Last Updated: May 11, 2026
Valley of the Kings in Egypt is a desert valley on the west bank of the Nile, opposite modern Luxor, where pharaohs of the New Kingdom chose to be buried in hidden rock‑cut tombs instead of towering pyramids. From the 18th to the 20th dynasties, roughly 1539–1075 BC, it served as the principal royal cemetery for most of the great kings of this era, along with some queens and high officials. The valley lies beneath a natural pyramid‑shaped peak called al‑Qurn, which likely reinforced its symbolic connection to rebirth and eternal life. After Dendera Temple we traveled to the Valley of the Kings.
Valley of the Kings
Unlike the pyramids of the Old Kingdom, the tombs in the Valley of the Kings were cut deep into the limestone cliffs, with long corridors, painted chambers, and shafts leading to the burial rooms. The walls are covered with colorful scenes from funerary texts such as the Book of the Dead and other underworld guides, designed to help the king navigate the afterlife. Even though most tombs were robbed of antiquity, the decoration and remaining sarcophagi still convey a sense of royal power and elaborate belief in life after death.
Archaeologists have identified at least 63 tombs so far, numbered “KV” (for “Kings’ Valley”) followed by a number in the order of discovery. The most famous is KV62, the tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered almost intact in 1922 and now central to the site’s worldwide fame. Today, the Valley of the Kings forms part of the Theban Necropolis UNESCO World Heritage Site, and conservation work continues as researchers study, stabilize, and sometimes rotate which tombs are open to visitors.
Tombs, Valley of the Kings
While at the Valley of the Kings we visited four tombs.
Ramesses IV (KV2)
His tomb follows a simple straight‑axis plan: three descending corridors lead to an antechamber and then the burial chamber, with a short corridor and small side rooms beyond. The tomb was originally meant to be larger, but Ramesses IV died after a relatively short reign of 14 years, so a planned pillared hall was repurposed as the burial chamber and its pillars removed to make space for the massive sarcophagus. The entry is via a stair and ramp, and the overall length is about 89 meters, making it sizable but architecturally quite simple compared to some 19th‑Dynasty tombs.
The decoration combines solar and underworld themes. In the burial chamber, the ceiling is famously painted with the sky goddess Nut and other astronomical motifs, positioned above the large red‑granite sarcophagus that still sits in place. KV2 also preserves a striking mix of ancient Egyptian scenes with later Greek, Roman and Coptic graffiti, including crosses, saints and inscriptions left by visitors over many centuries.
Ramesses IV ruled in the 20th Dynasty, in a period of economic strain following Ramesses III, and his tomb reflects both ambition (its size) and simplification (its straightforward plan and adapted burial chamber). An ancient plan of the tomb survives on a papyrus in Turin, making KV2 one of the rare royal tombs for which there is an ancient architectural drawing.
Ramesses IX (KV6)
The tomb of Ramesses IX is a long, straight‑axis tomb in the central part of the Valley of the Kings and served as the burial place of the 20th‑Dynasty pharaoh Ramesses IX. KV6 is known for its unusually wide entrance and long corridors, which make it one of the easier, more dramatic walks in the valley, though the tomb was never fully finished and parts were hastily completed after the king’s death.
Decoration includes scenes from the Litany of Ra, Book of the Dead, Book of Caverns, and Book of the Earth, with a vaulted burial‑chamber ceiling painted with the sky goddess Nut in striking yellows, deep blues, and blacks. The sarcophagus is gone, and Ramesses IX’s mummy was found instead in the Deir el‑Bahri cache (DB320), but the tomb itself has been open since antiquity and is covered with ancient Greek, Roman and Coptic graffiti.
Tutankhamun (KV62)
Tutankhamun’s tomb is the smallest royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings, unusually compact due to the young pharaoh’s short reign (c. 1332–1323 BC). It was discovered nearly intact on November 4, 1922 by Howard Carter beneath debris from Ramesses VI’s nearby tomb (KV9), which had hidden its entrance for centuries. The layout includes a steep descending corridor, antechamber, annex, burial chamber, and treasury — totaling about 110 square meters, atypical for 18th Dynasty kings. It was robbed twice soon after burial but hastily resealed, preserving most contents unlike larger tombs. Over 5,000 artifacts were found, including the iconic gold death mask, nested coffins, chariots, jewelry, and a canopic shrine — now mostly in Cairo’s Egyptian Museum. The mummy revealed Tutankhamun died young at around age 19, likely from a combination of health issues; two stillborn daughters were also buried within the tomb.
Ramesses III (KV11)
The tomb of Ramesses III, also known as the “Tomb of the Harpers,” is one of the longest and most visited tombs in the Valley of the Kings at around 188 meters, featuring some of the best-preserved decorations from the 20th Dynasty (c. 1186–1155 BC). It was started by his father Setnakhte, abandoned after breaching KV10, then repurposed and expanded by Ramesses III on a shifted axis.
Long corridors descend with scenes from the Litany of Re, Book of Gates, and Amduat, leading to a four-pillared hall, a well room, and an impressive eight-pillared burial chamber with a vaulted ceiling. Eight small side chambers off one corridor (hence “Harpers”) depict musicians and funerary rites. The quartzite sarcophagus fragments from KV11 are now divided between the Louvre and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
Colors remain vivid despite ancient looting — a testament to the dry desert climate that has preserved these painted chambers for over three thousand years.
Temple of Hatshepsut
Leaving the Valley of the Kings we went to the Temple of Hatshepsut. It is a striking terraced monument built into the cliffs at Deir el‑Bahri, on the west bank of the Nile opposite Luxor. It served as the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, the powerful 18th‑dynasty queen who ruled as pharaoh in her own right in the mid‑15th century BCE. In ancient Egyptian, it was called Djeser‑Djeseru, meaning “Holy of Holies,” reflecting its religious and ceremonial importance.
The temple is dramatically nestled against steep limestone cliffs, so the architecture appears to rise naturally from the rock face. Its design centers on three broad terraces connected by long ramps, all aligned on a strong central axis that once extended visually and ritually toward the Nile and the temples at Karnak. This axial layout allowed processions and sacred barques to move straight through the complex during festivals.
Each terrace is fronted by colonnades of square pillars and statues, creating a rhythm of light and shadow that feels almost modern in its simplicity. The structure was built mainly of limestone, with some sandstone and granite elements, and originally would have been brightly painted and richly decorated with reliefs rather than the bare stone you mostly see today.
The temple’s reliefs are key to understanding Hatshepsut’s message about her rule. One famous set of scenes depicts her divine birth, showing the god Amun as her father, which was meant to legitimize her unusual position as a female pharaoh. Another famous series illustrates her trading expedition to the Land of Punt, celebrating prosperity, exotic goods and Egypt’s reach abroad.
Other walls show offerings to gods like Amun, Hathor, and Anubis, reinforcing the temple’s role as both a royal mortuary complex and a place of active worship. Many of the columns on the upper terrace once carried Osiride statues — standing figures of Hatshepsut with crossed arms, in the pose of Osiris — to link her with rebirth and eternal life.
The temple was probably designed and overseen by Senenmut, Hatshepsut’s close adviser and chief steward of Amun, whose name appears in several places connected with the project. Construction took roughly 14–16 years, overlapping with Hatshepsut’s joint rule with Thutmose III and coinciding with other major works like her obelisks at Karnak.
After Hatshepsut’s death, many of her images and names in the temple were damaged or erased, likely during the later reign of Thutmose III and again under Akhenaten’s religious reforms, but the structure itself remained. Today it is one of the best‑preserved royal mortuary temples of the New Kingdom and a highlight of visits to Luxor’s west bank, especially when combined with a trip to the nearby Valley of the Kings.
Alabaster Workshops, Luxor
In Egypt, the alabaster commonly used is calcite alabaster — a crystalline form of calcium carbonate. In contrast, much of the European “alabaster” is gypsum-based, which is softer and more opaque. Calcite alabaster can be more translucent, allowing light to pass through slightly, which is why some Egyptian vases and lamps seem to glow when light hits them. Egyptian alabaster naturally has creamy white tones, sometimes with subtle veins or honey-colored streaks. Because calcite alabaster is harder and more durable than gypsum alabaster, it can be carved finely without crumbling and lasts longer once polished. Ancient Egyptians used alabaster extensively — sarcophagi, canopic jars, perfume vessels, and statues were often made from it. Luxor, being near the Valley of the Kings, was a hub for artisans, so modern workshops here are continuing a tradition that is thousands of years old.
After a long day at the Valley of the Kings exploring the tombs we returned to our ship. A few images of other sights we saw around Luxor that day — including the hot air balloons that rise above the west bank at dawn, a morning ritual for visitors fortunate enough to catch the early light from the air.
Visitor Information
Address: Valley of the Kings, West Bank, Luxor, Upper Egypt. From central Luxor, cross the Nile by ferry or bridge and follow signs to the west bank necropolis. Hours: Open daily approximately 6:00 AM–5:00 PM (last entry 4:00 PM); hours vary seasonally. Admission: General entry ticket covers three tombs of your choice; Tutankhamun (KV62) and a small number of other tombs require a separate additional ticket. Prices are set in Egyptian Pounds and subject to change — verify current rates at egypt.travel before visiting. Temple of Hatshepsut: Located at Deir el-Bahri, a short drive from the Valley of the Kings; separate admission applies. Getting there: Most visitors arrive by taxi, private driver, or as part of a Nile cruise shore excursion from Luxor.
Frequently Asked Questions — Valley of the Kings
How many tombs can you visit in the Valley of the Kings? The standard entry ticket includes three tombs of your choice from those currently open to visitors. Tutankhamun’s tomb (KV62) requires a separate ticket purchased at the site. The number of open tombs rotates as conservation work progresses — typically 15–20 tombs are accessible at any given time, though only a handful are open on any given day.
Is Tutankhamun’s tomb worth the extra ticket price? Yes, if you have any interest in the story of its discovery. The tomb itself is surprisingly small — far less decorated than KV2 or KV11 — but King Tut’s mummy remains in his burial chamber in the original quartzite sarcophagus, and standing in the room where Howard Carter made his 1922 discovery is genuinely moving. The gold mask and treasures are now at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Which tombs in the Valley of the Kings are most impressive? KV11 (Ramesses III, the Tomb of the Harpers) is one of the longest and best-decorated, with vivid surviving color. KV6 (Ramesses IX) has a dramatic wide entrance and spectacular ceiling. KV2 (Ramesses IV) still has its massive red granite sarcophagus in place. KV62 (Tutankhamun) is historically unmissable. If you can only visit four, these are the four.
Is photography allowed inside the tombs? Photography policies change frequently at the Valley of the Kings — some tombs permit it, some do not, and rules are enforced by guards inside each tomb. Check the current policy at the ticket office when you arrive. Flash photography is generally prohibited to protect the pigments. Outside the tombs, photography is unrestricted.
Can you combine the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut in one day? Absolutely — and most visitors do exactly that. The two sites are a short drive apart on the west bank, and many tour operators offer combined west bank day trips that also include the Colossi of Memnon and the Ramesseum. Half a day is enough for the Valley of the Kings tombs; add another hour or two for Hatshepsut’s temple.
What is the best time to visit the Valley of the Kings? Early morning is strongly recommended — gates open at 6:00 AM and the first hour or two offers dramatically thinner crowds before shore excursion groups from Luxor cruise ships arrive. October through April provides comfortable temperatures. Summer months (June–August) can be extremely hot on the exposed west bank, with temperatures regularly exceeding 105°F (40°C).
Are hot air balloon rides over the Valley of the Kings worth it? Many visitors consider them one of the highlights of Luxor. Balloons launch at dawn from the west bank and drift over the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s temple, and the Nile floodplain as the light comes up — a perspective on this landscape that is genuinely unforgettable. Book through a reputable operator and confirm their safety certifications.
Practical Tips for Visiting the Valley of the Kings
Arrive early: The Valley of the Kings is at its best in the first hour after opening. Shore excursion groups from Nile cruise ships tend to arrive between 9:00 and 10:00 AM — being there before them makes an enormous difference to the experience inside each tomb.
Buy your tickets carefully: The general entry ticket covers three tombs. Decide before you go which tombs you most want to see, as Tutankhamun (KV62) requires a separate ticket that must be purchased at the main booth. Once inside, you cannot go back and buy add-on tickets easily.
Wear comfortable shoes and light clothing: The valley floor is uneven, the tombs involve steep descending ramps and low ceilings, and the heat can be intense. Bring water, a hat, and sunscreen for the exposed areas between tombs. Inside the tombs it is cooler but can be humid from visitor breath.
Combine with Hatshepsut’s Temple: The Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri is a short drive away and one of the most architecturally striking monuments in all of Egypt. Most west bank itineraries include both — plan at least two to three hours total for a comfortable visit to each.
Hot air balloons: If this is on your list, book in advance through your Nile cruise or a reputable local operator. Flights launch at dawn and are weather-dependent — cancellations happen. The view of the Valley of the Kings from the air at sunrise is extraordinary.
Alabaster workshops: The road between the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut’s temple passes through a village known for calcite alabaster carving. A stop at one of the family workshops is worthwhile — you can watch craftsmen work and the quality is generally excellent, continuing a tradition stretching back thousands of years.
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