The Heritage Route - Riyadh to Jeddah

First visit is Ad Diriyah , northwest of the city and the original capital of the first Saudi state is a must-see. Its Al Turaif quarter, a carefully restored mud-brick district that was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, offers a glimpse into the country’s extraordinary heritage.

Please note that this site is closed for development and the visit will be from the outside  

will start our day with a historical brief about the capital of Saudi, In the National museum you will be discovering Saudi Arabia's rich past is an amazing journey that would bring you along thousands of kilometers around the whole Kingdom. An easier way to have an insight of Saudi Arabia's rich History is to visit the King Abdulaziz Historical Center in Riyadh where artifacts from all periods are exhibited and with explanations about their historical significance.

After our lunch break we will go to check out the view of the sunset from the Kingdom Centre which is a 99-story, 302.3 m skyscraper. When completed in 2002, it overtook the 267-meter Faisaliyah Tower as the tallest tower in Saudi Arabia. It has since been surpassed and is now the fifth-tallest skyscraper in the country, It is the world's third-tallest building with a hole after the Shanghai World Financial Center .

Then we will be heading to our lunch break in one of the famous traditional restaurants at Qaria Najdya

After our historical brief we will go see some by ourselves checking out Al Masmak Fortress ,Surrounded by sand, this squat fortification was built around 1865 and is like a scene out of the movies: a big fortress representing an empire. It was the site of a daring 1902 raid by Ibn Saud, during which a spear was hurled at the main entrance door with such force that the head is still lodged in the doorway. Highlights among the exhibits include maps and fascinating photographs of Saudi Arabia dating from 1912 to 1937, in galleries converted from diwans (living rooms). The roofs are covered with painted palm-tree, taramic and ethel wood and exude an old-world charm that evokes an Arabian painting. Inside, the information panels and short, chest-thumping films on the storming of the fortress and the ‘reunification’ of Saudi Arabia are reverential towards the Al Sauds but worth watching nonetheless.

In the same area and only in walking distance we will find our self in Souq Al-Zal which is one of the oldest traditional market.

After our lunch break we will go to check out the view of the sunset from the Kingdom Centre which is a 99-story, 302.3 m skyscraper. When completed in 2002, it overtook the 267-meter Faisaliyah Tower as the tallest tower in Saudi Arabia. It has since been surpassed and is now the fifth-tallest skyscraper in the country, It is the world's third-tallest building with a hole after the Shanghai World Financial Center .

Today we will be driving to Buraidah is the capital of Al-Qassim Region in northcentral Saudi Arabia in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula.

The road to Buraidah will be around 3 hours and a half but we will make a stop on the way to see Ushaiger and Shaqra which are going to be on the way.

Hidden in the heart of the Najd, an oasis-dotted region 200km northwest of Riyadh, Ushaiger Heritage Village provides a glimpse of a slow-paced Saudi society of old.

Background on the Mud towns

Bedouins first settled here 1,500 years ago and Ushaiger quickly became a popular stopping point for pilgrims crossing to Makkah, thanks to its springs and low-brimmed olive and palm groves. But far from being a dusty, deserted museum piece, Ushaiger – which, in a naming quirk, means ‘little blonde’ to reflect the nearby red mountain that looms over the yellow mud houses – still has a small community of residents, making use of its schools, shops and mosques. To walk its narrow lanes is to enter a living museum, draped with traces of an ancient way of life.

Once we arrive to Buraidah we will go to our hotel to check in

Before we head to Hail , will do a stop early morning around 8 a.m to the largest camel market where auction takes place a very authentic experience to see how bargaining works in the camel market and how locals value camels and negotiate pricing. Camels remain valuable to own and trade in Saudi

Next will drive for about 3 hours to Hail

Hail is located in the centre north of the country, is a land where the dream landscapes of Arabia are the theatre of the 1001 Nights.

Once we arrive  start our trip right away heading to Jubbah which is 1:20 hour from Hail

we will be visiting Jubbah, This worldwide famous site contains some of the oldest and most outstanding carvings of the Arabian Peninsula. It was recognized in 2015 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Jubbah is host of the two most emblematic carvings in Saudi Arabia. The first one is a character dominating another smaller one. Locals say that it is the representation of an ancient king handing out justice.

The second one is a chariot pulled by two horses which was for decades the only known example but similar ones were later found in Hail and Tabuk Provinces.

As surprising as it sounds the people trading frankincense, spices, and other precious goods coming from southern Arabian Peninsula did cross regularly the 350 km of sand dunes between these two main trade cities. The numerous so-called Thamudic inscriptions (more than 5000) testify of this intense frequentation by travellers.

After our tour in Jubbah, we will visit  Airef fort on top of Hill which has a history in Hail

Today we will be driving from Hail to AlUla, the road will take us around 4 hours and a half.

Old town tour

We will do the old town of AlUla tour. In the 12th century, AlUla Old Town became an essential settlement along the pilgrimage route from Damascus to Makkah. The city gradually replaced Qurh, to the south of AlUla, and is favourably mentioned by travellers from the 12th to the 20th centuries, when modern AlUla was constructed nearby. The houses were designed to be attached to one another, providing fortification, which hints to defence being a priority for the city's early inhabitants. At one point, the city was accessed by 14 gates, which were opened in the morning to welcome travellers, pilgrims and other visitors, and closed each evening. The ancient city’s recent occupation has enabled researchers to begin to gather oral histories, painting a picture of what life was like inside its walls. These stories will one day be available to visitors who can look forward to tapping into AlUla Old Town’s living memory.

Hiking AlUla Oasis Trail 3KM

This is a nice trail that can last for 2 hours suitable for anyone to enjoy the palms, mud houses and the surrounding oasis.

Today we will do 2 guided tours then end the tour with visiting the elephant rock to relax

Tour 1: Hegra tour ( the tomb ) and Hejaz Railway

The importance of Madain Saleh is ostensibly displayed by its 111 monumental tombs, among which 94 were decorated with majestic facades on the sandstone massifs of the area, especially the Jibal Ithlib. The smallest tomb is barely 2,7 meters tall but the biggest reaches an impressive 21,5 meters! Madain Saleh was the second largest city of the Nabatean kingdom whose capital was Petra (in today's Jordan) where the Nabatean people created more than 600 tombs. What most people dont know that there are many other fascinating archeological sites attest to the thousands of years of human occupation of the area thanks to the underground water available for millennia. Dont worry we are showing everything you need to see !

We will visit the Hejaz Railway, In the early 19th century CE the Ottomans built a railway station at Madain Saleh that was along the Hejaz Railway linking Damascus to the holy city of Makkah. You will have the chance to see the triclinium (or diwan in Arabic) that were once dedicated to banquets and rituals. They are composed of three benches where people used to seat while musicians were playing. At least six of them were found in Madain Saleh with the names of owners.

Tour 2 : Dedan, is also of great interest, not only for the extent of the remains of this ancient oasis city that once thrived there, but also because its history is much older than the neighboring Madain Saleh. The most famous oases of the 1st millennium BCE the oasis of Dedan, where excavations on extensive archeological sites have revealed the existence of large fortified cities. These kingdoms developed their own culture including a specific language and alphabet, that resulted in a mix of Arabian traditions and strong influences from the surrounding empires. In the ancient oasis Dedan,

Elephant Rock

Before we head to our last stop, we will pass by the Elephant Rock, also known as Jabal AlFil, one of AlUla’s many geological marvels. This is a seating area with nice coffee to relax and enjoy the scenary. Best time to visit is usually at 4 to 5 PM with the sunset

Please note that Hegra and Dedan/Ikma mountain are guided tours by Bus and last each 2 to 3 hours max. These tours are done by AlUla Tourism Board which is a third party and as such sometimes the inclusions of these tours or and timeline changes by the operator  

Our trip is going to be to Wadi Al Dissa near Tabuk, our drive will be around 2 hours and a half to 3 hours.

As we reach the valley we will have our lunch there where our team will be preparing you traditional delicious food. After lunch we will take you on a walking tour inside this gorgeous valley and explore Wadi Dissah which is a 15 kilometer long canyon running through the Jebel Qaraqir, a sandstone massif lying about 80 kilometers south of the city of Tabuk. 

This natural wonder was for a long time a well-kept secret among explorers, before the road leading to the nearby city of Dissah was built and satellite images were available to the public, which made it quite difficult to find and reach. Let us tell you a little bit about this valley before we start our hike so you prepare your self and to get astonished ! The first striking feature of this wadi is its dimensions: at the eastern entrance of the canyon the side cliffs are already higher than 100 meters,but at the western entrance the gap between the bottom of the wadi and the tallest cliffs reaches as high as 500 meters! It is there, from the massive rocky peaks, standing on both sides of the canyon, that one can admire the most dramatic scenery of this magical place. 

The second - and most unexpected - amazing feature of Wadi Qaraqir is a water stream that runs through the western part of the canyon towards the city of Dissah. While you are exploring Wadi Qaraqir from the eastern entrance will find abundant palm trees growing naturally along the wadi bed. But once half-way through the canyon underground water tops up all year long. As a result, lush vegetation made of 3 meter high grass, numerous palm trees and bushes, flourishes in between the majestic cliffs of the canyon! We head back to Tabuk but with a final stop on our way to have the last look on one of the beautiful view point and then continue to Tabuk. 

Will drive back to our hotel in Al Ula.

Today after breakfast we will drive to Madinah which is around 4 hours.

After our arrival we will start with our tour in here, this city is considered as break on they way from Al Ula.

We will visit one of many museum displaying the history , historical items and the importance of the city in the Islamic world

Next will have lunch in Tabakha souq which is an open local market famous for sea food and kabbab , will have lunch there before we walk to visit the Grand Moaque " the prophet mosque" the landmark of Madinah and the 2nd holiest place in Islam.

Will end the tour in Qiba Street which connect two Mosques , the grand Mosque and Qiba Mosque which both have significant importance in Islamic history in which the first was the house that prophet Mohammed lived and eventually it’s his grave visited by . The second was the first Mosque ever built. you will have a general overview how the city was built and shaped throughout the 1400 years.

An overnight in Madinah

Today we will be driving from Madinah to Jeddah, Once we arrive we will have a light tour around the city to check out the main landmarks such as the tallest fountain , the floating mosque and Jeddah water front and the F1 circuit which is the longest in the world

We have lunch in one of the local places and get ready to visit the old town of Jeddah around 4 PM

We will start our tour in Al Balad as local call it which means “ the town” as reference to the base of Jeddah. Al-Balad was founded in the 7th century and historically served as the center of Jeddah. Al-Balad's defensive walls were torn down in the 1940s. In the 1970s and 1980s, when Jeddah began to become wealthier due to the oil boom, many Jeddawis moved north, away from Al-Balad Al Balad is registered as a world heritage UNISCO site and since then the old buildings with its unique window designs and doors are being preserved along with its unique buildings which some have been built using sea shells and stones !. The old buildings once housed the famous Jeddah families and hosted the founder the late King Abdulaziz when first entered Jeddah. Our tour will go through the history of these building including going inside one of the buildings to see the interior designs , furniture and life back then Will also explain the historical importance of some sites and locations while we wonder around the narrow streets to explain how merchants used to sell their goods and how pilgrims used to get their supplies of cloth and food before they head to Makkah through the Makkah Gate in Al Balad.

The old Mosques is another tourist attraction where some were founded over 300 years ago and still functional as a mosque. The main attraction in this tour is the food and snacks of Al Balad where we will pass by some famous vendors known to offer the best local snacks such as the local drink made of bread “ Sobia” and the old bakery which its famous for its fresh bread. Another local snack that consist of Bean and pickles “ Balilah”. We will stop for rest in one of the local coffee open air places and try famous local tea mixed with milk and herbs We will move to visit the center of Al Balad to see the first hotel built in Jeddah influenced by Italian architecture then pass by the first school built in Saudi. We will also visit one of the art houses and museum offering its unique local art collection and antiques.