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Valley of the Kings: Descend into the Pharaohs’ Golden Afterlife

Descend into the world's most famous burial ground, the Valley of the Kings. This is where pharaohs like King Tutankhamun were buried in secret, underground tombs, which are covered in stunning, 3,000-year-old paintings. Your ticket includes entry to three of these magnificent "time capsules." You can also buy a special ticket to see the royal mummy of King Tut himself. It's the must-do, #1 attraction on any Luxor tour.

EFT Team
August 24, 2021
Updated: November 9, 2025

This is it: the most famous burial ground on Earth. Welcome to the Valley of the Kings. For 500 years, this isolated, sun-scorched valley on the West Bank of Luxor served as Egypt’s most secret and sacred place. The greatest pharaohs of the New Kingdom (1550–1069 BC) chose this as their final resting place.

This is not a valley of pyramids built for display. It is a valley of secret, underground tombs. Builders cut them deep into the rock. They designed them to hide forever. The ancient Egyptians called it Ta-sekhet-ma’at, the “Great Field.” You can think of it as the road where the sun god, Ra, set into the afterlife.

Today, archaeologists have discovered 65 tombs in this valley. Each one is a “time machine.” It contains every treasure, text, and magical spell a king needed to conquer death and achieve a golden afterlife. A visit here is not just a walk; it’s a descent. It is the highlight of any trip to Egypt and a journey you will never forget.

Why This Valley? A Story of Secrecy and a Sacred Mountain

In the Old Kingdom, pharaohs built the Pyramids of Giza—massive, unmissable beacons that said “here I am!” The problem? They were also giant advertisements for tomb robbers.

By the time of the New Kingdom, the pharaohs learned from this. They chose this remote, desolate valley, but the location was chosen with great care.

The West Bank: The first choice was symbolic. The sun god set (or “died”) in the western horizon, only to be resurrected on the eastern horizon. For this reason, the ancient Egyptians almost always built their tombs on the West Bank of the Nile.
The Sacred Peak: The exact valley was chosen for a divine reason. It is overshadowed by a magnificent, pyramid-shaped mountain peak named Al-Qurn (“The Horn”). The pharaohs didn’t need to build a pyramid; they had a natural, divine one to guard their tombs. The entire area, including the peak, was sacred to the goddess Hathor, the “Mistress of the West.”
The Secret: The valley’s remote, desert location was its greatest security feature. The pharaohs now wanted their tombs hidden. Thutmose I was the first pharaoh to be buried here, and his chief architect, Ineni, wrote about it in his own tomb, boasting: “I oversaw the excavation of his Person’s cliff-tomb in secret; none seeing, none hearing.”

East vs. West: Understanding the Valleys

When we say “Valley of the Kings,” we are mostly talking about the East Valley. This is where you will find the main visitor center, the “Tuf-Tuf” train, and all the famous tombs (King Tut, Seti I, Ramesses VI, etc.).

There is also a West Valley (or “Valley of the Monkeys”). It is more remote, and very few tourists visit. It contains only a few tombs, with only one (the Tomb of Ay) open to the public, and it requires a separate, special ticket.

Who Was Buried Here? (Not Just Kings)

The name “Valley of the Kings” isn’t entirely accurate. While the 65 numbered tombs were primarily for pharaohs, others were buried here as well. The valley also holds the tombs of:

A few chosen queens.
Royal children (like the sons of Ramesses II).
A few highly-ranked, non-royal officials and nobles.
Some small tombs were even used for animal burials or were never used at all.

What to Expect: The “Tomb Experience”

When you first arrive, you see a hot, dry, rocky valley. The magic hides underground.

Your Egypt Fun Tours guide helps you choose your tombs. Your standard ticket allows you to enter any three tombs from the “open” list. Officials change this list regularly to preserve the tombs.

You will walk to the entrance, a simple doorway in the rock. Then, you begin your descent. You’ll walk down long, sloping corridors and staircases leading deep into the earth. As your eyes adjust to the low light, the sights will overwhelm you.

Stunning, vibrant, 3,000-year-old paintings cover the walls and ceilings of every passage. You are walking through a sacred, hieroglyphic “guidebook” to the afterlife. This includes:

The Book of the Dead
The Book of Gates
The Book of What is in the Underworld (Amduat)

These texts show the pharaoh’s journey. You see his boat sailing through the 12 hours of the night. You see his battles with the serpent god Apep. And you see his final, triumphant judgment before the god Osiris.

The “Must-See” Tombs (What Are the Best Choices?)

With 65 tombs in the valley, how do you choose just three? Your guide will know which are open and which are the best, but here are some of the most popular tombs on the standard ticket.

Tomb of Ramesses IV (KV2): A fantastic “first tomb.” It’s wide, easy to access, and slopes gently. The highlight is the stunning, vaulted ceiling in the burial chamber, which features a massive painting of the sky goddess, Nut, swallowing the sun.
Tomb of Ramesses III (KV11): A “classic” and one of the longest tombs. It’s famous for its unique side chambers, known as the “Harpist’s Tomb,” which show detailed scenes of daily life, something very rare for a royal tomb.
Tomb of Merenptah (KV8): This tomb takes you deep into the bedrock. The main highlight is the massive, toppled lid of the pharaoh’s outer sarcophagus, a giant of red Aswan granite, still resting in the burial chamber.

The “Special Ticket” Tombs: Are They Worth It?

Some tombs are so famous or so fragile that they require an extra ticket. These are not included in your 3-tomb pass.

Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62) – The Legend:

What It Is: The most famous tomb on Earth, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922.
Why It’s Special: It’s the only royal tomb ever found almost completely intact, with all its golden treasures.
Is It Worth It? We’ll be honest: it is a small, undecorated tomb (it was rushed, as he died young). However, it is the only place in the Valley where you can see the actual royal mummy of a pharaoh (the “Boy King” himself). For that reason alone, many find it an unforgettably powerful experience.

Tomb of Seti I (KV17) – The Masterpiece:

What It Is: The longest, deepest, and most beautiful tomb in the valley.
Why It’s Special: The reliefs are the finest in all of Egypt. This is the “Sistine Chapel” of the Valley of the Kings.
Is It Worth It? YES. The ticket is expensive, but for art lovers, this is the single best tomb. The delicate, raised reliefs and vibrant paintings are a true masterpiece.

Tf Ramesses VI (KV9) – The “Ceiling”:

What It Is: A large, easily accessible tomb with some of the most complete decorations.
Why It’s Special: It has one of the most famous and beautiful ceilings in Egypt, a complete, double-image of the sky goddess Nut and the Book of Day and Book of Night.
Is It Worth It? Yes. It’s often considered the “best value” extra-ticket tomb, offering a “wow” factor that rivals Seti I for a lower price.

A Valley of Robbers: The Great Mummy Caches

When Howard Carter found King Tut’s “undisturbed” tomb, it amazed the world. This was a rare exception. Robbers looted almost every other tomb in the valley in antiquity.

We know this because we have the “police reports”! Archaeologists found ancient papyri. These papyri detailed the trials of tomb robbers. One famous document, Papyrus Mayer B, includes a thief’s confession. He confessed to breaking into the tomb of Ramesses VI: “I spent four days breaking into it… We entered… We discovered a bronze kettle and three bronze washbasins.”

Robbers stole valuable metals like gold and silver. They also stole perishable items, like fine linens and sacred oils.

The situation became so bad that priests undertook a secret operation during the 21st Dynasty. They “looted” their own valley—not for greed, but for protection. They went from tomb to tomb. They gathered all the royal mummies they could find. They re-buried them in two secret, hidden caches to keep them safe.

These “mummy caches” (one at Deir el-Bahari, the other in a tomb) held over 40 royal mummies, including Ramesses the Great.

Practical Tips for Your Visit

You NEED a Guide (But They Can’t Talk Inside). The tombs are just dark holes without one. To preserve the peace and protect the tombs, guides cannot talk inside. Your Egypt Fun Tours guide does something much better. Before you enter each tomb, your guide uses a map or book to “brief” you on the story. They tell you what to look for. They explain the paintings’ meanings and the pharaoh’s story. You will then enter with a purpose.
How Many Tombs are Open? The valley has over 60 tombs. Only about 18 are open to the public at one time. Officials open them on a rotation system to preserve them. Your guide knows which tombs are currently open and which are the best to see.
Get a Photo Pass! A standard entry ticket does not include photography. You must buy a separate “Photo Pass.” One pass covers all your 3-tomb tickets. It is 100% worth it. (Never use flash photography. It is strictly forbidden).
Go Early… VERY Early. This is our #1 tip. The tombs are underground and have no air-flow. The main valley hosts 4,000-5,000 visitors on a busy day. By 10 AM, the tombs become hot and crowded. Egypt Fun Tours gets you there right when it opens at 6 AM. You can then explore in the cool, peaceful morning.
Wear Good Shoes. You will walk on uneven stone. You will also go down many wooden staircases.
The “Tuf-Tuf.” It is a 10-minute walk from the Visitor Center to the tomb entrances in the hot sun. We will take the electric “Tuf-Tuf” (a small train). This saves your energy for the tombs.

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