From about 1500 BCE, New Kingdom pharaohs stopped building pyramids and began cutting tombs into the limestone of a dry valley on the Theban West Bank, with Thutmose I usually credited as the first. More than sixty tombs have been identified since, numbered KV1 onward, and new chambers are still occasionally found. Only a small group are open at any time, rotated to protect the paintings.
Walking into one means going down a sloped corridor into painted rock that has not seen sunlight for three thousand years. It is a very different experience from looking at a pyramid from outside, and this guide covers the practical side: which tombs to pick, how tickets work and what to expect.
Which tombs in the Valley of the Kings are worth seeing?
The open list changes, so choose from what is available on the day. The tomb of Ramesses VI (KV9), also associated with Ramesses V, is a popular choice for its densely painted corridors and an astronomical ceiling in the burial chamber. The tomb of Seti I (KV17), found by Giovanni Belzoni in 1817, is among the longest and most finely carved in the valley, and it is sold on its own ticket. When it is closed for conservation, it cannot be substituted.
Other tombs that are often open include Ramesses III (KV11), whose side chambers show harpists and weapons, Merenptah (KV8) and Ramesses IX (KV6). Smaller tombs may be nearly empty of visitors, which in a space this narrow is a real advantage.
A sensible plan is one famous tomb, one deeply painted tomb and one quiet one. Ask your guide or the ticket office which tombs were opened recently, since reopened tombs are often in the best condition.
How do tickets work and what do they cost?
The main ticket, approximately EGP 750 as of 2026, admits you to the valley and to any three tombs from the open list. Tutankhamun's tomb and Seti I's tomb carry separate extras, reported at around EGP 700 and EGP 2,000, and a short tram runs from the entrance to the tombs for a small fee. Prices change, so confirm them before you go.
Tickets are checked at each tomb, and most visitors enter each tomb only once. Foreign adults pay the higher rate, and students with a valid card pay about half in most cases. Allow two to three hours for three tombs without rushing.
Walk Into the Valley Yourself
No drone shot or balloon basket replaces standing inside a 3,000-year-old burial chamber with the original paint still on the walls. These Egypt Sun Travel tours get you through the West Bank tombs and the East Bank temples with a licensed Egyptologist who knows exactly which doorways are worth the climb.
Why does Tutankhamun's tomb need a separate ticket?
Tutankhamun's tomb is KV62, not KV9. On 4 November 1922, Howard Carter's workmen uncovered a step beneath the remains of huts built for the builders of the nearby tomb of Ramesses VI (KV9), and in the weeks that followed Carter and Lord Carnarvon opened the sealed doorway. Almost every other royal tomb had been robbed in antiquity, while this one still held thousands of objects across four small rooms.
The tomb is modest, and only the burial chamber is painted, so it suits those who value the history over spectacle. Tutankhamun's mummy lies in the tomb in a climate-controlled case, but the treasures, including the golden mask, are displayed in the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.
What is it like inside a royal tomb?
Corridors slope steeply down, steps and handrails are narrow, and ventilation is limited, so the air is warm and humid when groups queue. The walls show funerary texts such as the Book of Gates and the Amduat, together with gods guiding the king through the night journey of the sun. If the spells interest you, the pyramid-era equivalents are explained in the Pyramid Texts guide.
Take small bags, wear closed shoes, and do not touch the walls. Visitors with knee, heart or breathing problems should favor tombs with shorter descents, and the longest tombs are not suited to those with limited mobility.
How to get there from Luxor and what else to see on the West Bank
The valley is on the West Bank, reached by the bridge, the public ferry or a private driver, and the drive from most hotels takes roughly 30 to 45 minutes. Most day plans combine it with the Hatshepsut temple at Deir el-Bahari, the Colossi of Memnon and the Valley of the Nobles. Karnak and Luxor Temple are on the East Bank and are better treated as a separate half-day, as they are in the East Bank tour offered by Egypt Sun.
Hatshepsut's temple is three colonnaded terraces set against a cliff, and it can be seen in under an hour; the 18-metre Colossi of Memnon are a short roadside stop. Many travelers fly over all of this at dawn, and our hot air balloon guide explains how that morning works.
A guide is useful for the tomb numbers and the order of visits, and it is worth considering the temples farther north, described in the Dendera and Abydos guide. For longer trips, see the multi-day Luxor and Cairo programmes or the 7-day Cairo and Luxor journey.
What other tombs and discoveries lie behind the main sites?
Not every tomb in the valley is part of the standard rotation. KV5, cut for several sons of Ramesses II, was long dismissed as a minor, flood-damaged shaft until the American Egyptologist Kent Weeks and his Theban Mapping Project team re-explored it in 1995 and traced more than 120 interconnected chambers and corridors, making it the largest tomb yet found in the valley. It is still being cleared of ancient flood debris and is not open to visitors. A Swiss team from the University of Basel made a smaller but equally striking find in 2011, a single undecorated chamber labeled KV64, cut originally for an unidentified burial in the Eighteenth Dynasty and reused centuries later for a Karnak chantress named Nehmes Bastet, whose coffin and mummy were found completely undisturbed.
Some tombs in the valley were also used as hiding places rather than final resting spots. In March 1898, the French archaeologist Victor Loret opened KV35, the tomb of Amenhotep II, and found the king still inside his own sarcophagus, plus nine additional royal mummies laid out in two rows in a side chamber. Priests of the Third Intermediate Period had moved them there, centuries after their original burials, to protect the bodies from the tomb robbery that had already stripped most other royal tombs. One of the nine, a woman known as the Elder Lady and tentatively linked to Queen Tiye, is among the mummies now displayed at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, following their relocation from the Egyptian Museum during the 2021 Pharaohs' Golden Parade.
Часто задаваемые вопросы
How many tombs can you enter with one Valley of the Kings ticket?
The standard ticket covers three tombs chosen from those open that day, normally one visit per tomb. A few tombs, including Tutankhamun (KV62) and Seti I (KV17), need a separate extra ticket on top.
Is Tutankhamun's tomb worth the extra ticket?
It is small and its painted decoration is limited to one chamber. Visit it for its place in history, since Howard Carter's 1922 discovery began here, not for scale. The gold treasures are now in the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Can you take photos in the Valley of the Kings?
Photography without flash is generally permitted in most tombs, and tripods are not. Flash damages the pigments and inspectors enforce the rule. Rules for Tutankhamun's tomb have been stricter, so ask at the entrance.
How hot is it and when should you go?
The valley is a sun-baked canyon, and summer afternoons can exceed 40 C. Arrive at opening time, bring water and a hat, and expect the tombs themselves to be warm and still because of the crowds.
Do you need a guide?
It is not compulsory, but tomb numbers mean little without context and signage is limited. A guide briefs you outside the tomb, since long explanations inside are discouraged, and helps choose which three to enter.
