The Valley of the Kings
Tips
I have visited the Valley of the Kings twice. The last time it was in the final days of the Covid 19 pandemic.
Most of you will stay on the shores of the Red Sea and book a trip directly in your resorts. You will leave very early - or very late - depending on your personal sleep patterns - by bus and travel to Luxor. Even if that seems exhausting, I definitively recommend a trip to Luxor.
The Tomb of Tutankhamun and the Tombs of Seti I and Ramses II are not included in the general admission!
You have to buy and extra ticket for them. The ticket booth is immediately outside of the welcome center on your right hand side. Your tour guide will only buy the general admission tickets and you have to queue up for the extra tickets on your own. It is the first thing you should do before getting into the little golf carts that take you into the valley. Once you are in the valley, you won't be able to buy additional tickets. Most of the people are disappointed when they notice that they are not allowed to visit the Tomb of Tutankhamun or some of the "better" tombs.
In particular with human beings who took a big part in shaping the past with direct consequences for our own - insignificant - lives today.
What if Tutmose III had not won the Battle of Meggido and Ramses II made peace with the Hitties after the Battle of Kadesh? Would the empowered Hittite Empire have crushed the archaic Greeks and therefore prevented the emergence of Western civilization? What if Tutankhamun had not chosen to revert to the old Gods of Egypt. Would we still build synagogues, churches or mosques for the same God we do today?
When entering the valley, you will get in intimate relations with people whose actions influenced the lives of billions of people until our days.
The Valley of the Kings is a burial site in Egypt located on the west bank of the Nile River in Luxor. It was used as a royal burial ground for pharaohs and powerful nobles during the New Kingdom period, from approximately the 16th to the 11th century BC.
The valley contains over 60 tombs, many of which are elaborately decorated with colorful frescoes and hieroglyphics. The tombs were designed to provide a resting place for the pharaohs in the afterlife, and were filled with treasures and offerings to help them on their journey.
Some of the most famous tombs in the Valley of the Kings include those of Tutankhamun, Ramses II, and Seti I. Tutankhamun's tomb is particularly well-known, as it was discovered relatively intact in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter. The tomb contained a wealth of treasures, including the famous golden mask of Tutankhamun, which is now on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The Valley of the Kings was used as a burial site for over 500 years, but by the end of the New Kingdom period, the tombs had been looted and the site was abandoned. Over the centuries, the tombs were covered by sand and forgotten, until they were rediscovered by modern archaeologists in the 19th century.
Today, visitors can explore the Valley of the Kings and marvel at the intricate tombs and their colorful decorations. However, due to concerns about the preservation of the fragile artwork, only a limited number of tombs are open to the public at any given time – an important measure to keep the damage to the ancient art as low as possible.
The humidity that breath, sweat and other evaporations of thousands of visitors bring damages the paintings that have been preserved by the dry desert climate and in the worst case mould fungus destroys priceless art. This is why the tombs open to the public change from time to time. You can be sure
I have visited the following tombs
The Tomb of Seti I (KV 17)
The Tomb of Tutankhamun
The Tomb of Merenptha (KV 8)
The Tomb of Ramses III (KV 11)
The Tomb of Ramses V & Ramses VI
The Tomb of Ramses IX
Three tombs are included in the general admission fee. But beware: The Tomb of Tutankhamun and the Tombs of Seti I and Ramses II are not included in the general admission! You can ask your tour guide or your tour operator when booking the trip which tombs are included. You have to buy and extra ticket for them. The ticket booth is immediately outside of the welcome center on your right hand side. Your tour guide will only buy the general admission tickets and you have to queue up for the extra tickets on your own. It is the first thing you should do before getting into the little golf carts that take you into the valley. Once you are in the valley, you won't be able to buy additional tickets. Most of the people are disappointed when they notice that they are not allowed to visit the Tomb of Tutankhamun or some of the "better" tombs. Tomb of Tutankhamun EGP 200,00 (ca. EUR 11,00 or 13.00) Tomb of Seti I EGP 100,00 Tomb of Ramses III EGP 1000,00 If you want to take pictures or film with a camera, you will have to pay an extra fee at the ticket booth. Taking pics of filming with your phone is free of charge. Take that into account if a local wants to extract some baksheesh from you.
Here you can find out which tombs are currently included in the basic entry fee and wich tombs can be visited for an additional fee. The Tomb of Tutankhamun is never included in the basic fee.
Tickets from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities
