Manial Palace Museum Cairo: tickets, opening hours and what to see

The Manial Palace Museum, the palace of Prince Muhammad Ali Tawfik in Manial, is open every day from 9am to 5pm, and the ticket window closes at 4pm. An Egyptian adult pays EGP 60 and an Egyptian student EGP 20; a foreign adult pays EGP 220 and a foreign student EGP 110, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Opening hours

The museum keeps the same hours seven days a week, Sunday to Saturday: 9am to 5pm, with the last tickets sold at 4pm. During Ramadan it opens from 9am to 3pm, and the ticket window closes at 2pm. Plan to be inside by 4pm at the latest, since the palace is not one building but a group of halls spread around a garden.

Ticket prices

Egyptians: EGP 60 for adults and EGP 20 for students.

Foreign visitors: EGP 220 for adults and EGP 110 for students.

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

Who gets in free

The ministry lists five groups who enter free: 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.

What you will see

The ministry calls the palace one of the most beautiful and important historical museums in Egypt. It was built for Prince Muhammad Ali Tawfik between 1900 and 1929, and it shows a key period of modern Egyptian history. Its style is a modern Islamic one that mixes Persian and Mamluk elements with Syrian, Moroccan and Andalusian decoration and an Ottoman feel, so the buildings read almost like a catalogue of Islamic architecture.

An outer wall surrounds the entrance. Inside it are the reception palace, the clock tower, the sabil (a public drinking fountain), the mosque, the hunting museum, the residence palace, the throne hall, the private museum and the golden hall, all set around the palace garden. The ministry notes that the garden itself is not part of the visit route.

Photos and filming

Photos with a mobile phone are free. Flash is not allowed, and neither are tripods or monopods, except for permitted commercial shoots. The museum asks visitors not to photograph other visitors or staff. 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.

Rules for your visit

Do not touch exhibits or showcases. Food and drinks are not allowed in the galleries, except small bottles of water, and smoking is banned throughout. Audio players, torches and laser pointers are not allowed, and the museum asks for appropriate clothing. Large bags, large backpacks, luggage and parcels bigger than 40 by 40 centimetres go to the cloakroom, as do umbrellas and sharp items, and bags may be searched. Pets, musical instruments, folding seats and banners are not allowed without permission. 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.

Services

The ministry lists toilets, an ATM, parking, an information desk, a ramped entrance and a gift shop. The palace also has a lecture room, the golden hall for events, the garden as an open-air events space and the private museum as a hall for temporary exhibitions.

Common questions

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

What time should I arrive? Before 4pm, when the ticket window closes, or before 2pm in Ramadan.

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

Can I walk in the garden? The ministry says the garden is not part of the visit route.