Desert cliffs, Nabataean tombs, coral reefs, rose farms and mountain villages. Each entry explains what to expect, gives a practical tip and links to hotels close to the experience.
By Azeddine ElUpdated 6 min read
About 90 km northwest of Riyadh, the Tuwaiq escarpment ends in sheer cliffs that drop onto an old seabed. Locals call the viewpoint Jebel Fihrayn; travellers call it the Edge of the World. The last stretch is an unpaved track, so most visitors book a 4x4 tour that leaves Riyadh after lunch and returns after dark.
Tip: Arrive an hour before sunset and bring water. The site can close after heavy rain.
At-Turaif is the mud-brick citadel of the first Saudi state and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010. Restored palaces, towers and lanes sit on a ridge above Wadi Hanifah, and the Bujairi Terrace across the wadi is lined with restaurants that look straight at the walls as they light up at night.
Tip: Diriyah is about 20 minutes by car from central Riyadh. Late afternoon gives the best light on the walls.
The Kingdom Centre is the bottle-opener tower that defines the Riyadh skyline. A high-speed lift takes you to an enclosed bridge that links the two tips of the tower, close to 300 metres above the city, with a full view over Olaya and the King Fahd Road towers.
Tip: Go after sunset for the city lights. Tickets are sold at the entrance of the Kingdom Centre mall.
Riyadh Season is the capital's yearly entertainment season, held in the cooler months from roughly October to March. Zones such as Boulevard World bring together concerts, food halls, rides and themed districts, and many evenings run past midnight.
Tip: Book tickets online for popular zones, and stay near the Boulevard area to cut taxi time.
Inside the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, the National Museum walks you through the Arabian Peninsula from prehistoric rock art to the founding of the Kingdom. It is the best single stop to understand what you will later see at Hegra, Diriyah and Al-Balad.
Tip: Plan two to three hours. Masmak Fortress and Souq Al-Zal are a short drive away.
Souq Al-Zal is one of Riyadh's oldest markets, close to Masmak Fortress. Stalls sell carpets, incense, oud, daggers, traditional bisht cloaks and antiques. In the evening an informal auction of old objects often takes place in the square.
Tip: Go after the evening prayer, when the market is busiest. Bargaining is normal.
Al-Balad is historic Jeddah, the old port that once received pilgrims bound for Makkah. Its tower houses are built of coral stone and fronted by carved wooden rawasheen balconies. The district has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014 and many houses are being restored.
Tip: Walk it in the late afternoon and stay for dinner. Naseef House is the best-known building to visit inside.
King Fahd's Fountain throws a jet of seawater more than 250 metres into the air from the Jeddah sea front, which makes it one of the tallest fountains in the world. Lit at night, it is visible from most of the Corniche.
Tip: Watch from the Corniche promenade after dark, ideally on a calm evening.
The Red Sea off Jeddah has clear water, coral reefs and reef fish a short boat ride from the shore. Dive centres north of the city run half-day snorkelling and diving trips for beginners and certified divers.
Tip: Book with a licensed dive centre and bring reef-safe sun cream.
Hegra, also known as Mada'in Salih, was the second city of the Nabataeans after Petra. More than a hundred monumental tombs are carved into its sandstone outcrops, including Qasr al-Farid, cut from a single rock. It became Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.
Tip: Visits run as guided tours that must be booked in advance on the official AlUla website.
Away from city lights, the AlUla valley has some of the darkest skies in the region. Several desert camps and tour operators run night sessions with telescopes and a guide who points out constellations, planets and the Milky Way.
Tip: Pick a night close to the new moon and bring a warm layer for winter evenings.
In the cooler months, balloon flights lift off at sunrise above AlUla's canyons, palm groves and rock formations. From the basket you see the scale of the sandstone landscape that is hard to read from the ground.
Tip: Flights depend on wind and are cancelled in bad weather, so keep a spare morning in your plan.
The Asir highlands around Abha are green and cool when the rest of the country is hot. Cable cars drop from the plateau into the valleys, including the line from Al Soudah down towards Rijal Almaa.
Tip: Summer is the high season here. Bring a jacket: the plateau is often foggy.
Rijal Almaa is a village of stone and slate tower houses stacked on a mountainside, with white-painted window frames. Several houses now hold a museum of local crafts, costumes and manuscripts.
Tip: Combine it with the Al Soudah plateau on the same day.
Taif, in the mountains above Makkah, is known for its pink damask roses. In spring, farms harvest the flowers at dawn and distil them into rose water and rose oil, and several farms open their distilleries to visitors.
Tip: The harvest is usually in March and April. Buy rose water directly from the farms.
The Al Hada road climbs the escarpment between Makkah and Taif through a long series of hairpin bends, with wide views over the plain. Baboons are often seen along the roadside.
Tip: Do not feed the baboons. The road is busiest on weekend evenings.
Wadi Disah is a canyon of tall sandstone pillars, palms and running water in the northwest of the country. A 4x4 track follows the valley floor and there are short walks into the side gorges.
Tip: Go with a local guide or a 4x4. Phone signal is weak inside the canyon.
Inside the Al-Ahsa oasis, Al-Qarah Mountain is cut by narrow limestone passages that stay cool even in summer. The mountain is part of the Al-Ahsa Oasis UNESCO site.
Tip: Wear closed shoes. Combine with a walk through Al-Qaisariya souq in Hofuf.
The Farasan Islands are a quiet Red Sea archipelago off Jazan, with beaches, mangroves, coral reefs and a protected population of gazelles. Migrating birds stop here in season.
Tip: A ferry runs from Jazan port. Book a car on the islands in advance.
Jabal al-Nour rises above the northeast of Makkah. A stepped path leads up to the small cave of Hira, where the first revelation came to the Prophet Muhammad. The climb is steep and takes about an hour for most people. Makkah is open to Muslims only.
Tip: Climb early in the morning or after the afternoon heat, and carry water.
Quba Mosque, a few kilometres south of Masjid an-Nabawi, is the first mosque built in Islam. Many visitors to Madinah go there in the morning to pray two rak'ahs, following the Prophet's tradition.
Tip: Taxis and buses run from the central area. Friday mornings are very crowded.
At Jubbah, on the edge of the Nafud desert, thousands of years of carvings show camels, ibex, people and early Arabic scripts. Jubbah and Shuwaymis together form the Rock Art in the Ha'il Region UNESCO site.
Tip: Jubbah is about 100 km from Ha'il city. Visit with a guide who can explain the carvings.
Check visas, transport and pilgrimage rules on the official sites before you travel:
Most first trips combine Riyadh and Diriyah with AlUla, then add Jeddah or the Asir mountains. The best season for outdoor activities runs from October to March; summer suits the cooler highlands around Abha and Taif.
Read next: Riyadh travel guide, AlUla travel guide and 100 hotels in Saudi Arabia.
Indoor idea: for a fun evening in Jeddah or Riyadh, try an escape room such as The Escape Hotel.
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