Some of the most spectacular sites in all of Egypt can be found on the West Bank of the Nile, near Luxor. King Tut became Pharaoh at the tender age of nine or ten, and the discovery of his nearly intact tomb in 1922 fascinated the world. For a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt). Queen Hatshepsut, the second historically confirmed female Pharaoh, is generally regarded by Egyptologists as one of the most successful Pharaohs, reigning longer than any other woman of an indigenous Egyptian dynasty, and remembered as the first great woman in history of whom we are informed. The tomb of Nefertari is arguably the most beautiful and well-preserved tomb in all of Luxor and has even been called the Sistine Chapel of Ancient Egypt. Following its discovery, the tomb was closed to the public in 1950 due to threats to the paintings and required restoration work. Nefertari was Ramessess II’s favorite wife, and the tomb is primarily focused on the Queen’s life and her death. The well-preserved paintings in her tomb are the most detailed source discovered of the ancient Egyptian’s journey towards the afterlife.

Included Shore Excursions: Private Half Day Valley of Kings & Queens with King Tut's Tomb and Nefertari Tomb