Lion Tombs
Cliff face above the site
Rock-cut tombs with carved lions, high in the red sandstone.
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AlUla, Saudi Arabia
Dadan
The capital of the ancient Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms, with the famous Lion Tombs cut high in a red cliff and an active excavation site. Visited on booked tours.
Favourite places
Excavation area
Valley floor
Remains of houses, a temple and water basins being uncovered by archaeologists.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Cliff viewpoint
Dadan
Views over the ancient city towards the palm oasis.
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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.
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
Visitor centre café
Dadan visitor centre
Drinks and snacks around the tour.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Oasis farms
Around AlUla
Juice, dates and coffee at farms that welcome visitors.
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Where to stay
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.
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)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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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.
History
Dadan was one of the most developed cities of northern Arabia in the first millennium BCE, the capital of the kingdom of Dadan and later of Lihyan. It prospered on the incense trade between southern Arabia and the Mediterranean. Its people wrote in their own scripts, carved statues, and built temples and houses in the valley floor.
On the cliff above the city are rock-cut tombs, some guarded by carvings of lions — a symbol of status — giving them the name Lion Tombs. Archaeologists continue to excavate the residential and temple areas, and finds from Dadan have been shown in exhibitions abroad.
Tour plans
Dadan and Jabal Ikmah
Half dayStep 1: Dadan visitor centre
Check in for your booked tour.
Step 2: Lion Tombs
See the tombs in the cliff and the excavations.
Step 3: Jabal Ikmah
Continue to the canyon of inscriptions nearby.
Map
Travel information
Best time to visit
October to March, morning or late afternoon.
How to get there
Dadan is a few kilometres north-east of AlUla town, near the oasis. Tours leave from the Dadan visitor centre; book ahead on Experience AlUla.
Getting around
Short walks with a guide between the cliff viewpoints and excavation areas.
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.
- Dadan is often combined with Jabal Ikmah on the same day or tour.
- Bring binoculars or a zoom lens for the high tombs.