9 Days Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Ha’il, Al-Ula, Madinah, Jeddah)

Day 1: Friday :- Riyadh (Arrival)

Arrival at Riyadh International airport, after visa and immigration formalities our representative will meet and escort the guests to their air-conditioned vehicle for their transfer to the hotel.

Overnight Stay in Riyadh

Day 2: Saturday :- Riyadh Tour (50 km)

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch
Breakfast at the hotel. We will start our tour of mystic Riyadh by visiting the National museum which is the primary custodian of the Saudi national heritage and culture. The Museum is a place of learning and discovery, it offers an overview to the history of Arabian civilization from Prehistory to our modern era.We continue thereafter to the nearby Murabba Palace (outside visit as in renovation) that is one of the historic buildings of the city. The palace was named after its square with the form of 400 by 400 meters. We will stop then for lunch in a typical local Saudi restaurant.Afternoon we will continue our tour of mystic Riyadh by visiting the Masmak Fort and its museum that depicts the history of the history of the conquest of Arabia by the Al-Saud family. The palace was built during the reign of Abdullah bin Rashid in the year 1895 A.D. to serve as military garrison for the Abdullah bin Rashid army. His Majesty King Abdulaziz, the father of the nation today, captured the fort in 1902 making of this fort the birthplace of the 3rd Saudi Kingdom, the modern one we live in.At the end of the afternoon, we will pass the kingdom tower & the Faisaliah, back to your hotel. Dinner at leisure.

Overnight Stay in Riyadh

Day 3: Sunday :- Riyadh to Ha’il by Train (642 km)

Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we depart for Riyadh’s railway station and board the fast-new train for Ha’il. The railway link was constructed very recently and allows us to reach Ha’il in just under 5 hours.The city of Ha’il lies at the foot of the imposing Shammar mountain range whose name is also that of a large northern Arabian tribe. Renowned for its hospitable people, Ha’il is traditionally the home of Saudi Arabia’s poets and writers. An interesting fact about Ha’il is that most of the early European explorers passed by this city during the 19th century (Charles Doughty, Lady Blunt, Charles Huber, Julius Euting...).Lunch at leisure. Upon arrival, we will transfer to our hotel. As it will be early in Ha’il in the early afternoon, we will visit the A’Arif Fort and the nearby heritage museum. Then we will have a walk at the traditional market where we will find the local delicacies. We will pass also by the Ha’il Regional Museum, and if it is open, we will drop there to admire its collections.

Overnight Stay in Ha’il

Day 4: Monday :- Ha’il – Jubbah – Al Ula (580 km)

Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will start our journey to Jubbah that lies on an ancient lake. Several archaeological sites of human settlement from the Middle Paleolithic period were found around the margin of the paleolake.Jubbah is surrounded by large sandstone outcrops that are filled with ancient petroglyphs and inscriptions. Jubbah benefited from past humid phases that turned the arid Arabian Peninsula into a savannah similar to what is found today in Africa. During the last humid period that took place from the 10th to the 6th millennium BCE, the African monsoon rains filled rivers and lakes where wildlife thrived.If the animals that used to live there became distinct because of the desertification that started during the 6th millennium BCE, some men fixed forever their presence in Jubbah thanks to carvings of aurochs, cheetahs, lions... Those drawings are still visible today on several sandstone outcrops like the Jebel Umm Sanman.Jubbah and Shuwaymis, the other major carving site of Hail Province, were listed as UNESCO World Heritage in 2015 for their numerous petroglyph panels and rich inscriptions. The region between Ha’il and Al-Ula offers some of the best desert experiences in the world.On our way, we will pass through the famous desert of Nefud Al Kabir which literally means the “great extent of sand dunes.” It is 290 kilometers long and 225 kilometers wide, with an area of 103,600 square kilometers. Lunch at leisure.We continue our route to the famous Al Ula area. Upon arriving, we will visit Jebel Al-Fil, also known as the “Elephant Rock.” Early evening, we arrive and check-in at our beautifully located hotel, our base for the night.

Overnight Stay in Al-Ula

Day 5: Tuesday :- Al Ula Tour

Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
Breakfast at the hotel. Al-Ula is an ancient oasis that has been inhabited for the last 7,000 years, as testified by ancient carvings in and around the oasis.During the 1st millennium BCE, the city of Dedan developed thanks to its strategic location on the frankincense trade road, becoming one of the oldest Arabian kingdoms that ruled over most of what is today Tabuk and Madinah provinces.During the 1st century BCE, the Nabatean people, coming from Petra, settled 30 kilometers north of Dedan in Al-Hijr, where they built 94 monumental tombs similar to the ones they dug in Petra.Today we will start our journey with the visit of the famous Hegra (Madain Saleh), which is the first site in Saudi Arabia to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Madain Saleh, whose original name was Al-Hijr or Hegra in Greek, is the southernmost important city of the Nabatean Kingdom that flourished thanks to the caravan trade between the 2nd century BCE until the Roman conquest in 106 CE.It is the second richest Nabatean city in terms of monumental tombs, with 94 decorated funeral monuments including some of the most vibrant and well-conserved architectural prowess of the Nabatean builders. We will lead you through this fascinating site and reveal to you the secrets of its tombs, ancient inscriptions, stone structures, and many others.Our visit will be followed by lunch at leisure. Then we get a glimpse into Al-Ula’s not-so-distant past on the Al-Ula Old Town Tour. We will go through Al-Ula Old Town, where pilgrims, travelers, and permanent settlers congregated through the ages. Inhabited from before the 12th century up until the early 1980s, Al-Ula Old Town offers researchers unique oral histories and living memories that the area’s other heritage sites cannot.Return to the hotel.

Overnight Stay in Al-Ula

Day 6: Wednesday :- Al Ula – Mada’in Saleh – Madinah (330 km)

Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
Breakfast at the hotel & check out. Today we depart for the Dedan/Ikmah tour. Al-Ula is an ancient oasis that has been inhabited for the last 7,000 years, as testified by ancient carvings in and around the oasis.During the 1st millennium BCE, the city of Dedan developed thanks to its strategic location on the frankincense trade road, becoming one of the oldest Arabian kingdoms that ruled over most of what is today Tabuk and Madinah provinces.We will visit Jebel Ikmah with its amazing rock inscriptions that make it look like an open-air library. Then we will pass by the ancient city of Dedan, which was an important oasis on the frankincense trade route between Southern Arabia and the Mediterranean World.Lunch at leisure. Then we continue to the Old City of Al-Ula, which became, at the beginning of the Islamic era, an important staging post along the pilgrimage route to Mecca.We will drive towards the city of Medina, passing the old Hijaz route railway. Upon arrival, check in.

Overnight Stay in Madinah

Day 7: Thursday :– Madinah – Jeddah (415 km)

Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will visit the holy city of Medina. In the city center, the vast Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) is a major Islamic pilgrimage site. Its striking Green Dome rises above the tombs of the Prophet Muhammad and early Islamic leaders Abu Bakr and Umar.The Masjid al-Qiblatain (Qiblatain Mosque) is known as the site where the Prophet Muhammad received the command to change the direction of prayer to Mecca. We will visit the outskirts of the city ONLY, except the holy pilgrimage areas, and conclude the day with a short walk near Mount Uhud.We will also visit the DAR AL MADINA museum that will relate the story of Islam and the Prophet's biography. Then we depart towards Jeddah, which we will reach after a 5-hour ride.Upon arrival in Jeddah, we will visit the Abdul Raouf Khalil Museum that presents the local and Arabian heritage, a unique site. Check in at the hotel.

Overnight Stay in Jeddah

Day 8: Friday :- Jeddah Tour

Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner
Breakfast at your hotel. Today, we will explore old Jeddah, starting with a delightful walking tour through Al-Balad, the historic old part of the city. This walk will take you to lesser-known must-see local spots, including hidden gems in the Old Market, secret galleries, and local Jeddah foods enjoyed mostly by residents.While visiting Al-Balad, we will pass by Beit Nassif (from outside), one of the most prominent and beautifully renovated structures dating back to the mid-1800s. This five-story building offers a unique glimpse into the blend of traditional architecture and modern elements.Lunch will be at your leisure. Afterward, we will visit Al Rahmah Mosque, also known as The Floating Mosque. This architectural marvel, with its single dome, literally sits on the sea and symbolizes Jeddah’s bold leap into modernity. Its courtyard provides stunning, unobstructed views of the Red Sea.Our tour concludes with a visit to the Jeddah Corniche — a 30 km coastal resort area along the Red Sea, featuring a coastal road, recreation areas, pavilions, impressive civic sculptures, and King Fahd's Fountain, the highest fountain in the world.We will then enjoy a traditional Saudi dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight Stay in Jeddah

Day 9: Saturday :- Jeddah (Departure)

Breakfast at your hotel, Transfer to Jeddah International airport for your departure flight.

End Of Tour