Quick answer
The Western Valley is a remote branch of the Valley of the Kings, holding the tomb of Ay (WV23), Tutankhamun's successor, and the tomb of Amenhotep III (WV22). Ay's tomb has a unique marsh-hunting scene and painting in the style of Tutankhamun's, and you will almost always see it alone. It needs its own ticket and transport, and about an hour.
What is the Western Valley?
The Western Valley is a long, quiet side valley that branches off the road to the main Valley of the Kings, where a few 18th Dynasty kings, including Amenhotep III and Ay, chose to be buried. Its tombs are numbered WV, for West Valley, though the official numbering continues the KV series.
The valley is wider and wilder than the main one, with sheer cliffs and almost no buildings, and you may be the only visitors in it. The road in follows a dry watercourse between pale limestone walls, and the walk to Ay's tomb gives views back down the wadi that few visitors to Luxor ever see.
It is also where some Egyptologists think Tutankhamun originally planned his tomb, before he died young and was buried in the much smaller KV62.
What makes the tomb of Ay special?
Ay's tomb is the only royal tomb in the valleys to include a scene of the king hunting birds and spearing fish in the papyrus marshes, a subject normally found only in nobles' tombs. Its painting style, with figures on a golden-yellow ground, is very close to Tutankhamun's burial chamber, and the same artists may have worked on both.
Ay was an elderly courtier who became king after Tutankhamun's death, and he is the man shown burying Tutankhamun on the wall of KV62. On one wall of his own burial chamber are twelve baboons from the first hour of the Amduat, the scene that gave the valley its Arabic name, Wadi el-Qurud, the Valley of the Monkeys.
Look closely at the faces: Ay's image and name were deliberately hacked out, probably on the orders of Horemheb, the general who followed him and tried to erase the Amarna-era kings from history. Ay's red granite sarcophagus, found in pieces, has been pieced back together and stands in the burial chamber, with winged goddesses protecting its corners. The tomb was first recorded by Giovanni Belzoni in 1816.
Can you see Amenhotep III's tomb?
Amenhotep III's tomb (WV22), the largest royal tomb of the 18th Dynasty, has been under long-term conservation by a Japanese team from Waseda University since 1989, and access has been limited. At the time of writing it is not part of a standard visit; check locally whether it, or any part of it, is open.
Amenhotep III was the builder of the Colossi of Memnon and of much of Luxor Temple. His tomb was robbed in antiquity, and his mummy was among those found in the cache in Amenhotep II's tomb in 1898.
Two other West Valley tombs are of interest to specialists but are not open: WV25, possibly begun for Akhenaten before he moved his court to Amarna, and WV24, an undecorated shaft.
How do you get there?
You need a car: the Western Valley road branches off near the main valley car park and runs about 2 km into the hills, followed by a short walk up a slope to the tomb entrance. From East Bank hotels, allow about 35–40 minutes each way.
At the time of writing the ticket for Ay's tomb has been sold at the main Valley of the Kings ticket office rather than at the tomb itself, so buy it before you set off; check on egymonuments.gov.eg or with your guide. There are no facilities in the valley, so bring water.
The tomb itself is reached by a short, steep path and a sloping corridor; inside, the decorated burial chamber is compact and you can see everything in about 20 minutes. A torch is useful for looking at details such as the hacked-out faces. Phone photography without flash has generally been permitted, but confirm with the guard.
Who should make the detour?
The Western Valley is best for repeat visitors, keen photographers and anyone fascinated by Tutankhamun and the Amarna period; first-timers with one day on the West Bank should spend their time on the main valley and Hatshepsut's temple.
It works well on a second or third day in Luxor, combined with the Tombs of the Nobles or Howard Carter's House. Early morning is lovely, with the cliffs lit from the east and complete silence. Seeing Ay's tomb on the same day as Tutankhamun's makes the stylistic link between them obvious. If you are planning a longer stay, our Luxor in three days guide shows how a quieter West Bank day fits in.
Western Valley and the Tomb of Ay: FAQs
Where is the tomb of Ay?
In the Western Valley, a remote branch of the Valley of the Kings on Luxor's West Bank, about 2 km from the main valley by road.
Is the tomb of Ay worth visiting?
Yes, for repeat visitors and Tutankhamun enthusiasts. It has a unique marsh-hunting scene, paintings in the same style as Tutankhamun's tomb, and you will usually have it to yourself.
Who was Ay?
Ay was a senior official who became pharaoh after Tutankhamun's death and reigned for about four years. He appears in Tutankhamun's tomb performing the Opening of the Mouth ritual.
Is Amenhotep III's tomb open to visitors?
It has been under long-term conservation and access has been very limited. At the time of writing it is not part of a normal visit, so check locally before you go.