The Hong Kong Palace Museum has hosted blockbuster shows before, but nothing on this scale. “Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums” fills Gallery 9 with 250 artefacts drawn from seven Egyptian museums and the active Saqqara archaeological site, including mummy coffins, gold jewellery, monumental pharaoh statues, and animal mummies that have never left Egypt until now. The exhibition opened on 20 November 2025 and runs until 31 August 2026, which gives you roughly four months from today to see it.
We visited on a weekday afternoon in late April 2026 and spent just over two hours inside Gallery 9 alone. The collection is dense, the multimedia installations are well produced, and the sheer size of some of the statues makes the space feel more like a wing of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo than a temporary loan show. If you see one exhibition in Hong Kong this year, this is the one.
What You Will See
The Land of Pharaohs opens the show with over 60 monumental statues of pharaohs and gods. The scale here is the first surprise: these are not miniatures behind glass. Several of the pieces stand taller than an adult, and the gallery lighting is designed to cast dramatic shadows that emphasise the carved detail. The standout is the colossal statue of Akhenaten from the 18th Dynasty, one of the most recognisable faces in Egyptian archaeology.
The World of Tutankhamun centres on the boy king. The section includes a digitally restored statue of Tutankhamun, reconstructed using 3D modelling and projection mapping to show the original painted colours that have long faded from the stone. A multimedia installation recreates the moment Howard Carter first entered the burial chamber in 1922, projected floor-to-ceiling across the gallery wall.
The Secrets of Saqqara is the section that justifies the trip for anyone who follows archaeology. Saqqara is an active dig site south of Cairo, and several of the artefacts here are recent discoveries that have never been exhibited anywhere in the world before arriving in Hong Kong. The animal mummies are the highlight: eight specimens including cats, birds, and a crocodile, each wrapped in linen and displayed with CT scan imagery that reveals the skeletal structure beneath the bandages.
Ancient Egypt and the World closes the exhibition by placing Egyptian civilisation in a global context, tracing trade routes, cultural exchanges, and the spread of Egyptian art and religion across the Mediterranean and beyond.
The Multimedia Installations
The Palace Museum has invested heavily in digital interpretation for this show, and it works. A dynamic display walks you through the mummification process step by step, from organ removal to linen wrapping, using animation projected onto a physical mummy model. Another installation lets you explore the interior of a pyramid through a touch-screen interface built around 3D-printed models and actual samples of pyramid building stone. The interactive learning area “Explore Pyramids” is designed for children but works just as well for adults who want to understand how the structures were engineered.
There are over ten multimedia installations in total, scattered throughout the four sections. They are well integrated into the flow of the exhibition rather than being stuck in a separate “digital zone,” which makes the experience feel cohesive rather than gimmicky.
Souvenirs and Gift Shop
The museum has released over 140 ancient Egypt-themed merchandise items for this exhibition, and the gift shop on the way out is worth a stop. The most popular item is a black cat plush toy inspired by the cat goddess Bastet, which has become a minor social media phenomenon. Other highlights include replica scarab pendants, hieroglyph-printed notebooks, and a series of blind boxes featuring miniature pharaoh figures. Prices range from HK$50 for small items to several hundred for the premium replicas.
Practical Information
The Hong Kong Palace Museum is located in the West Kowloon Cultural District, on the waterfront between the M+ museum and the Art Park. The nearest MTR station is Kowloon Station (Tung Chung Line or Airport Express), followed by a 15-minute walk or a free shuttle bus. Austin Station (West Rail Line) is also within walking distance (20 minutes). On weekends, a free shuttle runs from Kowloon Station Exit D to the museum entrance.
Tickets and Pricing
Tickets for the Egypt exhibition are sold as part of the museum’s tiered system. You have three options:
Egypt Exhibition Only (Gallery 9): HK$190 adult, HK$95 concession. This gets you into Gallery 9 for the Egypt show but not the other galleries.
Full Access (Galleries 1-9): HK$250 adult, HK$125 concession. This covers everything in the museum, including the Egypt exhibition, the permanent galleries of Palace Museum treasures, and the separate jewellery exhibition in Gallery 8. This is the best value if you plan to spend a full day.
Family Packs: 1 adult + 1 child for HK$240 (Egypt + general galleries), or 2 adults + 1 child for HK$380. Children aged 6 and under enter free.
Concession eligibility: Children aged 7-11, full-time students, seniors aged 60+, persons with disabilities (plus one companion), and CSSA recipients.
Flex tickets (valid for one month from purchase) are available at a slight premium: HK$220 for the Egypt exhibition alone, HK$290 for full access. These are useful if your schedule is uncertain.
Book online via the museum website or Klook. Walk-up tickets are available but the Egypt exhibition slots sell out on weekends, so advance booking is strongly recommended for Saturday and Sunday visits.
Opening Hours
The museum is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, and Friday, Saturday, and public holidays from 10:00 to 20:00. Closed every Tuesday (except public holidays) and the first two days of Lunar New Year. The Friday and Saturday evening sessions (18:00 to 20:00) are the quietest times to visit and the best for photography.
Tips for Your Visit
Arrive early or late. The busiest window is 11:00 to 15:00 on weekends. A weekday morning (10:00 entry) or a Friday/Saturday evening session gives you the most space to move through the gallery without queueing at each display case.
Allow at least 90 minutes for Gallery 9 alone. If you buy the full access ticket and want to see the permanent galleries too, plan for three to four hours total.
The audio guide (HK$30 via the museum app) is worth it for the Egypt exhibition. It covers the key pieces and adds archaeological context that the wall labels only summarise.
The museum cafe on the ground floor and the Cupping Room on the upper level are both solid options for a post-exhibition coffee. The waterfront promenade outside the museum is one of the best spots in Kowloon for a sunset walk along Victoria Harbour.
Quick Info
| Exhibition | Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums |
| Chinese Name | 古埃及文明大展: 埃及博物館珍藏 |
| Dates | 20 November 2025 to 31 August 2026 |
| Location | Gallery 9, Hong Kong Palace Museum, West Kowloon Cultural District |
| Address | 8 Museum Drive, West Kowloon Cultural District (Google Maps) |
| MTR | Kowloon Station (Tung Chung Line / Airport Express), Exit D + shuttle or 15-min walk |
| Hours | Mon/Wed/Thu/Sun 10:00-18:00, Fri/Sat/holidays 10:00-20:00, closed Tue |
| Tickets | Egypt only: HK$190 adult / HK$95 concession. Full access: HK$250 / HK$125. Under 6 free. |
| Phone | (852) 3761 6688 (Cityline ticketing) |
| Website | hkpm.org.hk |
