In Egypt they use the Egyptian Pound, I will be referring to prices in EGP. If you did want more information about them you can read the signs outside the tombs or ask questions separately. I don’t see it becoming much better though for now as tourism and the economy isn’t what it was. For many people, this is a huge splurge. This determined if your soul was worthy enough to enter the Kingdom of Osiris. Please see my disclosure policy for details. Many tombs are closed either for restoration work or to minimize the traffic of tourists in the tombs. The capital city for the New Kingdom had moved to Thebes (modern day Luxor) and so the rulers wanted to be buried on the West Bank of the Nile in Luxor. No one ever knows if you have to buy a ticket for the tram, 4. You could try your luck with a baksheesh to the guard but it’s a risk. without a tour group) and it really shows at Valley of the Kings. If you have any questions about the best tombs to visit in the Valley of the Kings, or if you want to share your favorites, let us know in the comment section below. I hope this helps and have a great time. They haven’t found Cleopatra VII’s tomb because no Ptolomaic era tombs are in the Valley of the Kings. In 2001, new signs of the tombs were designed by Theban Mapping Project to provide new information about the open tombs. So, in this guide, I’m going to demystify a visit to the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. There’s no option to buy later after you’ve left on the tram. I left very confused and wasn’t really sure what I was meant to do. King Setnakht usurped Tausert’s tomb, enlarging it and adding several lower passageways and a pillared hall for his burial chamber. I’ve been reading about this update from other sites but I was not exactly sure. When I went, the guards were confiscating phones so it’s great to see that yuo can use them free of charge now. When buying tickets for Valley of the Kings, if you plan on taking photos, you must buy a photo pass at the ticket counter. It includes lots of advice and practical information you need to know to plan your visit. The tombs in The Valley of the Kings, are one of the most important excavation works of our time. KV17 – Seti I   1,000 EGP per person If not, your heart would be eaten by Goddess Ammut and your soul destroyed. In this tomb, you can also see an unfinished room, with the planned reliefs sketched in red and black ink. Sophie x, Your email address will not be published. As dark tourist as it sounds, I thought it was well worth the money. Ali, our Egyptologist, helped us choose the best tombs to visit in the Valley of the Kings. The tombs are labeled with the abbreviation “KV,” which stands for Kings Valley. The passageway ends at the massive burial chamber that is adorned with colorful scenes on the walls and an astronomical scene on the ceiling. Hi there Janarthanan, thanks so much for the lovely feedback! With a super cool model of the whole complex by the way, including all the tombs underground! I don’t think that it is necessary to purchase two entrance tickets into the Valley of the Kings in order to visit six included tombs. Researchers state that the quality of the rock in the Valley is quite inconsistent, ranging from finely grained to coarse stone. Merenptah is also a good one of a more important figure. Is it worth entering King Tutankhamun’s tomb? So, even if you pay extra to see Ramses V & VI (KV9), you won’t get to photograph it if it you’ve used up your three turns. If you don’t have a photo pass, you will be asked to hand your camera into the photography kiosk in a locker which is guarded by a staff member. Thanks Terry, Hi Terry, the photo pass only allows 3 tombs. Could you please tell me which are the best 3 tombs to decide upon apart from the extra tickets tombs? Goddess Nut (pronounced Noot), the sky goddess, appears regularly in the rooftops of many tombs and temples throughout Egypt. From start to finish, our experience with Egypt Tailor Made was fantastic. In case you missed it, here is the link to our guide on how to visit the Valley of the Kings. There are no fans and some, like Tutankhamun, are climate controlled. The very end of the tomb is blocked off and guarded but the guards will go in there for you and take photos for a tip. So, the tour guide will wait outside for you. There will be two ticket counters. As you make your way around and down to the burial chamber room, you will feel the room heating up! So, use your regular camera, you must purchase a photo pass but use your cell phone camera, you do not need to purchase a photo pass! Pro Travel Tip: The tombs that are available to visit change periodically. Also, if you’re stuck for things to do in the evening, I have a whole post about things to do in Luxor at night here. Hi WJR, Thanks for this awesome insight. If you are lucky enough to visit the Valley of the Kings when either of these temples are open, it is worth it to add them to your list. This is one of the largest tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Thank you for sharing and keep the good job ? Super stressful in the heat! This was our favorite tomb that is included on the main ticket to the Valley of the Kings. Hi and thanks so much for these detailed recommendations. Make sure you have your entrance tickets and photo pass to hand at all times. As you can only choose three tombs, it’s important to choose the best ones for photos that are big with lot’s of photo opportunities and colour! I didn’t know at the time (and wasn’t told this) but you need to buy your ticket at the counter. I saw lot’s of people with walking sticks to assist them. Personally, I thought that Ramses IV was the best! I would like to know if water bottles are available outside these visiting places or should we carry them from our hotels. It is also the favorite of our guide, Ali. One thing that remains constant though, be it a regular camera or cell phone camera, under NO condition do you use a flash at any time while in a tomb. It is decided by the Tour agents. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for stopping by. Remember, this is a place of the dead and it’s important to be respectful. About the spellings in this article: Spellings of the names of the kings and queens can vary according to the source. My, my! Thank you very much for letting me know, as to sites you can take pictures in, and then you can use your cellphone camera to do it. This is another one of t… The tomb of Ramesses IX (KV6) is also very nice. There’s no way of getting to the Valley of the Kings without it either unless you take a long sweaty walk in the heat. So, I was searching for the ticket counter, waiting for my turn, then tour guides would push in to buy tickets and shove money through the window as I was trying to buy! His is the smallest of the tombs you can visit in the Valley of the Kings, but when it was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922, it contained the largest and most elaborate collection of artifacts of any tomb in the valley. I have even forced my girlfriend to read the (how to take great pics in Egypt post!) The reason the tombs are open at different times is because Egypt has them on a rotating basis in order to keep humidity and carbon dioxide levels to a minimum. About the spellings in this article: Spellings of the names of the kings and queens can vary according to the source. But, make sure you haggle as taxi drivers/tour guides gain hefty commissions. The extra expense for the tomb of Ramesses V and VI is worth every penny. It’s quite a short tomb but the vibrancy of the hieroglyphics more than make up for it! For example, the name for Tausert, a female ruler during the 19th dynasty, can also be spelled Twosret, Tawosret, and Tausret. This is £300EGP (£15) and allows photography inside 3 tombs. It is only New Kingdom, so that “fact” really should not be in here. If you are planning a visit to Egypt, here are the best tombs to visit in the Valley of the Kings. There will be no chance to buy one inside. Isn’t the Valley of the Kings utterly amazing, I had such a great time there. Three times and you’re out! One for normal tickets and one for extra tombs and photo passes. I was actually really out of breath when I was going up! The tram ride to get to the Valley of the Kings is £4EGP each way. Ali, an Egyptologist, was our guide. Oh that’s a shame you didn’t get to choose your tombs on your tour. I would double check personally to make sure how many tombs you’re entitled to with it. I always choose, Egypt is a predominantly Islamic country and therefore you will need to dress conservatively to respect the culture. This was all part of preparing to enter the underworld, where they would be judged by the Gods. I only mentioned Queen Cleopatra as it’s something they are still on the lookout for. For many years there was a photography ban in the tombs in the Valley of the Kings but recently, they have lifted this and so you can now take personal photos and videos on your visit. It includes lots of advice and practical information you need to know to plan your visit. It was discovered in 1817 by Giovanni Belzoni and is sometimes referred to as “Belzoni’s tomb.”. You cannot visit them all, but worth visiting as many as you can when you go. Always having a restless soul seeking adventure, she has now travelled to over 30+ countries, many of them solo. It’s a downhill walk through a long passageway where some of the walls are barren and some of the walls contain images of King Merenptah with the god Ra-Horakhty. KV62 – Tutankhamun    300 EGP per person. The tour group weren’t showing tickets for it, so I assumed it was included in the price. Sign Up to Get the Latest Adventures Straight to Your Mailbox! It had been on my bucket list for a long time, so I was happy to tick it off and have some epic photos to show for it. It was for us too, but I am very glad that we got to see it. Currently, eight tombs are included on the main ticket into the Valley of the Kings. The tomb of Huy, […] For many years after specialised restoration and conservation projects in two of the most beautifully decorated tombs of ancient Egypt, Tomb of Seti I (KV17) in the valley of the Kings and tomb of Nefertari (QV66) in the valley of the Queens, were closed for public with exception for private visits for nearly 20 thousand Egyptian pounds (approx. Is a Camel Ride at the Pyramids of Giza Worth It? Of these, fifteen are currently open to the public: Ramesses I, Ramesses III, Ramesses IV, Ramesses V/VI, Ramesses VII, Ramesses IX, Seti II, Siptah, Merenptah, Thutmose III, Thutmose IV, Mentuherkhepshef, Tausret/Sethnakht, Ay, and Tutankhamun. The lower passageways have less artwork on the walls. Currently, this article includes the tombs that are available to visit in 2021. It’s a little strange BUT if you use a regular camera, a photo pass IS required as you stated. If you are planning a visit to Luxor, don’t miss our Guide to the Valley of the Kings. Do we have to get tickets for them? The West Valley has only one open tomb—that of Ay—and a separate ticket is needed to visit this tomb. Only the Tomb of Ay (out of 16 available tombs) is open to the public. But, it was actually less impressive than the others in terms of decoration. Most of the tombs of the Valley of the Kings are not open to the public. Many people who see it state that it is the best tomb to visit in the Valley of the Kings. Just so you are aware, there is another, even more spectacular tomb on the west bank of Luxor, the amazing tomb of Queen Nefertari, which is located in the Valley of the Queens. You will need present them at the entrance of each tomb you enter and it will be hole punched each time you wish to use it. It is one of the largest tombs, featuring a very long hallway and several series of staircases. Instead, the authorities rotate which ones are open in order to try and mitigate the damaging effects of mass tourism (including increased carbon dioxide levels, friction and humidity). Don’t feel guilty or forced to buy, these guys are masters of their craft. You enter and exit through a rather aggressive gift shop, 2. The Valley of the Kings also have walkways that are like chicken pens, there aren’t any stairs and some are extremely steep. The Valley of the Kings, like almost all of Egypt during the pandemic, is practically empty. KV9 – Ramesses V & VI   100 EGP per person Ah that’s such a shame and disappointing! Egypt Travel Tips: Things to Know Before You Travel to Egypt, 10 Day Egypt Itinerary: Cairo, Luxor, Aswan & Abu Simbel, Abu Simbel: Everything You Need to Know to Plan Your Visit, 10 Days in Greece: Athens, Mykonos, Naxos and Santorini, 5 Days in London: The Perfect Itinerary for Your First Visit, Road Trippin’ on the Garden Route of South Africa, 3 Months in Southeast Asia: Travel Guide & Itinerary, Valley of the Kings: The Complete Guide for 2021, Complete Guide to the West Bank of Luxor, Egypt, 10 Day Egypt Itinerary: Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, & Abu Simbel. Hope you had an incredible time in Egypt. Thanks! Spooky. Valley of the Kings Facts. If you want to see the mummy of King Tut, then it is worth it for 300 EGP. Again, I was really confused. Wonderful read. 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