Quick answer
The tomb of Seti I (KV17) is the longest and most finely decorated tomb in the Valley of the Kings, about 137 metres of corridors and halls carved in painted raised relief. It needs its own, premium ticket and a 30 to 45-minute visit, and for many Egyptologists it is the single best royal tomb in Egypt.
Why is Seti I's tomb considered the finest?
KV17 is the only tomb in the valley decorated almost throughout in raised relief, carved and then painted, from the entrance corridor to the burial chamber, by the best artists of the 19th Dynasty. Most royal tombs use painted plaster or quicker sunk relief. Here the figures stand out from the wall, crisp enough to show the pleats of linen and individual beads in a collar.
Seti I, father of Ramesses II, ruled for only about 11 years but commissioned the finest art of the New Kingdom, including his temple at Abydos. Seeing both shows one workshop's style at its peak.
For choosing your other tombs and planning the valley as a whole, see our Valley of the Kings guide.
What do you see on the way down?
The tomb descends in a long line of corridors, stairways and halls, each decorated with a different section of the royal books of the afterlife.
- Entrance corridors: the Litany of Ra, naming the 75 forms of the sun god, and the opening hours of the Amduat.
- The well shaft room: once a deep shaft to catch floodwater and deter robbers, now bridged, with the king before the gods.
- The first pillared hall: scenes from the Book of Gates, including the four races of humanity known to the Egyptians, and Seti before Osiris.
- The drawing room: a side hall where the decoration was never finished, so you see the artists' red and black outline drawings with corrections, a rare look at how tombs were made.
- The burial chamber: a vaulted ceiling painted with the northern constellations as gods and animals in gold on deep blue, and walls with the Book of Gates and Amduat.
Around the burial chamber are side rooms with the Book of the Divine Cow, the myth of Ra's attempt to destroy humanity.
Where are Seti I and his sarcophagus now?
Seti I's mummy is in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, and his translucent alabaster sarcophagus is in Sir John Soane's Museum in London. The tomb had been robbed in antiquity, and priests moved the king's body to the Deir el-Bahari cache near Hatshepsut's temple, where it was found in 1881. It is one of the best-preserved royal mummies.
Belzoni, a former circus strongman turned explorer, found the tomb in October 1817 and shipped the sarcophagus to England, where the architect John Soane bought it in 1824 after the British Museum declined the price. Belzoni's 1821 London exhibition of the tomb, with full-size copies of its walls, was a sensation.
Beyond the burial chamber, a rough tunnel runs a further 170 metres or so into the rock. Cleared by Egyptian archaeologists in 2007–2010, it was never finished and is not open to visitors.
Why was the tomb closed for so long?
KV17 suffered more visitor damage than almost any tomb in Egypt, and was closed for long periods from the 1990s before reopening with a high-priced separate ticket to limit numbers. Early copyists took wet paper squeezes and wax casts that pulled paint off; in 1828–29 Champollion's expedition cut out wall panels now in the Louvre and in Florence. Flooding, dust and humidity from crowds did the rest.
The high ticket price is deliberate: it keeps numbers small, so you will often have the halls nearly to yourself. In recent years the Factum Foundation has made high-resolution 3D scans of the tomb, used to build facsimiles of its rooms for exhibition, which also preserve a precise record of every wall for the future.
That conservation record matters because the damage is still visible. In places you will see pale patches where paint was lifted, and gaps where panels were removed. Your guide can point out where the missing scenes now hang in European museums.
Is the Seti I ticket worth it, and what should you know?
For anyone interested in Egyptian art, yes: if you buy only one premium tomb ticket in the valley, this is the one most guides recommend. If budget is tight, Ramesses VI (KV9) gives you spectacular decoration for considerably less; Tutankhamun (KV62) is about history rather than art.
- Access: the descent is long, with stairs and wooden ramps; the air at the bottom is warm and humid. It suits anyone who can manage several flights of stairs.
- Time: allow 30–45 minutes inside; do not rush the drawing room.
- Tickets: at the time of writing bought at the valley visitor centre or online; the price is several times the standard valley ticket. Check egymonuments.gov.eg.
- Photos: rules on photography in premium tombs have varied; confirm when you buy your ticket.
Tomb of Seti I (KV17): FAQs
How long is the tomb of Seti I?
About 137 metres to the end of the decorated burial area, making it the longest tomb in the Valley of the Kings. An undecorated tunnel continues further but is closed.
Is the tomb of Seti I open?
At the time of writing it is open with a separate premium ticket. Opening can change for conservation, so check when you book or at the visitor centre.
Is the tomb of Seti I worth the extra cost?
For lovers of art, yes. Its painted raised relief is the finest in the valley and visitor numbers are low, though Ramesses VI is a good, cheaper alternative.
Where is Seti I's sarcophagus?
His alabaster sarcophagus is in Sir John Soane's Museum in London, and his mummy is in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo.
