Saudi & AlUla Explorer

Step back in time and discover the World Heritage Site of Diriyah where the story of modern Saudi Arabia began. Within Diriyah’s historic At Turaif district you’ll see stunning examples of traditional Najdi mudbrick architecture and get a sense of the way of life in the first Saudi capital some two hundred years ago. Your journey continues this afternoon to the National Museum for a crash course in Saudi history. The day concludes with an orientation tour of downtown Riyadh, where you will have a magnificent panorama of the Saudi capital from the Kingdom Tower’s Sky Bridge observation deck.

Fly from Riyadh to the oasis of AlUla. On arrival, a private transfer will take you to your hotel. After check-in, the remainder of the day will be at leisure to relax and enjoy the wonderful canyon setting of your hotel. AlUla lies at the meeting point of the Silk Road and Incense Route and is a place of great natural beauty as well as being Saudi Arabia’s most important cultural site.

AlUla’s stunning natural beauty, as well as its fascinating past, will be revealed on today’s tour. Your first stop will be the Maraya, the world’s largest mirrored building. A private tour in a vintage-style Land Rover with a local ‘Rawi’ (storyteller) will then take you to the 2000-year-old city of Dadan (noted for its Lion Tombs) and to Jabal Ikmah’s to see the centuries-old rock art. Then, stroll along AlUla’s shaded Heritage Oasis Trail and enjoy the sight of tens of thousands of palm trees. Set off this afternoon on a 4WD adventure to see the striking desert canyons, golden dunes, and weathered terracotta-hued mountains that lie just outside AlUla. Conclude your sightseeing with a visit to Elephant Rock.

Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s premier archaeological attraction, will be your destination this morning. On arrival at this UNESCO World Heritage Site, tour the rock-hewn tombs of the ‘second Petra’ in a private vintage-style Land Rover with a local ‘Rawi’ (storyteller). These fabulously situated tombs had been ‘lost’ to the world until their ‘rediscovery’ in 1876. After your tour a private transfer will take you south through mountains, desert, and lava-flows to Medina.

Today is dedicated to exploring Medina, Islam’s second most holy city. Anciently known as Yathrib, the city was renamed Medina by the Prophet Mohammad after he and his followers were welcomed following their flight from Mecca – an event known as the ‘Hijrah’. Pilgrims recreate this journey every year as part of the Hajj. Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter the city’s mosques – but can now visit the previously off-limits ‘Haram’ area where the main places of pilgrimage, including the vast Prophet’s Mosque, are located. Early evening travel by High-Speed train to Jeddah on the Red Sea coast.

Jeddah, known as the ‘Bride of the Red Sea’, has been the port for nearby Mecca for centuries. Start your sightseeing at the Tayebat Museum – a fine example of traditional Hijazi architecture – then drive along the beautiful manicured modern seafront Corniche to the ‘floating Mosque’. This afternoon, the new city is juxtaposed with the old one as you walk through Mecca Gate and enter Jeddah’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Al Balad district. The lively souqs and multi-story houses built of coral stone with their distinctive ‘roshan’ wooden windows provide a fascinating insight into an age-old way of life in Saudi Arabia.

Private transfer to Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport and check in for your onward flight.