Government decided to update the main Cairo Museum. They held an international competition for the design of a brand new museum near The Great Pyramids of Giza.
Egypt’s Future, Preserving Egypt’s Past
Many years after the Grand Egyptian Museum construction started, the brand new Cairo Museum is here.
After making good progress, serious delays occurred during the Covid pandemic. Then at the start of 2021 it was announced that it will take “four to six months” in 2021 to install approximately 100000 artefacts, including 3000 from the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Construction of The GEM has taken many years, with the opening delayed several times. It was pushed back from late 2020 to 2021 and then 2022 in light of the coronavirus outbreak.
Egypt Transported 22 Mummies in Elaborate Parade to Celebrate New Museum in Cairo. Mummies, including Ramses II and Queen Hatshepsut, will now live at Egypt’s new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The mummies made their way through Cairo in an elaborate over the Easter weekend to celebrate their new resting place at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
The “Pharoahs’ Golden Parade” — complete with performers, light displays, and a marching band — travelled from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square to the new museum site, about three miles southeast.
The mummified remains of the 22 pharaohs, 18 kings and four queens, were transported in trucks decorated to look like the ancient boats that once carried the bodies of pharaohs to their tombs. The mummies had been packed inside a tube of nitrogen to protect them during transport.
“By doing it like this, with great pomp and circumstance, the mummies are getting their due,” Salima Ikram, an Egyptologist at the American University in Cairo, told Reuters. “These are the kings of Egypt, these are the pharaohs. And so, it is a way of showing respect.”
The journey across the city took approximately an hour. Roads along the Nile were shut down for the ceremony. When the mummies finally arrived at their new museum, they were greeted with a 21-gun salute.
Most of the mummies were from Egypt’s New Kingdom, which ruled from 1539 BC to 1075 BC, and included the famous rulers Ramses II and Queen Hatshepsut. The mummies were buried about 3000 years ago in and around Egypt’s Valley of the Kings and were discovered during an excavation in the 19th century.
After excavation, the mummies were transported to Cairo by boats. According to Al Jazeera, Some were displayed for the public to see while others were privately stored. Now, 20 of the mummies are on display at the brand new museum.
“Egypt’s gift to the world deserves a huge celebration,” said Moftah.
The museum, which is spread across 490000 square metres, has been designed by Dublin-based architects Heneghan Peng. “You could park a 747 inside,” said architect Roisin Heneghan.
It will boast panoramic views of the pyramids of Giza, and the largest artefact is an enormous statue of Ramses the Great, located in the atrium. The grand staircase behind boasts 87 statues of pharaohs and Egyptian gods.
In addition, the world’s largest archaeological museum houses 28 shops, ten restaurants, a conference centre and a cinema.
There are around 100000 objects in the collection and the star attraction will be all 5600 objects from the tomb of King Tutankhamun.
The GEM also features Tutankhamun galleries and a replica of his tomb, although the galleries are more than 60 times the size of the original tomb. Tutankhamun’s outer coffin is on display, alongside his two inner coffins.
Moftah estimates that 2 to 3 million guests will visit GEM in its first year of opening and in the longer-term up to 8 million a year.
The Grand Egyptian Museum has taken almost 20 years to create, from architectural competition to planned opening November 4th 2025.
National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation opens fully to the public. Visitors browse exhibits at Egypt’s new National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (NMEC) in the Fustat district of Old Cairo, after the museum opened fully to the public, the day after a procession of floats carried the mummified remains of 22 pharaohs passed through the capital to their new resting place at the museum.
Book a trip to see the new Cairo Museums and exhibits with our ‘Classic Cairo‘ tour.
***This blog was written on and from the perspective of 30th August 2026.