Best Egyptian Museum Guided Tours
The large collection of art and ancient objects exhibited at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo deserves a guided tour; if you want to know everything you need to know about these excursions, here I explain in detail!
Egyptian Museum in Cairo | ©V Manninen
The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities is described as the most traditional and important archaeological museum in the Middle East; and one of the essential visits inany tour of Cairo. It was created in 1902, with the intention of housing and protecting all the Egyptian art rescued up to that time and in the years to come. With more than 100 years of antiquity the collection inside the museum is, at least, amazing without adding that is pigeonholed in all the lists of art galleries and most important museums in the world.
Giza Pyramids, Egyptian Museum and Bazaar Khan El Khalili Day Trip from Cairo
Explore the highlights of the Museum in one morning
An expert guide in Egyptology will pick you up directly at the hotel to transfer you to the museum; the tour inside will take you through the most outstanding artifacts with detailed explanations of the artifacts that make up the collection. All in your language
It is a visit that no lover or curious of Egyptian culture can miss, to say that the immense collection of objects from all eras that can be seen in this space is impressive, is an understatement.
A guided tour accompanied by an expert in Egyptology will help you to better understand this impressive culture but above all to put it in a historical context really understandable for us who live in contemporary societies fully modernized.
Recommended if.... you want to make the most of your visit to the museum. It is especially useful for travelers who do not have time to devote a full day to the Museum because they will only be in Cairo for one or twodays. A guide will take you through everything relevant.
How much do guided tours of the Cairo Museum cost and how long do they last?
A guided tour of the Egyptian Museum in the city of Cairo will take at least 3 hours to complete; other tours where a traditional lunch or touring other important monuments such as The Pyramids of Giza, can take between 5 hours or up to 8 hours to complete.
The most economical tours with specialized guides have an average price of 30€; depending on the inclusion of other attractions this price can increase to over 50€ per experience.
Audio guides to visit the Cairo Museum: A very popular resource for travelers looking to save money are the audio guides; unfortunately the Cairo Museum does not have official audio guides, some internet platforms offer free audio guide resources but so far only in English and not really very complete.
Is it worth a guided tour to the Cairo Museum? What advantages do I have over seeing it on my own?
Paying for a guided tour is totally worth it, when traveling to Cairo you should be aware that the Museum of Antiquities is a very large museum and not very well organized. When touring on your own you might experience difficulties in finding the most outstanding and interesting pieces of art in the complex. It is possibly the place in all of Egypt where you might most need the advice of an expert guide in order to get the most out of your visit.
The museum has an impressive collection of 120,000 pieces on display; the collection is so large that they have practically run out of space to add new discoveries. The lack of space has caused a bit of a mess inside the exhibit so an expert guide is vital to find the most striking pieces.
The best possible advice for travelers who will be in Cairo for 3 days or less will definitely be to book with your excursions in advance to the most interesting sites, so you can enjoy the experience much more and avoid a lot of inconvenience.
What types of guided tours are available at the Cairo Museum?
You will find different types of guided tours offered by various companies in Cairo. Although they may vary in terms of duration, price and activities, generally all available museum tours fall into one of the following categories:
- Half-day excursions: 3 to 6-hour tours are designed to take an expert guide through the most impressive of the large collection that makes up the museum.
- Full Day Excursions: Full day excursions can include visits to other exhibition spaces in Cairo such as the Coptic Museum or the Museum of Islamic Arts.
- Cultural Tours: Cultural tours of the best of Cairo and the surrounding area include, in addition to the museum, exploring the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the famous Khan el-Khalili Bazaar and more. They usually last from 8 to 10 hours.
- Multi-day excursions: In addition to the traditional tour of Cairo and the all-inclusive multi-day excursions include in the itinerary visits to cities such as Memphis, located southeast of Cairo, to see other important historical sites; some packages may include cruises on the Nile.
Are there guided tours for children? What are they like?
At the moment there are no specialized tours for children at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo; however, as it is one of the most popular attractions in the city, there are plenty of guides who are experts in Egyptology and have an excellent command of the English language.
This means that if you visit Cairo with children, you can integrate them into the traditional tour for adults and they will surely be fascinated to look closely at the mummies inside the sarcophagi.
Main works you will see during the guided tour
Being one of the most visited attractions in the city is an obligatory stop on any visit to Egypt; some of the must-see objects that you can observe during your visit are:
- Statues of Amenhotep III and Tiyi
- Narmer's palette
- Statue of Jasejemuy
- Statues of Rahotep and his wife Nofret
- Seated statue of Pharaoh Chephren
- Triad of Mycerinus
- Funerary mask of Tutankhamen
- Sarcophagus of Tutankhamun
- Stone sarcophagi
- Funerary mask of Pharaoh Sheshonq II
When is the best time to take a guided tour of the Cairo Museum?
The best time of day to **visit the museum ** is around noon; although most guided tours schedule visits early in the morning to make the most of the day and allow the traveler to do a greater number of activities.
Keep in mind that due to the generally hot climate of Egypt, the best time to visit the city and possibly the city's museum are the months where temperatures are cooler, i.e. between the months of November to April.
Hours: The Egyptian Museum in Cairo operates on a daily schedule from 09h to 18h. The entrance fee includes access to the vast majority of exhibits available, plus the restroom area, gift store and the in-house cafeteria.
Tips for visiting the Cairo Museum with a guided visit
1. Book your tour in advance
If you want to secure a guided tour of the Cairo Museum in your language with availability on your travel dates I recommend you not to delegate your booking to the last minute and book as far in advance as possible. You can make your reservation online by searching for suppliers through the HelloTickets search engine.
2. Avoid guides located outside the Museum
Outside the Museum you will find people who will offer to serve as guides during your visit; however, I do not recommend them as they are not certified or reliable guides. On many occasions they will take you through a few works to make a quick buck, skipping the more interesting works in the process and not providing interesting explanations or details.
3. It's hot, especially in the summer!
Although the internal collection is truly amazing the Egyptian Museum in Cairo has some major areas for improvement such as the lack of air conditioning in most of its facilities. Considering the overwhelming heat of the city mainly in the summer months always carry with you: water and if possible a hand fan.
4. Buy gifts and souvenirs at the museum store.
Like almost all major museums, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo has a souvenir store, so you can buy your merchandiser; although outside the museum you will find vendors who may offer you the merchandise at a lower price, remember that by buying at the official museum store you help to finance the institution as well as to preserve and care for the pieces exhibited here.
5. Research about the photographic pass
If it is important for you to take pictures inside the museum be aware that in most areas photos are prohibited; contact the company operating your tour or the museum ticket office when you arrive about how to obtain a photo pass
.
6. Do not touch the artifacts, do not lean on the display cases.
It is forbidden to touch the stone objects that are on view, as well as to lean on the showcases where smaller or delicate pieces are displayed. Although stone objects can withstand the outside climate well (they have done so for thousands of years), oil on your hands will decompose the material.