Walk the Wadi

Did you know that the Valley of the Kings is not actually one valley but two? Not many people do, but the Western branch of the Valley of the Kings, also called the Wadi el Gurud or Valley of the Monkeys, is home to several royal tombs, one of which is open to the public. The tomb of Ay is the one this valley takes its name from, because of the monkeys on the tomb wall depicting some of the hours of the night that pharaoh had to pass through on his after-life journey. It is a small tomb, but lovely and with a quite fascinating history. It is believed that the tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amun was actually originally earmarked for the enigmatic Ay (who succeeded him), but when Tut-Ankh-Amun died suddenly at a very young age, Ay supposedly gave up his own tomb for the tragic young king and built another one for himself in this remote place.

Although it is allowed and possible to reach the tomb by car (and you can add this to any of our other excursions by the way), this time we will be walking. For this reason, this excursion is only done outside the summer months, as we will truly be walking through a lunar desert landscape, and the temperatures here can rise to unbearable levels in summer. It is walk of about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on your fitness and how many times you want to stop for photos. The silence and scenery here are unbelievable, and you fall into your own silence and wax poetical quite easily here. A very restful place in that way. This is why we also use it to do guided meditations for those who are interested in such a thing. But the walk to the tomb and back is a meditation in itself, totally out of this world!

Remember, this trip is easily combined with any of our other excursions, so feel free to inquire into some of the possibilities!

Price: 45 euros
Price combined with another excursion into a full day trip: 95 euros per person (also includes lunch, with tea and soft drinks)

Includes: set-up, transport, explanation, tickets