The Grand Egyptian Museum: how to plan your visit
Tickets, timing and the route through the world’s largest archaeological museum.
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), at the edge of the Giza plateau, is the largest museum in the world devoted to a single civilisation. It is also very easy to get lost in. A few tips:
Buy timed tickets in advance
Entry is by time slot, and popular slots sell out in high season. Book online before you travel, and arrive a little early for security.
Give it at least four hours
The Grand Staircase alone could take an hour. I recommend this route: the colossal statue of Ramesses II in the atrium, up the Grand Staircase, a selection of the main galleries, and then the Tutankhamun galleries — the complete burial equipment of the boy king, shown together for the first time since Howard Carter opened the tomb in 1922.
Don’t miss Khufu’s boat
The 4,500-year-old cedar vessel found beside the Great Pyramid now has its own building. It is breathtaking, and often quiet.
Combine it with the pyramids
The GEM is only a few minutes from the pyramids. Plateau in the early morning, museum after lunch, is a perfect day.
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