Travel guide
Saudi Arabia Travel Guide
Saudi Arabia is one of the world's newest tourism destinations — and one of its most surprising. AlUla in the northwest is the headline: Hegra (UNESCO), the southern capital of the Nabatean kingdom that built Petra, features over 100 monumental tombs carved into sandstone outcrops in the desert — less visited and arguably better preserved than Jordan's Petra. The AlUla landscape itself — elephant rock formations, palm-filled canyons, ancient inscriptions from Dadanite and Lihyanite civilisations — is extraordinary. The Red Sea coast between Jeddah and NEOM has pristine coral reefs, sea turtle nesting grounds and developing resort infrastructure (the Red Sea Project aims to become a world-class diving and luxury destination). The Empty Quarter (Rub' al Khali) — the largest continuous sand desert on earth — offers dune landscapes of staggering scale. Jeddah's Al-Balad historic district (UNESCO) is a labyrinth of coral-stone merchant houses with intricately carved wooden balconies (rawasheen). The Edge of the World (Jebel Fihrayn) near Riyadh is a dramatic escarpment overlooking an endless plateau. Diriyah, the birthplace of the Saudi state, is being transformed into a cultural quarter. And the Vision 2030 mega-projects are reshaping the country: NEOM (a planned city larger than Belgium), Qiddiya (entertainment and sports city near Riyadh), and The Line (a 170 km linear city in NEOM). Saudi cuisine — kabsa (spiced rice with meat), jareesh, mutabbaq, dates and Arabic coffee — is a discovery in itself.
Updated 2026-08-15
Ways to Experience This Destination
Mecca and Medina — Islam's two holiest cities — draw millions of Muslim travellers a year. In Mecca stand the Kaaba and the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram); in Medina, the Prophet's Mosque and the Rawdah. Umrah can be performed year-round, including on the tourism e-visa for eligible visitors, while Hajj falls in a fixed season and needs a separate Hajj permit. Umrah, Hajj and Rawdah-visit permits are applied for online, and the Haramain High-Speed Railway links Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah, making the two cities easy to combine in one trip. Both cities are reserved for Muslims; non-Muslims cannot enter either.
Hegra (UNESCO, Nabatean tombs carved in sandstone — Saudi Arabia's Petra), elephant rock formations, Dadanite and Lihyanite inscriptions, palm-filled canyons, Maraya concert hall (world's largest mirrored building), and the AlUla arts and culture programme. One of the Middle East's most spectacular emerging destinations.
Pristine coral reefs between Jeddah and NEOM, sea turtle nesting, whale shark sightings, shipwreck diving, and the developing Red Sea Project (luxury resort islands). Yanbu and the Farasan Islands offer less-developed but excellent diving. The Saudi Red Sea coast is one of the last largely unexplored reef systems on earth.
The Empty Quarter (Rub' al Khali, the world's largest sand desert), Edge of the World escarpment near Riyadh (Jebel Fihrayn), dune bashing and desert camping, camel trekking, and the dramatic landscapes of the Hejaz Mountains. Saudi Arabia's desert scale is unlike anything in the UAE or Oman.
Jeddah's Al-Balad historic district (UNESCO, coral-stone houses with carved wooden balconies), Diriyah (birthplace of the Saudi state, At-Turaif UNESCO district), Riyadh's Masmak Fort and National Museum, and the ancient oasis town of Al-Ahsa (UNESCO). Saudi heritage predates the oil era by millennia.
NEOM (planned city larger than Belgium), The Line (170 km linear city), Qiddiya (entertainment city near Riyadh), the Red Sea Project (luxury island resorts), and Riyadh's transformation with Formula E, concerts, and cultural festivals. Saudi Arabia is building the future at an unprecedented scale.
Deep dives
Deep dive
AlUla and Hegra: Saudi Arabia's Nabataean Desert →
Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, holds over 100 Nabataean tombs carved into sandstone outcrops. The wider AlUla region adds elephant-shaped rock formations, an older kingdom's inscriptions, and a striking modern concert hall built into the desert itself.
Deep dive
The Empty Quarter: Saudi Arabia's Great Sand Sea →
Rub' al Khali, the Empty Quarter, is the largest contiguous sand desert on Earth, and Saudi Arabia holds the greater part of it. Visiting means a guided expedition into genuine wilderness — dunes over 250 metres high, Bedouin desert culture, and a real, if famous, history of crossing.
Itinerary
Planning a Saudi Arabia Trip: Chase the Climate →
Standard advice says avoid Saudi Arabia's brutal summer entirely. That's true for most of the country, but Asir's mountain highlands stay genuinely pleasant when everywhere else is unbearable — a regional exception worth building a trip around.
City guides
Frequently asked questions
For many visitors, yes — tourism infrastructure in Riyadh and Jeddah is genuinely modern, and the country's rapid recent opening means major sites like AlUla are still uncrowded compared with longer-established destinations. The strict social and dress codes take more active adjustment than in some neighbouring Gulf states, which is worth planning for rather than being surprised by.
Widely in tourism-facing contexts — hotels, restaurants and attractions in Riyadh and Jeddah generally communicate well in English. Away from the main cities and in smaller towns, English drops off considerably, and Arabic becomes the practical necessity.
Not in the major cities, where English covers most tourist interactions. A handful of Arabic greetings and courtesies are appreciated and useful in markets, taxis and smaller towns, but aren't essential for a standard trip through Riyadh, Jeddah and AlUla.
Entry rules, visa types and practical notes live on the Saudi Arabia overview.
This overview comes from Visaja's worldwide missions database (visaja.com), checked against official government sources; for binding answers, the mission itself always has the final word.