Which tombs are open in the Valley of the Kings
The ten the 2026 guides name
Two sources that do not share an author, a network or a publication date give an identical ten-tomb general-admission list. That is the strongest evidence available, and it is still not an official roster.
| Tomb | Whose it is | What our sources record |
|---|---|---|
| KV1 | Ramses VII | Named on both 2026 lists |
| KV2 | Ramses IV | 88.66 m maximum length; 656 ancient graffiti |
| KV6 | Ramses IX | 105 m; open since antiquity |
| KV8 | Merenptah | 160 m corridor; a granite sarcophagus lid in place |
| KV11 | Ramses III | 188 m; the harpers; a visibly shifted axis |
| KV14 | Tausert and Setnakht | Over 112 m; two pharaohs, one tomb |
| KV15 | Seti II | Named on both 2026 lists |
| KV16 | Ramses I | Only 29 m; a red quartzite sarcophagus |
| KV43 | Thutmose IV | Named on both 2026 lists |
| KV47 | Siptah | Named on both 2026 lists |
Four of those ten we can tell you nothing about beyond the fact that both 2026 lists carry them. That is not an oversight on this page; it is what the sourced material contains. What the other six have, and which three to spend your ticket on, is on which three tombs to choose.
Why there is no list to check
The Ministry’s own page for the Valley of the Kings publishes the price and the opening hours. It does not publish which tombs are accessible. Neither does anyone else with authority to. Every list you will find, including the one above, is somebody who went and wrote down what was open on the day they were there.
So the number moves. Sources give eight, ten and twelve. “Usually eight to ten” is the honest summary, and anyone quoting you a single fixed count for 2026 is quoting the day they visited.
The rotation, and the schedule that does not exist
Tombs close periodically for conservation and the open set changes. Six independent sources describe the practice, so the rotation is real. What none of them has is a policy document, a calendar, or a stated interval — there is no published rotation schedule anywhere, and we could not find one.
The only stated mechanism for knowing today’s list is to read the board at the entrance. That is genuinely how it works. You arrive, you look, you pick three. It also means that a plan built three weeks out from a blog post is a plan with a guess in it, and that a tomb you have your heart set on is worth having a second choice for.
The one closure worth knowing before you go
KV34, the tomb of Thutmose III, is not open. One 2026 source says it has not been open in years and another describes it as currently closed; it is absent from both 2026 open lists. Older guides still push it, which is why it belongs on this page. Do not build a morning around it.
How this interacts with your ticket
The EGP 750 general ticket admits you to three tombs of your choice from the set open that day. If eight are open you are picking three of eight; if ten are open you are picking three of ten. The four separately ticketed tombs — KV62 at EGP 700, KV17 at EGP 2,000, KV9 at EGP 220 and WV23 at EGP 200 — are not part of that set and are not part of that choice. Buying one of those tickets does not use up one of your three. The three tombs on the general ticket stay yours.
Which is worth saying plainly, because it is a common misreading of the board: Tutankhamun’s tomb not appearing among your three options is not a closure. It was never in the set.
Prices for all of it are on the ticket price list, and the reason the two things are separate at all is on what the ticket includes.
Read the board before you buy anything, not after. It takes thirty seconds and it is the only place on the West Bank where today’s open list is written down. If one of the six tombs described on this site is on it, you have your first choice made before you reach the window.
The gate is open 6:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily with no weekly closing day, Fridays included. Crowds land between 10 am and 2 pm according to five independent sources, and guides and experienced visitors consistently recommend arriving at opening — both because of the crowd and because Luxor’s mean daily maximum reaches 41.4 °C in July. That is on the best time to visit, and how long the whole thing takes is on how much time you need.
Frequently asked questions
Which tombs are open in the Valley of the Kings in 2026?
There is no official list. Two independent 2026 guides name the same ten on general admission: KV1 Ramses VII, KV2 Ramses IV, KV6 Ramses IX, KV8 Merenptah, KV11 Ramses III, KV14 Tausert and Setnakht, KV15 Seti II, KV16 Ramses I, KV43 Thutmose IV and KV47 Siptah.
How many tombs are open at the Valley of the Kings?
Usually eight to ten on the general ticket, and your ticket admits you to three of them. Sources give eight, ten and twelve, which is why a single fixed count is not something this site prints.
Is there a rotation schedule for the tombs?
The rotation is real — six independent sources describe tombs closing periodically for conservation — but no published policy or schedule exists. The only stated way to know today’s open list is to read the board at the entrance.
Is the tomb of Thutmose III open?
No. KV34 is described by one 2026 source as not having been open in years and by another as currently closed, and it is absent from both 2026 open lists. Older guides still recommend it.