AlUla is a desert county in north-west Saudi Arabia, and its headline site is Hegra, the Nabataean city of carved tombs that became the country's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. You cannot wander into Hegra on your own: entry is by timed tour booked through Experience AlUla, the official visitor platform, and the shared coach tour is the cheapest way in (check the current price on the Experience AlUla site, as rates change by season). Plan at least two full days, travel between October and March, and book your hotel early because rooms in AlUla are limited.
This guide covers how the ticket system works, which sites deserve your time, how to reach AlUla by air or road, and how the main places to stay compare. Prices below were checked in 2026 and can change at any time, so confirm the live rate before you pay.
Why AlUla is worth the trip
Most visitors to Saudi Arabia start in Riyadh or Jeddah. AlUla is different. It is a long valley of sandstone cliffs, palm groves and rock outcrops where several ancient kingdoms left their mark, from the Dadanites and Lihyanites to the Nabataeans, the same people who built Petra in Jordan. Wind has shaped the rock into arches, pillars and the famous Elephant Rock.
The Saudi government opened the area to tourism only in recent years, so infrastructure is new and still growing. That has two effects for travellers. Sites are well managed, clean and clearly signed. But visits are tightly controlled, accommodation is scarce and prices sit above the Saudi average. Going in with a plan matters more here than in most destinations.
How Hegra tickets and tours work
Hegra (also written Al-Hijr or Mada'in Salih) is protected, and independent walking is not allowed. Every visitor enters on a guided or hosted experience that leaves at a fixed time. The official booking channel is the Experience AlUla website and app. Resellers such as large activity marketplaces also sell Hegra packages, often bundled with transfers and other sites, but they usually cost more and some are non-refundable.
Shared coach tour
This is the standard way in. A bus takes you from a pick-up point in AlUla to Hegra, where a guide (locally called a rawi, or storyteller) explains the tombs at several stops. It is the lowest-priced option and works well for a first visit.
Private and premium tours
For more freedom, private 4x4 tours are sold per vehicle, and specialist operators also run vintage open-top Land Rover tours. Both cost several times the coach tour, so compare the live prices before you book. They suit photographers and small groups who want to spend longer at particular tombs.
Booking tips
- Book online several days ahead in peak months; each departure has a set capacity.
- Same-day tickets may be sold at the visitor centre if space remains, but there is no guarantee.
- Choose the first morning slot or the late-afternoon slot for softer light and cooler air.
- Read the cancellation terms. Official tickets and reseller bundles often have different rules.
- Check the exact meeting point on your ticket; it is not always the Hegra site itself.
Editor's Note: As of November 2026 the official Hegra Day Tour is listed from SAR 95 per person. Experience AlUla adjusts rates by season and demand, so check the official site on the day you book.
Booking the Hegra Day Tour step by step
The official shared tour is called the Hegra Day Tour on Experience AlUla. Pick a date and departure time, choose English or Arabic for the guide, pay by card and keep the confirmation on your phone. The listing gives a total time of two to three hours, transfers included, so a morning slot leaves the afternoon free.
Your meeting point is the Winter Park Bus Stop, some distance from the tombs. Free parking is available there and at the Hegra Visitor Centre. An air-conditioned coach takes the group from Winter Park to Hegra and back, and you must return on the designated Winter Park bus. Hotel pick-up is not part of the official ticket, so arrange a taxi, driver or rental car to reach Winter Park unless your hotel runs a shuttle.
The cancellation rules are strict. As of November 2026 you can cancel for a refund up to three days before the tour date and change the date or time up to one day before, subject to space. Nothing can be refunded or changed on the day itself, and card processing charges are not returned. Tickets bought from a reseller follow that seller's terms, so changes go through them.
Families, older travellers and accessibility
The Hegra Day Tour accepts all ages and is rated low intensity, with short walks between stops. The official listing states that it is not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers, which matters for parents of toddlers and anyone with limited mobility. Contact Experience AlUla before paying if a member of your group uses a mobility aid, and ask which alternative experiences they can offer.
For children, the coach format works better than long hikes. Book the earliest departure, bring water and snacks, and dress everyone in closed shoes, a hat and sunscreen, as the official page recommends. Elephant Rock and the Old Town are flatter and easier with small children than the canyon trails around Dadan.
What to see in AlUla
AlUla's main sights are Hegra, with more than 100 monumental Nabataean tombs including the free-standing Qasr al-Farid, AlUla Old Town, Dadan and Jabal Ikmah, Elephant Rock at sunset, the Harrat Viewpoint and the Maraya concert hall. Two days covers them at a relaxed pace.
Two days covers the major sites at a relaxed pace. Three or four lets you add hikes, a hot-air balloon flight in season, or a slow day at your hotel.
Hegra
Hegra holds more than 100 monumental tombs cut into rock outcrops, many with carved facades and inscriptions that date from roughly the first century BC to the first century AD. The single most photographed structure is Qasr al-Farid, a free-standing tomb carved from one boulder and left partly unfinished. Its rough lower section shows how the Nabataeans worked from the top downward. Allow at least half a day once transfers are counted.
Look at the details above the doorways as the guide talks. Many facades carry stepped crowns, eagles or carved faces, and the inscriptions above some entrances name the person buried inside and warn against reusing the tomb. UNESCO describes Hegra as the largest conserved Nabataean site south of Petra, and the tombs face open sand, so morning tours catch the facades in side light while late tours see them glow orange.
AlUla Old Town
The old mud-brick town sits beside the oasis and was lived in for centuries before residents moved to newer houses in the twentieth century. Restored lanes now hold small shops and cafes. It is pleasant in the evening, when the walls are lit and the temperature drops. Guided Old Town tickets that include the fort on the rock are sold, and access rules change, so check Experience AlUla for what is open and what needs a ticket before you go.
The north car park is closer to the lanes than the south one, and the walk in from the north passes the Al Jadidah arts district with its murals and galleries. Allow an hour or two, more if you stop for coffee.
Dadan and Jabal Ikmah
Dadan was the capital of the Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms, older than Hegra. Its best-known feature is a cliff with tombs carved high in the rock, sometimes called the lion tombs. Nearby Jabal Ikmah is often described as an open-air library because its canyon walls carry hundreds of ancient inscriptions in several scripts. Both are usually visited on guided experiences, and they pair well in one morning.
Elephant Rock
Jabal AlFil is a tall rock formation shaped, quite clearly, like an elephant with its trunk touching the sand. It is best at sunset, when the stone turns orange and the seating area around it fills with people. There are cafes on site. You can visit easily without a tour, and it is a short drive from the Old Town. The cafes open mainly in the evening and their hours change by season.
Maraya
Maraya is a mirrored concert hall in the Ashar Valley, reflecting the cliffs around it. It hosts concerts and events, and it holds a restaurant. Access depends on what is scheduled, so check the events calendar before planning around it. Plan your visit around an event ticket or a restaurant booking, and confirm access with Experience AlUla first.
AlUla Oasis and Harrat Viewpoint
The palm oasis runs through the valley and has walking and cycling trails. For a wide view over the area, the Harrat Viewpoint on the volcanic plateau above AlUla gives a panorama of the valley. Allow time for the road up from town, and arrive an hour before sunset to see the light change over the valley.
The oasis trails have almost no shade. Walk them in the early morning or the last hours of daylight, even in winter, when the midday sun is still strong.
How to get to AlUla
Most visitors reach AlUla by flying into Riyadh or Jeddah and taking a domestic flight to AlUla International Airport (ULH), which also has some seasonal international routes. From the airport you need a pre-booked transfer, a hotel shuttle or a rental car, and AlUla can also be reached by road.
By air
AlUla International Airport (code ULH) has domestic flights from Riyadh and Jeddah and some seasonal international routes. Schedules change by season, so search routes on our flight page well before you travel. From the airport you will need a pre-booked transfer, a hotel shuttle or a rental car.
For travellers from outside the region, the usual pattern is an international flight into Riyadh or Jeddah, then a domestic hop to AlUla. Leave a generous connection if your tickets are separate, and check the baggage allowance on the domestic leg, which can be lower than on the long-haul flight.
By road
AlUla is a long drive from the big cities: several hours from Medina and considerably longer from Riyadh or Jeddah. Roads are good, and a self-drive trip can combine AlUla with other stops in the north-west. Fuel stations can be far apart in desert stretches, so fill up when you can. The drive from Riyadh takes most of two days, so people who drive usually split it with an overnight stop.
Getting around once you arrive
Sites are spread across a wide area. A rental car gives the most flexibility. Without one, rely on tour transfers, hotel shuttles and any official bus or hop-on services that Experience AlUla runs that season. Ride-hailing exists but cars can be scarce at night.
A normal saloon is enough for the paved roads between town, the Old Town, Winter Park, Elephant Rock and the Harrat Viewpoint. Driving is on the right, speed cameras are common, and camels wander onto rural roads, especially around dawn and dusk. Saudi Arabia accepts many foreign licences for visitors, but rules differ by nationality, so ask your rental company whether you also need an International Driving Permit.
Best time to visit AlUla
The cooler months from late October to March are the main season. Daytime temperatures are comfortable for walking, and nights in the desert can be cold, so pack a warm layer. This is also when the AlUla Moments calendar runs most of its festivals, concerts and outdoor events, which pushes hotel prices up on those dates.
Summer, roughly May to September, is very hot during the day. Some tours shift to early morning or evening, and some experiences close. You may find lower rates, but plan on spending the middle of the day indoors.
Month by month, December and January bring the coldest nights, when a jacket matters on early tours and at desert camps. February and March are mild, with clear skies that suit stargazing and photography. October and April are shoulder months: warm in the middle of the day, quieter, and often cheaper outside event dates. Rain is rare in any month.
Where to stay in AlUla
Stay in Ashar Valley for luxury resorts and tented camps near Maraya, near AlUla Old Town for boutique heritage-style hotels close to food and the oasis trails, or in AlUla town for simpler hotels. Rooms are limited everywhere and distances between sites are long, so choose by what you plan to see.
Hotel stock is still small, and the choice ranges from luxury resorts in the canyons to simpler hotels in town. Your area matters because distances between sites are long.
| Area | Type of stay | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashar Valley | Luxury resorts and tented camps | Couples, quiet stays, Maraya nearby | High rates, drive to Old Town |
| Near AlUla Old Town | Boutique heritage-style hotels | Evening walks, food, oasis trails | Limited rooms, books up early |
| AlUla town centre | Mid-range and business hotels | Budget, rental car users | Less scenery, simpler rooms |
| Canyon areas around Hegra | Eco-lodges and resorts | Early Hegra starts, stargazing | Remote, few dining options |
| Desert camps | Tents and glamping | Night skies, a single special night | Cold nights in winter, basic facilities at some |
Choosing a hotel
In the Ashar Valley you will find high-end resorts with private villas and pools, built low into the rock. Near the old town, heritage-style hotels use mud-brick and palm materials and are within walking distance of the lanes and cafes. In town, mid-range hotels cost less and suit travellers who are out on tours all day anyway.
Book as early as you can for event weekends and the winter holidays. Compare live rates and room types on our hotel booking page, and check whether breakfast and airport transfers are included, since both can add a meaningful sum in a remote area.
A practical tip: if you have no car, a hotel near the Old Town or in town keeps taxi rides short and gives you places to eat within walking distance. Resorts in the canyons are beautiful but depend on their own restaurants and shuttles, which adds to the bill over several nights.
Alternative AlUla itineraries by trip length
One day in AlUla is enough for the first Hegra departure, Elephant Rock at sunset and the Old Town, though it is rushed. Three days suits history lovers who want a longer Hegra visit, and four days suits active travellers and couples; families have their own version below.
One day only
If you fly in and out, book the first Hegra departure, eat lunch in town, rest through the heat, then drive to Elephant Rock for sunset and finish in the Old Town. It is rushed, but it covers the essentials.
Three days for history lovers
Follow the two-day plan below, and on the third day add a longer guided experience at Hegra or a private tour that reaches tombs the coach tour skips. End with a guided visit to the castle above the Old Town.
Four days for active travellers and couples
Add a hike or bike ride on the oasis trails at dawn, a hot-air balloon flight if the season's programme includes one, a night in a desert camp for stargazing, and a dinner booking in the Ashar Valley. Check the current activity calendar on Experience AlUla, since activities run by season.
Families
Keep each day to one booked tour and one free stop. Children enjoy Elephant Rock, the oasis paths and the Old Town lanes more than long guided talks, and the coach tour at Hegra is short enough for most school-age children.
Practical rules for visiting AlUla
AlUla needs no separate permit beyond your Saudi tourist eVisa or visa on arrival, but controlled sites need tickets. Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered; women visitors do not need an abaya or headscarf, and climbing on the monuments is not allowed.
Visa and entry
Most international visitors enter Saudi Arabia on a tourist eVisa or visa on arrival, depending on nationality. Our guide to the Saudi tourist visa explains the process. AlUla needs no separate permit. You do need tickets for controlled sites.
Dress and behaviour
Dress modestly in public: shoulders and knees covered is a sensible rule for everyone. Women are not required to wear an abaya or cover their hair as visitors. Do not climb on tombs or touch carved surfaces, and follow the guide's instructions about where you may stand. Drones need permission and should not be flown over heritage sites.
Food, alcohol and prayer times
Alcohol is not sold anywhere in Saudi Arabia, including AlUla's resorts, and bringing it into the country is prohibited. Restaurants serve local dishes such as kabsa alongside international menus, and Arabic coffee with dates is offered as a welcome at many sites. Some resort restaurants take reservations only, so book dinner ahead in peak season. Small shops can close briefly around prayer times, and the weekend falls on Friday and Saturday, when sites and cafes are busiest.
Money, SIM cards and connectivity
The currency is the Saudi riyal. Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere, including at the official ticket desks, but keep a little cash for small cafes and tips. Saudi mobile operators sell prepaid SIMs to visitors who show a passport, and a travel eSIM set up before you fly avoids the counter. Signal weakens in remote canyons, so save tickets and maps offline.
Costs to plan for
- Site tickets and tours, booked separately per site.
- Transport, as distances between sites are long.
- Meals, which are priced above smaller Saudi towns, especially at resorts.
- Higher hotel rates during festival weeks.
What to pack
- Warm jacket for winter evenings and early tours.
- Sun hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen.
- Closed shoes with grip for sand and rock.
- Refillable water bottle.
- Printed or downloaded tour tickets in case signal is weak.
Health and safety
AlUla is a safe destination with a low crime rate. The real risks come from the climate: dehydration and sunburn in the day, and cold after dark in winter. Carry water on every outing, take breaks in shade, and do not walk off marked paths in the canyons, where it is easy to lose your bearings. Medical facilities are limited compared with the big cities, so travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is wise.
Common mistakes when visiting AlUla
The most common mistake is arriving without a Hegra booking in peak season and finding every departure full. Others go to Hegra itself to meet the tour when the coach leaves from Winter Park, book a canyon resort without a car and pay heavily for transfers, or plan outdoor sightseeing for midday. Some travellers forget how far apart the sites are and try to fit four places into an afternoon. Finally, check whether an AlUla Moments event falls on your dates before you book a hotel; prices and crowds change sharply on those weekends.
A simple two-day AlUla plan
Spend day one on a morning Hegra tour, a rest through the hottest hours, sunset at Elephant Rock and dinner in AlUla Old Town. Spend day two at Dadan and Jabal Ikmah, on the oasis trail and at the Harrat Viewpoint or an evening event at Maraya.
Day one
Take a morning Hegra tour, then rest at your hotel during the warmest hours. In the late afternoon drive to Elephant Rock for sunset, and finish with dinner and a walk in AlUla Old Town.
Day two
Spend the morning at Dadan and Jabal Ikmah. After lunch, walk or cycle a section of the oasis trail, then head up to the Harrat Viewpoint or check whether Maraya has an event that evening.
If you have more time, add a guided hike, stargazing, or a trip combining AlUla with other parts of Saudi Arabia. Many travellers also pair the trip with a Gulf city stop such as Dubai or Doha. Browse organised options on our tours page.
Responsible travel
AlUla's tombs, inscriptions and rock art have survived for more than two thousand years because the desert left them alone. Keep your hands off carved surfaces, stay on marked paths, and never scratch names or move stones at heritage sites. Take all rubbish with you from viewpoints and camps. The oasis farms are still worked by local families, so keep to public trails and ask before photographing people.
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