Luxor Attractions

Venue: Valley of the Kings    When: Daily

This famous necropolis, resting place of dozens of the ancient rulers of the kingdom of the Nile, contains the cursed tomb of the most renowned of all Pharaohs, the boy-king Tutankhamun.

The site contains more than 80 tombs and crypts, ranging from plain and undecorated bare rooms to the most astonishingly decorated complex structures, full of hieroglyphs and the ambience of opulent death. Pharaohs buried here are too many to list, but include Seti I, the architect of the incredible temple at Abydos, as well as several of the Rameses, Thuthmoses and Amenhoteps who ruled Egypt in their time. The site is still being explored today - who knows how many more monuments may lie still undiscovered among the sands of the region.

You need a ticket to access the site, which will enable you to see three different tombs, with the tomb of Tutankhamun requiring a separate ticket.

Much controversy and speculation surrounded the "curse of the mummy's tomb" that allegedly struck down all those involved in opening Tutankhamun's grave. Upon Lord Carnarvon's death seven weeks after opening the grave, all the lights of Cairo were said to have gone out at the same time (not that unusual at the time, really), and his dog back in England was said to have started howling and died suddenly. Other members of the expedition were also said to have died like flies.

The Valley of the Kings is the major tourist attraction in Luxor. The only way in which you might avoid the crowds is to visit during the hottest part of the day - the afternoon. Alternatively, read up on the valley before you visit and choose tombs which are nearer the valley rim (coach parties are often too lazy to walk up there), or less popular, although no less beautiful and mysterious. Finally, take lots of water to drink - the valley and the tombs themselves can get incredibly hot.