7 BEST TOMBS to Visit in VALLEY of the KINGS (Map+Photos+Tips)

There are around 65 tombs that have been excavated in the Valley of the Kings so far.

However, there are only 11 tombs in the Valley of the Kings open to the public. Out of the 11 kings’ tombs that are opened, I have visited 9.

Following are the 7 best tombs that I am recommending that you should not miss on your visit to Valley of the Kings. However, if you are on a tight schedule, then at the end of this post, I narrowed it down to 3 tombs that must be on your Valley of the King’s itinerary.

Now, although, all the artifacts inside the tombs were looted a long time ago, you will be still amazed by the beautifully decorated walls and ceilings inside the tombs!

• KV17 – Tomb of Seti I
• KV6 – Tomb of Ramses IX
• KV11 – Tomb of Ramses III
• KV2 – Tomb of Ramses IV
• KV9 – Tomb of Ramses V and Ramses VI
• KV62 – Tomb of Tutankhamen (Tut)
• KV14 – Tomb of Tausert-Setnakht

Seti I tomb is, in my opinion, unquestionably, the most spectacular of all the king tombs found in Luxor Valley of the Kings.

First of all, it is one of the longest tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings at 450 feet.

Next, it is the deepest of all the tombs at more than 200 feet.

Moreover, it is composed of 11 chambers. And, each chamber and passage in. the tomb of Seti I is beautifully decorated with the most exquisite reliefs!

What you will notice right away, is that the quality of the carvings is superior.

The details are amazing and the colors are rich and vibrant.

The tomb culminates in a massive burial chamber with an amazing arched ceiling.

Needless to say, the paintings on the ceiling are absolutely stunning!

The paintings on the ceiling depict astronomical scenes.

The tomb of Ramses IX is one of the most popular tombs in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings.

It is situated near the entrance to the main section of the Valley of the Kings. As a result, it is usually the first tomb that everyone visits. Besides, it has a gently sloping shaft, that is an easy hike on the way back.

It is not known when the tomb was first discovered. Although, it has some Greek and Roman graffiti on the walls.

Even though Ramses IX reigned for 18 years, his tomb was only about halfway finished.

As you enter, you will notice that the first corridor has beautiful decorations, however as you continue through the rest of the passages, you will see more of the unfinished sections.

You will pass through several corridors divided by lintels. Each of the lintels is beautifully decorated.

What caught my attention was the beautifully decorated outer lintel of the third corridor. It shows a sun disk. Inside the disk is a picture of a ram-headed god and a baboon. On each side, there is a picture of the worshipping king followed by gods and goddesses.

Moreover, you will be amazed by the astronomical ceiling which shows pictures of divine barques and processions of gods in yellow standing out sharply from the dark blue background.

Next, once you reach the entrance to the burial chamber, take your time to notice some of the interesting details.

Take a look at the soffit. It shows a sun disk with a ram-headed god adored by four worshipping baboons.

Moreover, take a look at the vaulted ceiling with the beautiful picture of Nut, goddess of the sky, suspending the heavens over many standing and kneeling figures.

One more beautiful relief that caught my eye on the way out showed Ramses IX surrounded by gods and goddesses sailing away to the afterlife.

The tomb of Ramses III is the most interesting and the best-preserved tomb in the Valley of the Kings. It is also called the Tomb of the Harpists due to scenes showing harpists playing.

It is interesting to know that king Ramses III was the second king of the 20th dynasty. He ruled Egypt for 31 years and the next three rulers of ancient Egypt Ramses IV, Ramses V, and Ramses VI were all his sons. 

As soon as you enter the tomb of Ramses III, you can see the superior quality of the reliefs.

Make sure to catch a beautiful relief on the lintel leading to the first corridor. It features an image of a sun disk with a scarab and a ram-headed god.

As you continue down the corridor, the reliefs get better and better!

The ceiling of the corridor is probably one of the most stunning decorations I have seen in all the tombs.

There are eight side rooms along the length of this corridor and each one is decorated with interesting pictures.

When you think that this is it, the corridor ends and you reach an amazing hall with four pillars and a sloping floor.

The corridor descends further into the tomb towards a vestibule and the burial chamber.

However, a barrier closes the rest of the tomb to visitors.

The tomb of Ramses IV is the best tomb you can visit in Valley of the Kings with a General Entrance Ticket.

As soon as you enter the tomb of Ramses IV you will be able to see multiple examples of Greek, Latin, and Coptic graffiti. In addition, during the nineteenth century, European explorers used the tomb as a dwelling while they investigated the sights in the Valley of the Kings.

For me, what stood out in the tomb of Ramses IV was the incredibly vivid colors. I was amazed by all the shades of ochre used on the walls and ceilings ranging from yellow to deep orange.

Almost every inch of the space is used by decorations depicting the scenes from the Litany of Ra, the Book of Caverns, the Book of the Dead, the Book of Gates, and the Book of Nut.

Once you reach the burial chamber, take a look at the ceiling. It is one of the most beautiful and unique decorations showing the earth god Geb supporting the sky goddess Nut.

In the burial chamber, you will be able to see a large stone sarcophagus.

The tomb of Ramses V and Ramses VI is considered to be the top best tomb to visit in Valley of the Kings (requires the Extra Ticket).

My guide told me that the decorations starting at the entrance to the tomb were done during the reign of Ramses V who ruled for just 4 years. It is not confirmed whether Ramses V was even buried in this tomb.

The tomb was completed by his successor Ramses VI.

The corridor will eventually lead you to a beautiful pillared hall. Here, you can see detailed scenes of the king making offerings to various deities. Also, make a note of an amazing astronomical ceiling.

However, the highlight of this tomb is the burial chamber. First of all, it has a vaulted ceiling decorated with astronomical scenes. And, in the middle are the broken remains of a large granite outer sarcophagus of Ramses VI.

Hands down, the most famous tomb in the Valley of the kings is King Tut’s tomb. In my opinion, it is not the most glamorous tomb, however, it is one of the most visited tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

King Tut’s early death necessitated a speedy burial. As a result, the tomb that he was buried in is much smaller than most of the tombs in the valley. It is possible, that the tomb was originally built for a lesser noble, but had to be used for King Tut.

Nowadays, you will be able to see beautifully decorated walls and ceilings depicting King Tut’s life and death. And, the highlight for everyone is King Tut’s mummified body.

• Today some of the items found in King Tut’s tomb are on display in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. If Cairo is on your itinerary, then make sure to visit the Egyptian Museum!
• Without a doubt, the most famous item is King Tut’s burial mask. The mask is one of the best-known works of art in the world. It is exquisitely sculpted.
• King Tut’s mask weighs about 25 pounds and stands about 2 feet tall. This priceless treasure is composed of a solid gold base inlaid with semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli, obsidian, and quartz.

The tomb of Tausert and Setnakht is the largest and most unusual tomb to visit in the Valley of the Kings. Also, it is a visually stunning tomb.

The tomb consists of two complete burial chambers.

The first burial chamber belonging to Tausert, has eight pillars, an astronomical ceiling, and scenes from the Book of the Caverns. The corridors leading to the second burial chamber are decorated with scenes from the Amduat.

The second burial chamber belonging to Sentnakhat has eight pillars an astronomical ceiling, and scenes from the Book of Gates.

The tomb was originally built for Tausert, a queen and wife of Seti II. Tausert was one of the few queens who ruled Egypt as a pharaoh. She was the second wife of Seti II. It was Seti II that ordered her tomb to be built. This was an honor given to very few queens. She was the last ruler of Dynasty 19.

Upon Seti II’s death, his son of Syrian wife, Siptah, ascended to the throne. Siptah ruled for about 6 years.

After Siptah’s death, Tausert formally ascended the throne of Egypt. There is not much information about her rule and when she died.

Tausert was the last ruler of Dynasty 19.

The tomb was eventually taken over and enlarged by King Setnakht, who succeeded Tausert.