# Choosing Tombs in the Valley of the Kings

Source: https://luxor101.com/journal/which-valley-of-the-kings-tombs
Language: en

Planning 3 min

# Choosing Tombs in the Valley of the Kings

Choose KV34 for its distinctive Amduat drawings if the demanding route suits you, KV17 for carved funerary scenes, or KV62 for Tutankhamun’s burial setting. Confirm which tombs are open and separately ticketed before choosing.

**Before you choose.** Opening status, ticket coverage and photography rules are not verified here. Confirm them with the official ticket office before entering.

There is no single set of tombs that suits every visitor. Start with what you want to see, then check today’s opening list, ticket coverage and route conditions. A famous name is only one reason to choose a tomb.

## Compare the six tombs

Compare the six tombs

| Tomb | What draws you here | Route considerations |
| --- | --- | --- |
| KV9 · Ramesses V and VI | Elaborate painted ceilings and funerary compositions. | Check opening status and the current route before choosing. |
| KV17 · Seti I | Extensive carved and painted funerary scenes, including raised relief. | Repeated stairs, with a long descent and return. |
| KV34 · Thutmose III | Linear Amduat figures and text in a style often compared with a papyrus. | A demanding cliff approach, stairs and descent. |
| KV2 · Ramesses IV | A comparatively direct tomb plan. | A direct plan does not establish accessibility; check entrances, steps and thresholds. |
| KV11 · Ramesses III | A varied decorative programme, including well-known subsidiary scenes. | Check route conditions and allow time to pause without blocking the passage. |
| KV62 · Tutankhamun | A compact burial setting, limited painted walls, and a celebrated discovery history. | Small does not mean step-free. Confirm access separately. |

## Leave time to look

Choose fewer tombs if that leaves you time to pause inside. Stand only where permitted, keep the passage clear and look up without touching walls or lying on floors. The spaces can feel enclosed, and temperature and air movement vary; a tomb should not be relied on as a cooling refuge.

## Make sure the route suits you

Ask specific questions if you use a mobility aid or find stairs or enclosed spaces difficult. A description of a route is not an access audit, and another visitor’s experience cannot settle your needs. Build in a rest outside the exposed circuit and leave room to change the plan. The best choice is one that gives you something you want to see without making the rest of the day harder.

## Continue planning

### Related reading

-   [Before You Visit the Valley of the Kings](https://luxor101.com/journal/before-you-visit-the-valley-of-the-kings)
-   [Is Tutankhamun’s Tomb Right for Your Visit?](https://luxor101.com/journal/is-tutankhamuns-tomb-worth-the-extra-ticket)
-   [Why Pharaohs Stopped Building Pyramids](https://luxor101.com/journal/why-pharaohs-stopped-building-pyramids)
-   [Reading the Colour That Survives](https://luxor101.com/journal/why-some-tombs-still-have-colour)

### Site guides

-   [Valley of the Kings](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/valley-of-the-kings)
-   [Valley of the Queens](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/valley-of-the-queens)
-   [Tombs of the Nobles](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/tombs-of-the-nobles)

### Days in Luxor

-   [One day in Luxor](https://luxor101.com/itineraries/luxor-1-day)
-   [Two days in Luxor](https://luxor101.com/itineraries/luxor-2-days)
-   [Three days in Luxor](https://luxor101.com/itineraries/luxor-3-days)
-   [Slow Luxor](https://luxor101.com/itineraries/slow-luxor)

### The tomb owners

-   [Seti I](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/pharaohs/seti-i)
-   [Thutmose III](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/pharaohs/thutmose-iii)
-   [Ramesses III](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/pharaohs/ramesses-iii)
-   [Tutankhamun](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/pharaohs/tutankhamun)

Sources & further reading 4

Tier 1 Theban Mapping Project — Atlas of the Theban Necropolis 

Theban Mapping Project

Tier 2 The Complete Valley of the Kings, Nicholas Reeves and Richard H. Wilkinson 

Thames & Hudson

Tier 2 The Ancient Egyptian Books of the Afterlife, Erik Hornung 

Cornell University Press

Tier 1 Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — visitor information: opening times, ticketing and site access 

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)

Source review is incomplete. Consultation dates are shown only for checked references.

Published works and institutional references for further reading.

[All stories](https://luxor101.com/journal) [Sources and review status](mailto:corrections@egyptmore.com?subject=Luxor101%20correction)