Valley of the Kings or Valley of the Queens: which tour fits?
Updated October 1, 2026 · 6 min read
For a first tomb visit, the way in leads to the Valley of the Kings: the day tour to the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple costs from €19.77 per person, lasts 5 hours and has 4.5 stars from 1,905 reviews – more feedback than any other tour that stays on the West Bank. If you want to see both valleys in one day, the guided tour through the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens with lunch from €47.28 is the direct answer: also 5 hours, 4.5 stars from 471 reviews. The Valley of the Queens is an addition here, not an interchangeable substitute for a particular royal tomb.
See prices and dates for the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple tour
Five West Bank tours compared
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple | 5 hours | €19.77 | 4.5 from 1,905 reviews | First-time visitors who want to combine tombs and a temple in one day |
| Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens with lunch | 5 hours | €47.28 | 4.5 from 471 reviews | Travellers with a clear focus on tombs |
| Kings’ and queens’ tombs with Hatshepsut, Memnon and lunch | 6 hours | €63.61 | 4.6 from 330 reviews | Those who want to cover the whole West Bank in one day |
| Private tour to the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple | 4 hours | €18.91 | 4.6 from 32 reviews | Couples and families who want the guide to themselves |
| Medinet Habu, Deir el-Medina and Valley of the Queens | 3 hours | €59.16 | 4.9 from 45 reviews | Those who already know the royal tombs and want the tomb builders’ village |
An area name does not answer the admission question
UNESCO lists both valleys as parts of the Theban necropolis. For your booking, each desired tomb nevertheless remains a separate question. “Valley of the Kings” does not promise entry to every famous tomb; equally, “Valley of the Queens” alone does not confirm a visit to Nefertari.
Before searching, I would write down whether you expect to see a particular tomb at all. If not, you can assess a tour by guiding, time and the selection of included visits. If you do, that tomb’s name becomes a booking requirement and should appear explicitly in the confirmation of inclusions.
For Tutankhamun, there is a separate article on the tomb and admission options. Here, the subject is the basic choice between two tour formats, not a list of tombs supposedly always open.
The tour through both valleys
The guided tour through the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens with lunch lasts 5 hours and costs from €47.28 per person; 471 reviews give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. The description on GetYourGuide names an Egyptologist and both tomb valleys.
It does not, however, give a reliable list of every included tomb ticket. I would therefore not infer full paid admission from the lunch in the title or the mention of both valleys. For two people, the starting prices add up to €94.56. If a particular tomb visit matters to you, keep budgeting only once its inclusion or any extra price has been confirmed. A small difference between two tour prices can become meaningless if the admission tickets are not the same.
Check availability for the tour through both valleys
The alternative including Hatshepsut
The day tour to the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple sits alongside it at 5 hours and from €19.77 per person. I would choose this combination if, after the tombs, you deliberately want to switch the type of sightseeing – from tomb interiors to temple architecture.
The €27.51 per-person price difference from the two-valley tour is not a demonstrated saving for the same content. You are swapping one site for another; services and admission may also differ. Simply subtracting the two amounts answers the wrong question.
The article on combining Hatshepsut and the Valley of the Kings looks at that excursion in detail. For your comparison, the key question is: do you want to see more tombs, or add a temple instead? The answer says more about the right day than the star rating next to the price.
If you would rather have the guide to yourselves, the private tour to the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple from €18.91 per person gives you the same content in 4 hours, with 4.6 stars from 32 reviews.
If both valleys are not enough
If half a day is not enough, the tour to the kings’ and queens’ tombs with Hatshepsut, Memnon and lunch takes 6 hours and costs from €63.61 per person, with 4.6 stars and 330 reviews. Its description names both valleys, Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Memnon.
Check availability for the West Bank tour with the Colossi of Memnon
The other way round: if you already know the main royal tombs, another valley is not the strongest addition. The private tour to Medinet Habu, Deir el-Medina and the Valley of the Queens lasts 3 hours, costs from €59.16 per person and has 4.9 stars from 45 reviews. It leads to the village of the craftsmen who worked on the royal tombs. You’ll find more options among the West Bank tours.
How much tomb sightseeing do you actually want?
Two valleys in one tour sound like a small extension. For someone with a focused interest, that may be exactly right. Someone who finds the information blurring together after the first visit, however, gains little from extra tomb names.
My suggestion would be to ask about the allocation of visiting time on the combined tour. Is there an opportunity to understand the differences between the chosen tombs? Is there free time after the explanations? A commitment to an overall duration does not replace those answers.
For companions who do not want to enter tomb interiors, a different arrangement needs to be agreed. Do not assume every stop has a suitable waiting area with the facilities you require. If your interests differ substantially, a private guided tour with an agreed selection may work better.
Do not infer Nefertari admission from an advertising photograph
A picture or a familiar name in a general description of the destination is not evidence of your personal admission. If Nefertari is the reason for booking, ask for confirmation of the current possibility of visiting and the specific inclusion for your date. Without that confirmation, I would not pay for the tour for that particular purpose.
The same principle applies to every special tomb option. Also ask what happens to the tour if the desired visit cannot be offered on your travel day. The operator must explain the alternative and conditions; no general refund promise follows automatically.
Our recommendation
For most people, the day tour to the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple is the best starting point: 5 hours, from €19.77 per person, 4.5 stars from 1,905 reviews. It answers the title question with the Valley of the Kings and adds a temple alongside it, rather than tacking on a second tomb field.
If tombs are your clear priority and the confirmed admission scope fits, take the tour through both valleys with lunch from €47.28. For couples and families on a smaller budget, the private tour to the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple from €18.91 per person is the better deal, even though it only has 32 reviews so far. If you want to cover the West Bank in a single day, take the six-hour tour with the Colossi of Memnon from €63.61.
None of these tours are for you if you have very little time and are set on seeing one specific tomb – then the confirmed visit matters more than the number of areas in the title. Before booking, send your accommodation, your preferred guiding language and, if relevant, the name of the tomb you cannot do without. Ask for a reply to those specific points, not just a repeat of the tour name.
