Mausoleum

Valley of the Queens

#10of 10 places to visit in LuxorLuxor, Luxor Governorate, Egypt

Also known as Biban el-Harim · Ta-Set-Neferu · Place of the Royal Children

Quick answer

Opening hours: 06:00–17:00. Entry: EGP 220. Allow 1.5 hrs. Best time: 06:00 - 09:00.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: Zureks / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Opening hours: 06:00–17:00; Daily 06:00-17:00 per the Ministry price list.
Entry fee: EGP 220; Ticket from
Time needed: 1.5 hrs
Best time of day: 06:00 - 09:00
Best months: Oct – Mar
Address: Valley of the Queens, West Bank, Luxor, Luxor Governorate, Egypt (about 4-5 km south-west of the Colossi of Memnon, beyond Medinet Habu)

About Valley of the Queens

The Valley of the Queens charges foreign adults EGP 220 as of 2026, and its centrepiece, the Tomb of Nefertari (QV66), is sold on a separate EGP 2,500 ticket when it is open. The valley holds about 110 tombs, 91 in the main wadi and 19 in side valleys, cut mostly for the queens, princes and princesses of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties. The ancient Egyptian name, Ta-Set-Neferu, is translated as the Place of Beauty or the Place of the Royal Children. The Valley of the Queens is a small, quiet limestone wadi south-west of Medinet Habu, and a stop of about an hour.

Best time of day: 06:00 - 09:00. Before the valley floor heats up and the few small tombs get crowded.

Valley of the Queens timings

Valley of the Queens opens at 06:00 and closes at 17:00. It keeps the same hours on Saturday and Sunday.

Opening hours: 06:00–17:00; Mon–Sun 06:00–17:00; Daily 06:00-17:00 per the Ministry price list.
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Sun	06:00–17:00

Good to know: Summer heat is severe by mid-morning; the valley has no shade.

Opening hours compiled from egymonuments.gov.eg and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Valley of the Queens ticket price

Entry fees for Valley of the Queens
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	EGP 220
Concession (student / senior)	EGP 110
Children	Free

Foreign adults pay EGP 220 and foreign students EGP 110 as of 2026, per the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities price list; Egyptian adults pay EGP 30 and Egyptian students EGP 10. Children under 6 are generally free; verify at the gate. The Tomb of Nefertari (QV66) carries a separate ticket listed at EGP 2,500 for foreigners with no student rate (Egyptian EGP 600, student EGP 300), but one Luxor source reports it closed since 2 March 2024 with no confirmed reopening date, so verify at the official site before paying. Card payment is standard.

Prices compiled from egymonuments.gov.eg and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Valley of the Queens

Quiet
Moderate

06:00 - 09:00
Quiet OpeningBest time to go
Coolest hours and almost no visitors; the small tombs can be entered without waiting.
Quiet
09:00 - 12:00
Tour Window
A handful of tour groups pass through; the valley is never crowded but tomb entrances hold a few people at a time.
Moderate
12:00 - 15:00
Midday Heat
Few visitors and strong heat; the valley floor gives no shade and tomb air is warm and dry.
Quiet
15:00 - 17:00
Late Afternoon
Quiet again, with warm light on the wadi walls; allow time to finish before closing.
Quiet

History of Valley of the Queens

The Valley of the Queens served as a burial ground for the wives and children of Ramesside pharaohs and, earlier, for Eighteenth Dynasty princes. Its name in ancient Egyptian, Ta-Set-Neferu, is translated as the Place of Beauty or the Place of the Royal Children, since many of the tombs hold princes and princesses rather than queens.

The Italian archaeologist Ernesto Schiaparelli pioneered excavations here in the early 1900s and found the Tomb of Nefertari (QV66), the queen of Ramesses II, in 1904. Her tomb has some of the best-preserved painted walls in Egypt, and the Getty Conservation Institute led its conservation. Visitor access to QV66 has been capped at 15 minutes per group with air-circulation controls. Other tombs of note include Amunherkhepshef (QV55), Khaemwaset (QV44) and Titi (QV52), from the Ramesside period. The valley forms part of the Ancient Thebes World Heritage Site inscribed by UNESCO in 1979.

Rules & etiquette at Valley of the Queens

Valley of the Queens visitors may not touch the painted walls, and tomb guards watch each chamber. The rule for the Tomb of Nefertari, when open, is strict: entry is by timed groups of limited size, typically 15 minutes, and photography is normally prohibited there. Confirm the current rule at the ticket office.

Valley of the Queens tomb attendants sometimes offer to switch on lights or point out details and then expect a tip of EGP 20-50; a firm refusal is acceptable. Drones are banned. Keep your ticket for each tomb, and wear closed shoes because the steps and floor are dusty and slippery. Payment at the ticket office is by card, and cash is best kept for tips and drinks. Bring water because the valley floor has almost no shade.

Tips for visiting Valley of the Queens

1
Valley of the Queens is best seen early and quickly, since the open tombs are small and can be finished in about an hour. Check the ticket office notice for which tombs are open that day; the base ticket admits a rotating selection, with Amunherkhepshef (QV55), Khaemwaset (QV44) and Titi (QV52) the ones normally named.
2
Valley of the Queens is worth adding only if you have a full west-bank day, since its tombs are smaller and less richly decorated than the Valley of the Kings. Do not pay the EGP 2,500 Nefertari supplement without first confirming at the ticket window that the tomb is open; one Luxor source reports it closed since 2 March 2024. Buy a cold drink before you go, and combine the stop with Medinet Habu, a short drive east toward the Nile road, and with the Deir el-Medina workmen's village. Agree the driver's waiting-time fare before you set off.

How to reach Valley of the Queens

The red star is Valley of the Queens; the numbered pins are the 7 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Valley of the Queens, West Bank, Luxor, Luxor Governorate, Egypt (about 4-5 km south-west of the Colossi of Memnon, beyond Medinet Habu)Directions in Google Maps

From Colossi of Memnon
5 km · 10-15 min by car
Roughly EGP 80-200 (estimate; verify)
From Luxor city (east bank)
12 km · 35-50 min
Roughly EGP 300-600 by taxi via the bridge (estimate; verify)
From Medinet Habu
2.5 km · 5-10 min by car
Roughly EGP 60-150 (estimate; verify)

Nearest airport

From Luxor International Airport (LXR)

about 25 km by road, 40-50 minutes.

Nearest station

From Luxor railway station on the east bank

about 12 km plus a Nile crossing, 35-50 minutes.

Valley of the Queens FAQs

How much does it cost to enter the Valley of the Queens?

EGP 220 for foreign adults and EGP 110 for foreign students as of 2026. Egyptian adults pay EGP 30. The Tomb of Nefertari is a separate EGP 2,500 ticket for foreigners when open.

Is the Tomb of Nefertari open?

Not confirmed. One Luxor source reports it closed since 2 March 2024 with no reopening date, so verify at the official site or ticket office before buying the supplement.

How many tombs are in the Valley of the Queens?

About 110. Ninety-one lie in the main wadi and 19 in side valleys, but only a small rotating selection is open to visitors.

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

About 75 minutes. The open tombs are small, so most visitors finish in an hour without the Nefertari tomb.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places