11 Best Sights in West Bank, Luxor and the Nile Valley

Standing (sitting, actually) nearly 18 meters (60 feet) tall, these statues of Amenhotep III once guarded his mortuary temple, which is slowly being excavated to the northwest. Alongside the legs of the colossi are standing figures of the king's mother and his queen, Tiye. Relief carvings on the bases of the colossi depict the uniting of Upper and Lower Egypt.

These colossi were well known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and after an earthquake fractured one of the monuments in 27 BC, it was said to sing softly at dawn. For the Greeks, that sound recalled the myth of Memnon, who was meeting his mother Eos (the goddess of dawn) outside the walls of Troy when Achilles killed him. In the 3rd century AD, Roman Emperor Septimius Severus had the statue repaired and accidentally silenced the song.

The Colossi of Memnon are usually a perfunctory early-morning stop for tour groups to the West Bank.

In its own small valley, Deir el-Medina is where the artisans in charge of building and decorating the royal tombs lived. The site includes the stone walls of their otherwise ruined houses, small but vibrantly decorated tombs, and a small temple. The workers showed off their skills in their own burial chambers, applying the technical and artistic mastery they used on their employers' projects to their own.

Claustrophobes beware: these tombs are much more compact than the royal tombs and have low ceilings that some people will not be able to stand upright in. They're also accessed by incredibly steep staircases and narrow corridors.

One of the most astonishing burial spaces in this area is the Tomb of Sennutem (TT 1), who was an artist during the reigns of Seti I and Ramses II. The paintings on the walls of the burial chamber look as if they were just completed. A striking scene is the god Anubis tending to a mummy on a lion-headed bed surrounded by texts from the Book of the Dead. On the ceilings are several depictions of the deceased, kneeling in adoration before the gods.

The Tomb of Inherkha (TT 359) has beautifully painted ceilings of a repeating cow head and sun disk motif, as well as scenes from the Book of the Dead and the Book of the Gates. Inherkha was chief workman for Ramses III and Ramses IV, and he's shown making offerings to rows of seated pharaohs.

The Family Tomb is the most complex of the group and consists of three connected chambers for Amennakht (TT 218) and his two sons Nebenmaat (TT 219) and Khaemteri (TT 220). Popping out from the lemon yellow background are mummified figures, larger-than-life birds, palm trees, and column after column of text. The chamber for Nebenmaat is incredible to behold: the unusual monochromatic hieroglyphic script is just as eye-catching as the colorfully painted gods.

A five-minute walk to the northeast is the Temple of Deir el-Medina, dedicated to a plethora of gods, including Hathor and Maat. The temple was founded during the reign of Amenhotep III (18th Dynasty), but the current structure dates from more than 1,100 years later, from the reign of Ptolemy IV. Coptic Christians later turned the temple into a monastery, which gave this place its name (Deir el-Medina means "Monastery of the City"). Look out for the judgement scene of a heart being weighed against Maat's feather of truth and justice. If the heart is heavier, it has committed bad deeds during its time on earth and will not go on to enjoy the afterlife.

Medinet Habu is an impressive complex that was successively enlarged from the New Kingdom to the Ptolemaic period. Hatshepsut constructed the oldest chapel (which has been undergoing restoration and might be closed), but Ramses III (1186–1155 BC) built the main part of the structure, which functioned as his mortuary temple and an administrative center for the West Bank.

The second king of the 20th Dynasty, Ramses III hugely admired his grandfather, the great builder and military man Ramses II, so he copied his predecessor's architectural style and decorative scheme. Following Ramses II's example a century before him, Ramses III consolidated the frontiers of Egypt and led successful campaigns against the Libyans and the so-called "Sea People," whose origin still isn't known.

Enter the complex through the huge fortress-like gate, called a migdol or Syrian Gate, a two-story structure with expansive views out over the courtyard. On the First Pylon, Ramses III displays his full military might and his victories over Egypt's enemies. The back of the pylon shows the enemies' severed hands and genitals piled up in front of the pharaoh. At the Window of Appearances, on the western side of the First Court, ancient visitors would have been able to see the living pharaoh when he presented himself from his palace.

Through the Second Pylon, the Second Court is decorated with scenes of religious ceremonies. The colors and reliefs in the court are well preserved. The remains of the hypostyle hall and the smaller chapels that surround the second court are less complete, but ongoing restoration work could see them brought to life.

Appearing like a modern mirage, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is a sublime piece of architecture, consisting of three colonnades rising on terraces that melt into the foot of soaring limestone cliffs.

Hatshepsut was the most important woman to rule Egypt as pharaoh (1479–1458 BC). Instead of waging war to expand Egyptian territory like her predecessors, she chose to consolidate the country, build monuments, and organize expeditions to the land of Punt—modern scholars still debate its actual location—to bring myrrh, incense, and offerings for the gods. Before acting as pharaoh, she served as regent for her (then young) successor, Thutmose III. As soon as Thutmose III came of age to rule over Egypt, he began a program of erasing her name and images from monuments across the country, but some of them were preserved, perhaps by priests or temple workers loyal to Hatshepsut.

The reliefs inside the First Colonnade are damaged, but they include a detailed scene of transporting the queen's granite obelisks on boats from Aswan to Karnak. Take the large ramp that leads to the second courtyard. The Hathor Chapel on the left is dedicated to the goddess of motherhood and love, whose head tops the columns. To the right of the chapel starts the Second Colonnade, which shows expeditions to Punt, and the variety of goods brought back from there. The colonnade to the right of the ramp is devoted to the divine birth of Hatshepsut, and Hatshepsut's mother is seated with the god Amun-Ra between the first and second columns. By showing that she was of divine origin, Hatshepsut validated her right to rule over Egypt as pharaoh. The Anubis Chapel at the end of the colonnade is better preserved and still has a good amount of colored paint. Wall scenes show offerings given to the god of mummification.

The ramp continues to the Upper Terrace, where a line of crossed-arm statues of Hatshepsut as Osiris, god of the afterlife, hold court. The carvings in this terrace's hypostyle hall depict celebrations and coronation rituals, including the Beautiful Festival of the Valley, when the sacred boat (barque) of the sun god Amun-Ra visited the tombs and temples of deceased pharaohs on the West Bank. Priests carry barques with statues of the gods and pharaohs followed by musicians and dancers. Cut into the rock at the back of the terrace is the Sanctuary of Amun, with a star-painted ceiling and offering scenes. 

A golf-cart-style tram can whisk you the quarter of a mile from the end of the tourist market to the start of the temple complex for LE5. The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is a common stop on tours before or after visiting the Valley of the Kings. This whole area is called Deir el-Bahri (Monastery of the North), but the tombs and other mortuary temples are closed or not worth visiting because they are in ruins.

Of all of Seti I's grand building projects—the captivating temple at Abydos and his tomb in the Valley of the Kings, the longest, best decorated, and most expensive to visit—his mortuary temple is a little lackluster. Constructed toward the end of the pharaoh's reign, this structure was unfinished when he died, and Ramses II saw it to completion. The temple has been damaged by floods, both in antiquity and modern times, as well as colonies of bats. The pillar-fronted temple facade and the hypostyle hall are the only massive parts of the temple still standing. But because it's left off from big-group tour itineraries, it's a quiet spot to enjoy at a slower pace.

Tickets cannot be purchased on-site and must be bought at the Antiquities Inspectorate ticket office 3 km (1.8 miles) away on the main road into the valley. Tour operators and taxi drivers know this and will stop there beforehand, but this requirement makes an independent visit more challenging.

The mortuary temple of Ramses II is one of the many monuments built by the king who so prolifically used architecture to show his greatness and celebrate his divinity. The temple is a typical New Kingdom construction, with two pylons, two courtyards, and a hypostyle hall, followed by chapels and a sanctuary. Between the first and second courtyards, track down the broken colossus of the pharaoh that would have been 18 meters (62 feet) tall when it stood. This figure is said to have inspired Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Ozymandias," though he never saw the statue himself.

Big tour groups often skip this spot, leaving you to wander through the columns of the hypostyle hall in peace.  Tickets cannot be purchased on site, so get yours at the Antiquities Inspectorate ticket office before you visit.

Nakht was a scribe and astronomer under Thutmose IV, and his T-shaped tomb (TT 52) is somewhat small. Only the vestibule is decorated with vivid colors, but they show incredibly detailed scenes of Nakht hunting, fishing, and farming. To the right is a false door with a beautiful painting of eight men and two women presenting offerings.

The Tomb of Menna (TT 69) has colorful paintings of his family, including his wife and five children. Menna was a scribe and overseer of fields, and he's supervising a farm for eternity on one of the walls. Overhead, a patch of painted patterned ceiling is particularly vibrant. Most of the corridor is now inaccessible to visitors, but from a distant angle, you can admire the well-preserved colorful roof and see funerary scenes, such as the Opening of the Mouth ceremony and Weighing of the Heart.

Much has been damaged in the Tomb of Amenemope (TT 148), partly because of the poor quality of the stone in this area. But the quality of the decor for Amenemope, a priest under successive generations of Ramses, is high, and the walls of painted reliefs—not just flat paint on the wall—are rare and indicative of his stature.

The Tomb of Ramose (TT 55) is one of the finest in the area. Ramose was a governor of Thebes and vizier during the reign of Amenhotep III and Akhenaten. It's so large that it has a hypostyle hall, a pillared hall, and a chapel, though some of the columns are modern reconstructions. Near the entrance are unpainted reliefs, but look out for Ramose and his wife, whose eyes and eyebrows are outlined in black, the only pigment on the entire wall. The left wall has two registers painted, one in good condition, and the scene shows a dozen crying women. Near the entrance to the pillared hall is a carving of the Aten sun disk, the sole god worshipped in new monotheistic religion started by Akhenaten that lasted only 20 years. The tomb was left unfinished.

In life, Userhet worked as a royal scribe and "Counter of Bread," and his tomb (TT 56) is in an inverted T-style, with a wide antechamber leading to a long, slender burial chamber. Scenes in the antechamber depict Userhet's earthly responsibilities: counting boxes of grain and overseeing the distribution of bread rations to the Egyptian army. The ceilings are painted in a bright rug-weave pattern, and the inner chamber has vivid scenes of Userhet hunting and fishing.

A scribe and Overseer of Granaries under Amenhotep III, Khaemhet had a well-decorated space to send him into the afterlife. His tomb (TT 57) has both raised and sunken reliefs, and scenes depict his life's work of supervising the harvest and measuring grain supplies. Much of the art is damaged, including a pair of statues at the back of the tomb representing Khaemhet and his wife, but it's still an evocative space.

The Tomb of Rekhmire (TT 100), who was a vizier during the reigns of Thutmose III and Amenhotep II, is well preserved, with nearly complete scenes of daily life that reveal much about day-to-day activities of the ancient Egyptians. The walls explain Rekhmire's work duties, including inspecting the construction of temples and tax collection. He also records tributes from foreign countries, and Nubians arrive with leopards, giraffes, and cattle, and the Syrians bring vases, a chariot, horses, a bear, an elephant, and human captives. The paintings inside the chapel reveal how jewelry and sculptures were made and helped archaeologists understand the techniques used at the time.

The Tomb of Sennofer (TT 96) is nicknamed "Tomb of the Vineyards" because the ceiling is painted with swirling grapevines thanks to Sennofer's job as Overseer of Granaries and Gardens. A short but steep walk is required to enter the tomb. Inside you'll see scenes of Sennofer heading to the afterlife with servants carrying his belongings. The burial chamber has colorful paintings of Sennofer and his wife worshipping Anubis and Osiris and Sennofer and his family making a pilgrimage to Abydos where the deceased has his heart weighed to ensure he is worthy of entrance to the afterlife.

Once a burial location for New Kingdom pharaohs known only to a select few, the secret of the Valley of the Kings has long been out. Every year, 1.5 million visitors come to see a rotating selection of the 65 tombs that have been discovered, ranging from the unknown and unexcavated to an underground gallery displaying the pinnacle of art and architecture of ancient Egypt.

The well-publicized, 1922 discovery of Tutanhkamun, Egypt's short-lived "boy king," still draws many visitors, but it's actually one of the least splendid tombs in the valley, completed in a rush because of his untimely death and emptied of its gilded grave goods, which were relocated to Cairo museums. You might not have seen the names of Ramses V and VI (KV 9) or Seti I (KV 17) in your school textbooks, but you'll certainly want to know more after seeing the beauty and detail of the scenes that accompanied them into the afterlife.

The tombs in the Valley of the Kings are some of Egypt's greatest treasures, but their existence is threatened just by visitors coming to see them. The hot temperatures in the valley actually bring in moisture—in the form of sweat and humid breath from tourists—that damages the 3,000-year-old art painted on fragile rock walls and ceilings. Dehumidifiers and glass screens have been installed in some of the busiest underground areas, and guides are not allowed inside any tombs to cut down on crowds.

The Valley of the Queens was the final resting place for pharaohs' wives, royal children, and members of the nobility for nearly 500 years, from the 18th to 20th Dynasties. Archaeologists have discovered more than 90 tombs, but only four are open to the public, clustered together a short walk from the entrance. The undisputed highlight of the Valley of the Queens is standing in awe of the artwork in the incredible Tomb of Nefertari. Don't let the eye-wateringly high price of entry—this is the single most expensive ticket for any tourist attraction in Egypt—prevent you from entering. It's worth noting, though, that most of the other tombs in the Valley of the Queens are less elaborately decorated but also less frequently visited, meaning that you might even have them to yourself.

The Tomb of Nefertari (QV 66), the most beloved of Ramses II's many wives, has the largest tomb in the Valley of the Queens. It also has some of the most vivid surviving decorations of any ancient Egyptian tomb, with paintings covering every wall and the entire ceiling. The tomb is accessed by a staircase that leads into an antechamber, painted with chapters from the Book of the Dead and offering scenes to Anubis, the jackal-headed god of mummification, and Osiris, god of the afterlife. White stars that resemble starfish dot the dark-blue ceiling. Another set of stairs drops down to the column-supported burial room where the sarcophagus and mummy were once located (alas, the tomb was robbed of its many treasures in antiquity). You're allowed just 10 minutes inside the tomb.

The Tomb of Amun-her-Khepshef (QV 55) was built for a son of Ramses III, and the prince died when he was about 15 years old. The tomb has a simple linear design, and the wall paintings maintain their bright and lively colors. Scenes show the pharaoh introducing the prince, as a child with a side-lock of hair, to various gods, and an uninscribed sarcophagus rests in an undecorated burial chamber at the back. The tomb also contains an unusual item inside a glass case: the mummified remains of a fetus (not the prince).

The cruciform Tomb of Titi (QV 52), a queen of the 20th Dynasty, is well preserved. Her family history isn't well known, but it's thought that she might have been a wife of Ramses III and the mother of Amun-her-Khepshef, whose tomb is nearby. The corridor is decorated on both sides with a kneeling winged figure of Maat, the goddess of truth and justice, and the queen standing in front of different deities. In the chamber on the right is a double representation of Hathor, the goddess of motherhood and love, depicted as a sacred cow coming out of the mountain to receive the queen and then as a woman accepting offerings from Titi.

The Tomb of Khaemwaset (QV 44), a prince who was a young son of Ramses III, has fine workmanship and decoration on the walls. The scenes represent the prince, either with his pharaoh father or alone, making offerings to the gods. Hieroglyphic text from the Book of the Dead accompanies the paintings. Look out for the prince wearing a long translucent garment, showing the masterful skill of the ancient painters.