Valley of Kings Egypt

There are 62 tombs at Valley of Kings that are listed in order of the tomb number and are usually open. The tombs of Thebes’ pharaohs here give visitors a glimpse of the burial sites and ancient Egypt’s death rituals. This has made the Valley of Kings a must-visit attraction in Luxor, Egypt.

If you are planning a trip to Egypt, include the Valley of Kings in your itinerary. This will be one of the top highlights of your Egypt tour but make sure to plan in winters as summers are extremely hot and sunny and will hinder your experience.

Highlights

• Explore the largest tomb of this burial complex, tomb number 5.
• Enjoy the views of the valley on a tram ride. 
• Get fascinated by the ancient paintings and texts painted on the walls.
• Witness the mummy of King Tut.
• You can enjoy a hot air balloon ride in Luxor.
• Visit one of the most beautiful tombs in the Valley of Kings, the tomb of Seti I.
• Admire the ceiling at the tomb of Ramesses V and VI decorated with the Book of Heavens.

Valley of Kings Ticket Prices

List of tombs included in your entrance ticket into the valley of Kings. There are eight tombs out of which you can choose any three with your ticket.

KV1 – Ramesses VII

KC2 – Ramesses IV

KV6 – Ramesses IX

KV8 – Merenptah

KV11 – Ramesses III

KV14 – Tarusert-Setnakht

KV15 – Seti II

KV47 – Siptah

• Cost of the entrance ticket to Valley of Kings – INR 1115 per person

For an additional fee, here are the tombs you can visit in the Valley of Kings – 

KV9 – Ramesses V & VI – INR 464 per person

KV17 – Seti I – INR 4649 per person

KV62 – Tutankhamun – INR 1394 per person

• Tram Tickets – INR 18 per person

There is a Luxor Pass, which is a single ticket to access all the archeological sites on the East and the West Bank of Luxor. This pass is valid for 5 days.

• Standard Luxor  Pass (includes all sites except tomb of Seti I and Nefertari) – INR 464 for Adults
• Premium Luxor Pass  (all sites including the tomb of Seti I and Nefertari) – INR 929 for Adults 

There is also a photography pass. But the rules for prices, tomb opening, and photography rules keep on changing. Please check this before traveling to Egypt.

Recommended For

If you are a history buff or a keen explorer of archeological sites, the Valley of Kings in Luxor is the perfect place for you. 

About Valley of Kings

One of the most famous archeological sites in the world, the Valley of Kings was used as burial grounds from the 16th to 11th centuries, also known as the New Kingdom of Egypt. The valley is mainly for the famous kings like Tutankhamun, Ramesses II, Tuthmosis II, and Seti I. Along with them, many powerful nobles, their wives, and children of the pharaohs are also buried here. 

The Valley of Kings discovery took place in 1922 by an English archeologist Howard Carter. Just after this reveal, Valley of Kings became one of the top tourist attractions in Egypt and till date, it attracts millions of tourists from all over the world. 

It is believed that this valley was chosen as a burial ground as it was isolated and had low chances of getting robbed like the Pyramids of Giza and the Nile Delta. Unfortunately, some were partially robbed in the New Kingdom and some were systematically cleared to preserve the royal mummies and recycle the rich funerary goods back into the royal treasury. 

The tombs in the Valley of  Kings were sealed with the King's mummy along with artifacts, shrines, and treasures to help them in the afterlife. Also, the valley has two parts, the East Valley and the West Valley and most of the tombs are located in the Eastside. Presently, only the tomb of Ay is located on the west side of the valley. 

Also known as Valley of the Tombs of the Kings, the walls here are laid out with sculptures and painted scenes that denote the dead king in the presence of deities – gods of the underworld. Texts similar to those in funerary papyrus can be found here made to help kings on their journey through the nether regions. There are many books on these depictions like the “Book of That Which Is in the Underworld”, “Book of Gates”, “Book of Day”, the “Book of Night”, and the “Book of the Heavenly Cow”.

You must remember that these tombs are open and close to the public in rotation. This has been done to protect the wall paintings, which have gone through severe degradation from the humidity caused by millions of visitors. 

Interesting Facts about Valley of Kings

• Tomb number 5 in the Valley of Kings is the largest and most complex tomb and contains the sons of Ramesses II, the great king of the 19th dynasty. 
• The valley has over 1,000 feet of rock.
• Each tomb is labeled with a number in the sequence. 
• Almost all tombs were robbed and only the tomb of Tutankhamen (KV 62) was found intact by Egyptologist Howard Carter in 1922.
• Thutmose I was the first king of Egypt to be buried at the Valley of Kings and the last was of Ramesses XI (KV 4).
• A brief shaft was discovered near Tutankhamen’s tomb in 2005.