Open Archive
$0/ month
- Full access to all 168 published notes
- Quarterly ticket-price updates
- Open corrections column
- Email the desk within 2 business days
Reader plans
Three Reader Plans That Keep Gran Museu Going
Everything published on Gran Museu is free to read without an account, paywall, or registration. The three reader plans below are the entire commercial side of the publication — they fund the four editors, the Alexandria office, the printed quarterly Mediterranean note and the editor-led trip work for Itinerary Note subscribers. Choose the plan that matches how deeply you intend to use the archive.
All prices are in US dollars and billed monthly. The first month of any paid plan is fully refundable if the work does not match the brief agreed at the start of the month. We do not run promotional discount campaigns, codes or seasonal sales — the listed price is what every subscriber pays at all times, which keeps the relationship simple and removes the cognitive cost of wondering whether to wait for a deal.
Notes Subscriber
$10/ month
- Everything in Open Archive
- Quarterly Mediterranean note (printed)
- PDF version for international subscribers
- Priority reply within 1 business day
- Early access to new heritage notes
Itinerary Note
$44/ month
- Everything in Notes Subscriber
- One custom itinerary per month (up to 12 days)
- Editor-written regional dossier
- 45-minute editorial consultation by email
- Revisions for three weeks after delivery
- Same-business-day reply window
Side-by-Side Plan Comparison
A direct comparison of what changes between the three plans. Nothing is hidden behind a paywall on the public archive — the difference between plans is in the printed quarterly note and the editor-led trip work for Itinerary subscribers.
| Feature | Open Archive | Notes Subscriber | Itinerary Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full archive access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Quarterly note PDF | — | Yes | Yes |
| Printed quarterly note | — | Cairo + international | Cairo + international |
| Custom itinerary | — | — | 1 / month, ≤ 12 days |
| Regional dossier | — | — | Yes |
| Editorial consultation | — | — | 45 min / month |
| Reply window | 2 business days | 1 business day | Same business day |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the plans include actual tickets or transport?
No. Gran Museu is editorial work. We do not sell tickets, accommodation, transport or guided tours. The Itinerary Note plan is a desk-research product — we tell you what to book and when, but the booking itself stays with you. This is part of how we stay independent.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. All plans are billed monthly and can be cancelled with one click from any invoice email. Access continues until the end of the paid period. There is no contract and no minimum term.
USD or EGP billing?
Plan prices are in USD because most subscribers pay through international cards. Ticket prices inside the heritage notes are in Egyptian Pounds because that is how the actual gate prices are set. The USD reference is recalculated quarterly at the official rate.
Group or institutional plans?
Yes. Universities, libraries and heritage organisations can subscribe with multiple email recipients on a single invoice. Academic institutions receive a 30% discount on Notes Subscriber. Write to the desk via the contact page with the group size for a written quote.
Is there a refund policy?
If an Itinerary Note custom plan fails to match the brief you agreed at the start of the month, that month is refunded in full and your account remains active. The Notes Subscriber plan has no refund clause beyond what consumer protection law requires, but you can cancel at any time.
Does payment go to a Cairo bank?
Yes. Payments are processed through a Cairo-based provider on behalf of Gran Museu Tourism Notes L.L.C., and the invoice carries our Egyptian Tax ID 593-682-471. We can provide invoices in the format your accountancy team needs.
What if my trip gets postponed?
Your subscription stays active and we move any pending Itinerary Note custom plan to your new dates. We do not charge a postponement fee. Egyptian travel calendars shift often enough that any other policy would be unworkable in practice.
Can I pay in Egyptian Pounds?
Subscribers physically present in Egypt can pay locally in EGP through a bank transfer to our Alexandria account — write to the desk and we will send the bank details for your invoice. The published USD prices convert at the official rate on the day of the transfer.
Why no annual discount?
Because Egyptian heritage information goes stale within a year, and we would rather you commit one month at a time and renew when the work is useful. Annual plans tend to lock subscribers into a relationship that no longer fits, and they distort the editorial relationship with the subscriber base. The monthly model is friendlier in both directions.
Is the quarterly Mediterranean note really posted by mail?
Yes. The Cairo and international print run is dropped at the Alexandria post office on the first Sunday of each quarter. Cairo subscribers receive the note within three or four working days; international addresses receive it within roughly two weeks. The PDF facsimile is sent by email the same day for subscribers who prefer digital reading.
Where the money goes
How Subscription Income Is Spent
Subscriptions are the only commercial income Gran Museu has. We do not run advertising, we do not charge sites for notes, and we do not earn affiliate commissions. The income from Notes Subscriber and Itinerary Note plans is broken down approximately as follows.
The largest share goes to editorial salaries — four full-time editors and a part-time fact-checker. This is the only realistic way to sustain on-site verification at the cadence the publication promises. The second largest share covers the Alexandria office, the printed quarterly Mediterranean note, the postage to international subscribers, and the bookkeeping any Egyptian L.L.C. needs.
Subscribers receive an annual letter from the editor-in-chief walking through the income statement at a non-confidential level. The four editors take salaries in the normal range for Alexandrian cultural journalism, the company holds a small operating reserve, and everything else goes back into fieldwork travel.
Ready to subscribe to Gran Museu Tourism Notes?
Pick the plan that matches the kind of trip you are planning to take — the editorial desk takes it from there with a welcome email and either the next quarterly Mediterranean note or the full regional dossier for Itinerary readers.
Talk to the Alexandria desk