Hidden in a barren limestone valley on the west bank of the Nile opposite Luxor, the Valley of the Kings is one of archaeology's most extraordinary places — a necropolis where 64 tombs have been discovered, most belonging to the pharaohs and powerful nobles of Egypt's New Kingdom (1550–1070 BCE). The valley was chosen for its remote, defensible location and the pyramid-shaped peak of Al-Qurn that rises above it, thought by the ancient Egyptians to be a naturally occurring pyramid watching over the dead.
The tombs — many decorated with astonishing painted murals and hieroglyphic texts describing the journey of the soul through the underworld — represent the finest surviving examples of ancient Egyptian funerary art. Some tombs descend 100 metres into the bedrock through a series of corridors, halls and treasure chambers. The most famous — KV62, the tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered virtually intact by Howard Carter in 1922 — remains open today, though most of its contents are now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Which Tombs to Visit
The standard ticket grants access to three tombs (not including Tutankhamun's, which requires a separate ticket). The best tombs for painted decoration are KV11 (Ramesses III) — with extraordinary painted scenes of daily life, musicians and foreign prisoners — and KV8 (Merenptah), whose sarcophagus chambers retain some of the valley's finest hieroglyphic texts. KV6 (Ramesses IX) is the easiest to access and has well-preserved ceiling decorations.
The tomb of Seti I (KV17) is widely considered the most beautiful in the entire valley — its painted corridors descending 130m into the rock with vivid colour preserved over 3,300 years — but it requires a separate premium ticket and is only occasionally open. Book through a licensed guide or the official ticketing office for the best chance of access.
Tutankhamun's Tomb (KV62)
Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in November 1922 — after 10 years of searching — remains the most sensational archaeological discovery of the 20th century. The tomb was almost entirely intact, containing over 5,000 objects including the gold inner coffin, the famous blue-and-gold death mask (now in Cairo), gilded furniture, chariots, weapons and a golden throne. The young king himself — he died aged approximately 19, probably from complications related to a broken leg — still lies in his granite sarcophagus within KV62.
Visiting Tutankhamun's tomb requires an additional ticket and the chambers are small and feel crowded — the experience is more about historical significance than visual spectacle. The replica tomb (built to exact specifications) on the site's western edge is now open as an alternative; it is less crowded and allows significantly more time with the extraordinary wall paintings.
The West Bank of Luxor
The Valley of the Kings is the centrepiece of Luxor's remarkable west bank, which also contains the Valley of the Queens (including the dazzling tomb of Nefertari, the wife of Ramesses II — arguably the most beautifully decorated tomb ever found), the Workers' Village of Deir el-Medina (where the craftsmen who built the royal tombs lived), and the extraordinary mortuary temples of Hatshepsut (the female pharaoh, cut directly into the cliffs at Deir el-Bahari) and Ramesses III at Medinet Habu.
