Booking choice: The 4-hour private Old Cairo tour, from $14 per person in a group. Check dates Tour details
Older guidebooks and plenty of tour descriptions still send you to the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square for Ramesses II and Tutankhamun's gold mask. Neither is there any more.
The pharaohs moved south to Fustat, right next to Old Cairo. Tutankhamun went west to Giza. Here is who is where in 2026, and how to fit the mummies into a day in the old city.
The quick answer
The royal mummies are at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Fustat, since 3 April 2021; foreign adults pay EGP 550. Tutankhamun's mask and treasures are at the Grand Egyptian Museum next to the Giza pyramids, open since November 2025. The Tahrir museum is still open, with the Tanis gold and the mummies of Yuya and Thuya. NMEC is about 1.5 km from Coptic Cairo, which makes the two an easy half day.
Where are the royal mummies now?
At the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Fustat. Twenty-two royal mummies, 18 kings and 4 queens, moved there from Tahrir on 3 April 2021.
The move was the Pharaohs' Golden Parade: each mummy on its own decorated vehicle, oldest first, through downtown Cairo at night. Ramesses II, Seti I, Hatshepsut, Thutmose III and Queen Tiye are among them. The Royal Mummies Hall opened to visitors on 18 April 2021, and the old mummy room at Tahrir closed for good.
At NMEC the mummies lie in individual cases in a dim, climate-controlled hall. The museum above covers Egyptian history from prehistory to the present day.
Tutankhamun's own mummy never went to Cairo. It is still in his tomb, KV62, in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.
Where are Tutankhamun's treasures?
At the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) next to the Giza pyramids. The last pieces, including the gold mask, left Tahrir in late October 2025, and the GEM opened to the public on 4 November 2025.
Tutankhamun's objects moved to the GEM in stages over several years. The Tutankhamun Hall at Tahrir closed on 20 October 2025 for the final pieces, the mask and coffins, Egypt Today reported. The GEM was formally inaugurated on 1 November 2025 and opened its doors three days later, with the full collection of more than 5,000 objects shown together for the first time.
The GEM is expensive and getting more so. Foreign adults pay EGP 1,570, rising to EGP 1,830 (about $35) from 1 November 2026, Egypt Independent reported. Foreigners book online only, for a timed slot. It sits about 25 km by road from Tahrir, a separate day from Old Cairo.
What is left at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir?
Most of the collection, around 170,000 objects. The headline pieces now are the Tanis royal gold, the Narmer Palette, Old Kingdom statues and the burial of Yuya and Thuya, mummies included.
"No mummies at Tahrir" is wrong too. Yuya and Thuya, Queen Tiye's parents, still lie upstairs with their gilded masks and furniture, and there is an animal mummy room. The former Tutankhamun room shows the gold mask and silver coffin of Psusennes I from Tanis, the best royal gold in Egypt after Tut's.
Downstairs: the Narmer Palette, the statue of Djoser, Khafre enthroned, Rahotep and Nofret, and the colossal group of Amenhotep III and Tiye. The ticket is EGP 550 for foreign adults, card only, 09:00 to 17:00 daily. Since the GEM opened, the galleries are far quieter than they used to be.
| Museum | What you see | Foreign adult ticket | Distance from Coptic Cairo |
|---|---|---|---|
| NMEC, Fustat | 22 royal mummies, history of Egypt | EGP 550 (about $11) | About 1.5 km |
| Egyptian Museum, Tahrir | Tanis gold, Narmer Palette, Yuya and Thuya | EGP 550 (about $11) | 4 metro stops (Sadat) |
| Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza | Tutankhamun's full collection | EGP 1,570; EGP 1,830 from 1 Nov 2026 | Across the city in Giza, a separate day |
How do you combine NMEC with Coptic Cairo?
Do Coptic Cairo in the morning and NMEC after lunch. It is about 1.5 km, a short taxi or one metro stop to El-Malek El-Saleh plus a walk.
The ministry lists NMEC at 09:00 to 17:00, ticket window until 16:00, with an evening session from 18:00 to 21:00. Foreign adults pay EGP 550 and students EGP 300; the Royal Mummies Hall is included. Bring a card: most ministry ticket offices are cashless.
Coptic Cairo's churches and Ben Ezra are free and close at about 16:00, so the order is easy: churches from 09:00, a late lunch, then NMEC in the afternoon light over Ain al-Sira lake. Mar Girgis station on Line 1 drops you at the Coptic quarter for EGP 10. The next stop south, El-Malek El-Saleh, is the closest station to the museum.
In Ramadan the museum closes at 16:00 (last ticket 15:00), so switch the order and go in the morning.
Which Old Cairo tours fit a museum visit?
None of the tours on this site includes NMEC or the GEM. A short private tour in the morning plus NMEC on your own in the afternoon works best.
The 4-hour private tour covers Coptic Cairo, the Muhammad Ali Mosque at the Citadel and Khan el-Khalili, with hotel pickup downtown or in Giza. Options run from car and driver only up to guide and tickets. If you take the tickets option, note that one guest felt they only used part of the fees in four hours. The $14 from-price is per person in the largest group on the cheapest option, without guide or tickets; a couple or solo traveller pays more per head, so enter your party size on Viator.
Want the mummies on the same day? Ask the operator before booking whether they will swap a stop for NMEC and what changes in price. One guest on another private day asked to replace the market with the Royal Mummies Hall; the company agreed, the guide was less keen. Get any swap confirmed in writing.
Coptic Cairo and the Cave Church is the other good fit: four hours, all stops free, then NMEC is ten minutes away. Our Coptic Cairo guide covers doing the quarter alone.
Coptic Cairo, the Citadel and the Khan in four private hours, then the mummies on your own.
Check dates for the 4-hour private Old Cairo tourFrequently asked questions
Are the mummies still in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo?
The royal mummies are not. They moved to NMEC in Fustat on 3 April 2021. Tahrir still shows the mummies of Yuya and Thuya and an animal mummy room.
Where is Tutankhamun's gold mask now?
At the Grand Egyptian Museum next to the Giza pyramids. It left Tahrir in late October 2025, before the GEM opened on 4 November 2025.
How much is the NMEC ticket?
EGP 550 for a foreign adult and EGP 300 for a foreign student, Royal Mummies Hall included (2026).
How far is NMEC from Coptic Cairo?
About 1.5 km. A short taxi ride, or one metro stop from Mar Girgis to El-Malek El-Saleh plus a walk.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Private tours are priced per person by group size: enter your party size on Viator to see your price.
Private 4-Hour Coptic Cairo, Citadel and Khan
- Private car, driver and hotel pickup
- Egyptologist guide as an option
- Entry fees as an option
Coptic Cairo and the Cave Church
The old churches, Ben Ezra and the Mokattam cave church, all free to enter
Private Day in Islamic and Coptic Cairo
A car, an audio guide and nine stops; add a live guide or tickets
