Necropolis, Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens

The west side of the Nile in Luxor is the main area for mortuary temples and tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. The area itself is very large, spanning several km, and there are long roads/pedestrian paths leading to the sites and running between them. It’s possible to run on these roads, and it would be quite spectacular. Out of respect, we don’t recommend running in the immediate vicinity of the tombs/mortuary temples. Notes: admission fees required for several of the sights. Also, this is desert terrain, and the area is open, exposed, hot, and can be dusty.

A strong suggestion is to go early — the visitor sites officially open at 6am — and have a peaceful run on outskirts roads and paths when things are quiet. A good bet is to run on Kings Valley Rd., which goes from the main road for ~3.5 km to the ticket office. There are great views of the surrounding sights. Another option is Al Tmsalyn Rd., which leads from Model Village passing the Colossi of Memnon. This leads to a rotary and the Inspectorate Ticket Office, where you can then run east toward Kings Valley Rd., passing the Mortuary Temple of Merenptah, Ramesseum, and Mortuary Temple of Thutmose III (there are offshoot roads that lead to other tombs. You can also run west to the Valley of the Queens Rd. and then further west.