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Cash will not get you through the gate any more. Here is what the standard ticket actually covers, which tombs cost extra, and how to pay — from a team that runs this site most mornings.
Written by the Travel To Egypt team, Nazlet Al-Zanati Street, Luxor · Updated July 2026
The one thing that catches people out: since 2026 the Valley of the Kings and eight other Luxor sites take bank cards only. If you turn up with Egyptian pounds in your pocket and nothing else, you will not be able to buy a ticket.
The short version
- Payment: Visa or Mastercard at the window, or a QR e-ticket bought in advance. No cash.
- Standard ticket: 600 EGP for adults, which lets you into three tombs chosen from whichever are open that week.
- Three tombs are never included: Seti I, Tutankhamun and Ramesses V/VI each need their own ticket.
- Time needed: two to three hours if you want to do it properly.
- Best arrival: at opening. By mid-morning the valley is hot, crowded, and the tombs get airless.
Cash is no longer accepted — plan for this first
In 2026 Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities completed its move to card-only payment across the country’s major archaeological sites. In Luxor the change covers nine ticket offices: Karnak, Luxor Temple, Hatshepsut, the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, Qurna, the Avenue of Sphinxes, the Luxor Museum and the Mummification Museum.
This is the single most common problem we see. Guests exchange money at the airport, arrive at the West Bank with a wallet full of notes, and find the window will not take them.
What to do instead
- Tell your bank you are travelling. Cards get blocked on a first Egyptian transaction more often than you would expect, and there is no phone signal at the ticket office to sort it out.
- Carry a second card from a different bank. Card readers at the site do occasionally go down.
- Buy online the night before at egymonuments.com, the official ticketing site. You get a QR code.
- Screenshot the QR code. Mobile signal in the valley is poor and you do not want to be reloading an email at the turnstile.
Self-service ticket machines were installed at the Valley of the Kings and are the fastest route in when they are working. They take cards only, like everything else.
Still bring some cash. Card-only applies to the official ticket offices. The tram inside the valley, drinks, tips for the tomb guardians and the stalls at the entrance are all cash. Small notes are best — see our guide to tipping in Egypt for what is normal to give.
What the standard ticket actually covers
Your entrance ticket, 600 EGP for an adult, admits you to the valley and to any three tombs from the group that is open at the time. You choose which three when you are inside. There is no need to nominate them in advance.
The important detail, and the one most guides get wrong, is that the open group rotates. Tombs are closed on a schedule to let humidity levels recover, and others close for restoration with little notice. A list published a year ago is not a reliable guide to what you will find.
As of July 2026 the tombs usually open on the standard ticket include:
| Tomb | Pharaoh | Worth your three? |
|---|---|---|
| KV11 | Ramesses III | Yes — long, richly painted corridor, one of the best on the standard ticket |
| KV8 | Merenptah | Yes — enormous granite sarcophagus lid, gives you the scale of the thing |
| KV6 | Ramesses IX | Good — bright ceiling, usually quieter |
| KV2 | Ramesses IV | Good — shallow and easy, a sensible first tomb |
| KV1 | Ramesses VII | Short, small, best if you are short on time or energy |
| KV15 | Seti II | Modest — skip if the others are open |
If you have the choice, take KV11, KV8 and KV6. That combination gives you a long decorated tomb, a burial chamber at full scale, and something with colour still on the ceiling.
The three tombs that cost extra
These are ticketed separately and are not covered by the standard entry or by the basic Luxor Pass.
| Tomb | Extra ticket | Our honest view |
|---|---|---|
| Seti I (KV17) | 2,000 EGP | The finest tomb in Egypt, and it is not close. Deepest in the valley, with carved relief rather than painting, and colour that looks a century old rather than three thousand years. Expensive — but if you only splurge on one thing in Luxor, this is the one. |
| Tutankhamun (KV62) | 700 EGP | Manage your expectations. The tomb is small and plainly decorated because he died young and was buried in a hurry. What is here is his mummy, on display in the chamber. People come for the name and leave surprised at the size. |
| Ramesses V & VI (KV9) | 220 EGP | The best value in the valley. Spectacular astronomical ceiling, deep and well lit, and a fraction of the price of Seti I. If you add one paid tomb, make it this. |
If you are choosing on a budget: standard ticket plus KV9 gives you four tombs including one genuinely spectacular ceiling, for well under half the cost of adding Seti I. Most of our guests who do this say it was the right call.
Getting around inside
The ticket office sits some distance from the tombs themselves. A tram runs the gap for 20 EGP return, paid in cash. You can walk it in about ten minutes, which is pleasant in December and a mistake in June.
Once you are at the tomb cluster, everything is close together. The climb into and out of each tomb is the tiring part, not the distance between them — some descend a long way on a ramp with steps. If stairs are difficult, KV2 and KV1 are the shallowest.
Photography
Phone photography inside the tombs is free. A separate photography permit of 300 EGP has applied to cameras, though enforcement has become inconsistent and several visitors report no longer being asked for one. If you are carrying a DSLR, budget for it and be pleased if nobody asks.
Flash is prohibited everywhere and the guardians do enforce it — the pigments are genuinely damaged by it. Tripods are not allowed. Tutankhamun’s chamber has its own rules and photography there is usually restricted regardless of what permit you hold.
Is the Luxor Pass worth buying?
The Luxor Pass covers the East and West Bank sites for five days and comes in two tiers.
| Pass | Adult | Student (under 30, valid ID) | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $130 | $70 | All East and West Bank sites except Seti I and Nefertari |
| Premium | $250 | $130 | Everything, including Seti I and Nefertari |
The honest arithmetic: if you are in Luxor for a day or two and plan on two or three sites, individual tickets are cheaper. The pass starts paying for itself at roughly four sites, and clearly wins if you are staying several days and want Karnak, Luxor Temple, Hatshepsut, the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens.
Two things worth knowing before you buy:
- Nefertari’s tomb is closed for restoration, which removes a large part of what you are paying the Premium premium for. If Seti I is the only extra you want, buying the standard pass plus a single Seti I ticket may work out similar or better.
- If you buy a Cairo Pass and a Luxor Pass in the same calendar year, the second one is half price, in either order. Worth planning around if you are seeing both cities.
Passes are bought in person, and — like everything else now — by card.
What we see guests get wrong
We send groups to the West Bank most mornings. The same four things come up.
- Arriving after ten. The valley is a stone bowl with no shade. From October to April this matters less, but from May onwards a late start turns the visit into an endurance exercise. Gates open early; be there.
- Assuming Tutankhamun is the highlight. It is the most famous name and the least impressive tomb. Read the table above and spend the money on KV9 or Seti I instead.
- Budgeting one hour. Three tombs, the walk, the queue and the heat take two to three hours. Guests who plan an hour end up choosing two tombs and regretting it.
- Bringing only cash. Still the most common of all, and the only one that stops the day before it starts.
Combining it with the rest of the West Bank
The Valley of the Kings sits within a short drive of the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon, and most visitors do the three together in a single morning. Our private West Bank day tour covers all three with a licensed Egyptologist and transfers, and the guide handles the ticket logistics — including the card problem — on your behalf.
If you want the valley from above first, sunrise balloon flights take off over the Theban necropolis and land in time for the site to open. And if Luxor is part of a longer river itinerary, our Nile cruises between Luxor and Aswan include the West Bank as a guided shore excursion.
For deciding when to come at all, our guide to the best time to visit Egypt covers the temperature question in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay cash at the Valley of the Kings?
No. Since 2026 the ticket offices at the Valley of the Kings and the other main Luxor sites accept bank cards only. Bring a Visa or Mastercard, or buy a QR e-ticket in advance at egymonuments.com. Cash is still needed for the tram, tips and stalls.
How many tombs can I enter with one ticket?
Three. You choose them on the day from whichever tombs are open, and the open group rotates. Seti I, Tutankhamun and Ramesses V/VI are not included and need separate tickets.
How much is a Valley of the Kings ticket in 2026?
The standard adult ticket is 600 EGP and covers entry plus three tombs. Seti I is 2,000 EGP extra, Tutankhamun 700 EGP and Ramesses V/VI 220 EGP.
Is Tutankhamun’s tomb worth the extra ticket?
Only if seeing his mummy matters to you. The tomb itself is small and sparsely decorated compared with the pharaohs who reigned longer. For the same money, Ramesses V/VI is far more impressive.
How long should I spend at the Valley of the Kings?
Two to three hours. That covers the walk or tram from the ticket office, three tombs at an unhurried pace, and time to sit in the shade between them.
Is the Luxor Pass worth it?
It pays off at about four sites or more. For a single day covering two or three sites, individual tickets cost less. Note that Nefertari’s tomb, one of the main reasons to buy the Premium tier, is currently closed for restoration.
What is the best time of day to visit?
Arrive when the gates open. The valley has no shade, the tombs get warm and airless once crowds build, and the light for photographs at the entrances is better early.