Take a day-long stroll through the intriguing and little-known city of Riyadh and its historic center. Then, explore Ha'il, an oasis at the crossroads of several pilgrimage routes. A day and a half will be devoted to the AlUla desert and its thousand-year-old historical sites, out of time and out of the world. The program would not be complete without the Red Sea and its emblematic cities including Jeddah and Taif will surprise you at the end of the trip.
Day 1: Arrival to Riyadh
Day 2: Riyadh
Day 3: Riyadh, flight to AlUla
Day 4: Madaîn Salih (Hegra), Dadan
Day 5: AlUla, flight to Jeddah
Day 6: Jeddah
Day 7: Excursion to Taïf
Day 8: Departure
Reception at the airport by our team and transfer to the hotel.
Overnight in Riyadh.
Welcome to Riyadh - « the garden », capital city of Saoudi Arabia.
Discover Darya and its historical centre Al-Turaif (UNEXCO), cradle of the Al Saoud dynasty.
Lunch at restaurant.
Visite of Al Murabba palace, las residence of Saoudi Arabia'a founder Abdelaziz Al-Aziz.
Ending the day, panoramic view from Al Mamlaka tower (302 meters).
Dinner and overnight in Riyadh.
Visit of fort Al Masmak, dating from the end of the 19th century. Located in the heart of the ancient city, this adobe fortress, whose color and curves recall those of desert dunes, is made up of four watchtowers as well as a mosque and a water well. The fort now houses the National Museum, whose collections retrace the history of the country from before its creation until the beginning of the 20th century.
Lunch at the restaurant.
Free time before transfer to the airport and flight to AlUla.
On arrival, transfer to the hotel.
Overnight in AlUla.
Dedicated morning to Madaîn Salih (Hegra). The first Saudi site to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its "outstanding universal value", the ancient Hegra is a major city of the Nabataean civilization in continuity with Petra in Jordan, and which stretches over some twenty kilometers. The remarkably preserved site houses an exceptional funerary heritage carved out of the rock, the architecture of which is reminiscent of the Hellenistic, Roman or even Eastern style.
Then go to Dadan (Al-Khuraybah), ancient capital city of Lihyan kingdom (IInd century BC) related in the Bible.
Lunch in an oasis.
Afternoon, discover the Mayara cultural center, 5000 m² covered with relfective panels. This gigantic square blends in perfectly with its natural environment and reflects it according to the meteorology.
Then walk in the streets of the old village of AlUla, abandoned since the beginning of the 20th century. Built in mud bricks, the lower part was once used as a warehouse and the upper floor as a living space. At least, have a beautiful vue on the top of Musa Ibn Nusayr's fort.
Dinner and overnight in AlUla.
In the morning 4x4 excursion in the desert (3 hours).
Lunch in a bedouin tent.
In the afternoon, visit Jabal Hikmah, open air library of multi-langages inscriptions (Aramaic, Dadanic, Thamudic and Nabataean). Then make a stop at Jabal Al-Feel, the « elephant rock » carved by erosion, 50 meters high.
Flight to Jeddah.
Dinner and overnight in Jeddah.
The economic capital of the country and the most dynamic city in the country, with its large port on the Red Sea, Jeddah is the maritime gateway to Mecca. The tour starts in the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Nassif House was once the home of the former Governor of Jeddah. It is here that Prince Abdelaziz Ibn Saud will take up temporary residence when he enters Jeddah in 1925. Now transformed into a museum, it houses a fine collection of Arabic calligraphy.
Then, time will be dedicated to strolling through the historic center and its markets, the most famous of which is the fish market.
Lunch in a restaurant near the ledge.
The day will continue with a stroll along the ledge, frequented by the Saudi population with its restaurants and picnic areas: the Al Rahman floating mosque (exterior visit) was built on the water, so that at high tide it seems to float; the King Fahd fountain has the world's tallest water jet visible from across the city.
Abdul Raouf Khalil Museum houses a large collection of art objects retracing the history of the different eras of the kingdom. The day will end with a panoramic city tour.
Dinner and overnight in Jeddah.
In the morning, on the way to Taif (4 hours round trip), stop to see the remains of the Al Arfaa fortress which dominates a site of rock carvings representing the figures of animals and humans as well as writings describing their way of life.
Then we will reach downtown Taif for lunch.
In the afternoon, visit the Shobra Palace (1905), former summer residence of Prince Abdulaziz Al-Saud, which traces the history of the city of Taif. The city of Taif is famous for the cultivation of the thirty-petalled Damascus rose, probably imported from the Balkans by the Ottomans. Visit of a rose grower's farm.
On the way back, stop at the Samallagi dam, dating from the pre-Islamic period.
Dinner and overnight in Jeddah.
Transfer to the airport for your flight back.
Each Travel Idea is customizable according to your wishes
