Three Days in AlUla, Saudi Arabia

ranhyn
Nov 23
2 min read

In October 2025, we decided to visit the town of Alula in Saudi Arabia. We had realised some time ago, after attending International Travel Shows, that Saudi Arabia is an up-and-coming tourist destination, making major investments in the tourism sector.

The town of Alula, a 3-hour flight from Dubai, is an oasis town in the North West of Saudi Arabia with a rich history, situated on an ancient incense trade route linking the Mediterranean and India.

It was once the capital of the Dadan and later the Lihyan kingdoms. ancient Arabian kingdoms that flourished in this area. They traded in luxury items, such as ivory, ebony, and incense.

The Lion Tombs are among the most important and visually recognisable remains of these two kingdoms. They are carved into the cliffs of Jabal Dadan, only a short distance from the modern town of AlUla. The tombs are decorated with sculpted lions symbolising power, protection, and often status.

From the 1st century BCE (Before Common Era), the Nabataeans, the same civilisation that built the famous city of Petra in Jordan, made Hegra, 22 km north of AlUla city, their southern capital. Hegra features over 110 remarkably well-preserved monumental tombs carved into massive sandstone outcrops and is Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage site.

Besides these important archaeological sites, one can visit Jabal Ikmah to see thousands of inscriptions and petroglyphs — sometimes called an “open-air library”. Languages represented in these inscriptions include Aramaic, Dadanitic, Safaitic, Thamudic, Minaic, and Nabataean, all of which predated Arabic and eventually influenced it. Aramaic is notable for being the language of important texts, such as parts of the Hebrew Bible, and is believed to have been the primary language of Jesus Christ. At the visitor centre, you can try your hand at inscribing your name on a piece of stone in Safaitic, one of the Ancient North Arabian scripts!

Next, there is Old Town (al-Dirah). Continually inhabited from the 12th century until its last residents departed in the 1980s, AlUla Old Town is a labyrinth of tightly packed streets lined with mudbrick houses, shops and squares.

Another highlight in the region of AlUla is Elephant rock, rising 52 metres from the desert floor, and as the name implies, resembles an elephant drinking. This landmark is a popular with both tourists and locals.

On our last day, we decided to do something different and take a tour to Wadi Disah, an extremely picturesque valley situated about a three-hour drive away from AlUla. The scenery is a combination of striking mountains, palm trees and water. The valley itself is an off-road adventure over sand, water and through bamboo thickets. Besides an exciting drive you are rewarded with some very impressive viewpoints.