Saudi Arabian Discovery Tour

City You will drive from Riyadh Airport to Riyadh (Car/minivan | 35.0 km | 30 Min.) Arrival in Riyadh International Airport, meet with your guide and driver and transfer to your hotel.

Accommodation: 4* Centro Waha by Rotana, or similar

In the morning, we head over to old Riyadh with King Abdul Aziz Historical Area with the national museum and the Murabba Palace. Continue to Masmak Fortress, which was converted into a museum in the 1990s. In Modern Riyadh Al Faisaliah and Kingdom Towers tower above the city. A view from one of the towers offers a view over the whole city. (optional) In the afternoon, visit the old walled city of Al Dir'iyah, listed as Unesco Heritage Site. The city was the first capital of the Saudi kingdom in the 18th century and abandoned after the siege of the Ottomans in the 19th century. A new capital was then built, which was Riyadh.

Accommodation: 4* Centro Waha by Rotana, or similar

You will drive from Riyadh hotel to Riyadh Airport (Car/minivan | 35.0 km | 30 Min.) Transfer to the airport for flight to Tabuk (Riyadh - Tabuk daily 11.20 - 13.30). Upon arrival, visit the old Hejaz railway station in Tabuk. The railway was originally built by the Ottomans to reduce the travel time for pilgrims from Damascus to Mecca but was never finished beyond Medina.

Accommodation: 4* Swiss International, or similar

Full day excursion in 4x4 to Jebel Al Lawz, Wadi Damm and Jebel Hisma. Jebel Al Lawz, The Almond Mountain in Arabic, dominates the landscape and offers a great view over the area from a viewpoint at about 2000 m.

The mountain can be covered in snow during wintertime. Wadi Damm and Jebel Hisma are the extension of Wadi Rum in Saudi Arabia. The desert, dotted with rock formations, offer a great sight and exploration.

At the end of the day, return to Tabuk.

Accommodation: 4* Swiss International, or similar

Distances travelled Tabuk Tabuk - Tayma - Al Ula: 500 kms (5 hrs) Leave Tabuk to the oasis of Tayma, for a visit to Haddajwell. The well has a diameter of over 15 meters wide and is believed to be over 2500 years old. The well had a number of pulleys attached to it that were operated by numerous camels to exact the water. The water was then directed to farmlands via small canals. Nowadays, the well still provides water for irrigation, albeit via a more moden system. Continue to Al 'Ula with its archaeological sites, oasis and mountains.

Accommodation: Sahary Desert Resort, or similar

A full day for the discovery of the archaeological remains of the area in and around Al ‘Ula, with Dedan and Hegra. Hegra (UNESCO World Heritage) is the second city of the Nabateans after Petra in Jordan, on the caravan route between Mecca and Petra. The structure of the city has influences from Mesopotamia, Egypt as well as Greek-Roman. The remains of the city include over 90 tombs that were carved out in the rocks. Hegra lost its importance on the caravan routes once the naval route to Yemen had been established by the Romans. Only 4% of the biblical site of Dedan has been excavated, but the organized structure of the city is clearly visible and the inscriptions found document the political and societal organization of the kingdom. Back to Al ‘Ula for overnight. Distances travelled: about 100 kms

Accommodation: Sahary Desert Resort, or similar

Visit Al ‘Ula Old Town after breakfast. Old Town Al ‘Ula, on the pilgrim’s road from Damascus to Mecca, became an important settlement in the 12th century. The houses were constructed, attached to each other, and the city counted up to 14 gates, proving safety was a priority. With almost 900 houses, 400 shops and 5 town squares, the city was entirely constructed in mud brick. In the afternoon, walk in Al Ula Oasis. Date palms have been present in the region since the 1st millennium BCE. Today the palm oasis is made up of more than 2 million palm trees. Sunset at Elephant Rock. Overnight in Al ‘Ula. Distances travelled: about 60 kms

Accommodation: Sahary Desert Resort, or similar

Departure to Medina, one of the holy cities for Muslims. We travel partly via the old Hejaz Railway. The construction of the line was a controversial project with the Arabs suspecting the Ottomans of using the transportation of pilgrims as a pretext for more political and military purposes. The railway was forever made famous by TE Lawrence by his attacks and sabotage during WWI. Several stations can be visited today, among them the station of Al ‘Ula, which was the last one where fresh water could be taken before reaching Medina. Upon arrival in Medina, walk through the second holiest city of Islam. Late afternoon, drive to Mt Uhud for a view over the city. Distances travelled: Al ‘Ula - Medina: 400 kms (4 hrs)

Accommodation: 4* Jewar Al Saqefa, or similar

Departure in the direction of the Red Sea and along the coast we drive toward Jeddah, possibility to spend the day on the coast for snorkeling. (optional). Local lunch. Continue to Jeddah. Distances travelled: Medina - Jeddah: 460 kms (5 hrs)

Accommodation: 4* Centro Shaheen by Rotana, or similar

In the morning, visit Al Balad, the old and historic part of Jeddah, which is registered as UNESCO World Heritage Site; with its narrow lanes and merchant houses, Naseef House and Souq Al Alawi. Late afternoon, we head over to the coastal road, the Corniche, that is lined with sculptures over a length of 30 kms. Visit (from the outside) to Fatima-Al-Zahra Mosque, which is built in the sea and is nicknamed the Floating Mosque.

Accommodation: 4* Centro Shaheen by Rotana, or similar