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12 Things to Know Before Touring the Egyptian Museum in Cairo

ByLindsey Puls Posted on Updated on
A gold plated bust statue of an Egyptian pharaoh in a glass display case at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo (a.k.a. The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities), is a museum I’ve been dreaming of visiting since I was a little girl. It’s home to more than 120,000 artifacts from Ancient Egypt (seriously)! They have so many, they’re honestly running out of room.

Visiting this incredible museum is a must for any trip to Egypt. It’s located in the city of Cairo with many tours operating daily. (Or you can buy your tickets yourself when you get there. I don’t believe they let you purchase online ahead of time yet.)

But, before you go, here are a 12 things to know to prepare you for this grand adventure! Enjoy!

12 Things To Know Before Touring The Egyptian Museum in Cairo

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Find Tour Packages for The Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

A photo of the outside façade of The Egyptian Museum. The large multi-story building is a terracotta color with windows and arches. A green manicured lawn in front features tall palm trees and sculptures.
The front entrance of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

1.) The Museum itself is over 100 years old.

Unfortunately, it’s not in the best condition anymore. (There are plans to open a new museum eventually, though. More on that in a second!)

2.) The Egyptian Museum in Cairo is not air-conditioned.

Which is surprising, considering how warm it is in Cairo! Be sure to bring a bottle of water along. We made the mistake of thinking we’d buy one at the cafeteria, and it wasn’t open that day, for some reason. (We thought we were going to die!)

One of the many exhibits inside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo features two large statues on either side of an arched alcove. Glass display cases hold ancient artifacts and artwork hangs on every wall.

3.) There are more than 120,000 pieces, & it’s not very organized.

There are honestly so many pieces they’re running out of space! It feels as though a lot of pieces are just dumped into areas and display cases, without much rhyme or reason. It’s the first time I’ve been to such an overflowing museum!

4.) The Egyptian Museum will be crowded, no matter what time of year you go.

We went in May, which is no longer considered peak season…and check out the crowds in the photo below! This place is bonkers!

Crowds of museum visitors mill around an exhibit at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, admiring the artifacts in display cases, statues, and ancient artwork on the walls.

5.) You have to pay extra to take photos with a camera.

If you have a digital camera, you will have to buy a photography ticket for 50 LE if you want to take photos inside the museum. (You will definitely be asked to present your ticket if they see you using a camera.) This, however, does not apply to cell phones! So, if you’re just using your cellphone to photograph, there’s no need to buy this extra ticket.

6.) The Royal Mummies Hall is also an extra 150 LE to enter. (No photos allowed!)

In my opinion, it’s worth visiting this room. I’ve heard some people remark “why would you want to see a bunch of dusty mummies?” However, I think this was the most impressive part of the museum! You can actually see people who had ruled Ancient Egypt 3,000 years ago! It’s mind-boggling. Some have perfectly preserved hair, and you can see their manicured fingernails. It’s incredible. You can even see Ramesses II in here (he’s regarded as the greatest and most powerful pharaoh in history…he’s also VERY well preserved.)

A photo of a mummy inside an ornate golden sarcophagus displayed in a glass display case at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

7.) There are still mummies outside of the mummies hall, though!

If you’re unsure of whether you want to go inside the mummy hall (but hey, that part IS air-conditioned), there are mummies outside of it. Yuya and Tuya, who were Egyptian nobles, are outside this hall. They both still of their blonde hair too.

A closer image of a mummified Egyptian noble laying in an opened, uncovered sarcophagus displayed inside a glass display case.
A mummy lays inside an opened sarcophagus displayed in a clear glass display case. The lid of the sarcophagus rests over the base on a raised plane of glass.

8.) King Tut’s treasures are here, but his mummy is still in the Valley of the Kings.

The highlight of the museum is arguably King Tut’s treasures. You can see everything from his sandals to a mannequin he draped his jewelry on in the morning (I thought that was super interesting), to his throne and canopic jars. Oh, and of course, his famous burial mask…which weighs nearly 25 pounds and is solid gold. His mask is in a separate room (no extra fee to enter here), where no photos are allowed.

However, his mummy is still in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. You can pay an extra fee to see it when you visit that part of Egypt.

King Tut's Throne, an ornate chair decorated with ancient artwork and carvings, sits in a glass display case at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
King Tut’s Throne
A small mannequin sits front and center in a display case, surrounded by pieces of King Tut's jewlery and information cards.
A mannequin King Tut used for his jewelry.
An ancient pair of King Tut's Sandals, displayed with a white information card with Egyptian and English writing.
King Tut’s Sandals
King Tut's canopic jars sit inside a large marble box with a lid, adorned with hieroglyphs along the side of the box.
King Tut’s canopic jars (this is what his organs were placed in after death,)

9.) Take at least 3 hours (minimum) to tour the Egyptian Museum. However, you could easily spend days here!

As with any museum, you could easily spend days here and not see everything! However, to see the highlights, it’ll take around 3 hours.

10.) Many of the artifacts are already being packed up and moved to the new “Grand Egyptian Museum.”

There is a new museum being built! It’s called the “Grand Egyptian Museum,” and it’s right next to the pyramids. It was supposed to have opened in 2018, but it sounds like it’s more likely it won’t be open until 2020 or 2021 (there is no set date when it will be opened yet). When we visited a couple weeks ago, we could already see some artifacts were beginning to get wrapped and packed to head over to the new museum. So, if you visit before the new museum opens, you may not get to see every single artifact anyways.

A stone-carved bust status of Nefertiti, the wife of an Egyptian Pharoah, displayed on a wooden stand inside a glass display case.
Nefertiti, Wife of Pharoah Akhenaten

11.) Head to the Khan El Khalili Bazaar after & make a day of it!

The Khan El Khalili Bazaar is a famous market in Cairo and it’s not a far drive from the museum. Many tours will take you there after, and it’s worth at least walking through. (Many guides will advise you not to buy from here, though, as they are very overpriced.) It’s also worth noting that many tours will have you do all of this + visit the pyramids. You can really cram a lot into one day!

Khan El Khalili Bazaar - a street market lined with stalls selling souvenirs, artifacts, artwork, and more. Banners of flags zig-zag between the stalls that line the streets.
Khan El Khalili Bazaar

12.) If possible, visit the Egyptian Museum after you explore Valley of the Kings.

We did not do this, and I know not all itineraries will allow you to do this (it’s not the end of the world)! However, if you have the option, touring the Valley of the Kings first will really bring the museum to life, in my opinion. We had gone on a 4-day cruise down the Nile and stopped at various sites along the way. (It was AMAZING.) However, I wished I could go back to the museum after seeing the temples of the Ancient Egyptians, where they were buried, etc.

A statue of an Egyptian dog carved from black stone and painted with gold accents sits atop an ancient wooden box inside of a glass display case at the Egyptian Museum.

Thoughts on Taking a Tour of The Egyptian Museum…

A tour can be a great way to see the museum in a limited amount of time, as your guide will know exactly where to go, so you don’t miss the most important artifacts in the museum.

I highly recommend this affordable and popular Egyptian Museum tour!

My husband and I had taken a private tour through Memphis Tours, and unfortunately, this was not a very good tour, and I wouldn’t recommend it. Our guide was just kind of “meh.” And she was rushing us through the museum, despite it just being the 2 of us on the tour! I was also having some issues with my camera, and she wouldn’t stop to let me get it figured out. It was a very odd experience. (However, we used Memphis Tours for other parts of our trip, and they were PHENOMENAL. So, this wasn’t the norm for them.)

That being said, if you have time and aren’t a fan of guides, there’s no reason you couldn’t tour the museum by yourself. Many of the signs are translated and the museum does offer audio guides.

Where to Stay in Cairo

We stayed at the Marriott Mena House, and had a phenomenal time there! I posted a full review of our stay at the Marriott Mena House, including tons of photos.

Read Next: What I Wore to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Read Next: My 7-Day Egyptian Itinerary

Browse all posts from my Egypt trip!

If you have any questions about visiting the Egyptian Museum, please let me know in the comments!

G Adventures is holding a cyber sale where group tour packages are up to $400 off. You can find all of their tour packages for Egypt here. 

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Photo Gallery: The Egyptian Museum & Khan El Khalili Bazaar in Cairo, Egypt

Please enjoy more photos from the museum and the bazaar below.

An outdoor space at the Egyptian Museum features trees and manicured landscaping, benches, seating, and ancient structures carved from stone in a courtyard filled with visitors.
A large stone statue of an Egyptian noble sitting on a throne stands tall in an outdoor space outside of the Egyptian Museum.
A statue of Pharoah Akhenaten inside an exhibit at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Pharoah Akhenaten, some experts speculate he had a health problem which caused his legs to be so much larger than the rest of his body.
Two ancient statues carved from stone sit inside a glass display case at the Egyptian Museum.
One of King Tut's sarcophaguses displayed in a large glass case at the Egyptian Museum.
One of King Tut’s sarcophaguses.
The side opening of one of King Tut's sarcophaguses, displayed inside a large glass display case at the Egyptian Museum.
The side opening of King Tut’s sarcophagus.
An ancient Egyptian game similar to chess, complete with white and black pieces carved from stone, sitting inside a display case.
An ancient Egyptian game similar to chess.
A close up look at the ornate carvings in the doors of one of King Tut's burial sarcophaguses, which is painted gold and displayed inside a glass case.
A close look at the ornate detail of King Tut’s sarcophagus.
A giant sculpture carved from wood and stone, adorned in ornate carvings and statues, sits inside of a display case at the Egyptian Museum.
King Tut's canopic jars and storage box, both carved from sheets of marble and adorned with hieroglyphics.
King Tut’s canopic jars
Intricate white marble jars and tubes used for storing King Tut's essential oils, on display inside a case at the Egyptian Museum.
This is where King Tut stored his essential oils.
The remnants of King Tut's umbrella, used to shade him from the hot ancient Egyptian sun, displayed inside a glass display case at the Egyptian Museum.
King Tut’s umbrella
King Tut's Throne - a chair carved of wood and adorned with ornate gold artwork and carvings.
King Tut’s Throne
A statue of young King Tut's face carved from wood stands on a display stand inside of a glass case.
King Tut
The sarcophagus of an Egyptian noble named Tuya. The sarcophagus is black with gold inlays of Egyptian figures, displayed in a glass case.
Sarcophagus of Tuya (I believe)
More stone-carved canopic jars displayed with their storage boxes inside a glass case.
Yuya and Tuya canopic jars
Small Egyptian statues carved from wood and stone stand in ascending order of height from left to right on glass shelf inside a display case at the Egyptian Museum.
A large black sarcophagus with detailed gold inlays sits inside of a wood-framed glass display case at the Egyptian Museum.
A large all-gold sarcophagus with ornate carvings sits inside a wood-framed glass display case at the Egyptian Museum.
Ancient Egyptian papyrus scrolls feature thousands-years-old writing, displayed behind a glass case.
Ancient papyrus scroll – crazy to think this is thousands of years old.
A display of the remnants of food that was stored in jars and buried with mummified Egyptian nobles. the jars line green shelves that site behind a pane of glass.
Food that was buried with Yuya and Tuya.
An ancient bed - a small wooden frame with a lang piece of cloth stretched over the frame, stands inside a glass display case at the Egyptian Museum.
The bed of Yuya
Four white stone-carved jugs with ancient Egyptian writings sit inside a glass display case.
An ancient Egyptian carriage used to transport royalty is displayed inside a large glass case at the Egyptian Museum.
A large wooden chair, adorned with gold inlay and ornate carvings, sits inside a glass display case at the Egyptian Museum.

Khan El Khalili Bazaar

A car park in front of Egyptian buildings, and tourists mulling about on cobblestone streets.
An alleyway at the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, filled with stalls, vendors, and shoppers.
A stray white and gray cat sits on the streets of the Bazaar in Cairo, Egypt.
A clothing and jewlery vendor at the Khan El Khalili Bazaar.
Locals walk through the packed stalls at the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, admiring the jewelry, accessories, and clothing on sale.
Giant cloth-covered canopies shade the streets of the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, where visitors and locals mill about the street.
Locals and tourists browse a stall at the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, looking at the collection of jewelry and accessories.
Shoppers browse the stalls that line the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, selling everything from clothes to jewelry and souvenirs.
Shoppers stop at one of the stalls at the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, filled with items for sale.
Two stacked images show items displayed in glass display cases, and text that reads "What to Know Before Touring the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt"
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Hi! I’m Lindsey, the voice behind Have Clothes, Will Travel. I’m an online shopping aficionado from a small town in Wisconsin who has also lived in Russia, Argentina, Japan & Australia.

6 Comments

  1. Courtney Byers says:

    These are such great tips! Especially about the no air conditioned, that it will be crowded and that you have extra to take photos. That great cell phone photos are allowed.

    Reply
    1. haveclotheswilltravel says:

      Thank you so much for reading, Courtney!

      Reply

  2. Gosh, this is so amazing, Lindsey. I would definitely want to see the mummies too!
    Some of the places around us are now charging for taking photos. At the Butterfly pavilion it would have been $500 to photograph the 3 of us…isn’t that crazy? Needless to say we didn’t go there for our blog photos. LOL!!
    XOXO
    Jodie

    Reply
    1. haveclotheswilltravel says:

      Holy moly! $500?! That’s crazy! A lot of places in Egypt and even in Russia, too, have photography fees…but it isn’t much more than a few US dollars. $500 is nuts! Haha.

      Reply

  3. The Egyptian period was my favorite period in middle school. My brother in law is Egyptian… that would be such a cool experience to visit those places. Glad you were able to!

    Reply
    1. haveclotheswilltravel says:

      That is so cool! It is a really amazing experience. I hope you make it to Cairo one day!

      Reply

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