Grand Tour of Saudi Arabia

You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for a 3-night stay. 

Drive to the Ushaiger Heritage Village, stopping for an early lunch en route. Settled by Bedouins some 1,500 years ago, Ushaigerwas a popular stop for pilgrims travelling to Makkah. Explore its mud houses connected by a labyrinth of winding alleys, and hear stories about life in ancient Saudi from members of the small community who still live here.
 
Continue to Jebel Fihrayn, known locally as the Edge of the World. These 300-metre-high cliffs, part of the larger Tuwaiq escarpment, offer breathtaking views of an unending desert landsca pe. Hikers can choose from a range of walking trails to reach the summit. Enjoy a traditional Saudi dinner at the Najd Village restaurant on your way back to the hotel. 
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Begin a day of cultural exploration with a visit to Saudi’s National Museum. Afterwards, walk to the nearby Al Murabba Palace, the former home and court of King Abdulaziz, founder of modern Saudi. Then drive to Al Masmak Fortress, a citadel in Riyadh’s old quarter originally built in 1865. In 1902, King Abdulaziz captured the fortress and took control of Riyadh, before conquering and uniting theprovinces that make up Saudi today.
 
After lunch, visit the Kingdom Centre, and enjoy panoramic views from the city’s highes t tower. 
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Fly to Hail and transfer to your hotel. This afternoon, start a city tour with a visit to three historic fortified buildings: A’arif Fort, Barzan Castle and Al Qishlah Castle. The oldest of the three, A’arif Fort, was first built in the 17th century and offers great views over the city.
 
Visit Hail’s traditional souq, or head east for a rummagein Hail Flea Market, one of the last of its kind in Saudi. Have dinner in a local restaurant before returning to your hotel. 
 

Explore the sweeping red dunes of Al Nafud Desert. Visit UNESCO-listed rock art sites, including the inscriptions and petroglyphs at Shuwaymis. Adventure-seekers have the option of camping, dune bashing or sand boarding in the dunes just outside the city. Enjoy dinner and Arabic coffee while enjoying the desert sunset. 
 

After an early breakfast, head north towards Jubbah, Saudi’s most famous rock art site. Some of the carvings here are believed to date back 10,000 years and include representations of humans, cattle and ibexes. After lunch, continue to Al Jouf province and check in to your hotel for a 2-night stay. 
 

Visit the enigmatic Rajajil columns, a collection of standing monoliths carved from ochre sandstone. Once thought to have an astrological significance, the stones are now known to be burial sites, some dating to the fifth or sixth millennium B.C.Then visit Zaabal Castle, set on a mountain north of Sakaka. The current structure is around 200 years old, but the site includes features that date back to the Nabataean civilisation. 
 

Journey to AlUla today, visiting Tayma oasis in the province of Tabuk en route. Tayma is one of the oldest settlements in the Kingdom and was once an important trade station between the civilisations of Persia, Egypt and the Levant. The natural wells here have been maintained for millennia. After lunch, continue to AlUla and check in to your hotel for 3 nights. 
 

This morning you’ll visit the ancient rock-hewn city of Hegra, once the second city of the Nabataean kingdom and a thriving international trade hub. Tour the UNESCO-listed site in a vintage Land Rover, accompanied by a local rawi (storyteller and guide), exploring monolithic tomb sites and the Hijaz Railway.
 
After lunch, visit Dadan, capital city of the ancient Dadanite civilization, to explore its rock-cut tombs, city ruins and inscriptions. Continue to the Jabal Ikmah, famous for its collection of rock inscriptions i n various ancient scripts. 
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This morning visit AlUla Old Town and learn about the region’s ancient and not-so-distant past. Inhabited since before the 12th century up until the early 1980s, the Old Town offers researchers oral histories and living memory that AlUla’s other heritage sites cannot.
 
Afternoon visit one of AlUla’s many geological marvels – Jabal Alfil, or Elephant Rock. This towering rock formation was formed overmillions of years by natural erosion and is surrounded by several other impressive outcrops and formations.Later, experience stargazing amidst the astonishing desert landscapes of Gharameel while enjoying a traditional barbecue dinner. 
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Take a midday flight to Jeddah and check in to your hotel for a 3-night stay. Afternoon at leisure to relax or explore Jeddah. 
 

Drive inland to the city of Taif, located on the eastern slopes of the Sarawat Mountains. Visit Shubra Palace; today a museum, the palace was built in 1905 to house the Saudi royal family when they were visiting Taif. Also visit Al-Sharif Museum and see the rich collection of Islamic artefacts at the library and museum of Abdullah bin Abbas Mosque.
 
After lunch, drive to the peak of Al Hada mountain for extraordinary views of the surrounding landscape and the winding roads that lead to Makkah. Continue upwards to Al Shafa mountain and enjoy panoramic views from the highest peak, at 3,000 metres above sea level. 
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Learn about the history of Jeddah at Al Tayebat Museum and view striking modern sculpture at the city’s open-air museum. Explore parts of the New Corniche, stopping at Al Rahmah Masjid, known locally as the Floating Mosque. Continue to Al Balad, Jeddah’s UNESCO-listed historical district. Learn about the city’s past inhabitants and visit the North Gate and Makkah Gate – the entrance of the road to Makkah. 
 

Transfer to the airport for your onward flight, or extend your stay in Saudi Arabia.