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West BankLuxor tours · West Bank

Valley of the Kings tours — and the rest of the West Bank

A Luxor West Bank tour means the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon in about five hours. Shared half days start at about $23; the tombs worth paying extra for are Tutankhamun's and Seti I's.

Shared half day
from about $23
Valley ticket
750 EGP (3 tombs)
Tutankhamun
+700 EGP
Last entry
4 pm winter, 5 pm summer

Updated October 21, 2026

The Valley of the Kings, with tomb entrances cut into the limestone hills
The Valley of the Kings, with tomb entrances cut into the limestone hills Photo: Wouter Hagens, CC BY-SA 3.0

The short answer

  1. Best overallValley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple Day Tour4.52,062 reviewsfrom $23GetYourGuide

    The classic West Bank morning — Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut — with more than 2,000 reviews and the lowest price on any platform. Entry tickets are extra.

  2. Best valueHalf-Day Luxor West Bank Tour: Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut with Transfers, Optional Tickets and Lunch4.8130 reviewsfrom $25Headout

    Same route for about the same money, with tickets and lunch available as options, so you can choose to pay one price and not deal with ticket windows.

  3. Best privateWest Bank: Private Full-Day Valley of the Kings Tour4.890 reviewsfrom $70GetYourGuide

    A full private day that adds the Valley of the Queens and Medinet Habu, the two sites shared tours skip, for about $70 per person.

  4. Short on timeMedinet Habu, Deir el-Medina & Valley of Queens Tour4.950 reviewsfrom $74GetYourGuide

    Three hours on the quieter half of the West Bank — Medinet Habu, Deir el-Medina and the Queens. Ideal as a second West Bank morning.

  5. Skip it ifYou only have one day in Luxor

    A full-day tour of both banks covers this same morning and adds Karnak in the afternoon.

What does a Luxor Valley of the Kings tour include?

A standard Luxor Valley of the Kings tour is a West Bank half day of four to five hours: hotel pickup on the East Bank, the drive across the Nile bridge, about two hours in the Valley of the Kings, 45 minutes at the Temple of Hatshepsut and a photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon. Longer and private tours add the Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu or Deir el-Medina — the quieter, often better-preserved half of the necropolis.

Format Price on the platforms Duration Group Tickets included? Pickup Best for
Shared half day (Kings, Hatshepsut, Colossi) from about $23 about 5 h shared usually not East Bank hotels First visit, early start
Shared with tickets & lunch options from about $25 half day shared optional Luxor hotels One price, no ticket windows
Kings and Queens with lunch from about $55 about 5 h shared check listing Luxor hotels Adding the Queens
Private full West Bank from about $70 per person about 7 h your party only check listing hotel or boat Medinet Habu, the Queens, your pace
Private Habu, Deir el-Medina, Queens from about $74 per person about 3 h your party only check listing hotel or boat A second West Bank morning
Valley of the Kings ticket only from about $18 your choice none yes (3 tombs) none Independent visitors

West Bank and Valley of the Kings tours

US-dollar prices come from each platform's own feed and were checked on October 21, 2026. Dates and group size change them — the booking page has the final price.

Which tombs are on the standard Valley of the Kings ticket?

The 750 EGP ticket (375 EGP for students) covers three tombs from a list that rotates as tombs close for conservation. In July 2026 the open list included KV1 (Ramesses VII), KV2 (Ramesses IV), KV6 (Ramesses IX), KV8 (Merenptah), KV11 (Ramesses III), KV14 (Tausert and Setnakht), KV15 (Sety II), KV16 (Ramesses I), KV43 (Thutmose IV) and KV47 (Siptah). Ramesses IV, Ramesses IX and Merenptah are good first choices for long painted corridors.

Separate tickets, bought at the visitor center before you take the tram up:

Tomb Foreign adult Student About
Tutankhamun (KV62) 700 EGP 350 EGP $13.50
Seti I (KV17) 2,000 EGP no discount $38
Ramesses V & VI (KV9) 220 EGP 110 EGP $4
Ay (WV23, West Valley) 200 EGP 100 EGP $4

If you only add one, KV9 is the bargain: the astronomical ceiling of the burial chamber is one of the finest in the valley. Seti I is the most complete royal tomb, and priced like it. You can't buy extra tickets on the tram or at the tombs — decide at the visitor center.

Painted ceiling in the tomb of Ramesses V and VI (KV9), a 220 EGP add-on
Painted ceiling in the tomb of Ramesses V and VI (KV9), a 220 EGP add-on Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

Hatshepsut, the Colossi and the other West Bank sites

Temple of Hatshepsut (Deir el-Bahari): 440 EGP. Three terraces built into the cliff for the queen who ruled as pharaoh; the colonnade reliefs of the expedition to Punt are on the middle level. There is little shade, so go early.

Colossi of Memnon: free. Two seated statues of Amenhotep III by the road, all that stands above ground of his mortuary temple. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough.

Valley of the Queens: 220 EGP. The tombs of queens and princes, including the brightly painted tombs of Khaemwaset (QV44), Amunherkhepeshef (QV55) and Tyti (QV52), which visitors reported open in August 2026. Nefertari's tomb (QV66) has been closed since 2024.

Medinet Habu: 220 EGP. The mortuary temple of Ramesses III, with deep-cut reliefs that still hold their color. It sees far fewer visitors than Hatshepsut.

Deir el-Medina: the village of the tomb builders and their own small painted tombs. It has a separate ticket, and the tomb of Pashedu is sold separately again.

The Ramesseum: 220 EGP. The mortuary temple of Ramesses II, with the fallen colossus that inspired Shelley's "Ozymandias".

Opening times for these sites: from 6:00, with last entry at 4:00 pm in winter and 5:00 pm in summer (Deir el-Medina lists 5:00 pm all year).

Same trip, different desksValley of the Kings and Hatshepsut, shared half day
  1. GetYourGuideValley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple Day Tour4.52,062 reviewsfrom $23Check dates
  2. HeadoutHalf-Day Luxor West Bank Tour: Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut with Transfers, Optional Tickets and Lunch4.8130 reviewsfrom $25Check dates

Is a West Bank tour enough, or should you see both banks?

If you have one day only, a full-day tour of both banks does this morning and adds Karnak after lunch. With two days, give the West Bank its own morning and add the Queens or Medinet Habu; then do Karnak and Luxor Temple on another afternoon. Visiting from Hurghada? The day trips from Hurghada follow the same West Bank route, with the transfer included.

Questions travellers ask

How many tombs can you see in the Valley of the Kings?

The standard 750 EGP ticket gets you into three tombs, chosen from those open that day — in mid-2026 the list included Ramesses IV, Ramesses IX, Merenptah, Ramesses III and Sety II, among others. Tutankhamun (700 EGP), Seti I (2,000 EGP) and Ramesses V & VI (220 EGP) each need their own ticket on top. The open tombs rotate for conservation, so check the board at the visitor center.

Is Tutankhamun's tomb worth the extra ticket?

For the name, yes; for the decoration, less so. KV62 is small, and most of its treasure is in Cairo, but the king's mummy is still in the tomb and the burial chamber is painted. If you can only afford one extra, Seti I's tomb is longer and more richly decorated — at 2,000 EGP (about $38) it is also far more expensive.

How long do you need at the Valley of the Kings?

About two hours for three tombs, plus the short tram ride from the visitor center and any time in a queue at the more popular entrances. Add 30–45 minutes for each extra tomb. Arrive soon after the 6:00 opening if you can; the coach groups from the Red Sea tend to reach the valley later in the morning.

Is Nefertari's tomb open?

Not to ordinary visitors at the time of writing. Recent 2026 guides report that the tomb of Nefertari (QV66) in the Valley of the Queens has been closed since 2024, with no reopening date announced. Be wary of tours that still list it as included. The Valley of the Queens itself is open, with other painted tombs on its 220 EGP ticket.

Can a guide explain inside the tombs?

No. Guides are not allowed inside the royal tombs, so your Egyptologist briefs you outside each entrance. That's one reason a good guide matters — you go in knowing what to look for. Photography with a mobile phone is free under the current ticket rules.

Which is better, a shared or private West Bank tour?

Shared tours are cheapest and fine for the core three sites. A private tour pays off if you want the Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu or Deir el-Medina, which shared groups rarely visit, or if you want to arrive at the valley at opening time. Private West Bank tours start at about $70 per person on the platforms.

Sources and checks

  1. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Valley of the Kings (tickets and hours) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  2. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Tomb of Tutankhamun (tickets) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  3. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Tomb of Sety I, KV17 (tickets) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  4. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Tomb of Ramesses VI, KV9 (tickets) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  5. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Temple of Hatshepsut (tickets) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  6. Egymonuments official booking — Valley of the Kings (seasonal last entry, free-photo rule) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  7. Egymonuments official booking — Valley of the Queens — checked 21 Oct 2026
  8. Egymonuments official booking — Medinet Habu — checked 21 Oct 2026
  9. Egymonuments official booking — Deir el-Medina and Tomb of Pashedu — checked 21 Oct 2026
  10. Egymonuments official booking — Ramesseum — checked 21 Oct 2026
  11. Earth Trekkers — Valley of the Kings guide (open tombs, tram, Ay ticket; updated July 2026) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  12. Exploreena — Valley of the Queens guide (open tombs and Nefertari status, August 2026) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  13. The World Travel Guy — Colossi of Memnon (no entrance fee, 2026) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  14. GetYourGuide — Valley of the Kings tours and tickets — checked 21 Oct 2026

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