Jeddah to Riyadh Special: Train, AlUla & Hail

Arrival at Jeddah 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. Dinner at leisure. 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 at leisure. Overnight in Jeddah.

Breakfast in the hotel & check out. Depart to the Jeddah train station heading to Medina. This high-speed train will take approximately 2 hours to reach Medina.
Upon arriving, we start the orientation tour 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 we conclude the day with a short walk near Mount Uhud.
Lunch in the city. Then depart to AlUla, a drive of about 4h30min. Upon arrival, check in. Dinner in hotel. Overnight in ALULA.

Breakfast at the hotel. 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 for Dedan/ Ikmah tour. AlUla 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. Before heading back to the hotel, we will visit Jebel Al-Fil (Elephant rock) for a relaxing time. Dinner in hotel. Overnight in ALULA.

Breakfast at your hotel & check out. 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 on the rock face. 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 in the sides of several sandstone outcrops located on the western side of the paleolake 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.We will pass through the famous desert of Nefuda Al Kabir or Al-Nefud , it is occupying a great oval depression. It is 290 kilometers long and 225 kilometers wide, with an area of 103,600 square kilometer.
Lunch will be served en route. After this visit, we continue our route to the famous city of Ha’il. Renowned for its hospitable people, Hail is traditionally the home of Saudi Arabia’s poets and writers. An interesting point about Hail, most of the early European explorers passed by this city during the 19th century (Charles Doughty, Lady Blunt, Charles Huber, Julius Euting…Upon arrival, we will transfer to our hotel. Dinner at leisure & overnight in Ha’il.

Breakfast at your hotel & check out. This morning departs on Hail orientation tour. 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…).
We will visit the A’Arif Fort and the nearby heritage museum (if open). 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. Lunch in the city. We depart for Hail’s railway station and board the fast train for Riyadh . Transfer to Ha’il railway station for the connection by fast train to Riyadh, in just under 5 hours. Transfer to hotel in Riyadh upon arrival. Check in. Dinner at leisure & overnight in Riyadh.

Breakfast at your hotel & check out. 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. Depending on the flight time, transfer to Jeddah airport for your final departure. END OF SERVICE.