4 DAYS

Al Ula
City Break

Day 1. Arrival & Elephant Rock

Arrive in Al Ula — one of the most extraordinary destinations in the world, a lush oasis valley carved through sandstone mountains in the northwestern Hejaz, home to 200,000 years of human history. Check in to your desert resort. First stop: Elephant Rock (Jabal AlFil) — a spectacular natural sandstone monolith rising 52 metres from the desert floor, its uncanny resemblance to a striding elephant visible from miles away. Best photographed at sunset when the rock glows amber and gold. Overnight in Al Ula.

Day 2. Hegra (Mada’in Saleh)

Full day at Hegra (also known as Mada’in Saleh) — Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Nabataean Kingdom’s second city after Petra. Over 100 extraordinarily well-preserved royal tombs are carved directly into the sandstone mountains, with elaborate façades decorated with Nabataean inscriptions, eagles, Medusa heads and floral motifs. The site was carved between the 1st century BC and 1st century CE and equals Petra in grandeur but sees a fraction of the visitors. Overnight in Al Ula.

Day 3. Dadan, Jebel Ikmah & Oasis Heritage Trail

Morning at Dadan — the ancient capital of the Lihyanite and Dedanite kingdoms (8th–2nd century BC), one of the most important pre-Islamic archaeological sites in Arabia, with monumental tombs carved into the pink sandstone cliffs and inscriptions in eight ancient scripts. Visit Jebel Ikmah — an open-air library of thousands of inscriptions in Lihyanite, Dadanitic, Minaic, Nabataean and Greek scripts carved into a sandstone canyon. Afternoon on the Oasis Heritage Trail — a walk through Al Ula’s ancient date-palm oasis and the abandoned mud-brick Old Town. Overnight in Al Ula.

Day 4. Sharaan Nature Reserve & Departure

Morning at the Sharaan Nature Reserve — Al Ula’s spectacular protected wilderness of sandstone canyons, with programmes to reintroduce the Arabian leopard and rare desert wildlife. Optional Hejaz Railway train ride to the abandoned Buwayr station. Transfer to Prince Abdulmajeed bin Abdulaziz Airport for onward travel.

Turquoise pool between the sandstone cliffs of the Sharaan Nature Reserve

Must see

ATTRACTIONS

Options

ACCOMMODATIONS

Al Ula

★★★★★

Habitas AlUla
Banyan Tree AlUla
Shaden Resort AlUla by Accor

★★★★

Caravan by Habitas AlUla
Dar Tantora The House Hotel AlUla
Maraya Hotel AlUla

★★★

AlUla Lodge
Rose Governate Hotel AlUla
Dadan Hotel AlUla

Must try

FOOD

Matazeez

A traditional Saudi Arabian comfort food from the Najd and Qassim regions; it is a hearty stew made with tender lamb or camel meat, mixed vegetables and small, flattened whole-wheat dough circles cooked directly in a rich, spiced tomato broth.

Foul Medames

Slow-cooked fava beans, spiced with ground cumin, salt, garlic, fresh lemon juice and extra olive oil and topped by chopped parsley, diced tomatoes, onions, hard-boiled eggs or a spicy chili pepper kick.

Mabroum and Helwa Dates

Distinct premium Saudi Arabian date varieties; Mabroum dates are long, slender, semi-dry fruits with a chewy, toffee-like texture and mild caramel sweetness, while Al-Helwa dates feature a tender, moist skin, larger rounder size and a rich, succulent, sweet flavor profile.