Wonder of Saudi

Day wise Itinerary:

Arrival at Riyadh 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 on your own. Overnight in RIYADH.

Breakfast at your hotel. We proceed into old Riyadh, starting in the downtown area, visiting the traditional Dirah Souq (famous for buying antique carpets and other useful Saudi heritage antiques). The walk is infused with the aromas of sandalwood fragrance and other scents of the orient. The Souq is known for men’s clothing and it is entertaining to watch the auction which takes place every Friday. After this, we visit the Masmak Fort which is just walking distance from the Old Souq and whose importance is linked to the creation of the 3rd Saudi Kingdom, the modern one we live in. The fortified palace was built during the reign of Abdullah bin Rashid in the year 1895 A.D. to serve as a military garrison for the army of Abdullah bin Rashid. His Majesty King Abdulaziz, the father of the today’s nation, captured the fort in 1902, marking the beginning of the reconquest of Arabia by the House of Saudi. Lunch on your own. We drive for 30 minutes to Ad-Diriyah, located on the western bank of the Wadi Hanifah, a dry riverbed where 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. Return to hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight in RIYADH.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we depart for Riyadh’s railway station and board the fast-new train for Ha’il. The railway link was constructed very recently and allows us to reach Ha’il in just under 5 hours. The city of Ha’il lies at the foot of the imposing Shammar mountain range whose is name also the one of a large northern Arabian tribe. Renowned for its hospitable people, Ha’il is traditionally the home of Saudi Arabia’s poets and writers. An interesting fact about Ha’il is that most of the early European explorers passed by this city during the 19th century (Charles Doughty, Lady Blunt, Charles Huber, Julius Euting…). Lunch on your own . Upon arrival, we will transfer to our hotel. As it will be early in Ha’il in the early afternoon, we will visit the A’Arif Fort and the nearby heritage museum. Then we will have a walk at the traditional market where we will find the local delicacies. We will pass also by the Ha’il Regional Museum, and if it is open, we will drop there to admire its collections. Dinner and Overnight in Ha’il.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will start our journey to Jubbah that lies on an ancient lake. Several archaeological sites of human settlement from the Middle Paleolithic period were found around the margin of the paleolake. Jubbah is surrounded by large sandstone outcrops that are filled with ancient petroglyphs and inscriptions. Jubbah benefited from past humid phases that turned the arid Arabian Peninsula into a savannah similar to what is found today in Africa. During the last humid period that took place from the 10th to the 6th millennium BCE the African monsoon rains filled rivers and lakes where wildlife thrived. If the animals that used to live there became dinstinct because of the desertification that started during the 6th millennium BCE, some men fixed forever their presence in Jubbah thanks to carvings of aurochs, cheetahs, lions…Those drawings are still visible today on several sandstone outcrops like the Jebel Umm Sanman. Jubbah and Shuwaymis, the other major carving site of Hail Province, where listed as UNESCO World Heritage in 2015 for their numerous petroglyph panels and rich inscriptions. The region between Ha’il and Al-Ula offers some of the best desert experience in the world …On our way , we will pass through the famous desert of Nefud Al Kabir which literally means the “great extent of sand dunes”. It is 290 kilometers long and 225 kilometers wide, with an area of 103,600 square kilometer. Lunch on your own. We continue our route to the famous Al Ula area. Early evening, we arrive and check-in at our beautifully located hotel , our base for the night. Dinner and overnight in Al-Ula.

Breakfast at the hotel. 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 1 st 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. We will start our exciting day with the visit of two ancient carving sites in Al-Ula, 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.. then visit the ancient sites of Ekma and Abu ‘Aoud where the people of the oasis wrote texts in ancient scripts that we will decipher for you , Our visit will be followed by a lunch on your own. we continue to visit Jebel Al-Fil for a relaxing time next to the “Elephant rock”. In the afternoon Dinner & accommodation in Al-Ula.

Breakfast at the hotel. 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., Our visit will be followed by a lunch on your own, then we continue then to the Old city of Al-Ula that became at the beginning of the Islamic era an important staging post along the pilgrimage route to Mecca. we will drive towards the city of MEDINA passing the old HIJAZ route railway. On arrival check in. Dinner & Overnight in MEDINE.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will visit the holy city of Medina .In the city center, the vast Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) is a major Islamic pilgrimage site. Its striking Green Dome rises above the tombs of the Prophet Muhammad and early Islamic leaders Abu Bakr and Umar. The Masjid al-Qiblatain (Qiblatain Mosque) is known as the site where the Prophet Muhammad received the command to change the direction of prayer to Mecca . We will visit the outskirts of the city ONLY , except the holy pilgrimage areas and we conclude the day with a short walk near Mount Uhud to enjoy the sunset over the city . We will also visit the DAR AL MADINA museum that will relate the story of Islam and the prophet biography .Then we depart towards Jeddah that we will reach after a 4 hours ride. After arrive to Jeddah will visit Abdul Raouf Khalil Museum that presents the local and Arabian heritage, A unique site, Check in hotel . Dinner & Overnight in Jeddah.

Breakfast at your hotel. We will 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 mustsee 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 (from outside) , 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 on your own. We will pass by the Al Rahmah Mosque. After that, we will see 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 large-scale civic sculptures as well as King Fahd's Fountain, the highest fountain in the world. We will then head to a traditional Saudi restaurant to enjoy our Dinner and overnight in Jeddah.

Breakfast at your hotel, Transfer to Jeddah International airport for your departure flight