Which one to choose in Luxor
Two ancient sites in Luxor. Deir el-Medina has no online ticket listed; Valley of the Queens has 3 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Luxor, Egypt
Deir el-Medina is the village on Luxor's west bank where the craftsmen who cut and painted the royal tombs lived for almost 400 years, from about 1500 to 1080 BC. The stone footings of some 68 houses line its single street, and the workers' own small tombs, painted in bright colour, are among the finest in Thebes. Few visitors come.
Luxor, Egypt
The Valley of the Queens is the desert wadi on the west bank of Luxor where queens, princes and princesses of the New Kingdom were buried in more than 90 rock-cut tombs. Its tomb of Nefertari, wife of Ramesses II, keeps some of the most vivid wall paintings to survive from ancient Egypt.
| Deir el-Medina | Valley of the Queens | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Ancient City | Tomb & Necropolis |
| Civilisation | Egyptian | Egyptian |
| Founded | 1500 BC | 1560 BC |
| Entry | Ticket in EGP at the site; Pashedu tomb extra | General ticket for several tombs; Nefertari costs much more |
| Hours | Roughly 6 am to 5 pm, sometimes later in summer; confirm locally | About 6 am to 5 pm; last tickets about an hour before closing |
| Time needed | 1 to 1.5 hours | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Booking | Pay on arrival; no advance booking needed | Buy at the site entrance; book a guided west bank tour ahead in winter |
| UNESCO | yes | yes |
| Tickets and tours on GetYourGuide | none listed | 3 |