Grand Egyptian Museum Opening Update: New Tours Announced
Gus at the Grand Egyptian Museum earlier in 2023.
The Grand Egyptian Museum , or “GEM”, Cairo’s new museum located in Giza by the Pyramids, is partially open. The full opening is still delayed, but here is an update with new information, including:
New tours of the Grand Egyptian Museum, including the Grand Staircase
New website to buy tickets to the Grand Egyptian Museum
When the Grand Egyptian Museum will open
What you can currently see at the GEM
Experience the Grand Egyptian Museum and more on the Essential Egypt Group Tour!
New Grand Egyptian Museum Tours
The Grand Egyptian Museum has been open for a trial phase, with limited areas open for tours, since February 2023. However, the GEM announced new tours showing more areas of the museum, including:
An exceptional evening tour (4,850 Egyptian Pounds per person, minimum group size 20)
Special tour ($1,050 USD per person, no minimum group size unless in evening hours, then minimum group size 10)
Special cocktail reception and lunch or dinner ($270 USD per person, minimum group size 20)
GEM “An exceptional evening tour”
This tour looks very similar to the normal, trial phase tour that is being offered, except the museum will have much fewer guests (only those who have booked this special tour), and this tour also includes dinner.
GEM Special Cocktail Reception and Lunch/Dinner
This tour is identical to the one above, but also includes local beer and wine, and an appetizer course with lunch or dinner.
Sample menu:
Shared Appetizer on tables
2 platters of mix cheese decorated with grapes, nuts & dry fruits
1 platter of bresaola plain & stuffed with ricotta cheese
Appetizer
Caesar salad topped with glazed salmon teriyaki
Main Course
Beef fillet topped with maroon & mushroom served with potato mille-feuilles & sautéed Vegetable
Dessert
Dark chocolate dome served with raspberry sauce
Grand Egyptian Museum Special Tour
This is the only tour of the three that includes anything new to see—the GEM Special Tour allows visitors to ascend the Grand Staircase and see the 64 statues there up close along the way. The Grand Staircase is one of the most striking parts of the GEM’s Great Hall, and visitors doing just the normal tours can only glimpse the staircase from the main atrium, but are not able to go up and see the statues and artifacts up close.
However, at the price tag of $1,050 USD per person, it makes the most sense to wait for the Grand Egyptian Museum’s full opening to see the Grand Staircase, and all the other galleries at the GEM that are currently not open to the public.
How to book the new GEM tours
To book one of these special tours, send an email to Legacy, the company managing the Grand Egyptian Museum, at legacy.booking@hassanallam.com.
Note what type of tour you would like to book, what date and time, and how many guests.
Buy tickets to the Grand Egyptian Museum
For visitors who want to see the trial phase of the Grand Egyptian Museum, and do not want to pay the extra expense for the lunch/dinner tour or the special tour, the tickets are much more affordable (only 1,000 Egyptian Pounds for foreigners), and can be purchased on the GEM’s new ticket website: https://visit-gem.com/en.
When will the Grand Egyptian Museum be fully open?
Travelers are asking all the time, “When will the GEM open?”, and unfortunately we still do not have a concrete answer. Based on recent news stories and announcements from the groups working on the GEM, we are estimating it will open sometime between November 2023 - April 2024, with the opening most likely happening in 2024.
The Grand Egyptian Museum Opening will be a huge event where Egypt will try to have as much fanfare, press, and as many people in attendance as possible, so we are expecting to hear about the museum’s grand opening far and wide once it is officially announced.
Another clue to the GEM’s opening will be when the Tutankhamun funerary mask is moved from the original Egyptian Museum at Tahrir Square to its new home at the Grand Egyptian Museum’s King Tut Galleries. The moving of the mask will be a signal that the opening of Cairo’s new museum is imminent, since the mask is the most prized ancient Egyptian artifact on display in Cairo.
What can I see at the GEM if I go today?
If your trip to Egypt cannot be postponed until after the GEM opens fully, or if you want to visit Egypt but the new museum is not a “make or break” factor in your trip, there are still several amazing artifacts on display in the areas of the Grand Egyptian Museum that are open to the public, like:
The Hanging Obelisk
Colossal Statue of King Ramesses II (the Great)
The Royal Regalia
The Victory Column of King Merenptah
Statues of an unknown Ptolemaic King and Queen
Second statue of Ramesses II (the Great)
Check out everything on public display at the GEM in this video:
Get updates about the GEM’s opening:
Two great ways to get updated about the GEM are to:
Subscribe to Egypt Adventures Travel’s YouTube Channel. Any updates about the GEM’s opening will be posted on YouTube right away.
Subscribe to Egypt Adventures Travel’s email list (go to the homepage, and scroll to the bottom). You will get timely email updates with any new information about the Grand Egyptian Museum.
The GEM is the most anticipated new attraction in Egypt, and everyone is excited for its full opening—here’s to hoping it’s soon!
