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Day 1: Arrival in Riyadh
Arrival transfer to hotel.
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Day 2: Riyadh
A full day tour. Visit The Saudi National Museum, The King Abdul Aziz Historical Center (including Murabba Palace and Al Masmak Fortress), Sky Bridge in Kingdom Center and Dira Souq.
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Al Qassim
Day 3: Riyadh – Ushaiqer – Buraydah
Drive to Ushaiger, historical village is restored to preserve its heritage. A walking tpur of the village and visit Al Salem Museum which the village residents established themselves, with its vast collection of artefacts.
Continue to Buraydah and a visit to the Dates Market, considered largest date market on earth. The complex resembles a small airport.
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Day 4: Buraydah - Hail
Depart at 800 am to visit Buraydah’s lively camel market located just a short distance outside modern-day Buraydah.
Then drive to Hail, the gateway to the desert. Pilgrims from the north on their way to Mecca and Medina met here with traders who were on their way to the Middle East from the south of the Arabian Peninsula. Tour the city's many interesting sites.
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Al Jawf
Day 5: Hail – Jubbah – Sakaka
We drive to the UNESCO World Heritage site Jubbah, which features some of the best rock-art in Saudi Arabia.
Then visit Jubbah Naif Palace Museum. Afterwards, drive to the town of Dumat Al Jandal, which dates to the 10th century B.C.
Visit the sites and onward to Sakaka, one of the longest-inhabited places on the Arabian Peninsula.
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Day 6: Sakaka – Tabuk
Visit Sisra Well, an Archeological Well located north of Sakaka, and the castle of Za’abal.
Onward to Rajajil Columns, a mysterious ancient site located on a sandstone terrace.
Drive to Tabuk.
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Day 7: Tabuk – Desi Valley Excursion
An excursion to Desi Valley, a unique location and one of Saudi’s best kept secret oasis. Wadi Qaraqir - also known as Wadi Desi - is a 15 kilometer long canyon running through the Jebel Qaraqir, a sandstone massif lying about 80 kilometers south of the city of Tabuk. We travel there by 4WD vehicles/car with 3 rows seats 6 comfortably. Picnic lunch of simple finger foods is provided.
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Day 8: Tabuk – Al Ulla
Drive to Al Ulla. En-route we visit Al-Moadham Fort, a historical castle that is considered one of the monuments of the late Islamic eras.
In Al Ulla, visit the Lion Tombs of Dadan. Continue to Jabal Ikmah (mountain). In a beautiful desert landscape, the largest “open library” in Saudi Arabia sits tucked away in a remote canyon.
Our day ends with a stroll through the outdoor Old Town Market featuring local artisans, entrepreneurs, handicraft stores, local specialty foods, cafes and more.
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Maiden Saleh
Day 9: Al Ulla – Hegra (Maiden Saleh)
A 3 hour exploration of the immense site of Hegra/Maiden Saleh.
Afterwards, we visit the Hijaz Railway #21. The once-vast Hijaz Railway was originally designed to speed Muslim pilgrims from Damascus to the holy cities of Makkah and Medina.
Then visit the iconic Elephant Rock.
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Day 10: Al Ulla – Medina
En-route, stop to visit Queen of Sheba’s Dam.
Medina is one of Islam’s two holiest cities, making it a key destination for millions of pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj or Umrah. Medina was once a predominantly Jewish settlement called Yathrib. It was to here that Mohammed migrated from Makkah in 622 AD, in what is known as the Hegira (Hijrah). This year is so important in the history of Islam that it marks the start of the Islamic calendar (Year 0).
Until recently the center of the city was off-limits to non-Muslims but this is slowly changing. Being a holy city, it is forbidden by law to be promoted as a tourist attraction. We will attempt to gain access to some of the key historic sites of the city. However, there are no guarantees.
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Mecca Province
Day 11: Medina - Taif
drive to Taif, a city in the Mecca Province of southwest Saudi Arabia. It is an escape to nature!
Visit Shubra Palace, which was used as a residence by King Abdul Aziz & King Faisal when visiting Taif. Next, we visit Al Shareef Museum.
The day culminates at the Okaz Souq. The Taif souq is one of the largest in Saudi Arabia and well worth a wander. Set in the tastefully renovated historic center, where wonderful little squares with bubbling fountains are filled every evening by the chatter of locals.
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Day 12: Taif - Jeddah
This morning visit Kaaki Palace in Taif. Then drive 2.5 to Jeddah.
This afternoon visit Al Tayebat International City for Sciences and Knowledge which is a very beautiful museum that houses endless collections of arts, ethnography and archaeology artifacts.
This evening we venture to the corniche of Jeddah (sea-side promenade), a major attraction that is an open air museum displaying an array of modern sculptures and a gathering social place for locals.
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Day 13: Jeddah
Full day tour. We start with a four hour walking tour of the Historic Al Balad District, situated on the eastern shore of the Red Sea. Visit the colorful bustling Bangalah Fish Market. Experience lunch at the fish market’s on-site restaurant. You can enjoy the fresh catch as you prefer.
Continue exploring the port and cornice
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Day 14: Depart
Transfer to the airport. OR continue with us to the Gulf States.
