You will need to do some research about the Valley of the Kings if you decide to tour independently. Although there is a fee to enter the Valley, many of the tombs have a separate fee, and you will need to buy all the tickets at the entrance gate. If you are with a tour, the guide will purchase tickets for the tombs he thinks are most interesting for the time you have allowed.
Touring the Valley of the Kings will be hot and dusty, and the tombs are stuffy inside. Take your time walking between the different tombs to avoid becoming ill from the heat. Although you will be hot and tired, the inside of the tombs is magnificent, with bright colors and hieroglyphic characters covering the walls and ceiling. It is difficult to believe that these tombs are so well preserved after over 3000 years.