Valley of the Kings – which tombs to choose?

There are over sixty tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Roughly one-third are open to tourists, and only some are available to visit on any given day. In practice, on any given day, you can choose from about a dozen accessible tombs.

Your ticket entitles you to enter three tombs from among those open on the day of your visit. “All of them” means all except the three most famous ones, which we describe below. These three require an additional fee; you can buy tickets for them at the ticket office, along with your basic admission ticket.

The choice may seem difficult, so below you will find some brief tips on why, in our opinion, it is worth visiting a particular tomb. This will help you make an informed choice and enjoy your visit. We have prepared audio guides for all the tombs described here!

Tombs included in the ticket price

Below are our suggestions for three sites worth visiting with the basic admission ticket. Of course, if you have the time and energy, you can simply buy two tickets per person. This increases the number of tombs you can visit to six. And so on.

Right by the entrance is the popular KV2 – belonging to Ramesses IV. This is a frequently chosen site, though in our opinion this is mainly because of its location, right by the entrance gate. In our view, you can safely skip it and move on.

Instead, we recommend the tomb of Ramesses III – that is, KV11. It still bears the traces of a “mistake” by the designers and the famous fresco of the harpists.

We also recommend taking a look at the interesting “double” tomb of Tausret/Setnakht – KV14. It is unusual, with two beautifully decorated burial chambers.

And finally, it is worth trying something a little different: one of the less-visited tombs, situated slightly off the beaten track – the one belonging to Thutmose IV, or Siptah.

Tombs requiring an additional fee

KV62 – the famous burial place of Tutankhamun. A small tomb with very modest decoration, but containing the pharaoh’s preserved mummy. This is the site where the greatest treasures in the Valley of the Kings were discovered. If you are planning to visit, or have already visited, the Grand Egyptian Museum, you can’t miss this place!

KV17  – belonging to Seti I. The most beautiful, most sophisticated and most complete decoration of them all. The longest and the deepest in the valley.

KV9 – the tomb of Ramesses V / VI. Its decoration is superbly preserved and rich in symbolism. If you do not want to pay to visit KV17, this is a sensible alternative.