The Valley of the Queens is the quieter sister of the famous royal valley — the burial ground of queens and royal children on Luxor’s West Bank, and home to what many call the most beautiful tomb in all Egypt: Nefertari’s. Here is what to know before deciding whether it earns a spot on your West Bank day.
Quick Answer: The Valley of the Queens (Biban el-Harim) lies on Luxor’s West Bank near Medinet Habu and holds some 90 tombs of queens and princes of the New Kingdom. A standard ticket opens a rotating selection of tombs; the tomb of Nefertari — Ramses II’s great wife — requires a separate premium ticket and is widely considered Egypt’s finest painted tomb.
- Nefertari’s tomb: strictly limited visits, premium ticket, worth every pound for art lovers.
- The standard tombs include touching burials of royal children.
- Quieter than the Valley of the Kings — often nearly empty at opening.
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Nefertari: The Sistine Chapel of Ancient Egypt
Ramses II built his beloved chief queen a tomb whose ceiling of gold stars and walls of luminous, modeled figures survive with almost impossible freshness. Conservation limits visits to short timed slots for small numbers, and the premium ticket reflects it [verify current ticket price and time limit — they change]. If ancient painting is why you came to Egypt, this is its summit — schedule it and build the day around it.
The Other Tombs
The rotation usually includes tombs of royal sons who died young — Amunherkhepshef and Khaemwaset among them — where the paintings show a pharaoh leading his small son by the hand through the underworld. Visitors regularly find these the valley’s most moving rooms. Titi’s tomb represents the queens on the standard ticket when open.
Visiting Information
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Location | Southern West Bank, beside Deir el-Medina and Medinet Habu |
| Time needed | 45–75 minutes (plus Nefertari slot if booked) |
| Tickets | Standard entry + separate premium ticket for Nefertari [verify current prices] |
| Best hour | Opening time — cool and empty |
Queens or Kings — or Both?
They answer different questions. The Valley of the Kings is the grand statement; the Queens is intimacy and, with Nefertari, supreme artistry. With two West Bank mornings do both; with one, Kings plus Nefertari as a premium add-on is the connoisseur’s compromise. Either way it slots into our private West Bank tour alongside Medinet Habu next door.
The Valley of the Queens is part of Ancient Thebes and its Necropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See the official listing at the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
FAQs About the Valley of the Queens
Is the Valley of the Queens worth visiting?
Yes for tomb-art lovers, emphatically yes if you take the Nefertari ticket — skip-able only on the tightest one-day sprints.
How much is Nefertari’s tomb?
A separate premium ticket priced well above the valley entry — verify the current figure locally, as it changes [verify before travel].
How long are you allowed inside Nefertari’s tomb?
Visits are limited to short timed slots (traditionally around 10 minutes) to protect the paintings [confirm current rules].
Where exactly is it?
Five minutes’ drive from Medinet Habu and Deir el-Medina — the three make a perfect quiet circuit after the Valley of the Kings.
Want Nefertari done right? Tell us on WhatsApp and we will time your West Bank morning around the slot — the full picture is in our Luxor travel guide.
