Overview
The building took two decades and opened in stages, its triangular plan aligned on the three pyramids, which are visible through the glass wall of the Grand Staircase. Twelve main galleries run chronologically from prehistory to the Roman period, and the scale is such that a single visit covers a fraction. Ramses II’s 3,200-year-old, 83-tonne statue stands in the atrium.
Highlights
Book online and go at opening; the Tutankhamun galleries fill first and are timed. The Grand Staircase, lined with royal statuary and ending at the pyramid view, is the building’s best single idea. Allow four hours minimum, and use the shuttle rather than walking from the plateau in the heat.