Arabian Sea to Red Sea: Riyadh AlUla Jeddah

Arrival at Dammam 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 in Dammam.

Breakfast at hotel. Start your tour by visiting the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture for a photo stop. It rises 90 meters from the desert, The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture also known as Ithra is situated in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It was built by Saudi Aramco and inaugurated by King Salman bin Abdulaziz on December 1, 2016.

Then you will visit the Alfan Sharqy Urban Art Exhibition Bayoniya, Al Khobar. The historic neighborhood of Bayoniya got a makeover in 2018, courtesy of a coterie of young Saudi artists who turned its streets into a giant canvas, complete with an explosion of graffiti. Then we will move on to the next visit to Taybeen Museum, It is a passion project, powered by nostalgia.

The the 300-square-meter museum in Al Khobar was born of Majid Al Ghamdi’s urge to preserve the vintage finds of his youth, a pastime that grew into a collection of retro toys, board and video games, posters, televisions, cameras, and branded food and drink containers 10,000 pieces are strong. With a cabinet charting the evolution of Coke bottles from the 1970s on, plush Sesame Street character toys and vintage Barbie’s, there is no better place to relive your childhood.

Lunch in the city. At the end drive to Heritage Village in Dammam, Part Museum, part restaurant, Dammam’s turret-topped. it gives visitors a glimpse into a simpler life.

The five-story building houses a museum, where troves of jewelry, manuscripts, fabrics, and other artifacts are on display, and a small craft-filled market where Arabic perfumes, incense, woven palm-frond baskets, and wall hangings are sold. But the biggest draw here for many is the restaurant. Curl up on traditional floor cushions and sample delicious local fare, including delectable mezze spreads and platters of grilled meats and rice, for an experience that comes close to eating in a Saudi home.

Head to Al Ahsa, check in upon arrival. Dinner and overnights in Al Ahsa.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will discover Al-Hofuf which is the main city of Al-Ahsa a region in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Al-Ahsa is the largest oasis in the world with an area of around 85.4 km2 (33.0 sq mi), more than 2.5 million palm trees that are fed from a huge underground aquifer which allows agriculture all year round in a region that is otherwise desert.

Al-Ahsa also hosts an ancient secret: the Greek geographer Strabo described an ancient Arab kingdom whose capital Gerrha had “fancy tools made out of gold and silver, such as the family gold, right triangles, and their drinking glass, let alone their large homes which have their doors, walls, roofs filled with colors, gold, silver, and holy stones”. Until today this site has not been found by archeologists but one of the candidates is the modern city of Al-Hofuf where we will start our exploration of Al-Ahsa.

Lunch in the city. There we will visit the Ibrahim Fort and its mosque, then the Jebel Qarah, a limestone outcrop with caves and canyons and that offers overlooking viewpoint on the huge palm tree cultivations. We will finish this first day in Al-Ahsa at the historical mosque of Jawatha. Then we will ride our train for a 3 hours trip to reach the capital. Check in at hotel. Dinner and overnight in Riyadh.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today 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 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.

We will then visit the Dira Souq famous for buying antique carpets and other useful Saudi heritage antiques, while walking we will always smell sandal wood fragrance. We will finish our tour with a stunning viewpoint from one of the famous landmarks of Riyadh, the Kingdom Tower and the Faisaliah Tower, both great architectural achievements. At the end of the afternoon, back to your hotel. Dinner and overnight in Riyadh.

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 is name also the one 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 will be served on the train. 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. Dinner and Overnight in Ha’il.

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 instinct 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, where 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 experience 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 will be served en route. After lunch we continue our route to the famous Al Ula area. Early evening, we arrive and check-in at our beautifully located permanent desert camp, our base for the night. Dinner and overnight in Al-Ula.

Breakfast at the hotel. We depart for Dedan/ Ikmah tour. Al-Ula is an ancient oasis that is inhabited for the last 7000 years as testify ancient carvings in and around the oasis. During the 1st millennium BCE the city of Dedan develops thanks to its strategic location on the frankincense trade road to become one of the oldest Arabian kingdoms that ruled over most of what is today Tabuk and Madinah provinces. Then will pass by the ancient city of Dedan that was an important oasis on the frankincense trade route between Southern Arabia and the Mediterranean World.

Lunch in the city. . 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, travellers and permanent settlers congregated through the ages. Inhabited from before the 12th century up until the early 1980s, AlUla Old Town offers researchers unique oral histories and living memory that the area’s other heritage sites cannot. Before heading back to the hotel, we will visit Jebel Al-Fil (Elephant rock) for a relaxing time. Dinner and overnight in Al-Ula.

Breakfast at hotel & check out. Today we will start our journey with the visit of the famous Hegra (Madain Saleh) which is the first site of Saudi Arabia that was listed as 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 Nabateans 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. Lunch in the city. Then we depart to the holy city of Madinah that we will reach after 3 hours. At the end of the day, arrive in the hotel, check in. Dinner and overnight in Medina.

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning half day Medina visit. Considered one of the three holiest cities in Islam, Madinah is special to Muslims because it’s where Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was given refuge after his exile from Makkah. Originally known as Yathrib, Madinah was once an oasis city with a history that dates back to the 6th century BCE.

Muslims have always had a special attachment to this city because it is where the Prophet lived, fought crucial battles, built his famous mosque and also where he was finally laid to rest. It is centered around the Prophet’s Mosque and other monuments that attract pilgrims from all over the world.

During the day we will pass by Al Madinah Province, Al Masjid an Nabawi, Jannatul Baqi, Grave of Hamzah, Al Noor Mall, Rashed Mall, Dar Al Madinah Museum, Masjid Al Ghamamah, Abu Bakar Masjed’ Lunch in the city. Departure to Jeddah that we will reach after 4 hours. On arrival, check in in hotel Dinner and overnight in Jeddah.

Breakfast at your hotel. We will start our tour with the visit of Abdul Raouf Khalil Museum that presents the local and Arabian heritage. A unique site . We will then hit old Jeddah .We will enjoy a wonderful walking in Al-Balad , the old part of the city .

This walk tour of the old Town will take you along all the less known must-see local spots: Old Market hidden gems, Old Jeddah hidden galleries, local Jeddah food only for locals… While visiting Al-Balad, visitors will be taken to see Beit Nassif (exterior), one of the prominent renovated structures in the old city, which dates back to the mid 1800’s. The five-story building provides a rare opportunity for the visitors to experience the blend of traditional architecture with modernity.

Lunch in the city. Then we will pass by the Al Rahmah Mosque also known as the Floating Mosque, this single domed architectural marvel that sits literally on the sea, symbolizes Jeddah’s bold storm into the modern age. Sitting on an enviable location, the mosque’s courtyard offers unencumbered views of the Red Sea. Our tour will end with the Jeddah Corniche which is the 30 km coastal resort area of the city of Jeddah. Located along the Red Sea, the corniche features a coastal road, recreation areas, pavilions and as well as King Fahd’s Fountain (usually operates after 6pm), the highest fountain in the world. Dinner and overnight in Jeddah.

Breakfast at the hotel.
Check out and transfer to Jeddah International airport depending on the flight time, for your departure back to hometown. END OF SERVICE.