Day 1: Saturday – Jeddah (Arrival)
Arrival at Jeddah International airport, after visa and immigration formalities our representative will meet and escort the guests to their air-conditioned vehicle for their transfer to the hotel. Dinner at leisure & overnight in JEDDAH.
Day 2: Sunday: Jeddah
Breakfast at your hotel. We will start our tour with the visit of Abdul Raouf Khalil Museum that presents the local and Arabian heritage. A unique site. We will then hit old Jeddah. We will enjoy a wonderful walking in Al-Balad , the old part of the city .This walk tour of the old Town will take you along all the less known must-see local spots: Old Market hidden gems, Old Jeddah hidden galleries, local Jeddah food only for locals… While visiting Al-Balad, visitors will be taken to see Beit Nassif (exterior), one of the prominent renovated structures in the old city, which dates back to the mid 1800's. The five-story building provides a rare opportunity for the visitors to experience the blend of traditional architecture with modernity. Lunch in the city. Then we will pass by the Al Rahmah Mosque also known as the Floating Mosque, this single domed architectural marvel that sits literally on the sea, symbolizes Jeddah’s bold storm into the modern age. Sitting on an enviable location, the mosque’s courtyard offers unencumbered views of the Red Sea. Our tour will end with the Jeddah Corniche which is the 30 km coastal resort area of the city of Jeddah. Located along the Red Sea, the corniche features a coastal road, recreation areas, pavilions and as well as King Fahd's Fountain (usually operates after 6pm), the highest fountain in the world. Dinner & overnight in Jeddah.
Day 3: Monday: Jeddah – Umluj
Breakfast at your hotel & check out. Today we depart to the Umluj, located on the coast of the Red Sea, the small Northwestern town of Umluj, part of the Red Sea Project, is underway to premier resort destination. For those who love nature, outdoor adventures, and unique cultural vibes, Umluj offers unforgettable experiences. Lunch en route. Check in upon arriving. And depart on a Umluj boat trip where we explore the island and swim. After the experience, head back to hotel. Dinner in hotel & overnight in Umluj.
Day 4: Tuesday: Umluj Alula
Breakfast at your hotel & check out. Today we depart to the AlUla. Al-Ula is an ancient oasis that is inhabited for the last 7000 years as testify ancient carvings in and around the oasis. During the 1st millennium BCE the city of Dedan develops thanks to its strategic location on the frankincense trade road to become one of the oldest Arabian kingdoms that ruled over most of what is today Tabuk and Madinah provinces. During the 1st century BCE the Nabatean people coming from Petra settled 30 kilometers north of Dedan in Al-Hijr where they built 94 monumental tombs similar to the ones they dug in Petra. Lunch upon arrival on your own. Today we will start our journey with the visit of the famous Hegra (Madain Saleh) which is the first site of Saudi Arabia that was listed as UNESCO World Heritage site. Madain Saleh, whose original name was Al-Hijr or Hegra in Greek, is the southernmost important city of the Nabatean Kingdom that flourished thanks to the caravan trade between the 2nd century BCE until the Roman conquest in 106 CE. It is the second richest Nabatean city in terms of monumental tombs with 94 decorated funeral monuments including some of the most vibrant and well conserved architectural prowess of the Nabateans builders. We will lead you through this fascinating site and reveal to you the secrets of its tombs, ancient inscriptions, stone structures, and many others. Before heading to the hotel, we will visit Jebel Al-Fil (Elephant rock) for a relaxing time. Dinner & overnight in ALULA.
Day 5: Wednesday: Alula
Breakfast at the hotel. Today we depart for Dedan/ Ikmah tour. AlUla is an ancient oasis that is inhabited for the last 7000 years as testify ancient carvings in and around the oasis. During the 1st millennium BCE the city of Dedan develops thanks to its strategic location on the frankincense trade road to become one of the oldest Arabian kingdoms that ruled over most of what is today Tabuk and Madinah provinces. Visit Jebel Ikmah with its amazing rock inscriptions that make it look like an open-air library. Then will pass by the ancient city of Dedan that was an important oasis on the frankincense trade route between Southern Arabia and the Mediterranean World. Lunch on your own. Then we get a glimpse into AlUla’s not-so-distant past on the AlUla Old Town Tour. We will go through AlUla Old Town, where pilgrims, travelers and permanent settlers congregated through the ages. Inhabited from before the 12th century up until the early 1980s, AlUla Old Town offers researchers unique oral histories and living memory that the area’s other heritage sites cannot. Return to hotel. Dinner & overnight in AlUla.
Day 6: Thursday: Alula – Dissah – Tabuk
Breakfast at your hotel & check out. From Al Ula and in just three hours we would arrive in one of the must-see natural jewels of Saudi Arabia “Wadi Qaraqir” as in archaic geography “Wadi Ad-dissah” in current times. We will drive deeper inside this staggering canyon to enjoy its greenery, small water stream that flows all yearround, the sandstone mountains with heights more than 100 to 500 meters that enclave this valley, lush vegetation made of 3-meter high grass, numerous palm trees and bushes, flourishes in between the majestic cliffs of the canyon. After this thrilling experience, we will head up to a nearby farm to enjoy lunch then we head to Tabuk. Check in upon arrival. Dinner & overnight in Tabuk.
Day 7: Friday: Tabuk – Riyadh: By Flight
Breakfast at your hotel (standard check out time: 1200 hrs). This day, depending on your flight time, you will be transferred to TABUK airport to catch your flight to RIYADH. Arrival at Riyadh International airport, our representative will meet and escort the guests to their air-conditioned vehicle. We then drive for 45 minutes to Ad-Diriyah, located on the western bank of the Wadi Hanifah, a dry riverbed pwhere water flows only after big rains. Ad-Diriyah used to be the capital of the Najd (the central plateau of the Arabian Peninsula) from the 15th century until the beginning of the 18th century. It is the birthplace of the first Saudi Kingdom and its importance in the history of the Arabian Peninsula was highlighted when it was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 2010, as the most brilliant example of Najdi architecture. The history of Ad-Diriyah goes back thousands of years as it was on an ancient trade and pilgrimage route, acting as a meeting point for those travelling to or from Asia, Africa and Europe. Our visit to the site allows us to admire its incredible architecture before returning to downtown Riyadh. As we drive towards the city, we have the opportunity to admire the rapid development of this cosmopolitan capital, planned by the Saudi government to become the biggest metropole in the Middle East in the next 10 years. Head to hotel & check in. Dinner & overnight in RIYADH.
Day 8: Saturday: Riyadh
Breakfast at the hotel. We will start our tour of mystic Riyadh by visiting the National museum which is the primary custodian of the Saudi national heritage and culture. The Museum is a place of learning and discovery, it offers an overview to the history of Arabian civilization from Prehistory to our modern era. We continue thereafter to the nearby Murabba Palace (outside visit as in renovation) that is one of the historic buildings of the city. The palace was named after its square with the form of 400 by 400 meters. We will stop then for lunch in a typical local Saudi restaurant. Afternoon we will continue our tour of mystic Riyadh by visiting the Masmak Fort and its museum that depicts the history of the history of the conquest of Arabia by the Al-Saud family. The palace was built during the reign of Abdullah bin Rashid in the year 1895 A.D. to serve as military garrison for the Abdullah bin Rashid army. His Majesty King Abdulaziz, the father of the nation today, captured the fort in 1902 making of this fort the birthplace of the 3rd Saudi Kingdom, the modern one we live in. At the end of the afternoon, we will pass the kingdom tower & the Faisaliah , back to your hotel. Dinner & overnight in Riyadh.
Day 9: Sunday: Riyadh (Departure)
Breakfast at your hotel (standard check out time: 1200 hrs). This day, depending on your departure time, you will be transferred to RIYADH airport to catch your flight.
