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AlUla

AlUla, Saudi Arabia

AlUla

A palm oasis in a valley of giant sandstone cliffs in north-west Saudi Arabia, and one of the great open-air museums of the world: the Nabataean tombs of Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the ancient kingdom of Dadan, rock inscriptions, a mud-brick old town and the mirrored concert hall of Maraya.

Favourite places

Historical places

Local food

  • AlUla dates

    AlUla, Saudi Arabia

    AlUla's oasis has been farmed for thousands of years and is still full of date palms. Local varieties are sold fresh in season and packed all year — a good gift from the trip.

  • Mandi

    AlUla, Saudi Arabia

    Lamb or chicken cooked slowly over long-grain spiced rice, traditionally in a pit oven so the meat turns tender and smoky. Served on a big shared platter with a tomato and chilli salsa (daqoos).

  • Jareesh

    AlUla, Saudi Arabia

    Cracked wheat slow-cooked with meat or chicken, yoghurt or milk until thick and creamy, topped with fried onions. A traditional dish of central and northern Arabia.

Where to eat

Where to stay

  • Ashar Valley

    AlUla, Saudi Arabia

    Resorts and tented villas set among sandstone cliffs south of AlUla town, near Maraya and the airport. Quiet, scenic and best with a car.

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  • AlUla town and the oasis

    AlUla, Saudi Arabia

    Hotels, guest houses and farm stays in and around the town and its palm oasis, close to the Old Town, cafés and the road north to Hegra.

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Culture

AlUla is a conservative oasis community. Dress modestly in town (shoulders and knees covered), ask before photographing people, and never climb on, touch or scratch rock carvings and tombs — the inscriptions are thousands of years old and fragile. Take all litter with you. Hospitality runs deep: you may be offered Saudi coffee and dates at farms and guest houses — accept with your right hand.

History

AlUla's valley has water, shelter and fertile soil, and has been settled for thousands of years. In the first millennium BCE it was the heart of the kingdoms of Dadan and Lihyan, which grew rich on the incense trade route from southern Arabia to Egypt and the Mediterranean, and left their writing on the cliffs of Jabal Ikmah.

Around the 1st century BCE the Nabataeans — builders of Petra in Jordan — made Hegra their great southern city, carving more than a hundred monumental tombs into the rocks. Later the valley lay on the pilgrim road from Syria to Makkah. The walled Old Town of mud-brick houses was lived in for centuries until its families moved to the new town in the late 20th century. The Hejaz Railway passed by in the early 1900s, and its stations still stand.

Hegra became Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. Since the late 2010s the Royal Commission for AlUla has opened the area to visitors with visitor centres, guided tours, resorts and festivals, while continuing excavation and conservation.

Travel information

  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Language: Arabic; English is common in hotels, airports and larger shops.
  • Currency: Saudi riyal (SAR). Cards and mobile payments are widely accepted.
  • Time zone: Arabia Standard Time, UTC+3.
  • Suggested stay: Three to four days for Hegra, Dadan, Jabal Ikmah, the Old Town and Elephant Rock at sunset.

Tour plans

AlUla in three days

3 days, 2 nights

  1. Step 1: Day 1 — Old Town and Elephant Rock

    Arrive, walk the Old Town and climb to the fort for the view, then watch sunset at Elephant Rock.

  2. Step 2: Day 2 — Hegra

    A morning tour of Hegra: Qasr al-Farid, Jabal Ithlib and the tomb clusters. Afternoon rest; evening at Maraya if an event or visit is on.

  3. Step 3: Day 3 — Dadan and Jabal Ikmah

    Tour Dadan's Lion Tombs and the inscriptions of Jabal Ikmah, then visit an oasis farm before leaving.

Map

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Travel information

Best time to visit

October to March, when days are warm and nights cool to cold; this is also festival season. Summer days are very hot.

How to get there

By air: AlUla International Airport (ULH), officially Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz International, is about 30–40 minutes' drive south of the town, with domestic flights from Riyadh and Jeddah and some seasonal international routes. Car hire and transfers are available.

By road: AlUla is roughly 300–350 km north of Madinah and about 650–700 km from Jeddah by highway. The drive from Madinah takes around 3–4 hours through desert scenery. Intercity coaches also run in some seasons.

From Madinah or Tabuk: many visitors fly into Madinah (MED) and drive up, or combine AlUla with a road trip through the north.

Getting around

Sites are spread over a wide area, so a hire car or a car with driver is the easiest way to get around; ride-hailing apps work in town but cars can be scarce at remote sites. Tours to Hegra, Dadan and Jabal Ikmah start from their visitor centres and continue by the tour's own shuttle buses or vehicles. Some seasons also have a shuttle service between main sites — check Experience AlUla for what is running.

Travel tips

  • Most heritage sites in AlUla — Hegra, Dadan, Jabal Ikmah and others — are visited only on ticketed tours or timed entries booked in advance through Experience AlUla (the official website and app). Book before you travel, especially in the cool season and during festivals, and arrive at the visitor centre or meeting point on time.
  • From late spring to early autumn the days are very hot. Carry water, a hat and sunscreen, wear closed shoes for sand and rock, and plan outdoor visits for early morning or late afternoon. Winter nights in the desert can be cold — bring a warm layer.
  • Mobile signal can be weak in remote valleys; download offline maps.
  • Shops, cafés and many services close briefly for each of the five daily prayers — usually for 20–30 minutes. Plan errands around them, and check the day's prayer times on a phone app.

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