Best seller4.9
Luxor
Luxor Full Day: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak and Luxor Temples
Both banks of the Nile in one day: the tombs of the pharaohs in the morning, the great temples in the afternoon.
8 hPrivate
€75
Luxor and the Nile
Valley of the Kings
Sixty-three tombs of the New Kingdom pharaohs, cut into the cliff behind Thebes.
- Tombs
- 63 known; about 10 open at any time on rotation
- Period
- c. 1550–1070 BC, New Kingdom
- General ticket
- About 750 EGP for three tombs
- Extra tickets
- Tutankhamun ~700; Seti I ~2,000; Ramses V/VI ~220 EGP
The Valley of the Kings on the West Bank of Luxor holds the tombs of the pharaohs of the 18th to 20th dynasties (c. 1550 to 1070 BC), including Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses VI. The general ticket (about 750 EGP) opens three tombs from a rotating list; Tutankhamun (about 700 EGP), Seti I (about 2,000 EGP) and Ramses V/VI (about 220 EGP) are extra. Our tours include the general ticket and, on two products, Seti I and Tutankhamun.
Visiting
After the pyramids proved impossible to protect, the kings of the New Kingdom chose a hidden valley under a pyramid-shaped peak and cut their tombs into the limestone: a descending corridor, pillared halls and a burial chamber painted with the books of the underworld. Sixty-three tombs are known; Tutankhamun's, found by Howard Carter in November 1922, was the only one found nearly intact.
The tombs open with the general ticket rotate to protect the paint; the usual list includes Ramses IV with its astronomical ceiling, Ramses IX, Merenptah and Ramses III. Tutankhamun's tomb is small but holds the king himself. Seti I is the longest and most beautiful, reopened after decades of closure. Ramses V/VI has the complete Book of the Day and Night on its ceiling.
An electric train takes you from the ticket office to the valley floor. The tombs have ramps and wooden stairs and are warm inside; the best time is when the gate opens at 06:00.
Tips from our guides
- Go first thing; the coaches arrive from 09:00
- Buy the photo pass if you want pictures inside; phones count
- Choose Seti I or Ramses V/VI as an extra if you have one to spend
Best time: 06:00 to 08:30, any season; October to April for the temperature.
Questions
Three from the rotating list of about ten open tombs; your guide picks the best three of the day. Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses V/VI always need extra tickets.
For the history, yes: it is where the treasures came from and the king is still in it. For the paintings, Seti I or Ramses V/VI are far richer.
The train takes you to the valley floor; the tombs are 100 to 200 m apart with ramps and some stairs inside. Manageable for most guests.
25.7402 N, 32.6014 EOpen in Google Maps
Tours that visit Valley of the Kings
Seti I included5.0
Luxor
Private Valley of the Kings Tour: Tombs of Seti I and Tutankhamun
The finest tomb in the valley and the most famous, both included, with three more on the general ticket.
5 hPrivate
€95
