Ah, the Valley of the Kings.

There’s no place in all of Egypt where you can get such an overwhelming sense of connection to the past.

Here, in the arid air, these magnificent tombs have been locked away from the ravages of time.  You’ve probably heard the phrase “It looks like it was painted yesterday,” and that’s completely accurate.

The colors are incredibly vivid; from time to time, for a fleeting moment, you can brush up against the sensation that you’re actually there, living in the time of Ancient Egypt.

But a major issue remains: You need to know which tombs to see in the Valley of the Kings, and how to tackle this trip to one of the most elegant places on the planet.  After all, you may only visit once, and making the most of your time is essential.

Which tombs are open in the Valley of the Kings?

See that picture up above?  Hold on to that for a moment — we’ll come back to it.

When you arrive at the entrance, you’ll walk into a bit of a lobby area, which will help introduce you to what you’re about to see. 

There’s a little model showing you what the valley looks like, and a TV on the wall plays old footage showing artifacts being removed  by Howard Carter from the Tomb of Tutankhamun.

Outside, you can buy tickets to a little electric train that will take you into the valley itself.  They’re very inexpensive, and I recommend you take the ride.  It can get very hot inside the tombs, and there’s no point in wearing yourself out with a long walk before your day even gets started. 

I’m posting a little video down below, showing you what the ride looks like.

Now, when you buy your tickets, you’ll see lists posted like the one in the picture above.  Each ticket lets you enter three tombs — which tombs are open in the Valley of the Kings is supposed to rotate.

However, I try to keep track of this, and it seems like the ones in the picture seem to be the that are most frequently open.

The three tombs at the bottom of the list require extra tickets.  You’ll have to buy these before entering the valley if you want to go inside them.

• The Tomb of Ramesses V & VI, also known as KV9, is spectacular.  It cannot be missed.  I believe the ticket is 50 Egyptian pounds, which is about $3.  
• The Tomb of Tutankhamun is very small and unimpressive compared to the others you’ll visit — but this is easily the most famous tomb in the world, so I don’t see how you could skip it.  As with everything, the price may be more when you go, but at last check it was 250 Egyptian pounds, or about $15. 
• The Tomb of Seti I is the most impressive in the entire valley.  It also costs — get this — 1000 Egyptian pounds.  Yes, one thousand.  That’s close to $65.  Is it worth that cost?  Absolutely. 

Keep in mind that all of these tombs are included in the Luxor Pass, which I have a separate article on.  It can save you a good amount of money and take a lot of the stress out of making sure you have the cash for individual tickets everywhere you go.

Before we get to which of the other tombs you should visit, I want to point out that you must buy a “Photo Pass” at the ticket office.  They won’t tell you about it, but you will need one if you want to use an actual camera inside the tombs.  Supposedly, the rules have recently changed and you can use a cell phone to take pictures without a Photo Pass.

The guards will ask for your pass if they see you snapping shots with a camera.  Then they’ll make you delete them, or you’ll have to give them a “tip” to be left alone.  I saw many confused tourists who didn’t know the pass existed. 

Don’t be like them.  Pay your 300 Egyptian pounds and take all the pictures you want — remember, it wasn’t all that long ago that pictures in the tombs were completely forbidden.

Which tombs to see in the Valley of the Kings

As I said, which tombs to see in the Valley of the Kings is a difficult issue to tackle, because you can’t be certain about which ones are open until you’re there.

Choosing which tombs to enter can be a challenge if you don’t know what you’re doing.  Some tombs are in phenomenal condition, while others have been damaged due to flash flooding or other unfortunate events over time.

For my money, the most impressive ones on the “included with the main ticket” cost are the Tomb of Ramesses IV (pictured above) and the Tomb of Ramesses III. 

The third one you’ll want to pick is kind of up in the air.  I think all the others in the picture I posted are comparable, and don’t stand out compared to the two I listed.

The sad thing is that some of the earlier tombs, like the Tomb of Thutmose III or the Tomb of Amenhotep II don’t seem to be open at all in recent years.  These are decorated in a very different style, and I’d love to see them.  From what I’ve heard, there’s some excavation work happening near them, so hopefully things will change soon.

Anyway, here’s how this works: You’ll buy a ticket, and you’ll show it to a guard at the entrance of each tomb.  He’ll use a very low-tech solution by punching a hole in your ticket.  When you have three holes, you’re done.

The process is the same when you have a photo pass.

If you have a Luxor Pass, you can visit as many open tombs as you like — no picking necessary.  I suppose you could also buy multiple tickets when you go in if you want to visit more than three “normal” tombs, but I haven’t tried that.  If you’re set on seeing as much as possible, just buy the Luxor Pass.  It’s worth it.

Prepping for your Valley of the Kings trip

Even if you visit the Valley of the Kings with a tour guide (and as I keep repeating here, you don’t need one), your guide isn’t allowed in the tombs.  He or she can take you up to the entrance, maybe show you some pictures and offer some explanations, but that’s it.

The reason for this is that these tombs are narrow and delicate.  The last thing they need is a group of 30 people all standing around together.

So one way or another, you’re kind of on your own here.

Now, it’s perfectly fine to just walk inside, marvel at the colors and the artwork, and leave.  But are you really getting the full experience?

The important thing to remember is that these aren’t simply “tombs” as we think of them.  In essence, they’re resurrection machines.  They were built and designed to help the king make his way into the afterlife.

Much of what you’ll see are portions of ancient funerary texts, telling the story of the sun god as he faces trials on his path to be united with Osiris, the god of the underworld, before being reborn the following morning.

The path of the king was believed to mirror this journey.  In a way, the art was intended to serve as a map so he could find his way.  The art on the walls tells these stories.  You’ll see scenes from texts like Amduat or the Book of Gates.

How will you know what you’re looking at?  As I’ve recommended elsewhere, there’s an excellent book called “The Illlustrated Guide to Luxor: Tombs, Temples, and Museums,” by Dr. Kent Weeks.  Unfortunately it’s difficult to find online, where used copies often go for exorbitant prices.

You can probably find the book in Luxor, at Aboudi Bookstore right next to Luxor Temple.  There’s also a decent amount of books you can buy online that will explain the various funerary texts to you.

Another excellent resource is one I’ve linked to several times in this article: The recently redesigned and relaunched Theban Mapping Project, which has long been the brainchild of the aforementioned Dr. Weeks.  

There, you’ll find interactive maps of each tomb, complete with pictures and tons of information on each one.  It’s easy to get lost on that site — just be sure to come back here when you’re finished, okay?

Note: Everything I say here is my own personal opinion, and may not work best for everyone. I’m far from an expert, so please just do whatever is best for you, and be sure to visit the TripAdvisor Forums to ask questions and do some more research!