Visiting KV62 the Burial Chamber of King Tutankhamun

KV62 remains the only royal sepulcher in the Valley of the Kings where the pharaoh continues to rest within his original burial chamber. While the surrounding limestone hills of Luxor contain over sixty tombs, this specific site stands apart due to its nearly intact state at the time of its 1922 discovery. Visitors entering the small corridor will find the linen-wrapped mummy of Tutankhamun visible through a climate-controlled glass case, a sight that justifies the steep supplement fee required for entry. The tomb is remarkably compact, covering roughly 110 square meters, which is a fraction of the sprawling subterranean palaces built for later Ramesside rulers. Because of this limited volume, the air quality inside fluctuates rapidly as groups move through, making an early morning arrival at 6:00 AM the most comfortable strategy for avoiding both the heat and the crowds that arrive by mid-morning.

Entry Logistics and On-Site Expectations

Ticket Pricing and Access Systems

Accessing the interior of KV62 requires a dedicated supplement ticket that must be purchased at the main visitor center before you board the electric tram. As of 2025, this specific entry costs 700 Egyptian Pounds for adults, which is separate from the general Valley of the Kings admission of 750 Egyptian Pounds. You cannot purchase the Tutankhamun supplement once you have reached the tomb entrance, so ensuring you have the correct paper or digital QR code from the start is essential to avoid a long walk back to the gates. Credit cards are now the standard payment method at official booths, and travelers should be wary of third-party vendors offering unofficial vouchers. The general ticket allows entry into three of the standard rotating tombs, but KV62 is always treated as a premium add-on regardless of which other sites are open.

The Interior Layout and What Stays In Situ

Unlike the labyrinthine corridors found in the tomb of Seti I, the path into KV62 is direct and short. A flight of sixteen stairs leads down to a single sloping corridor that opens into the antechamber where Howard Carter first glimpsed the golden chariots and beds. Today, these rooms are empty of their portable treasures, which have been relocated to Cairo, but the walls of the burial chamber still hold their original vibrant murals. The quartzite sarcophagus remains in the center of the burial room, its lid slightly askew just as the excavators found it. Peering into the side rooms, such as the annex and the treasury, provides a sense of the cramped conditions that forced the ancient priests to stack over 5,000 artifacts from floor to ceiling. The sheer density of items found here—ranging from ostrich feather fans to solidified jars of honey—illustrates the haste of a funeral conducted for a king who died unexpectedly at nineteen.

Conservation Struggles and the Factum Arte Replica

Managing Humidity and Microclimates

Preservation is the primary challenge for the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities as the breathing of thousands of daily visitors introduces moisture and carbon dioxide into the porous rock. Conservators monitor the relative humidity closely, aiming to keep it below sixty percent to prevent the growth of fungal spores and the peeling of the delicate plaster. You might notice small sensors mounted high on the walls near the ceiling of the burial chamber which track these atmospheric shifts in real-time. If the carbon dioxide levels exceed 1,500 parts per million, the tomb may be temporarily closed to allow the ventilation system to cycle the air. This fragility is the reason why photography was strictly regulated for decades, though modern policies often allow non-flash mobile phone photos under a general site permit.

Seeing the Replica at the Stoppelaëre House

If the original tomb feels too crowded or if you want to study the details of the wall paintings without the protective plexiglass barriers, the Factum Arte replica is a superior alternative that many tourists ignore. Located near the Howard Carter House at the entrance to the valley, this facsimile was created using high-resolution 3D scanning to replicate every crack and pigment of the original 3,300-year-old walls. The lighting in the replica is far more conducive to seeing the fine brushwork and the strange brown spots on the plaster—remnants of mold that formed because the tomb was sealed while the paint was still wet. Visiting the replica first provides a spatial context that makes the actual descent into the original KV62 feel more significant. Most guides recommend spending twenty minutes at the replica before heading to the actual site to appreciate the archaeological nuances that are easily missed in the dim, humid conditions of the real burial chamber.

The Story of a Rushed Burial

Evidence of Haste in the Wall Paintings

Architectural analysis suggests that KV62 was originally intended for a high-ranking official or perhaps the vizier Ay, rather than a pharaoh. The sharp ninety-degree turn to the right after the entrance is characteristic of non-royal burials of the Eighteenth Dynasty, whereas royal tombs typically featured a straight or left-leaning axis. The wall decorations are limited only to the burial chamber itself, leaving the antechamber and corridors in a raw, undecorated state. Upon close inspection, the figures of the gods and the king are rendered in a slightly bulkier, less refined style than the elegant reliefs found in the nearby tomb of Amenhotep II. This aesthetic shift is a physical record of the seventy-day embalming window, during which the craftsmen had to finish the paintings before the mummy was brought across the Nile for the final rites.

The Transition to the Grand Egyptian Museum

While the physical structure of the tomb remains in the Valley of the Kings, its soul has largely moved to the Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids. The transition of the iconic gold mask and the nested shrines has changed the visitor experience in Luxor, shifting the focus from the gold to the archaeology of the discovery itself. It is worth noting that the Luxor Museum on the East Bank still houses a small but exquisite selection of items from the tomb, including a double statue of the god Amun and King Tutankhamun. Combining a morning visit to the quiet West Bank tomb with an evening trip to the Luxor Museum allows for a better understanding of the boy king's short reign. The empty spaces in the treasury room now serve as a reminder of the massive logistics project Howard Carter undertook over ten years to catalog every single item found within these four small rooms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the gold mask still inside the tomb?

The solid gold funeral mask was moved to Cairo shortly after the excavation and is currently a centerpiece of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Only the mummy and the outer quartzite sarcophagus remain inside the KV62 burial chamber in Luxor.

How much does it cost to enter KV62 in 2025?

Entry requires a supplement ticket priced at 700 Egyptian Pounds for adults and 350 Egyptian Pounds for students with a valid ID. This fee is in addition to the standard 750 Egyptian Pound ticket required to enter the Valley of the Kings.

Can I take photos inside the tomb of Tutankhamun?

Mobile phone photography without flash is generally permitted as part of the overarching photography policy for the Valley of the Kings. Professional cameras and tripods require a separate, much more expensive permit that must be arranged in advance.

Why is the tomb so much smaller than others in the valley?

Tutankhamun died unexpectedly around age nineteen before a traditional grand royal tomb could be completed for him. Historians believe a smaller, existing tomb was quickly adapted and decorated within the seventy-day mummification period to accommodate his burial.

What is the best time of day to avoid crowds at KV62?

Arriving as the gates open at 6:00 AM is the most effective way to see the burial chamber before the large tour bus groups arrive around 9:00 AM. Visiting during the midday heat between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM can also be quieter, but the internal temperature of the tomb becomes much more intense.