Adventures in AlUla

To find out more, visit experiencealula.com

PROMOTED CONTENT

Seeing is believing Elephant Rock (Jabal Alfil) is a jawdropping natural formation standing more than 50 metres tall

Old Town roads Walk inside a mudbrick house or, below, see the Old Town from above on a helicopter ride

Take a hike Lace up your walking boots and discover AlUla on foot – options range from short hikes to all-day excursions

Head for heights See everything AlUla has to offer with a thrill-a-minute helicopter tour

Super stars Sit among rock formations and gaze up at otherworldly Gharameel

provided water and shade to weary travellers on the incense route from Oman and Yemen to the Mediterranean. No wonder this region of AlUla in northwest Saudi Arabia became a cultural crossroads and the site for ancient cities thousands of years ago. It was in AlUla that the Nabataeans carved more than 111 ornate rock tombs from the enormous monoliths at Hegra, where the Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms were established, and where travellers from ages past created rock art in the “open library” of Jabal Ikmah.

Today, the place that started it all is a pleasant spot for an amble, with the Oasis Heritage Trail leading through citrus and palm groves from Dadan to the labyrinth of medieval mud houses at AlUla Old Town. Beyond this pocket of green lies mile after mile of windswept desert, where monumental rock faces and canyons moulded by the elements over aeons form a unique natural backdrop for adventure seekers. It’s the ultimate combination of history and adventure: a living, outdoor museum and a playground where you can try everything from abseiling to ziplining. As the explorer and writer Levison Wood said following his recent visit, “There are so many things you can see and do here. The natural environment is spectacular. It’s got amazing history – everywhere you go there are rock art and archaeological ruins – but also amazing activities that you associate with the desert such as camel riding.”

There is hiking for all levels, from a family-friendly nature trail to the all-day Twisted Maze Hike in the hidden canyons of Madakhel, where some climbing and swimming is also involved as you make your way through the rugged landscape. Another all-day hike through the colourful canyon of Eldorado (and yes, there is gold in the rocks) is so remote that the best way to do it is to camp under the stars for two nights.

What’s more, if you go now, you will have AlUla largely to yourself – although eventually you may have to share it with the ostriches, ibex, and eagles which are coming to the protected Sharaan Nature Reserve. A rewilding programme is in place to reintroduce native flora and fauna, including – ultimately – the Arabian leopard. And although it’s secluded, it’s not hard to get to: AlUla’s own airport is near most of the sites, with direct flights from Riyadh, Jeddah and even Dubai. The kingdom’s new e-visa scheme is incredibly easy to use, and female travellers are welcome, with no obligation to wear a head covering or the full-length abaya. So go on, before the rest of the world discovers this authentic Arabian secret. In the words of Levison Wood, “If you want to really embrace your inner Indiana Jones, this is the place to do it.”

If wild camping isn’t your style, don’t worry: AlUla has fantastic accommodation options, too, including the Shaden Resort, where some of the 121 rooms and villas have their own private pools, or the Habitas eco-resort, with sublime canyon views. You don’t need to miss those star-studded skies, either: take an evening dinner excursion to Gharameel, where you can sit among the mystical rock pinnacles and look up at the heavens as an expert tells fascinating stories about the area’s ancient residents and explains the constellations. It’s a place that will make you feel humbled and awestruck as you gaze out to space in an environment that has been for the most part undisturbed for millennia, but will also leave you feeling at peace with yourself and with nature.

ALULA OLD TOWN

A maze of streets weaves through this authentic mudbrick town, dating back to medieval times but where the last residents lived as recently as the 1980s. Enclosed within the city walls are 900 historic houses which provided shelter for pilgrims, traders and permanent settlers. Be sure to look up at the tenth-century castle that towers above.

The Oasis Heritage Trail

Leading from the ancient capital of Dadan, this easy two-mile trail weaves its way through the AlUla oasis, with its farming and wildlife, to the medieval mudbrick houses of AlUla Old Town.

the desert playground with history to boot

JABAL IKMAH

Dubbed the “open library”, Jabal Ikmah has AlUla’s highest concentration of pre-Arabic inscriptions and petroglyphs carved into its rocks and cliffs. In a remote canyon valley near Dadan, on the crossroads of civilisations, its rock art includes depictions of humans, musical instruments and animals.

Whatever you’ve read about Saudi Arabia, whatever you think it’s like, whatever pictures in your mind you have, forget all that

There are very few places left that you can genuinely explore and be one of the pioneers…Saudi Arabia is one of those places

FACE ROCK

While the ancient Nabataeans carved their rock tombs into the sandstone at Hegra, the wind created its own masterpieces, including Face Rock, next to Jabal AlAhmar. Looking like the profile of a human face gazing out across the desert, it’s particularly photogenic at sunrise and sunset, when the light seems to bring it to life.

From hiking through a twisted maze to ziplining at 75mph, thrills abound in this oasis once home to ancient civilisations. Get ready to embrace your inner Indiana Jones

Elephant Rock (Jabal Alfil)

Rising three stories into the sky, this red sandstone monolith has been carved by millions of years of wind erosion. The result is an elephantine shape, complete with trunk.

DADAN

This stone city, built astride the valley’s oasis, was the capital of the ancient Dadan kingdom between the late ninth and early eighth century BC and of the Lihyan kingdom between the fifth and second century BC. Here, more than a dozen tombs are cut high into red cliffs, with seated lion sculptures marking the famous Lion Tombs.

AlUla is within easy reach of Dubai International Airport, one of the Gulf’s most accessible airline hubs. You can also fly in with Saudia Airlines from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. That means in under three hours or less from a city hub, visitors can begin to explore the ancient heritage and vast landscapes of one of Saudi Arabia’s most breathtaking regions.

on the map

Discover more about key landmarks in the ancient Arabian region of AlUla

HEGRA WORLD HERITAGE SITE

SAUDI ARABIA

DUBAI

FACE ROCK

ELEPHANT ROCK

JABAL IKMAH

HEGRA

Saudi Arabia’s first Unesco World Heritage site is home to more than 110 well-preserved rock tombs. They were carved into massive monoliths rising from the desert floor by the ancient Nabataeans, who also created wells and stone-lined water channels from the end of the first millennium BC.

Adventures in AlUla

DADAN

The Oasis Heritage Trail

ALULA OLD TOWN

ALULA

DUBAI

DAMMAM

JEDDAH

RIYADH

Map illustration: Simon Jugovic Fink for Bridge Studio

XXXXXXX XXXXX

Something about easy airport connection from Dubai? quosam vero et aut accullxxa borume debisque rxxxerfere Aquisque comnimporem verum quosam verxxo et axxut acculla borume debisque rerfere uisque comnimporem veritium quosam vero et aut accullaxxx borume debisque rerfexxxre xxxxx xxx

s desert oases go, this one, with its 2.2 million palm trees, is pretty spectacular. Snaking 12 miles through sprawling sands like a green carpet overlaying golden, ochre and red, it once

Elephant Rock (Jabal Alfil)

Among a landscape of monumental rocky outcrops, Elephant Rock rises three storeys into the Saudi Arabian sky, the red sandstone monolith contrasting with the golden desert. Millions of years of wind erosion have resulted in its elephantine shape, complete with trunk and body, which makes for the perfect picture.

Sharaan Nature Reserve

Ostrich, ibex and the rock hyrax are among the animals that inhabit this reserve, with its acacia trees and aromatic herbs. If you’re lucky, you might spot an eagle soaring over the canyons and sprawling desert.

Stargazing at Gharameel

Camel trekking

The Adventure Trail

AlUla’s Twisted Maze Hike

Via Ferrata and Canyon Hammock

The Ridge Walk Hike

The Road to Eldorado

The Volcano Hike

AlUla’s zipline

Helicopter tour

Stargazing at Gharameel

Night skies in the desert look even more impressive at Gharameel, with its mystical rock pinnacles. Enjoy an authentic Bedouin dinner outside as an expert gives you a tour of the constellations.

Camel trekking

Deep in the desert, camel caravans ply their way across the sand. Ride to a campsite to experience traditional Bedouin hospitality and to see folk dancing and falconry displays.

The Adventure Trail

One of the best places to mix heritage and nature, this four-hour hike through a shady canyon takes in clusters of ancient pictographs on the rock walls as well as plenty of flora and fauna.

Via Ferrata and Canyon Hammock

Dare to take on the challenges of this aerial activity course, suspended in a harness as you make your way to Canyon Hammock with its spectacular views of Harrat Uwayrid.

AlUla’s Twisted Maze Hike

Venture deep into the canyons of Madakhel on this challenging off-the-beaten track adventure that involves hiking, climbing and swimming. Not for the faint-hearted, it takes eight hours to complete.

The Ridge Walk Hike

An easy, family-friendly nature trail, this 2.5-mile walk leads to a vantage point overlooking Wadi AlUla. It can normally be completed in two hours.

The Road to Eldorado

The 7.5-mile trail through this colourful canyon, where gold is embedded in the rocks, can be followed as part of a two-night camping adventure where you sleep under the stars.

The Volcano Hike

Getting to the remote Husaak’s Volcano is part of the adventure; it involves a two-hour extreme off-road drive. Once there, it’s a short, steep hike to the ridge of the crater.

AlUla’s zipline

This thrilling zipline is breathtaking, both for the speeds of 75mph you reach on the 1.5km wire and for the desert views from Harrat Mountain.

Helicopter tour

Get a bird’s eye view of AlUla’s most famous sites, including Elephant Rock and the ancient city of Hegra, on a 30-minute helicopter flight. It will take your breath away!

Works of art World Heritage-listed Hegra is home to huge carved rock tombs that date back to the Nabataeans

There really is something for everyone in this off-the-beaten-track area, which is only just opening up to tourism. Look down on the vastness of the Arabian desert on a helicopter flight that takes in all the cultural sites as well as AlUla’s most striking natural rock formation, named after its shape: Elephant Rock. Take an extreme off-road adventure to a far-flung volcano hidden among the rolling dunes or whizz down the new zipline, reaching speeds of up to 75mph as the gorgeous scenery of the Hijaz Mountains flashes past.

Rock stars AlUla’s oasis features more than two million palm trees, right there in the desert

Journey of discovery However you choose to get around, there are plenty of trails and hikes crisscrossing AlUla, making it easy to explore the region

Hump day Get ready to share the desert with the locals

THE HIDDEN VALLEY HIKE

There are very few places left that you can genuinely explore and be one of the pioneers… Saudi Arabia is one of those places

SAUDI ARABIA

DUBAI

DAMMAM

JEDDAH

RIYADH

ALULA

AlUla is within easy reach of Dubai International Airport, one of the Gulf's most accessible airline hubs. You can also fly in with Saudia Airlines from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. That means in under three hours or less from a city hub, visitors can begin to explore the ancient heritage and vast landscapes of one of Saudi Arabia’s most breathtaking regions.

Whatever you’ve read about Saudi Arabia, whatever you think it’s like, whatever pictures in your mind you have, forget all that

To find out more, visit experiencealula.com