Deir el-Medina
The workmen's village where the artisans who painted the royal tombs lived, argued and buried their own dead.
Mudbrick foundations of the workmen's village at Deir el-Medina
What to expect at Deir el-Medina
This walled village housed the craftsmen who cut and decorated the tombs in the Valley of the Kings for around 400 years. Their houses, streets, tavern and small Ptolemaic temple survive. Even better, so do their own tombs — small, exquisite, and painted with the very same skills used on the royal chambers a mile away. The tombs of Sennedjem and Inherkhau in particular are jewel-boxes of yellow, red and turquoise fully preserved from 3,200 years ago.
Because it's a scholar's site rather than a bus-tour headliner, Deir el-Medina is often nearly empty. It's also the site that gave Egyptology its best social history — the workers left thousands of ostraca (limestone flakes with graffiti) recording strikes, love notes, court cases and beer receipts. Combine with Medinet Habu next door and the Valley of the Queens 1 km away.
Questions about Deir el-Medina
$7 for the village plus 3 tombs including Sennedjem. Included in the standard Luxor Pass.
No — no free entry available.
60-90 minutes for the highlights; Egyptology fans can happily spend two hours.
Open daily year-round.
No advance booking needed; the daily 150-visitor cap on Sennedjem is managed at the tomb entrance itself.
In a small side valley on the West Bank, 5 km from the ferry, 1 km north of Medinat Habu. Best reached by hired West Bank taxi ($25-30 for the day).
Hotels near Deir el-Medina
Every hotel we cover in West Bank
- Gold Ibis Hotel 3★ · 4.3/5
- Shahhat House 5★
- Luxo Bankr West
More museums
All museums
From the journal
All posts
Comparisons & rankings
Hotels with Nile views in Luxor, ranked
Ten Nile-facing hotels in Luxor tested for actual river views, not the ones the booking site photographs with a wide lens — from $28 pensions to $380 suites.
Comparisons & rankings
Best boutique hotels in Luxor, ranked
Nine small hotels in Luxor with actual character, ranging from $60 West Bank guesthouses to a $320 domed retreat — with the honest catch on each one.
Comparisons & rankings
Best family-friendly hotels in Luxor, ranked
Eight Luxor hotels tested with kids, from a $45 pension with a rooftop to a $280 resort with a proper kids' pool — plus which chain to skip.