Beyond King Tut in Vancouver

Presented by National Geographic, Beyond King Tut was an immersive experience about the famous Egyptian pharaoh in Vancouver at Canada Place.

The exhibition took place at Canada Place from November 4th until January 14th.

Another immersive experience came to Metro Vancouver in 2023. Beyond Van Gogh was an art exhibition showcasing the works of Vincent Van Gogh. It took place in Surrey from February 1st until early March. Beyond Van Gogh Victoria was also in Victoria, BC, in the summer of 2023.

This article contains the following information about Beyond King Tut:

Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience

Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience was a new exhibition in Vancouver. The attraction celebrated the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. It featured huge screens that displayed cinematic scenes and took viewers through the fascinating story of King Tutankhamun and his life.

At the exhibition guests had the opportunity to explore King Tut’s tomb with the award-winning Tutankhamun: Enter the Tomb virtual reality experience. This was a special add-on at the end of the exhibition that cost extra. It was also included with VIP admission.

The immersive exhibition was produced and developed by Paquin Entertainment Group and Immersive Experiences in partnership with the National Geographic Society. These are impressive companies that create spectacular events and productions.

Beyond King Tut premiered this year in the United States, in Washington and Boston. Vancouver was the first Canadian city on the exhibition’s world tour.

At the exhibition you were immersed in beautiful images, black and white photos and scenes of gold! You learned a lot too. This was a once-in-a lifetime experience where you could be awed, educated and entertained!

When and Where?

Beyond King Tut opened in Vancouver on November 4th, 2022, and ran until January 14th, 2023. (Note: It was originally just going to go until January 8th, but then got extended.)

Hours of operation on Sundays to Thursdays were from 10:00 am until 8:00 pm. On Fridays and Saturdays, the experience ran from 10:00 am until 9:00 pm. Final entry every day was one hour before closing.

The exhibition was closed on December 25th and January 1st. (Note: Times, dates and other details were subject to change.)

The immersive attraction was in the Vancouver Convention Centre‘s East Building (a.k.a. Canada Place). The venue’s address is 999 Canada Place. It’s right on the waterfront by the Vancouver Harbour. Waterfront Station with its SkyTrains and SeaBus terminus is just a few blocks away.

For full details about the event visit the Beyond King Tut website.

Egyptian Displays at Beyond King Tut — Watching the King Tut Film

Admission to Beyond King Tut

Ticket prices varied based on the day and type of ticket you wished to purchase. During peak times, admission to Beyond King Tut cost the following as of the last time we checked (including service fees):

Adults (ages 16+) – $47.99
Children (ages 5 to 15) – $34.99
Little Kids (ages 4 and under) – Free with a paying adult
Premium Flex – $69.99
VIP – $99.99
Family Pack (two adults and two children) – $35.99/person
Groups (8+ people) – $44.99/person

Tickets to attend at non-peak times cost the following (including service fees):

Adults (ages 16+) – $37.99
Seniors (ages 65+, Tuesdays only) – $34.99
Children (ages 5 to 15) – $29.99
Little Kids (ages 4 and under) – Free with a paying adult
Premium Flex – $54.99
VIP – $89.99
Family Pack (two adults and two children) – $32.99/person
Groups (8+ people) – $34.99/person

Regular tickets had strict timed entries every 15 minutes. Premium Flex tickets were more flexible. With them you could arrive up to two hours earlier or later than the time you had selected. VIP tickets came with the same time flexibility, plus admission to the Tutankhamun: Enter the Tomb virtual reality experience and some merchandise you could take home.

For more information, visit the Beyond King Tut website.

King Tut Exhibits — The Main Exhibit Room

What to Expect

When you arrived at the exhibition the first thing you could do was watch a short film in a small, canvas, tent-like theatre. The show provided a nice introduction to the world of the famous Egyptian boy king and the discovery of his tomb.

After the film, the exhibition took you through a serious of rooms and hallways. The venue was fairly dark, but the lighting was appropriate and the exhibits were all nicely illuminated.

At Beyond King Tut there was written information as well as displays and digital images of old photographs. There were a couple of really cool hallways with things to see, plus one large room full of golden exhibits.

Towards the end of your journey through the attraction there was a large gallery with moving images on all four walls and a model boat in the middle. It was a good room to sit down in and relax while enjoying the show.

Your experience at Beyond King Tut ended with a photo opportunity in front of a large, framed picture of King Tut’s famous golden mask. After that there was the gift shop area (which was really nice) and then the optional Tutankhamun: Enter the Tomb virtual reality experience. In total, you could expect to spend about an hour from start to finish.

The same as with other recent, similar touring exhibitions like Imagine Van Gogh, Imagine Picasso and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, Beyond King Tut didn’t feature actual original artifacts. It did have a few model replicas. Mostly though, the exhibits involved pictures and digital media. The displays were really cool.

For full details about the event visit the Beyond King Tut website.

Gallery of Images at Beyond King Tut

Beyond King Tut Video

To give you a really good idea of what the exhibit Beyond King Tut was all about, check out the following video. It shows scenes of the different rooms at the exhibition.

As you’ll see, there was a wide range of exhibits and things to see. There was a short film in a small theatre area. There were also passageways, halls and grand rooms with digital photos, films and beautiful images. The music at the venue was also beautiful (and similar, but not identical to what we’ve used in this video).

We loved the variety of the displays, and learned so much both from the written displays and audio recordings.

Who Was King Tut?

King Tutankhamen was an Egyptian pharaoh born around 1341 BC. His father and predecessor was Akhenaten who passed away when Tut was only about nine years old.

Tut became king at a very young age and ruled for approximately 10 years. During his time in power, he restored the Ancient Egyptian religion and brought back polytheism. However, he died at the age of 19.

King Tut’s tomb was discovered in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings. The discovery sparked worldwide interest in the ancient civilization. The tomb was almost fully intact and had over 5,000 artifacts inside including the gold mask that has become a famous symbol of ancient Egypt.

Scientists learned that Tut lived with a deformed left foot and bone necrosis. He used a cane and most likely died from an infection or a disease. His life and his tomb have intrigued and educated generations of people.

King Tut Display in Vancouver