The Valley of the Queens, like the nearby Valley of Kings, is also an ancient royal necropolis where the wives of the great pharaohs were laid to rest from 1550 to 1070 BCE. During the time of the New Kingdom pharaohs, the area was called Ta-Set-Neferu which means “The Place of the Children of the Pharaoh”. Valley of the Queens is not featured in all of our Egypt tour packages, but it can be added to any one of our tour itineraries if requested.

Aerial view of Valley of the Queens, Luxor.

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Although the name Valley of the Queens tends to suggest that only queens were laid to rest here, the area was also used for the burials of princes; princesses and other family members of nobility. The necropolis is located on the West Bank of the Nile, more or less directly opposite the ancient capital city of Thebes, which today is the modern city of Luxor.

The Valley of the Queens is one of the top Luxor tourist attractions, and it is home to around 70 tombs, many of which are exquisitely decorated. A prime example would be the tomb of Queen Nefetari from the 19^th dynasty. Her tomb is adorned with splendid polochrome reliefs which have remained intact through the ages and can still be appreciated to this day.

If you intend booking one of our Nile River cruises and you would like to visit this site but you don’t see it in your preferred cruise itinerary, please let us know. We can’t customize or alter cruise schedules, but we can include a visit to this site either before or after your cruise.

A Brief History Of The Valley Of The Queens

King Ramesses I is generally credited with founding the Valley of queens. In actual fact, prior to his reign, pharaohs and their wives were always buried together. Even after this necropolis was founded, many continued with the old custom of being buried in the tombs of their husbands.

Archeologists have found a considerable amount of burial equipment for numerous royal family members, but have never managed to locate their actual tombs. The discovery of such equipment could however suggest that the family members were indeed buried in the valley at some point. Where their tombs are, or what happened to them remains a mystery yet to be solved.

It is believed that areas where the Valley of Kings and the Valley of Queens are located were chosen due to their relevant isolation, while at the same time being in close proximity to Thebes which was the capital of the time.

The two burial grounds also mark the transition away from traditional pyramid burials. This is when pharaohs stopped building large pyramids and mortuary temples, and instead, they chose to be buried in rock carved tombs, presumably in an attempt to evade tomb robbers.

Visiting The Valley Of The Queens

Tourists that are intending visiting the site should keep in mind that only a limited number of tombs are open to visitors. The beautiful tomb of Queen Nefetari is not open, but special permission can be obtained from the Commercial and Event Office in Luxor for a fee. The tomb belonging to the wife of King Ramesses II is strictly off limits altogether. This is considered to be the most beautiful tomb discovered, but because of its fragile condition, officials feel that heavy tourist traffic could cause irreparable damage.

Getting to the site is relatively easy, but it can be a little bit costly if you are staying in Luxor and you’re travelling independently. At best, you could take a taxi to your nearest ferry terminal; then a ferry across to the West Bank and then a taxi to the site. Alternatively, you can take a taxi all the way, or hire a minibus which can be arranged at most hotels.

If you book one of our Nile cruises from Luxor to Aswan, or one of our Nile cruises from Aswan to Luxor that don’t include a visit to this site, we can take you for a tour of the site before or after your cruise.