Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt, was once part of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. From the Eighteenth Dynasty to the Twentieth, the pharaohs of Egypt were buried in the Valley of the Kings, which is also known as the Valley of the Gates of the Kings.

History of Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings was the burial site of almost all of the pharaohs of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties (1539-1075 BCE), from Thutmose I to Ramses X. Located in the hills behind Dayr al-Baḥrī, there are 62 known tombs which are both geographically and ornamentally varied.

Eighteenth Dynasty tombs include those of Amenhotep III (in the west valley), Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, and Thutmose IV. Some of the most famous figures of Ancient Egypt are buried at the Valley of the Kings, including the boy king Tutankhamun, Ramses the Great, Ramesses IV, and Tuthmosis III.

Over time, most of the tombs at the site have been pillaged or, in the 21st century, systematically denuded of their contents as a means of protection. The only tomb which escaped this is the little tomb of Tutankhamun, which was protected by a pile of rock chippings thrown down from a later tomb. The treasures which were exhumed from Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 vividly indicate how rich the burial of a great pharaoh of the empire must have been in its heyday.

The Valley of the Kings has almost thirty tombs in all and, together with Luxor, the Valley of the Queens, and Karnak, forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. This site also features as one of our Top ten tourist attractions in Egypt.

Valley of the Kings Today

Today, visitors flock to see the myriad of ancient tombs cut into the limestone of the Valley of the Kings, which are mostly contained in its eastern valley.

It is worth hiring a guide from Egypt to take you around the site. For an even more in-depth experience, start in Cairo and take a cruise down the Nile, stopping off at sites such as a Nubian village and the pyramids along the way.

Getting to Valley of the Kings

From the centre of Luxor, the Valley of the Kings is reachable in around 45 minutes by car via the Aswan – Giza/Aswan Western Agricultural Rd/Luxor – Aswan roads.