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MASA
Our Habitas AlUla, AlUla
middle east

AlUlaTravel Guide

Saudi Arabia7 stories

An ancient oasis valley in northwest Saudi Arabia beside Hegra, the kingdom's first UNESCO site, where Nabataean tombs and sculpted sandstone canyons now host some of the world's most striking desert resorts.

Is AlUla right for you?

When to come

Winter

Around 43°C by day in July, 20°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

Expensive. Part of the reason to come is what you can book when you arrive.

What we've planned, and who for

We publish a multi-day route for this one.

AlUla is inWorth the splurge
When to go
January: around 20 degrees by day, 6 at night, 4 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
February: around 24 degrees by day, 9 at night, 0 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
March: around 29 degrees by day, 15 at night, 19 millimetres of rain, dry and hot. We recommend this month.
April: around 33 degrees by day, 19 at night, 0 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
May: around 39 degrees by day, 24 at night, 0 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
June: around 41 degrees by day, 27 at night, 0 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
July: around 43 degrees by day, 29 at night, 2 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
August: around 42 degrees by day, 28 at night, 0 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
September: around 42 degrees by day, 28 at night, 1 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
October: around 37 degrees by day, 21 at night, 0 millimetres of rain, dry and hot. We recommend this month.
November: around 28 degrees by day, 16 at night, 26 millimetres of rain, dry and hot. We recommend this month.
December: around 24 degrees by day, 12 at night, 10 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

Winter

Average daily highs, recorded at al-Ula (Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz International Airport), 1991-2020 normals.

Where this comes from

NOAA (English Wikipedia, 'Al-Ula') — 'AlUla' is a redirect; box read from the 'Al-Ula' article.

Budget level

Luxury

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
  • Wadi Rum, Jordan410 km

    half a day's travel · both good in March, October, November · a different price level (mixed)

  • Petra, Jordan480 km

    half a day's travel · both good in March, October, November · a different price level (mid)

  • Luxor, Egypt540 km

    half a day's travel · both good in January, February, March · a different price level (budget)

  • Amman, Jordan630 km

    a full travel day · both good in March, October, November · a different price level (mid)

Plan itWhere to stay in AlUlaad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding AlUla

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading AlUla

Our Habitas AlUla, AlUla
01
Itineraries

Three Days in AlUla, Planned Around the Light

Hegra opens only to booked guides, the sandstone only really works at either end of the day, and the valley runs forty kilometres end to end. Here is how to spend three winter days in AlUla in the right order.

Saudi Arabia · 8 min
Mandi: chicken over spiced rice on a steel platter, Saudi Arabia
02
Food

Dinner Begins at Dusk in AlUla

AlUla's kitchens stay shut through the afternoon and run to midnight, which catches out most visitors. A district-by-district plan for the Old Town, AlJadidah, the oasis fringe and gated Ashar Valley — plus the Hejazi dishes worth ordering.

Saudi Arabia · 8 min
The sandstone cliffs of AlUla above the date palms of its oasis
03
Hidden Gems

What AlUla Keeps for the Second Day

Most visitors give AlUla a day and a half and spend nearly all of it in the Nabataean tombs. The volcanic plateau above the valley, the sandstone pinnacles at AlGharameel and a canyon full of ancient inscriptions reward anyone who stays longer.

Saudi Arabia · 8 min
Elephant Rock at AlUla, the great sandstone monolith whose weathered arch forms a trunk reaching to the desert floor, glowing warm against a pale evening sky.
04
Destinations

Past the Last Tomb: How to Build a Longer Trip Around AlUla

Four nights at Hegra and the oasis is the standard AlUla trip. Two hours south lie black lava fields and a ruined fortress; three hours north, a palm canyon and the oasis where a Babylonian king went to ground. Here is how the longer route fits together.

Saudi Arabia · 9 min
A natural sandstone arch silhouetted against a star-filled night sky in the desert of AlUla, Saudi Arabia
05
Stays

Where to Stay in AlUla: The Valleys, the Old Town and the Great Desert Resorts

Saudi Arabia's open-air museum has a short but spectacular hotel list. Here is how the areas differ — and which famous names anchor each one.

Saudi Arabia · 2 min
A lone visitor standing before a monumental Nabataean tomb facade carved into golden sandstone at Hegra, AlUla
06
The List

The essential AlUla bucket list, ranked

Seven things worth the journey to Saudi Arabia's sandstone valley of tombs, oases and mirrored architecture, ranked — with the booking, timing and budget detail you need to actually do them.

Saudi Arabia · 11 min
The small whitewashed minaret of AlUla Old Town rising above mudbrick and stone house walls, with the eroded sandstone massif standing behind it in hazy evening light.
07
Hidden Gems

AlUla’s old town lanes, souks and oasis paths

Beyond the famous tombs, AlUla’s quieter self lives in mudbrick alleys, craft souks and the deep green shade of a million date palms.

Saudi Arabia · 2 min
In pictures

AlUla, framed

The mirrored walls of the Maraya concert hall in AlUla reflecting the layered red sandstone cliffs and cloud-streaked sky around it, so the building almost disappears into the desert valley.
Photo: Zhifei Zhou / Unsplash
Our Habitas AlUla, AlUla
Photo: M K / Unsplash
Banyan Tree AlUla, AlUla
Photo: Satishaa Javali / Unsplash
Elephant Rock in AlUla glowing amber under floodlights against a deep indigo twilight sky.
Photo: Xiaoqian Shen / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in AlUla

See and do

Eat and drink

Where to stay

Before you go

Practical essentials for Saudi Arabia

Money

Saudi riyal (SAR)

Language

Arabic; English is widely used in business, hotels and at AlUla's visitor sites.

Power

Type G, 230V 60Hz — British-style plugs on a 60Hz supply

Getting around

Hire cars, taxis and ride-hailing apps are the norm; Riyadh opened a six-line metro from December 2024, and AlUla is reached by domestic flight and toured by shuttle or guided car.

Tipping

Not obligatory — around 10% in restaurants where no service charge appears, and small notes for drivers and porters.

Tap water

Mains water is desalinated and treated, but bottled water is what almost everyone drinks.

Driving

Right-hand side; a foreign photocard licence is accepted for the first three months, though hire companies may ask for an International Driving Permit.

Emergency

911 in the Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah and Eastern provinces (Madinah covers AlUla); elsewhere 999 police, 997 ambulance, 998 fire

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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