Explore The Valley Of The Kings

The adventure

From outside, the valley is just a bare, sun-baked gorge in the limestone hills. The treasures are all underground. You step out of the glare into a sloping corridor, and the walls come alive: gods with the heads of jackals and falcons, rows of hieroglyphs, boats carrying the sun through the night, all painted in reds, blues and yellows that still look fresh.

The tombs go deep, some for more than 100 metres, through chambers and halls to the burial chamber at the end. Howard Carter found Tutankhamun's tomb here in 1922, almost intact, and the boy king's mummy still lies in it. Come out blinking into the sunshine and it's hard to believe this much colour has survived in the dark for so long.

Why it’s epic

More than 60 royal tombs, from Thutmose I to Ramesses XI.
Tutankhamun's tomb, found by Howard Carter in 1922.
Painted scenes from the Book of the Dead and the sun's journey through the underworld.

What it is

The burial ground of Egypt's New Kingdom pharaohs, with more than 60 tombs cut into the hills on the west bank at Luxor, including Tutankhamun's.

How to do it

Take a taxi, tour or bike across to the West Bank. The standard ticket covers three tombs; a few, such as Tutankhamun's and Seti I's, need extra tickets.

Top tip

Arrive at opening time and do the furthest tombs first while it's still cool.

Need to know

Phones can be used for photos with the right ticket; flash is banned.
Tombs open on a rota to protect them, so the ones you can see change.
Combine it with Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon.

Plan this trip

Rough cost: £750 to £2,000 per person, including flights from the UK
Time needed: Half a day
Best time to go: October to April
Fly into: LXR airport

The main ticket is modest; the special tombs cost extra.

Do it yourself

My experience

Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.