Egyptian Museum in Cairo: tickets, opening hours and rules

An Egyptian adult pays EGP 30 to enter the Egyptian Museum in downtown Cairo, and an Egyptian student pays EGP 10, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. A foreign visitor pays EGP 550, or EGP 275 with a student card. The museum is open every day of the week from 9am to 5pm, and the ticket window closes an hour earlier, at 4pm.

Opening hours

The museum keeps the same hours seven days a week, Saturday to Friday: 9am to 5pm, with the last tickets sold at 4pm. During Ramadan the hours change to 9am to 4pm, and the ticket window closes at 3pm. Give yourself at least the hour before closing time: the collection is large and spread over a big building.

Ticket prices

Egyptians: EGP 30 for adults and EGP 10 for students.

Foreign visitors: EGP 550 for adults and EGP 275 for students.

Audio tour: EGP 30 for Egyptians and EGP 75 for foreign visitors.

The ministry's page does not publish a separate children's price for ages 6 and over, a price for Arab visitors or a price for a camera ticket; ask at the window before you pay.

Who gets in free

The ministry lists five groups who enter free of charge: Egyptians aged 60 and over, Egyptians with special needs, orphaned children, government and Al-Azhar primary and preparatory school trips booked in advance through the Rehla platform, and all children under 6.

Photos and filming

Taking photos with a mobile phone is free. Flash is not allowed, and the museum asks visitors not to photograph other visitors or staff. A camera holder needs its own ticket before it can be used inside. Filming or photographing for commercial use, such as television, cinema, adverts or documentaries, needs a permit from the authority in charge and payment of the daily rate.

What you cannot bring in

Large bags, large backpacks, luggage and parcels bigger than 40 by 40 centimetres go to the cloakroom, and so do umbrellas and any sharp items. Bags may be searched at any time. Food and drinks are not allowed in the galleries, except small bottles of water. Pets, musical instruments, folding seats and banners or placards are not allowed without permission. Smoking is banned throughout the building, and children must stay with an adult at all times. Art students who sketch may use pencils only, on sketchbooks no larger than 18 by 24 inches.

What you will see

The ministry describes the Egyptian Museum as the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East, holding the largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities in the world, from the Predynastic Period to the Greco-Roman era. The building was designed by the French architect Marcel Dourgnon, who won an international competition in 1895, and it was opened in 1902 by Khedive Abbas Helmy II. Among its best-known pieces are the complete burials of Yuya and Thuya, Psusennes I and the treasures of Tanis, the Narmer Palette, which marks the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, and statues of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the kings who built the pyramids of Giza. Papyri, coffins and jewellery complete the collection.

Services

The museum has a cafe, a gift shop, an information desk, a lift, a library, ramped entrances, labels in Braille, toilets, parking and explanation in sign language.

Common questions

Is the museum open on Fridays? Yes. It opens every day of the week, 9am to 5pm.

What time should I arrive? Before 4pm, when the ticket window closes, or before 3pm in Ramadan.

Can I take photos? Yes, with a mobile phone and without flash.