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Riyadh

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's capital: a fast-growing desert metropolis of glass towers and new boulevards, with the mud-brick birthplace of the Saudi state at Diriyah, old souqs around Masmak Fortress, the National Museum and the dramatic cliffs of the Edge of the World an hour or two away.

Favourite places

Historical places

Local food

  • Kabsa

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Saudi Arabia's best-known dish: long-grain rice cooked with a warm spice mix, tomato and stock, piled on a large platter and topped with chicken or lamb, fried onions, nuts and raisins. Often shared from one tray.

  • Jareesh

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Cracked wheat slow-cooked with meat or chicken, onion and spices until creamy, a traditional dish of the Najd region around Riyadh.

  • Saudi coffee (gahwa) and dates

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Light, golden Arabic coffee brewed with cardamom (and sometimes saffron or clove), poured in small handleless cups and always served with dates. Offering gahwa is the first gesture of Saudi hospitality — hold the cup in your right hand, and gently shake it when you have had enough.Read more

Where to eat

  • Bujairi Terrace

    Diriyah, across Wadi Hanifa from At-Turaif

    A dining terrace of Saudi and international restaurants and cafés overlooking the mud-brick ruins of At-Turaif. Especially pleasant in the evening when the old walls are lit.

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  • Traditional restaurants of Al-Dirah (old Riyadh)

    Around Souq Al Zal, Masmak Fortress and Qasr Al Hokm

    The old centre has simple local restaurants serving kabsa, mandi and grills, plus coffee stalls where men sit for gahwa and dates. Good value and very local.

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  • Olaya and Tahlia Street

    Olaya district, around Kingdom Centre

    Riyadh's busiest dining strip: Saudi, Levantine, Turkish, Indian and international restaurants, cafés and dessert shops, open late into the night.

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Where to stay

  • Olaya and King Fahd Road

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    The modern business heart of Riyadh, around Kingdom Centre and Al Faisaliah Tower: large international hotels, malls and restaurants, and the Riyadh Metro Blue Line along Olaya Street.

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  • Al-Dirah, Al Murabba and the old centre

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Closest to Masmak Fortress, Souq Al Zal and the National Museum. More local in character, with mid-range hotels and a busy evening street life.

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  • Diriyah

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    On the north-western edge of the city beside At-Turaif and Bujairi Terrace: quieter and more scenic, with newer upscale hotels as the Diriyah development grows.

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Culture

Riyadh is the capital of Najd, the central Arabian heartland, and keeps strong Bedouin and Najdi traditions: generous hospitality with gahwa and dates, poetry, falconry and the ardah sword dance, performed at national celebrations. Mud-brick Najdi architecture, with its triangular openings and crenellated walls, can still be seen at Diriyah and Masmak.

The city is also the centre of the country's rapid social change. Founding Day (22 February) and National Day (23 September) bring parades and fireworks, and the Riyadh Season fills the cooler months with concerts, events and pop-up venues.

History

Riyadh grew from oasis settlements in the valley of Wadi Hanifa in Najd, the heart of central Arabia. Its name comes from the Arabic for "gardens", after the palm groves and fields that once surrounded the old walled town. Just upstream, Diriyah became the seat of the House of Saud in the 15th century and the capital of the First Saudi State in the 18th century, until it was destroyed by an Ottoman-Egyptian army in 1818.

Riyadh then became the capital of the Second Saudi State. In 1902 the young Abdulaziz Ibn Saud recaptured the city by taking Masmak Fortress — the start of the campaign that led to the founding of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, with Riyadh as its capital.

Oil wealth from the mid-20th century turned the small mud-brick town into a modern city of several million people. Today Riyadh is changing again: new museums, the restored Diriyah, the Riyadh Metro, entertainment seasons and wide new parks are opening the capital to visitors for the first time.

Tour plans

Riyadh in three days

3 days, 2 nights

  1. Step 1: Day 1 — Old Riyadh

    Morning at the National Museum and Al Murabba, then Masmak Fortress and the Qasr Al Hokm area. Late afternoon browsing Souq Al Zal, dinner at a traditional restaurant nearby.

  2. Step 2: Day 2 — Diriyah

    Afternoon walking the mud-brick lanes of At-Turaif, then sunset and dinner at Bujairi Terrace overlooking the lit ruins.

  3. Step 3: Day 3 — Edge of the World and the skyline

    An early-afternoon 4x4 trip to the Edge of the World cliffs for sunset, or a relaxed day in Olaya ending on the Kingdom Centre Sky Bridge after dark.

Map

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Travel information

Best time to visit

November to March, when days are warm and evenings cool. Summers (June–September) are extremely hot and dry, often over 45 °C.

How to get there

By air: King Khalid International Airport (RUH), about 35 km north of the centre, has flights from across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa and frequent domestic flights to Jeddah, Dammam and other cities. Taxis, ride-hailing apps and the Riyadh Metro (Yellow Line) connect the airport to the city.

By train: Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) runs trains east to Dammam via Hofuf, and north to Qassim, Hail and Al Jouf.

By road: Highways link Riyadh with Dammam (about 400 km), Qassim and Jeddah/Makkah (about 950 km). Intercity buses run between the main cities.

Getting around

  • Riyadh Metro: a network of six driverless lines across the city, including the Blue Line along Olaya Street and the airport line. Check the official app or maps for the nearest station.
  • Ride-hailing and taxis: apps such as Uber and Careem are the easiest way to get around; Riyadh is very spread out and hard to explore on foot.
  • Buses: the Riyadh Bus network covers many main roads.
  • Car hire: useful for the Edge of the World and other desert trips, though a 4x4 with a guide is strongly recommended off-road.

Travel tips

  • Dress: modest clothing is expected — shoulders and knees covered for men and women; women do not have to wear an abaya but loose, covering clothes are respectful. Women should cover their hair when entering a mosque.
  • Prayer times: some shops and small businesses close briefly for each of the five daily prayers.
  • Weekend: Friday is the weekly holy day; many places open only after the midday Friday prayer. The weekend is Friday–Saturday.
  • Heat: carry water, use sunscreen and plan outdoor sightseeing for early morning or late afternoon, especially from May to September.
  • Visas: many nationalities can apply for a tourist eVisa or get a visa on arrival — check the current rules before you travel.
  • Alcohol is illegal throughout Saudi Arabia.
  • Currency is the Saudi riyal (SAR); cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere. Time zone: UTC+3.

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