Valley of the Queens

The valley holds around ninety tombs cut for queens, princes and princesses of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties, in a side wadi south of the main west bank sites. Most are small and undecorated, but a handful are exceptional, and one is in a class of its own: the tomb of Nefertari, principal wife of Ramesses II, whose painted chambers are among the finest surviving paintings from the ancient world, with the queen shown in white linen against brilliant yellow, blue and red, the plaster and pigment conserved in a long Getty project in the 1980s and 1990s. Access is tightly limited and expensively ticketed to protect it. The tombs of the princes Amunherkhepshef and Khaemwaset are also decorated and included in the standard ticket.

Highlights

• Nefertari's painted chambers - among the finest paintings to survive from antiquity.
• Prince Amunherkhepshef's tomb - Ramesses III leading his son to the gods.
• Khaemwaset's tomb - another decorated prince's burial.
• The wadi setting - a side valley away from the main west bank route.

When to go

October to April, and early in the day. Two hours. Nefertari requires a separate ticket at a much higher price with a strict time limit inside, and numbers per day are capped, so buy early.

Good to know

The Nefertari ticket is very expensive and the visit is limited to a few minutes, which some find poor value and others consider unmissable. Photography inside Nefertari is restricted. Most other tombs in the valley are closed or plain. Heat in the enclosed wadi is severe by late morning.

Nearby

Deir el-Medina is a short drive north; Medinet Habu lies east.

Key facts