Valley of the Kings Tickets: Official Prices, Extra Tombs and Where to Buy

Every Official Ticket and Fee

The Ministry's own page for the Valley of the Kings lists the general ticket at EGP 750 for foreign adults and EGP 375 for foreign students. That ticket does not include the extra tomb tickets for Tutankhamun, Seti I, Ramesses V and VI, or Ay, which all cost separately. Published guide sources list the same extras: KV62 at EGP 700, KV17 at EGP 2,000, KV9 at EGP 220 and the tomb of Ay at EGP 200.

The electric tram from the visitor centre to the tomb area is a separate EGP 20 round trip. Student prices are generally half the adult price in Egypt with a qualifying student ID, with Seti I's tomb as the exception, since the Ministry lists no foreign student discount there.

What 3 Tombs From Those Open Means

The general ticket is not a list of three named tombs. It lets you enter any three tombs from whichever ones are open on the day of your visit. The set of open tombs rotates, and the tombs drawn for the general ticket include KV1, KV2, KV6, KV8, KV11, KV14, KV15, KV16, KV43 and KV47.

Tombs open to visitors change periodically and some close for renovation, so you cannot choose your tombs before you arrive. In practice this means you pick three tombs from the ones open on the day you visit. The four big paid tombs, KV62, KV17, KV9 and Ay, sit outside this system and need their own tickets on top.

For what the interiors of the main tombs actually hold, see the Valley of the Kings map.

• KV11, the tomb of Ramesses III, is 188 metres long and is also called Bruce's Tomb and the Harper's Tomb.
• KV9 was open in antiquity and carries about 995 ancient Greek, Latin, Demotic and Coptic visitor inscriptions.
• The ceilings of KV9 carry astronomical figures, the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night framed by the goddess Nut.

Card Only at the Ticket Office

Cash is no longer accepted at the Valley of the Kings, and all payments are by card, per Earthtrekkers. Wikivoyage also says the site takes card payment only, at the ticket office or online. You buy the general ticket and any extra tomb tickets at the ticket office before you go into the valley.

Bring a card you have used abroad before, and tell your bank you are travelling. Carry small Egyptian pound notes anyway, since tips and small purchases elsewhere on the West Bank are still paid in cash. The visitor centre has restrooms, so use them before you head into the valley.

• General ticket: EGP 750 foreign adult, EGP 375 foreign student, by card.
• Tram: EGP 20 round trip, a ride of about three minutes.
• Guides are not permitted inside the tombs, so the explanations happen at the entrances.

Photography Rules Inside the Tombs

The photography rules are worth knowing before you queue. Earthtrekkers states that the paid photography pass no longer exists at the Valley of the Kings, and Discover Discomfort notes that mobile phone photography is currently listed as free. Sources differ on how strictly photography is policed, since Wikivoyage describes it as strictly forbidden while other guides describe free phone photos, so follow what the staff on the day tell you.

One rule is not in doubt: flash photography is prohibited inside the tombs because it damages the painted walls. Keep the phone steady, respect the single file flow of visitors, and put the camera away if a guard asks.

• No flash inside any tomb, because light damages the paint.
• Sources disagree on general photography, so follow the guards on the day.
• No separate photography pass is sold according to current guide reports.

Student Tickets and the Queue

Student tickets in Egypt are generally half the adult price with a qualifying student ID, so bring the card with you. The general ticket at EGP 375 for foreign students and the KV9 ticket at EGP 110 both follow the half price rule. Seti I's tomb KV17 is the exception, since the Ministry lists foreign adults and students at the same EGP 2,000.

Wikivoyage says to expect a queue of at least 15 to 30 minutes in peak season. If you are combining the included tombs with paid ones, We Seek Travel suggests 1 to 2 hours per tomb, or 5 to 6 hours in total for a full visit.

Standard and Premium Prices

The Standard Luxor Pass costs $130 for adults and $70 for students under 30, and the Premium Luxor Pass costs $250 for adults and $130 for students under 30, per Earthtrekkers. The pass is valid for 5 days. Only the Premium version covers the tombs of Seti I and Nefertari, with KV17 at EGP 2,000 and Nefertari's QV66 listed at EGP 2,000 in published guide sources.

The pass does not cover the sound and light shows. Never assume the Standard pass includes the big tombs, because it does not.

Who the Pass Pays For

The pass is aimed at a visitor who wants Seti I and Nefertari plus other sites across a few days. If you only want the Valley of the Kings and one or two temples, single tickets are the simpler choice. The pass is sold at the ticket booths at Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings, and you need a passport copy, passport photos and US dollars or euros in crisp bills, so prepare those before you travel.

For the valley itself, the tomb of Seti I guide and the Valley of the Queens guide cover the two premium tombs in detail.

The Hours, With a Note on Winter

The Ministry lists the Valley of the Kings as open daily from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm. Some sources give 4:00 pm as the winter closing time, so if you are travelling in winter, do not plan a late afternoon entry. The nearby West Bank sites keep similar schedules, since Hatshepsut's temple, Medinet Habu and the Ramesseum are all open daily from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Karnak Temple also opens at 6:00 am and closes at 5:00 pm.

Luxor Temple is the one major site that stays open into the evening, from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm daily. Seti I's tomb KV17 is listed by the Ministry as open daily from 6:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Crowds and the 8 AM Rule

Peak crowds at the Valley of the Kings fall between 10 am and 2 pm, per Earthtrekkers. The same source recommends arriving by 8 am, or one to two hours before closing, for fewer visitors. Early arrival also means cooler air while you queue.

If you arrive at 8 am, buy the general ticket and any extras, ride the tram and you start before the peak hours. Visiting late works too, but the winter closing time at 4:00 pm in some sources shortens that window.

The Heat

The heat shapes the visit as much as the crowds do. Luxor's mean daily maximum reaches 41.4 C in July and 41.2 C in August, against 22.8 C in January, so summer visits need water, a hat and sunscreen, and US News advises avoiding the valley in summer when temperatures climb past 100 F. Winter months from October to April offer the most comfortable conditions. A useful detail for planning: the rock-cut tombs stay noticeably cooler than the desert outside because they run underground, so the walk between tombs is exposed to the sun.

Hatshepsut's temple is best visited at opening or just before closing to avoid the worst heat.

Tours With Entry Fees Included

Several tours put the tickets in their price. The Hurghada day trip with Tut's tomb at $93 includes entry tickets and entry to the Tutankhamun tomb, with lunch and small group transport from Hurghada hotels, though one reviewer says the tombs of Ramses V and VI cost an additional fee. The private West Bank day at $89.24 includes admission to the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, Deir el-Medina, Medinet Habu and Hatshepsut Temple, and it does not mention a Tutankhamun tomb ticket.

The balloon and full-day sights tour at $160 includes entry fees, parking fees, the hot air balloon ride and pickup, with lunch as an optional extra. With all three, entry fees are part of the tour price.

Tours Where Tickets Are an Option at Checkout

Several tours sell entry fees as an option you tick at booking. The West Bank half day with lunch at $23 includes entrance fees only if the option is selected, and the listing advises bringing cash for optional tips or extra tomb entries. The shared full day on both banks at $30 works the same way, with the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Karnak and Luxor Temple tagged as extra-fee sites.

The private driver and guide day at $15 includes entry fees only in the options that name them. Read the option text carefully before you pay, because the base price on its own does not cover the EGP 750 ticket.

Tours Where You Pay the Tickets Yourself

Several tours exclude the tickets entirely and leave them to you. The private Valley of the Kings four-hour tour at $50 does not include entrance tickets, and the guide helps you buy them at the office. Note that this listing itself quotes two different amounts, EGP 1,900 per person in the special instructions and EGP 750 per person in the exclusions list, so confirm at booking.

The private West Bank half day at $40 excludes all fees and taxes and says the tombs of Tutankhamun, Ramses VI and Seti I have special tickets. With these tours, budget the general ticket at EGP 750 on top of the tour price and pay by card at the gate. For the full line-up side by side, see the comparison table on the homepage.