Is the Grand Egyptian Museum worth visiting? What you can see – and what’s missing – before it fully opens

Almost a century ago, American archaeologists working near the Pyramids of Giza made an incredible discovery: a secret burial chamber littered with gilded treasures. They’d just uncovered the tomb of Queen Hetepheres I, the mother of King Khufu, along with a suite of royal bedroom furniture. The items inside were over 4,600 years old.

Through painstaking restoration work, the queen’s bed, throne, and belongings were carefully restored to their former glory. The Hetepheres collection now sits among the thousands of incredible artefacts at the newly-opened Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Cairo.

The display, which included a baldachin frame that once draped luxurious fabrics, transported me back to a royal life thousands of years ago and made history feel strikingly tangible. For me, this was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my visit to the GEM.

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Read more: The ultimate city guide to Cairo

Touted as the world’s largest archaeological museum, the GEM has been in the making for almost two decades. While it’s been gradually opening since 2022, the main attractions – believed to be as many as 100,000 archaeological artefacts – have been kept under wraps until recently.

To the delight of history buffs, 12 of the museum’s galleries were finally opened to the public in October 2024.  Having been based in Dahab for a number of years, I’m among many ancient Egypt fans who have eagerly counted down the days to the grand opening. Though still a soft opening (as some areas had yet to be unveiled), I was still excited see what treasures were in store.

But is visiting the Grand Egyptian Museum before it’s fully open worth it?

The museum’s sheer size, framed by the Great Pyramids of Giza, create an impressive backdrop. Designed by an Ireland-based architecture firm, the vast triangular geometry and motifs across the building appear to cleverly blend with the 4,000-year-old architecture of the pyramids beyond. The work put into curating the GEM experience clearly shows, and it’s unsurprising the building has already been named among the most beautiful museums in the world.

I stepped through security, purchased a ticket (£1,200 Egyptian pounds, or £19 GBP), and continued toward the galleries, wary that…