Getting there and around
Most visitors arrive by car or bus from the Eastern Desert Highway, arriving from Cairo. Take the turnoff to Mallawi. As you drive westward toward the Nile, the entrance to Amarna is on the left, just before crossing the bridge over the river. You will enter Amarna via the ancient North City. If arriving from the south, you will enter the site near the South Tombs. If coming from the west bank, Amarna is reached either by the bridge over the Nile between Deir Mawwas and Mallawi, turning right just over the bridge, or by ferry crossing. It is possible to visit Amarna by train or public bus, although this is less straightforward. The arrival station is Mallawi or Deir Mawwas, where it is necessary to hire a local car to bring you to Amarna. Keep the car all day—the site is far too large to walk around. Amarna is also a stop on some Nile cruises.
Some basic distances:
- El-Minia to Amarna: 60 km
- Cairo to Amarna: 310 km
- Asyut to Amarna: 75 km
- Luxor to Amarna: 400 km
Ticket office and opening hours
The site is open to visitors every day from 8:00am to 4:00pm (opening hours may vary on public holidays). Tickets for the main monuments must be purchased from the ticket office located on the road to the North Tombs.
What to see
A one-day visit will allow you to see most or all of the following monuments (but make sure to arrive early):
- North Palace
- Small Aten Temple and its environs
- North Tombs
- Boundary Stela U
- Royal Tomb
A two-day trip will give you more time at these monuments and allow you to visit other areas of the site (e.g. South Tombs, Kom el-Nana). Note that some areas are closed to visitors (e.g. Workmen’s Village, Stone Village, non-elite cemeteries).
Amarna Visitor Centre
The Amarna Visitor Centre, operated by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, is located on the banks of the Nile in the town of El-Till. It is open every day between 8:00am and 4:00pm. Panels in English and Arabic introduce Amarna and the reign of Akhenaten. There is a series of models of famous Amarna artifacts and the centerpiece is a full-size replica of the house of an Amarna official, which visitors can walk through.
Visitor Information Panels and other resources
A series of Visitor Information Panels has recently been installed around key monuments at the site, providing information in Arabic and English. More extensive information can be found the dedicated guidebook for the site, Amarna: A Guide to the City of Akhetaten (AUC Press, 2021); see also our Visitor guides.
Tourist facilities
There is a visitor Rest House opposite the ticket office which sells drinks. There are also a number of small shops, especially on the drive through the town of al-Till, selling drinks, fruit, and snacks. Buying these on-site helps to support the local economy. Many hotels in the region will provide lunch boxes for day trips upon request. Toilets are available at the Rest House opposite the ticket office and at the Visitor Centre.
Accessibility
Visitors with impaired mobility will find Amarna difficult to visit at present. The surface of the site is largely unpaved desert. There are few handrails, and limited shade and seating. The North Tombs and Boundary Stela U are accessible only by high staircases. The South Tombs are not located high in the cliff face, but are quite spread out, and the first tomb (no. 7) is reached by a short, but fairly steep, incline. The Royal Tomb involves a descent down a staircase and ramp (both with handrails). The Royal Tomb has a modern wooden floor in its main burial chamber, but the original stone floors inside the rock-cut tombs are often uneven. There is wheelchair access at the Visitor Centre, although not through the reconstructed house.
Accommodation
There are no hotels at Amarna itself. Most visitors stay in the regional capital, Minya, about 1.5 hours north of Amarna, where a wide range of hotels is available. Visitors coming from the south may choose to stay in Asyut, which is also around 1.5 hours’ drive away. Small hotels can also be found in the city of Mallawi on the west bank of the river, around 20 minutes away, and there is a guest house at Deir Abu Hinnis on the east bank some 10km north of Amarna.