Take an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the eagerly awaited Grand Egyptian Museum.

Once it opens, Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum will stand as the world’s largest museum devoted to a single civilization.

Located just two kilometers from the iconic pyramids of Giza, the museum will showcase Egypt’s most treasured artifacts and is projected to draw around five million visitors annually.

After over a decade of construction and multiple delays, there’s now a rare chance to explore the 5.2-million-square-foot museum before its official 2020 opening through a special 'secret' tour.

Led by Faten Mohammad, a key figure in the museum’s international relations team, the four-hour tour runs daily. Our team at Dinogo Travel joined one of these exclusive tours earlier this year.

Mohammad begins the tour by explaining the museum's ongoing efforts to preserve and restore its invaluable collection.

As of April 2019, the conservation center has received 46,000 artifacts, with 42,000 of them already restored, according to Mohammad.

After outlining the center's strict security protocols—photography is prohibited without permission and touching the artifacts is forbidden—Mohammad leads the group into the organic lab.

Inside, the lab is filled with hundreds of King Tut’s textile, leather, and papyrus items, all carefully waiting for restoration.

Displayed without the usual glass cases, some of King Tut’s restored jewelry, shoes, and even a loincloth (yes, his underwear) are shown up close.

Fresh artifacts

While a portion of King Tut’s treasures were previously displayed at Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, the GEM will house all 5,000 known items from the collection.

“For the first time since 1922, when the tomb was discovered, we will showcase the full collection of King Tut in one place,” Mohammad explains. “His treasures will fill two halls covering approximately 7,000 square meters.”

The artifacts will be arranged to mirror their original placement when British archaeologist Howard Carter uncovered King Tut’s tomb in Luxor in 1922.

Some might view the GEM’s exclusive behind-the-scenes tour as nothing more than a cash grab.

However, the true appeal of this expensive experience lies in the rare opportunity to explore the inner workings of one of the world’s largest museums. In the wooden conservation lab, Mohammad brings this promise to life.

“When Carter uncovered King Tut’s tomb, he tried to preserve the artifacts by coating them in wax. We’ve since learned that this method had damaging effects,” she explains.

Restoration project

“Our team works to remove the wax coating before displaying the artifacts. When we removed the wax from a chariot of King Tut, we uncovered new scenes that were previously hidden,” she explains.

As visitors admire the intricately decorated golden chariots—photography is permitted here—Mohammad continues sharing fascinating Egyptian history.

“We have three burial beds of King Tut, each made for his journey into the afterlife,” she says, pointing to a collection of intricately crafted wooden structures.

“When we conducted a photo scan, we realized that what appeared to be black wasn’t actually black at all. It’s Egyptian blue, an ancient pigment now known as cerulean,” she says.

These beds were not used by King Tut during his reign in 1300 BCE; they were specifically crafted for his journey into the afterlife.

The beds feature carvings of Ammit, the hippopotamus-headed goddess of divine retribution, and Hathor, the cow goddess who helped guide souls into the afterlife.

The next stop on the tour is the heavy stone lab, which initially feels more like a warehouse than a museum. However, Mohammad draws attention to the ancient 1,000-pound stone ruins stored inside.

This active lab contains statues made of granite, limestone, and basalt, alongside fragments from temples scattered across Egypt.

The goal is to carefully clean and preserve these colossal artifacts before they are moved to the museum’s grand entrance.

“All large objects will be displayed along the museum’s grand staircase,” Mohammad explains. “A statue of Ramses II will stand at the main entrance, and along the stairs, you’ll find more than 87 monumental pieces.”

Billion-dollar endeavor

At this stage, Yusuf takes over to guide visitors on a brief hard-hat tour of the enormous GEM construction site.

The museum was originally slated to open in 2012, but the Egyptian revolution delayed those plans.

Due to security concerns and a shortage of funds, construction was halted between 2011 and 2014, as explained by GEM representative Basma Yusuf.

With the project gaining momentum again through loans from Japan, officials first anticipated a partial opening in 2018, which was later pushed to 2019.

However, in late 2018, it was announced that the opening had been delayed once more, this time with a projected launch in 2020.

Although pricey, these tours attract many visitors to Giza. Most travelers’ experience in the town usually ends with a visit to the pyramids.

But with the new museum on the horizon, and the exclusive behind-the-scenes tours available in the meantime, travelers can truly maximize their time in Egypt.

The GEM has curated a vast collection of 100,000 artifacts from across Egypt and beyond, with 20,000 of them being displayed for the first time ever.

Many items were relocated from the overcrowded Egyptian Museum due to its lack of space. The iconic museum in Tahrir Square will now shift its focus to art.

“When we visit the Giza Pyramids, we often spend too much time stuck in traffic to make it to the old Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square,” explains Azmy Salama, a tour consultant with Explore Egypt Tours.

“This will save time and, just as importantly, allow us to showcase our invaluable collections that are currently locked away in catalogs, unseen by the public,” she says.

After a short five-minute drive from the conservation center to the entrance – yes, the complex is that vast – visitors are greeted with their first full view of the pristine museum.

The entrance features a nearly 2,000-foot translucent facade, thoughtfully designed to echo the shape of the nearby pyramids.

A palm-lined 'Nile Park' will honor the life-sustaining river with tranquil fountains and serene landscapes.

Ongoing development

While these grand features may be difficult to imagine with a year to go before opening, Yusuf is fully aware of the challenges ahead but remains confident they’ll meet the deadline.

“We have 7,000 workers on three shifts around the clock,” Yusuf says as she hands out hard hats. “In the conservation center alone, about 400 people are on the job.”

Although the building seemed bare during the April 2019 tour, work is advancing more rapidly than it appears.

In February 2019, Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani announced that the museum was 88% complete, according to the Egyptian Independent newspaper.

As visitors make their way toward the entrance, Yusuf highlights the interactive children’s museum and the GEM’s newly installed solar panels – making it the first Egyptian museum to harness solar energy. However, at this point, most visitors are too captivated to pay attention.

Even Ahmed, the Explore Egypt Tours guide, can’t tear his gaze away from the massive 83-ton Ramses II statue long enough to focus.

This red-granite giant was first unearthed in Memphis in 1820. It was restored in Cairo in 1954 and had stood as a landmark in Bab Al-Hadid Square for decades.

In 2006, the government moved the statue to Giza for preservation. Ramses II was finally settled in the nearly finished entrance atrium of the GEM in January 2018.

Surrounded by cranes, jackhammers, and temporary barriers, this encounter with the 39-foot Ramses II is anything but tranquil.

However, considering that the GEM expects to attract eight million visitors each year, this exclusive, crowd-free moment with the ancient Ramses II makes the admission fee well worth it.

Grand Egyptian Museum: El Remayah Sq., Cairo-Alex. Road, Pyramids, Giza, Egypt; + 202 33 776 893

Behind-the-Scenes Grand Egyptian Museum Tour