'Awe-inspiring': inside Cairo's long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum

Operators have hailed last week’s soft opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum as a step in the right direction, with the GEM complex now offering limited access to test site readiness and the visitor experience ahead of the official opening. Although still advised, it’s no longer necessary to book advance tickets, with daily tour slots available.

Overlooking the iconic Giza Plateau, the GEM is set to be the largest museum dedicated to a single civilisation and the highly anticipated museum opened 12 main exhibition galleries last week. The new exhibition galleries feature 15,000 artefacts across four major sections, showcasing Egypt’s complete ancient history.

However, this is still considered a trial opening, with the official opening date yet to be confirmed by the Egyptian government. A major part of the exhibition – the King Tutankhamum Gallery, which will for the first time display the entire treasure collection of Egypt’s most famous boy Pharoah since the tomb’s discovery in 1922 – is not one of the galleries open for visitors. Access is currently limited to the grand hall, grand staircase, 12 main galleries, commercial area (restaurants and shops), and exterior gardens.

Debbie O’Neill, managing director of small group escorted tour operator, Jules Verne was recently given a tour of the museum’s progress, and she shared this feedback with TTG: “Breathtaking, jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring are just a few of the words I would use to describe the Grand Egyptian Museum. It is an experience that we simply cannot wait to give our guests and include within our Egypt tours after the GEM’s official opening.”

“Our close relationship with our DMC partner in Egypt, Traveline-Egypt, has meant that we have been fortunate enough to receive sneak peeks into the museum’s progress. From a grand staircase that offers spectacular views overlooking Giza’s iconic pyramids to a hugely important restoration centre, the museum promises an experience like no other, immersing guests in ancient wonders of the world in a way that is both authentic and innovative.”

Philip Breckner, director and co-owner, Discover Egypt, added that the opening of the galleries was “good news” but there were caveats: “Quite a large portion of the museum is open, however most importantly the TUT collection remains in the main Tahrir Museum in Cairo, and there is still no official opening date.”