Adventures in Egypt – Installment #4. Description of a bucket-list trip, a combination land excursion and river cruise on the Nile River in Egypt.
See previous blog posts: Adventures in Egypt and Adventures in Egypt – Installment #2 and Adventures in Egypt – Installment #3
Day 3 Highlights
After breakfast at our hotel, we were ready for another 8 hour-day of sightseeing. On the agenda were the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) followed by the Giza Pyramid Complex. The GEM is five miles outside of Cairo, and a little over a mile from the Giza Plateau.
History Lost and Found
This seems an appropriate place, before visiting the Grand Egyptian Museum, to take a step back and briefly consider the importance of the discovery of the Rosetta Stone. Discovered by French soldiers in 1799, the Rosetta Stone has been displayed in the British Museum since 1802.
The Rosetta Stone was carved with the text of a Ptolemaic (Greek) Dynasty decree written in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics (pictorial), the ancient Egyptian script used for administrative purposes, and in ancient Greek. The repetition of the text provided scholars the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics.
The ability to translate ancient texts opened the door to learning, among other things, about ancient Egyptian religious and spiritual beliefs.
Grand Egyptian Museum
The timing of our visit to Egypt was perfect! The GEM officially opened early in November 2025, and we were there the following month in December.
The GEM is dedicated to Ancient Egypt. It has a collection of over 100,000 artifacts covering seven millennia – from prehistoric Egypt to the Greek – Roman eras.
Over the course of its history, Egypt was invaded and conquered multiple times. Conquerors who ruled Egypt included the Hyksos, Kushites, Assyrians, Persians, Macedonian Greeks and Romans.
The largest archaeological museum in the world, the inside and outside of the modern building is impressive. Its showcased collections, thoughtfully arranged and displayed, are even more so. We spent half a day at GEM, but there was so much more to see! A few highlights……
Hanging Obelisk of King Ramesses II
Immediately outside the GEM entrance is the Hanging Obelisk of King Ramesses II. The clever method of display allows visitors to walk underneath and view the cartouche of Ramesses II on its base. Note: Ramesses can also to be spelled Ramses.
King Ramesses II ruled during the Nineteenth Dynasty. A ruler of many accomplishments, he ruled for approximately 67 years during which time he was a prolific builder and successful warrior, conducting and winning numerous campaigns.
Statute of King Ramesses
When you enter the Grand Hall of the GEM the first thing you see is a huge statue of King Ramesses II (also known as Ramesses the Great) surrounded by an indoor pool. This is one of many statutes he had made in his likeness during his reign.
The 3,200-year-old red granite statue is 36 feet high and weighs 83 tons.
Grand Stairs
The Grand Stairs is not to be missed! It is a 6,000 square foot open air gallery within GEM featuring over 60 artifacts in a chronological display of Egyptian history. At the top of the staircase is a window out of which you can view the Giza Pyramids in the distance.
Tutankhamen Galleries
After describing the layout of the museum while stopping by various exhibits briefly, Osama suggested additional exhibits we might want to visit later when we were on our own. He then led us directly to the Tutankhamen Galleries.
It was a very good strategy as we were able to spend some quality time admiring the displays as he described what we were viewing, the beliefs of the time, and other fascinating associated facts before the galleries became crowded.
As we stood in front of an exhibit of multiple small statutes, Osama explained that there was one “servant” for each day of the year to serve their King in the afterlife, fulfilling any tasks that the Lord of the Underworld may demand of him.
Among other things, Osama made the point that King Tut, aka the “Boy King”, is famous for only one thing – the fact that his tomb was found almost entirely intact.
The King Tut exhibit includes the complete collection of 5,398 pieces, the first time the entire collection has been displayed in one place. Approximately 81,000 square feet is dedicated to the exhibit.
The highlights of the exhibit include Tut’s golden burial mask, golden throne, three nested coffins, and his royal jewelry. I found everyday items used during his lifetime (chairs, beds, footwear, etc.) equally interesting.
We then had time to take in exhibits in the other galleries on our own and stop for a bite to eat before meeting our group at the appointed time and place.
Giza Pyramid Complex
After leaving the GEM we headed to the Giza Plateau, a short distance away. The Giza Plateau is home to the Pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, the Great Pyramid of Khufu (the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), and the Great Sphinx of Giza. All four were built during the Old Kingdom, also known as the “era of the pyramids”.
Osama shared with us the stories of the men behind the three pyramids, and noted that each undertook, soon after taking the throne, the planning for, and construction of, the place in which they would spend the afterlife.
He also made sure to dispel any misunderstanding we might have regarding who built the pyramids – it was Egyptians, not slaves as depicted by Hollywood.
Great Sphinx of Giza
The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the largest sculptures in the world at 240 feet in length and 66 feet in height. The limestone sculpture has a human face framed by a royal headdress on the body of a lion.
There is no consensus as to whether the face is that of Pharoah Khufu or one of his sons, but the sculpture is in the vicinity of King Khafre’s pyramid.
The Great Sphinx is carved from solid bedrock from the same quarry as that of the stone used for the Giza pyramids. Osama, our Egyptologist guide, is of the opinion that King Khafre would be displeased with a large block of limestone in close vicinity to his completed pyramid, and that the builder responded by transforming it into a sculpture.
Camel Ride
Included in the excursion to the Giza Plateau was the opportunity to ride a camel. While I was not interested in doing so, my friend was. She had uncovered an old black and white photo of her grandmother on a camel in the same location and wanted a picture of herself doing the same.
She described her camel ride as follows:
“Although they are large animals, the camels are very gentle, and the short ride was easy and comfortable. A pleasant surprise to have such an enjoyable ride. The best part was the camel handler was very experienced at taking photos and I ended up with some very memorable poses of my once in a lifetime Egypt adventure”.
To Sum Up
To sum up, at the end of a long and active day the group was glad to return to the hotel and rest up for the next day. On the schedule – flying to Luxor and boarding the Viking Hathor!
Dinner was again on our own, and my friend and I decided to remain in the hotel to dine before turning in.
Comments on Adventures in Egypt – Installment #4?
What has been your experience at the Giza Pyramid Complex or the Grand Egyptian Museum? What would you add?
Please feel free to comment and share your experiences as I deviate from my Sacramento-centric blog to share my friend and my adventures in Egypt and Jordan over the upcoming weeks.
As always, my blog posts reflect my personal perspective.
See Upcoming Blog Post: Adventures in Egypt – Installment #5
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