Valley of the Kings

More than 60 royal tombs are cut into a desert valley on Luxor's West Bank; the standard ticket (EGP 750) lets you into three of the tombs open that season, and Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramesses V and VI each cost extra. Buy every ticket you want before you board the little tram at the visitor centre: once you are in the valley you cannot buy more, and the counters take cards only.

About Valley of the Kings

What to see

1. Tomb of Seti I (KV17)

   The longest and one of the finest-decorated tombs in the valley, with painted raised reliefs from the corridors to the vaulted burial chamber and its astronomical ceiling. It costs EGP 2,000 extra with no student reduction, which keeps it quiet.

2. Tomb of Ramesses V and VI (KV9)

   A wide, gently sloping tomb with a pillared hall and a burial chamber whose ceiling shows the Book of the Heavens and the sky goddess Nut. At EGP 220 extra it is the best-value add-on and the one many visitors rate highest.

3. Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62)

   Small and only partly painted, but it is where the 1922 find was made, and the king's mummy lies here in a glass case. EGP 700 extra; worth it for the story, less so for the art.

4. Tombs on the standard ticket

   In July 2026 the three-tomb ticket covered a list of ten, including Ramesses IV (KV2), Ramesses IX (KV6), Ramesses III (KV11), Merenptah (KV8), Tausert and Setnakht (KV14) and Thutmose IV (KV43). Ramesses IV, KV14 and Ramesses IX are often named as the best of these; the list rotates.

5. Tomb of Ay in the West Valley

   The only West Valley tomb on the ticket list, with a marsh-hunting scene and twelve baboons. It is about 2 km up a dirt road from the car park, so few people go. EGP 200 extra, bought at the main visitor centre.

6. The visitor centre model

   A large 3D model of the valley in the visitor centre shows the tomb corridors running under the hills. Look at it before you choose your three tombs; the cleaner toilets are here too.

Valley of the Kings tickets: which to buy and where

Most visitors should buy the EGP 750 standard ticket (three tombs) and add Ramesses V and VI (EGP 220), plus Seti I (EGP 2,000) or Tutankhamun (EGP 700) if the budget allows. Every extra ticket must be bought at the visitor centre or online before you take the tram up: there is no ticket desk inside the valley. Payment is by card only.

• Valley of the Kings standard ticket

  EGP 750 adult; EGP 375 student (valid ID, up to 24); under 6 free

  (€13 · €6)

  Official ticketsSkips some lines

  Includes

  Entry to three tombs of your choice from the open list (each tomb punches your ticket). The tram from the visitor centre (about EGP 20) is extra

  Best for

  Everyone; it is needed for every add-on

  ---

  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Tomb of Seti I (KV17) add-on

  EGP 2,000 adult and student

  (€34)

  Official ticketsSkips some lines

  Includes

  Entry to KV17; standard ticket needed as well

  Best for

  Visitors who want to see the best-decorated tomb in the valley without crowds

  ---

  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62) add-on

  EGP 700 adult; EGP 350 student

  (€12 · €6)

  Official ticketsSkips some lines

  Includes

  Entry to KV62 and the king's mummy; standard ticket needed as well

  Best for

  Visitors who came for the Tutankhamun story

  ---

  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Tomb of Ramesses V and VI (KV9) add-on

  EGP 220 adult; EGP 110 student

  (€4 · €2)

  Official ticketsSkips some lines

  Includes

  Entry to KV9; standard ticket needed as well. The tomb of Ay in the West Valley is a further EGP 200 (EGP 100 student) on the same booking page

  Best for

  Everyone: the best value of the extra tombs

  ---

  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Luxor: Valley of the Kings and Queens Guided Tour with Lunch

  from €49

  ResellerSkips some lines

  Includes

  Small-group tour with hotel pickup, Egyptologist guide, Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Colossi of Memnon and lunch; entry fees only if you choose that option

  Best for

  Visitors who want transport and a guide without arranging either

  ---

  GetYourGuide · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

Guided tours of Valley of the Kings

Guides are not allowed to guide inside the tombs, so a guide here explains the valley at the entrance and tells you which tombs to pick, then waits while you go in alone. That still helps on a first visit and spares you the taxi haggling and the touts. If you have read up beforehand, a driver for the West Bank and the signboards at each tomb are enough.

• Small-group guided tour

  Luxor: Valley of the Kings and Queens Guided Tour with Lunch

  Special Egypt

  Hotel pickup in Luxor, Egyptologist guide (English; Arabic, French, German and Spanish available), Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and Colossi of Memnon, lunch at a local restaurant. Entry fees only if you pick that option; tips extra. Some reviewers asked for clearer information on optional fees and drink prices.

  from €49

  Duration: 5 hours

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Private tour (driver, guide optional)

  Private Half Day West Bank Tour to Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Colossi of Memnon

  Emo Tours

  Private air-conditioned car with hotel pickup; add a guide, entry tickets or lunch when booking. Useful as a fixed-price driver for the three classic West Bank stops.

  from €18.16 (transport only; guide, entry and lunch are paid options; price varies by group size)

  Duration: About 5 hours

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Private tour with Egyptologist (local operator)

  Tour to the West Bank

  Egypt Tailor Made Tours

  Private vehicle, Egyptologist guide and the main entrance fees for the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut temple and the Colossi of Memnon included; the extra tombs (Tutankhamun, Ramesses VI, Seti I) are not. Children under 2 free, 2–5 pay 25%, 6–11 pay 50%.

  from $60

  Duration: About 6 hours

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Hot air balloon flight over the West Bank

  Luxury Sunrise Balloon Ride in Luxor with Hotel Pickup

  Local balloon operator, sold on Viator

  Pickup from hotels and cruise boats, boat across the Nile, tea and coffee, flight certificate. Reviewers report baskets of roughly 16–30 people. Reviews from 2026 report flights delayed or cancelled for wind (with refunds) and waits of one to two hours at the launch field; a sunrise view is not guaranteed.

  from €59.02

  Duration: About 3 hours including transfers; the listing gives 30 minutes in the air

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

Valley of the Kings deals and discounts

• Half price for students up to 24

  Students pay EGP 375 for the standard ticket, EGP 350 for Tutankhamun and EGP 110 for Ramesses V and VI; Seti I has no student rate. Bring a valid student card (ISIC is safest; photos or copies are often refused); the Ministry's rules say age must not exceed 24.

  egymonuments.com (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Free for children under 6

  Children below 6 enter free under the Ministry's free-entry policy. There is no free day or reduced off-peak price for foreign visitors.

  egymonuments.com (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Ramesses V and VI: the cheapest of the great tombs

  At EGP 220 KV9 costs a tenth of Seti I and less than a third of Tutankhamun, and many visitors rank it the best of the three. If you add one tomb, add this one.

  egymonuments.com (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Luxor Pass: rarely worth it

  The Luxor Pass (five days, most sites on both banks) is not listed on any current official page, so check the price at the Karnak or Valley of the Kings ticket office. A December 2025 travel guide gave $130 ($70 for students under 30) for the standard pass and $250 ($130) for the premium pass with Seti I and Nefertari, paid in clean US dollar or euro notes; those figures may be out of date. The same guide's tally of the Valley of the Kings with Tutankhamun and Ramesses V and VI, plus Hatshepsut, Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu, Ramesseum, Deir el-Medina, the Tombs of the Nobles, Karnak, Luxor Temple and the two museums came to EGP 4,950, about $104, so the pass only saves money on a longer itinerary. Nefertari's tomb, the main draw of the premium pass, was still closed in late 2025 reports.

  earthtrekkers.com (opens in a new tab) · as of December 2025

• Free roadside sight: the Colossi of Memnon

  The two giant statues of Amenhotep III stand beside the main road into the West Bank monuments, with no ticket. Every taxi or tour passes them; ask for a five-minute stop.

  en.wikivoyage.org (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

Best time to visit Valley of the Kings

Tips and tricks

Gathered from travel forums, locals and the sight’s own advice, rewritten in our own words. What worked for others, not a guarantee.

1. Buy every ticket before the tram

   There is no ticket desk inside the valley. If you see Seti I or Tutankhamun on the map and want to go in, you will need to ride the tram back down to the visitor centre to buy the ticket.

   From Earth Trekkers, Valley of the Kings guide, updated July 2026

2. Bring a card, and some small notes

   Site tickets are card only (Visa and Mastercard), online and at the counters. Keep small Egyptian pound notes for the toilets, water and tips. The Luxor Pass, by contrast, is reported to be cash only, in US dollars or euros.

   From EgyMonuments FAQ, 2026; Wikivoyage Valley of the Kings, January 2026

3. Save the extra-ticket tombs for last

   Do your three standard tombs first while the queues are short, then the paid tombs, which are quieter all day because of their price. You end on the best art.

   From Earth Trekkers, Valley of the Kings guide, updated July 2026

4. Pick tombs from the open list, not the guidebook

   The open tombs rotate for conservation. Photograph the map board at the entrance, check which tombs are open that day and choose three from different periods: an early 18th-dynasty tomb, a 19th-dynasty one and a broad Ramesside one show how the design changed.

   From Wikivoyage Valley of the Kings, 2026

5. Phone photos are free; the old camera ticket is gone

   The Ministry's own page says photography with a mobile phone is free of charge, and recent visitors report no separate photo ticket and cameras allowed. If a guard offers to let you photograph a roped-off spot for a tip, it is not a rule, it is a sale.

   From EgyMonuments Valley of Kings page, 2026; Earth Trekkers reader reports, 2026

6. Bring water, a hat and sun cream

   You walk up to ten minutes between tombs on open ground, and the only café is in the middle of the valley; the cleaner toilets are at the visitor centre and near the tram stop.

   From Earth Trekkers, Valley of the Kings guide, updated July 2026

7. See Tutankhamun's treasures in Giza, the mummy here

   The tomb is small and its contents left long ago; they are now shown at the Grand Egyptian Museum near the pyramids. Pay for KV62 for the mummy and the setting; pay for Seti I or Ramesses V and VI for the paintings.

   From Wikipedia, Valley of the Kings, 2026

8. You can no longer hike in over the hill

   The old footpath over the ridge from Hatshepsut's temple to the valley is closed and police turn walkers back. Go by road.

   From Wikivoyage Luxor/West Bank, 2026

9. Leave the gift shop at a steady walk

   The exit to the car park runs through a large gift shop with pushy sellers. A firm "la shukran" (no, thank you) and walking on is enough.

   From Earth Trekkers, Valley of the Kings guide, updated July 2026

10. Book a balloon knowing the record

    Dawn balloon flights over the West Bank give the classic view of the valley's hills and Hatshepsut's temple. They are grounded in strong wind, and delays or cancellations are common. Luxor has had serious accidents: in 2013 a balloon caught fire and fell, killing at least 19 foreign tourists; in 2016 flights were halted for a time after a crash landing that left 22 tourists with minor injuries; and in January 2018 a crash landing in strong wind killed one tourist. A 2018 news report said flights were by then monitored by cameras and banned from flying above 2,000 metres.

    From Global News, January 2018; Viator balloon reviews, 2026

How to get to Valley of the Kings

• From the East Bank: take the public ferry (National Ferry) across the Nile from the landing near Luxor Temple (EGP 25 for foreigners), then a taxi from the West Bank landing: about EGP 150 one way, or about EGP 600 for a round trip with waiting at the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple (January 2026). Agree the price, in Egyptian pounds, before you get in.
• By car from the East Bank: a taxi or Careem (Uber does not operate in Luxor; Careem and InDrive do) crosses the Nile by road bridge; allow about 45 minutes from central Luxor. A day hire for the West Bank, or a tour with pickup, is the easiest option for several sites.
• By bicycle: bikes can be hired near the West Bank ferry landing or taken across on the ferry. The road up to the valley is long, hot and climbs steadily; only realistic early in the morning outside summer. The last 2 km to the West Valley are not suitable for cycling.
• On site: cars and coaches park at the visitor centre; from there a small electric tram (often called the tuf-tuf) runs about three minutes to the valley gate, about EGP 20 return, or you can walk the road.

Scams and problems to watch for

• "The valley is closed today"

  A friendly man at the West Bank ferry landing or a driver on the Corniche says the Valley of the Kings is closed for restoration and offers to show you something else, which turns out to be an alabaster "factory" or papyrus shop paying him commission. The valley is open every day from 06:00. Check closures only at the ticket office.

• The shop stop on a taxi day

  Day-hire drivers and some cheap tours add an alabaster workshop, perfume or papyrus stop, sometimes for an hour. Say at the start that you want no shops, and agree the route and the total price in Egyptian pounds.

• Tomb attendants selling "special" access

  Inside a tomb an attendant offers to show you a closed side room, explain the paintings or let you take a photo of a roped-off area, then asks for money; demands can reach a few hundred pounds. It is not part of your ticket. Say "la shukran" and walk on; if you accept, agree a small tip first.

• Fake guides at the ferry and the gate

  Men with home-made lanyards attach themselves to you at the ferry landing or the valley entrance, start talking and later demand payment. Licensed guides carry a Ministry ID and are booked in advance through your hotel or a tour company, and no guide may lecture inside the tombs anyway.

• Pounds that become dollars

  A taxi or calèche driver agrees "50" and at the end says he meant dollars, or per person. Type the full price in Egyptian pounds on your phone and show it to the driver before you set off.

• Reseller tickets dressed up as official

  Some sites sell "official" Valley of the Kings tickets in euros at a mark-up. The official ticket is EGP 750 at egymonuments.com or on site, and it is the same entry.

Accessibility

Combine it with

• Temple of Hatshepsut (Deir el-Bahari)

  The terraced mortuary temple of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, just over the ridge from the valley; EGP 440 (students EGP 220). Most tours pair it with the valley; go straight after the tombs, before the midday sun hits the open terraces.

• Valley of the Queens

  Tombs of queens and royal children, EGP 220 for three tombs. Nefertari's tomb (QV66), often called the finest in Egypt, closed in March 2024, was still closed in late 2025 reports and is not on the online booking page.

• Medinet Habu

  The mortuary temple of Ramesses III, with deep, still-coloured reliefs and far fewer visitors than Karnak; EGP 220 (students EGP 110).

• Colossi of Memnon

  Two huge seated statues of Amenhotep III by the main road, free to see from the roadside. A five-minute stop on the way in or out.

• Deir el-Medina and Carter's House

  The village and painted tombs of the craftsmen who dug the royal tombs, and the house of Howard Carter with a replica of Tutankhamun's burial chamber (EGP 220 in the Ministry's 2024 price list).

Questions people ask about visiting Valley of the Kings