Planning on visiting the tomb of Tutankhamun? Here’s what you need to know before you go, from what you’ll see inside to tickets and the best time to visit.
Tutankhamun was the famous boy king of ancient Egypt, but if it weren’t for the rediscovery of his tomb, he would have faded into obscurity.
In fact, the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb (also known as KV62) in 1922 was one of the most significant events in the history of Egyptology, and King Tut soon became a household name.
I visited in June on a private tour of the West Bank and paid extra to go inside. It’s not the biggest tomb in the valley, but it is the only one with its mummy still inside, and that alone makes it worth the extra ticket.
Ready to see the most talked-about tomb in Egypt? Then read on.
If you love this practical guide, you’ll love my travel tips for your journey to the Valley of the Kings.
At a glance
- Where: the Valley of the Kings, on the West Bank of the Nile opposite Luxor
- Tomb number: KV62
- Ticket: 700 EGP (350 EGP for students), on top of the 750 EGP Valley of the Kings ticket
- Hours: daily from 6am to 5pm (4pm on some winter schedules)
- Time needed: 15 to 20 minutes inside
- Photography: phones and cameras are allowed without a pass; no flash
- What’s inside: Tutankhamun’s mummy, his quartzite sarcophagus and the painted burial chamber; his treasures are in the Grand Egyptian Museum near Cairo
Why visit Tutankhamun’s tomb?
Let’s get one thing straight: KV62 is not the largest or grandest tomb in the valley. It’s actually one of the smallest. It was cut in a hurry for a king who died young, and it has just four small rooms.
So why go? Because it’s the tomb of Tutankhamun! And because it’s the only tomb in the valley that still has its pharaoh inside. Tutankhamun’s mummy lies in a climate-controlled glass case in the antechamber, and seeing the face of the boy king, more than 3,300 years after his death, is an extraordinary moment.
The burial chamber is the only decorated room, but its walls glow with golden-yellow paintings of Tutankhamun’s funeral and his welcome by the gods. The quartzite sarcophagus that held his nested coffins still stands in the middle of the room.
What you won’t see are his treasures. Everything Howard Carter found, from the gold mask to the chariots, was taken to Cairo, and it’s now displayed in the Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza, which opened in full in November 2025.
Another big reason why so many people want to see King Tut’s tomb is its link to the “curse of the pharaohs”. You’d think people would want to run in the opposite direction, right?
The legend took off when Lord Carnarvon (George Herbert, who funded Howard Carter’s excavations) died in Cairo in April 1923, just seven weeks after the burial chamber was officially opened. The cause was blood poisoning from an infected mosquito bite.
According to the legend, anyone who dared disturb a pharaoh’s resting place would meet a sudden death. Newspapers fed the rumours as other people linked to the excavation died over the following years. The facts tell a different story: Howard Carter, the man who actually opened the tomb, lived until 1939.
Sounds creepy, right? Wait till you hear more straight from the depths of the tomb.
A brief history of the boy king’s tomb
Building the tomb
Many archaeologists believe that KV62 was originally cut for a noble or a member of the royal family and was quickly adapted for the king after his unexpected death.
While the exact date of its construction is hard to pinpoint, we know it was finished in time for his burial around 1323 BC, the year the king is believed to have died.
The tomb has four rooms: the antechamber, the annexe, the burial chamber and the treasury. The workers responsible for it were the craftsmen from the village of Deir el-Medina, who cut and decorated the royal tombs here.
The valley was used for royal burials for nearly 500 years, from the 16th to the 11th century BC, and the boy king’s tomb is one of around 60 found there. The workers cut the tombs into the valley’s limestone and smoothed the walls with plaster before painting them.
After construction
After the king’s unexpected death at around the age of 18 or 19, Tutankhamun was laid to rest in the burial chamber.
Studies of Tutankhamun’s mummy, including CT scans and DNA tests published in 2010, suggest that he had several health problems. DNA evidence points to his parents being siblings, a practice that was common in the royal family to keep power within the bloodline.
He had a club foot and a bone disorder in his foot, which may explain the more than 100 walking sticks found in his tomb. Exactly how he died is still unknown: theories include an infected leg fracture and malaria.
The young pharaoh’s body was mummified, which involved removing his organs and wrapping his body in resin-soaked linen bandages. A solid gold mask weighing about 10 kilograms (around 22 pounds) was placed over his face.
His mummy was laid in three nested coffins, the innermost made of solid gold, inside a quartzite sarcophagus with a granite lid, and the whole set was enclosed in four gilded wooden shrines. Tutankhamun’s mummy and his treasures stayed in this tomb for more than 3,000 years until its rediscovery.
Rediscovery
It wasn’t until Howard Carter found the tomb in November 1922 that Tutankhamun rose to fame. Today, he’s the most famous pharaoh of all, and one of the best-known rulers in world history.
He reigned for only about ten years, and many historians consider his reign fairly uneventful. The rediscovery of his tomb, the only royal tomb in the valley found nearly intact, is why he’s now such a formidable figure. It took Carter and his team about ten years to record and clear its more than 5,000 objects.
Buried with Tutankhamun were statues, chariots, gold jewellery, chairs, canopic jars, model boats and a copy of the Book of the Dead.
The burial chamber walls show Tutankhamun’s funeral procession, his successor Ay performing the “opening of the mouth” ritual to give life to the dead king, and Tutankhamun welcomed by the gods. On the west wall, a scene from the Amduat shows the solar boat on which the sun travels through the underworld, with rows of baboons below.
These discoveries changed the fate of Tutankhamun’s legacy and had a huge impact on Egyptology.
The well-preserved state of his tomb allowed archaeologists to see what a royal burial really looked like and to learn far more about ancient Egyptian culture. It remains one of the most important discoveries in the history of archaeology.
Planning your visit
Guided tours
Most tours to the Valley of the Kings include entry to three of the open tombs on the standard ticket, and some include Tutankhamun’s tomb or offer it as an add-on. Here are two tours to consider:
East and West Bank tour
See the highlights of both banks of the Nile on a full-day guided tour:
- Explore the Temple of Karnak, Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple, the Colossi of Memnon and the royal tombs of the Valley of the Kings.
- Guided by an Egyptologist.
- Includes hotel pick-up and lunch at a local restaurant.
- Check what’s included before you book: entrance fees, including the Tutankhamun ticket, are usually extra.
Private West Bank tour
Do as I did and book a private tour of the West Bank. This private tour of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens covers:
- The Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut and a stop at the Colossi of Memnon.
- A private Egyptologist guide and private transport, with pick-up and drop-off from your hotel.
- Entrance fees and lunch at a local restaurant.
- Extra tombs, including Tutankhamun’s, for an additional fee.
Note: if you want to add a hot air balloon ride, it’s best booked as a separate sunrise trip before your tour.
Going it alone
You can also visit independently if you’re a brave tomb explorer.
It’s not quite as simple as booking a tour, but you’ll have the freedom to explore at your own pace. From the East Bank, take a taxi over the road bridge (about 40 to 45 minutes) or cross the Nile on the public ferry and take a taxi from the West Bank landing.
Buy your Valley of the Kings ticket and your Tutankhamun ticket together at the ticket office in the visitor centre, then walk or take the tuff-tuff (the little electric tram, about 20 EGP) up to the tombs. KV62 is in the heart of the valley, close to the tomb of Ramses V and VI.
The extra ticket for Tutankhamun’s tomb costs 700 EGP (350 EGP for students). It’s sometimes discounted in low season: when I visited in June, it was half price.
Tickets
Ticket offices at Luxor’s sites are now cashless, so bring a bank card. Phones and cameras can be used inside without a photography pass, so you can take your own photo of King Tut’s mummy, but flash isn’t allowed.
Tutankhamun tomb address
Address: Valley of the Kings, West Bank, Luxor Governorate, Egypt.
The burial place of Tutankhamun is marked by its official tomb number, KV62, on the sign at its entrance.
Opening times
The tomb keeps the same hours as the rest of the valley and is open every day. Opening times can change on public holidays and during Ramadan, and they are affected by the seasons:
Winter: 6am to 4pm
Summer: 6am to 5pm
Aim to arrive at least an hour before closing, and check ahead before you go.
Best time to visit
Go as early as you can. The valley opens at 6am, and the first couple of hours are the coolest and quietest. It gets very crowded between about 10am and 2pm, when the tour buses arrive, so avoid these hours if you want to explore more freely.
Late afternoon, an hour or two before closing, is the next best option. The tomb is small, so even a few groups at once can make it feel busy.
Where to stay
El Mesala Hotel is where I stayed. It’s on the West Bank, by the ferry landing, so you’re a short drive from the Valley of the Kings and a short boat ride from the East Bank. See my guide to where to stay in Luxor for more options.
Steigenberger Nile Palace Luxor (high-end)
On the East Bank, about 2 km south of Luxor Temple, the five-star Steigenberger Nile Palace Luxor has pools right by the Nile, several restaurants and a short taxi ride to the West Bank ferry. (The city’s historic Winter Palace is closed for restoration until 2027.)
Check availability and reviews on Booking.com
What to pack for King Tut’s tomb
Here are the essentials you’ll need on a trip to Egypt and, more specifically, Tutankhamun’s tomb:
- Sun cream, UV-blocking sunglasses, a hat and plenty of water.
- Comfortable shoes and appropriate clothing: I’ve got you covered with my what to wear in Egypt guide.
- A bank card for the ticket office, plus some small notes for the tuff-tuff, toilets and tips, as most tours don’t cover the entry fee for the extra tombs.
Tips for your visit
- Buy all your tickets at once: the Tutankhamun ticket is sold at the main ticket office in the visitor centre, not at the tomb.
- Bring a backup card: when I went, the card machine at the Nefertari ticket office in the Valley of the Queens was broken and I had to pay in cash (there’s no ATM nearby), so carry a second card and some cash just in case.
- Prepare for the heat: I travelled in late May and early June, and there were points in Luxor where I was so hot I didn’t know what to do with myself. There’s little shade in the valley, so go early.
- Manage your expectations: the tomb is small and it’s the mummy, not the treasures, that you’re there to see. Pair it with a visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum to see the gold mask and the rest of his burial goods.
- Don’t touch: keep your hands off the walls and the glass, and keep your voice down in the burial chamber.
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Map
Visiting Tutankhamun’s tomb: read next
- Visiting the Valley of the Kings: a practical guide
- Tomb of Tausert and Setnakht (KV14): a visitor’s guide
- Tomb of Ramses IX (KV6): a visitor’s guide
- The ultimate Egypt itinerary
- Top things to do in Egypt
- Unmissable things to do in Luxor
- A guide to visiting Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple in Luxor
- Why you need to visit Karnak Temple in Luxor
- A guide to hot air ballooning in Luxor
- How to visit Luxor Temple: a practical guide
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