Valley of the Kings TourPrivate Valley of the Kings and Queens Tour from Luxor
This Valley of the Kings and Queens tour is a private full day on the Luxor West Bank run by Reflections Travel on Viator. It costs $89.24 per person and lasts 8 hours, with a licensed Egyptologist guide and a modern air-conditioned vehicle. Admission to the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, Deir el-Medina, Medinet Habu and Hatshepsut Temple is part of the deal, and the Colossi of Memnon have no entrance fee. The page sets out what the price covers, what you still pay on the day and who should book something else. For the wider field, see the Valley of the Kings tours comparison.
About This Tour
Reflections Travel runs this private 8-hour day across the Luxor West Bank with a qualified and fully licensed Egyptologist guide. The route covers six stops: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple at Deir el-Bahari, the Colossi of Memnon, Medinet Habu, the workers' village of Deir el-Medina and the Valley of the Queens. A bottle of water, all transfers and all service charges and taxes are included.
The main selling point is the admission. Entry to five ticketed sites comes in the price, so you pay only for extras such as special tombs, drinks, tips and lunch. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
$89.24 per person, all service charges and taxes included.
8 hours in total.
Hotel or Nile cruise pickup in Luxor by air-conditioned vehicle. No pickup time is stated on the listing, and airport pickup costs 10 dollars extra.
Private tour with a qualified and fully licensed Egyptologist guide speaking English.
Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Deir el-Medina, Medinet Habu, Hatshepsut Temple, plus a stop at the free Colossi of Memnon.
Included for all five ticketed sites. Tutankhamun's tomb is not mentioned in the listing, and KV62 costs an extra EGP 700 separately.
Not included. The itinerary has a 60-minute block for lunch and Medinet Habu together.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
Check Dates and Availability
The listing starts from Luxor with pickup from your hotel or Nile cruise. Check live dates, the infant seat option and the exact pickup time on the booking page.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer Price, route and the honest catches
This private 8-hour Valley of the Kings and Queens tour costs $89.24 per person with admission to five sites already included. You still pay for lunch, drinks, tips and any special tomb such as Tutankhamun's at EGP 700. The day starts with hotel pickup in Luxor and ends with a drop-off there.
Key takeaways
- Admission to the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, Deir el-Medina, Medinet Habu and Hatshepsut Temple is included, which the cheaper shared Kings and Queens half day offers only as an option.
- The guide cannot lecture inside the tombs, so explanations happen outside the entrances. Read how the Valley of the Kings tickets work before you go.
- Want Karnak and Luxor Temple the same day with Tutankhamun's tomb? Look at the private both-banks day with Tut's tomb instead.
- Short on time? The private 4-hour Valley of the Kings tour covers just the valley.
What the Price Actually Covers
The listing's own inclusions and exclusions are clear, and the honest catches sit in what it does not say. The tour details below come from the listing text and the operator's stated terms.
Included in the $89.24
Admission to five ticketed sites is included: the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, Deir el-Medina, Medinet Habu (Habu Temple) and Hatshepsut Temple. You also get pickup from your starting point in Luxor and the return transfer, all rides in a modern air-conditioned vehicle, a licensed Egyptologist guide, a bottle of water, and all service charges and taxes.
That is a strong package. On cheaper listings such as the shared half day with lunch at $55, entrance fees are an optional add-on you select at checkout, so the final cost depends on what you add.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Five site admissions | Yes | Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Deir el-Medina, Medinet Habu, Hatshepsut Temple |
| Colossi of Memnon | Yes | The site itself has no entrance fee |
| Egyptologist guide | Yes | Qualified and fully licensed, English |
| Transfers | Yes | Modern A/C vehicle, private, hotel or Nile cruise pickup |
| Bottle of water | Yes | A bottle of water during the trip |
| Tutankhamun's tomb KV62 | No | Not mentioned in the listing, official price EGP 700 |
| Lunch | No | About a 60-minute stop on the itinerary |
| Drinks | No | None stated beyond the water |
| Tips | No | Listed as an exclusion |
| Airport pickup | No | 10 dollars extra |
| Optional tours | No | Listed as an exclusion |
The Special Tombs You May Still Want
The general Valley of the Kings ticket covers 3 tombs of your choice from those open that day. The listing does not promise Tutankhamun's tomb, and his KV62 needs its own ticket of EGP 700 on top. Seti I's tomb KV17 costs EGP 2,000 and the joint tomb of Ramesses V and VI (KV9) costs EGP 220 for anyone who wants the painted ceiling of the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night.
In the Valley of the Queens the general ticket covers the 3 available tombs. Nefertari's QV66 has its own separate ticket and its status changes, so ask at the ticket desk and decide on the day, and skim the Tutankhamun's tomb guide first so you know what the extra EGP 700 buys.
Honest Notes, with the Fix
Tickets at the Valley of the Kings are card only, so carry a card even though your five admissions are already paid. Guides are not permitted to lecture inside the tombs, so your Egyptologist explains each tomb outside the entrance and you go in single file. The tombs open in rotation and some close for renovation, so nobody can name your three tombs in advance.
Prices and hours above come from the official Ministry pages and from independent guides.
Sources: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Valley of the Kings, Wikipedia
The desert wadi of the Valley of the Queens on the West Bank. Photo: Zureks, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The itinerary below follows the listing's own stop list and its stated durations. No clock times are published, so the sequence is what you can rely on.
Pickup and the Valley of the Kings
Your guide collects you from your hotel or Nile cruise in Luxor by air-conditioned vehicle. The listing gives about 3 hours for the drive and the first visit combined. At the Valley of the Kings an electric tram runs from the visitor centre to the tomb area, a ride of about 3 minutes at 20 EGP round trip.
The general ticket covers 3 tombs from those open, and the listing notes there are 63 tombs in the valley, decorated with scenes of Egyptian mythology. Tutankhamun is the most famous burial, but his tomb needs the extra EGP 700 ticket.
Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi
About an hour goes to the Temple of Hatshepsut, also called Deir el-Bahari, the three-terrace temple cut into the cliffs. The listing notes the queen's name means Foremost of Noble Ladies and credits her with early trading routes. Then a 20-minute stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two quartzite sandstone statues of Amenhotep III about 18 metres high, standing free at the roadside.
Lunch and Medinet Habu
A 60-minute block covers lunch and the visit to Medinet Habu, Ramesses III's mortuary temple, built by the king's own orders to commemorate him after his death. The enclosure wall runs 315 by 210 metres and the reliefs show his battles with the Sea Peoples.
Deir El-Medina and the Valley of the Queens
Another hour covers the remains of the ancient Workmen's Village at Deir el-Medina, home to the artists and craftsmen who built and decorated the royal tombs. The final hour belongs to the Valley of the Queens, where the tomb of Queen Nefertari lies, and the listing closes with the Tombs of the Nobles, more than 400 tombs decorated with passages from the Book of the Dead. The day ends with a transfer back to your hotel or Nile cruise in Luxor.
Valley of the Kings: Discovering the Treasures of the Pharaohs | Egypt Travel Guide
A look at the Valley of the Kings tombs and the treasures of the pharaohs found there. Third-party video by The Travel Guide. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
A private full day does not suit everyone. Here are the real limits and the listing to pick instead.
If You Want the East Bank Too
This day stays on the West Bank. Karnak and Luxor Temple are not on it. If you want both banks, Tutankhamun's tomb and Karnak in one private booking, the private both-banks day with Tut's tomb at $80 adds Karnak and Luxor Temple in 8 hours, with entry fees as an option.
If You Only Care About the Valley
Six stops in 8 hours spread the day thin, and the Valley of the Kings shares its first block of about 3 hours with the drive. Serious tomb fans should look at the private 4-hour Valley of the Kings tour, which spends the whole visit in the valley, though note its entrance tickets are paid on top by card.
If the Budget Is Tight
As a private tour the price is per person and the vehicle is yours alone, so the total grows with each traveller. The listing uses age bands of infant 0-2, child 3-11 and adult 12-80. Solo travellers and couples watching costs should check the shared Kings and Queens half day with lunch at $55, or scan all Valley of the Kings tours side by side.
Physical and Practical Limits
The tombs run underground, and Luxor's mean daily maximum tops 41 C in July. The listing says the tour suits all fitness levels and offers infant seats, but states no wheelchair provision. The listing has no bad-weather cancellation clause beyond the standard 24-hour free cancellation.
For summer heat, ask for the earliest possible pickup and read the Temple of Hatshepsut guide on timing.
Tickets, Heat and the Rest of Your Day
If you compare this tour against doing it yourself, the official ticket prices matter. They come from the Ministry and from independent guides, not from the operator.
The Official Tickets
The Valley of the Kings general ticket is EGP 750 for foreign adults and EGP 375 for students, and it covers 3 tombs of your choice from those open. Extras: KV62 Tutankhamun at EGP 700, KV17 Seti I at EGP 2,000, KV9 Ramesses V and VI at EGP 220, the tomb of Ay at EGP 200. In the Valley of the Queens the general ticket is 220 EGP and covers the 3 available tombs.
Nefertari's QV66 needs its own separate ticket, and its status changes. Card payment only at the Valley of the Kings, no cash. The full Valley of the Kings tickets breakdown lists every figure.
Hours and Heat
The Ministry lists the Valley of the Kings as open daily from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm, though some sources give 4:00 pm in winter, and the temple sites at Deir el-Bahari, Medinet Habu and the Ramesseum keep the same 6:00 am to 5:00 pm window. Peak crowds fall between 10 am and 2 pm. Luxor's mean daily maximum runs 39.1 C in May and 41.4 C in July, and US News advises avoiding the summer months, when temperatures pass 100 F. Rock-cut tombs stay noticeably cooler than the desert outside.
What Fits Around the Tour
Luxor Temple stays open daily until 8:00 pm, so it is the one major sight open into the evening, with tickets at EGP 500 for foreign adults. Karnak is open 6:00 am to 5:00 pm. If you would rather see the West Bank from above, the Luxor hot air balloon guide explains the dawn flight, and some travellers combine it with the balloon and full-day sights package at $160.
Itinerary, Stop by Stop
The listing publishes durations but no clock times, so the steps below use the operator's own figures.
-
Pickup
Hotel or Nile cruise, Luxor
Your Egyptologist guide collects you by air-conditioned vehicle for the crossing to the West Bank.
-
About 3 hours from the start
Valley of the Kings
Ride the tram from the visitor centre and enter 3 tombs from those open on the day. The guide explains the decoration outside, since guides may not lecture inside. Tutankhamun's KV62 is an extra EGP 700 if you want it.
-
Next hour
Temple of Hatshepsut, Deir el-Bahari
About 60 minutes at the three-terrace temple against the cliffs, with its Punt reliefs and Osiride statues on the upper terrace.
-
Next stop
Colossi of Memnon
A 20-minute roadside stop at the two 18-metre statues of Amenhotep III. No ticket needed here.
-
About an hour
Lunch and Medinet Habu
Lunch is on you, then Medinet Habu, Ramesses III's mortuary temple inside a 315 by 210 metre enclosure.
-
Next hour
Deir el-Medina
The remains of the workmen's village where the tomb builders lived. About 68 houses stood here in its final form.
-
Last hour
Valley of the Queens and return
Finish at the Valley of the Queens, where Nefertari's tomb lies, with the listing also naming the Tombs of the Nobles, then transfer back to your hotel or Nile cruise in Luxor.
Pros and Cons
A straight reading of what this listing does well and where it falls short.
What we genuinely like
- Admission to five ticketed sites is included at $89.24, so there is no entry-fee decision at checkout
- Private vehicle and a licensed Egyptologist guide, so you set the pace at each stop
- Six West Bank stops including Deir el-Medina and Medinet Habu
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and infant seats available
The honest downsides
- Lunch, drinks, tips and any special tomb are extra, and airport pickup adds 10 dollars
- The listing names no pickup or return times, so confirm them after booking
- Tutankhamun's tomb is not part of the deal, and the general ticket covers only 3 rotating tombs
- The guide cannot enter the tombs with you, so explanations happen outside
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers who want Karnak, Luxor Temple or Tutankhamun's tomb inside the same booking, and not for solo travellers on a tight budget who would pay less on a shared tour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is lunch included on this private Valley of the Kings and Queens tour?
No. The listing does not include lunch and names only one bottle of water, and the itinerary allows about 60 minutes for the meal and Medinet Habu combined, so budget separately or read how Kings and Queens tours with lunch compare.
Do I get to enter Tutankhamun's tomb?
Not on this booking. The listing does not mention KV62, and it carries its own official ticket of EGP 700 on top of the general ticket, as the Tutankhamun's tomb guide explains.
How many tombs does the included ticket cover in the Valley of the Kings?
The general ticket covers 3 tombs of your choice from those open that day, and the open set rotates because some tombs close for renovation, which the tickets guide details in full.
Where does the tour start and end?
It starts and ends with pickup and drop-off at your hotel or Nile cruise in Luxor, with airport pickup available for 10 dollars extra. For the site itself, see the Valley of the Queens and valley guides.
Is this tour private or shared?
It is fully private, with your own air-conditioned vehicle and licensed Egyptologist guide for the 8 hours. If you would rather pay less, the shared full day across both banks runs at $30 with entry fees as an option.
Can I visit in summer?
Luxor's mean daily maximum reaches 41.4 C in July and US News advises avoiding the valley then, so book the earliest pickup and carry water, as covered in the Temple of Hatshepsut timing notes.
What happens if I need to cancel?
Cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a full refund. Compare the terms across all Valley of the Kings tours before you commit.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
We may earn a commission if you book through one of our links, at no extra cost to you. Full affiliate disclosure