Saudi Arabia Explorer: Self-Launched Adventure

Fly into King Khalid International Airport (RUH). Saudi Arabia's e-tourist visa can be obtained online before travel for around £120. Take the Riyadh Metro (Line 4) from the airport to the city centre for around £1 — one of the world's newest and most modern metro systems. Check into your budget hotel or guesthouse in the Al Olaya or Al Malaz neighbourhoods. Spend the evening exploring a local souq or grabbing shawarma from a street-side restaurant.

🚌Riyadh Metro Line 4 from airport, ~£1

🛏Centro Olaya by Rotana or similar budget hotel (~£40/night)

• →Arrive at King Khalid International Airport
• →Take Riyadh Metro Line 4 to city centre (~£1)
• →Check into budget accommodation
• →Evening stroll and street food exploration

Spend a full day exploring Riyadh's highlights independently. Start at Masmak Fortress (free entry) in the old city — this mud-brick citadel is where the Saudi state was born. Wander through Souq al Zel or Souq Bisht nearby. Head to the National Museum of Saudi Arabia (around £5 entry) for essential historical context. Take a taxi or Uber to Murabba Palace and then to the King Abdullah Financial District to see the city's stunning modern skyline. End the day at Ad Diriyah (UNESCO World Heritage Site, entry ~£15), the birthplace of the first Saudi state — beautifully restored and best explored in the late afternoon light. Dinner at one of the restaurants just outside Ad Diriyah.

🚌Riyadh Metro + Uber/Careem taxis (~£10 total)

🛏Centro Olaya by Rotana or similar budget hotel (~£40/night)

• →Masmak Fortress (free entry)
• →Souq al Zel or Souq Bisht browsing
• →National Museum of Saudi Arabia (~£5)
• →Murabba Palace exterior
• →King Abdullah Financial District viewpoint
• →Ad Diriyah UNESCO World Heritage Site (~£15)

Hire a shared taxi or rent a car (recommended for this leg — car rental from ~£30/day) and head northwest towards Buraydah (~400km). En route, stop at Ushaiger Heritage Village, one of the oldest mud-brick settlements in Arabia, largely abandoned but strikingly beautiful with its traditional Najdi architecture. Continue to Unaizah to visit Al Bassam Heritage House (1955), a 30-room traditional home showcasing Najdi craftsmanship, folk art and regional foods. Arrive in Buraydah in the evening. Grab dinner at a local restaurant — the Al-Qassim region is famed for its dates and hearty Arabic cuisine.

🚌Shared taxi or rental car from Riyadh (~£30–40 for car rental or ~£20pp shared taxi)

🛏Ewaa Express Buraydah or similar guesthouse (~£30/night)

• →Road trip towards Buraydah (~400km)
• →Ushaiger Heritage Village visit (free)
• →Al Bassam Heritage House, Unaizah (~£5)
• →Arrive in Buraydah

Rise early for the Buraydah Camel Market — reputedly the largest in the world. Thousands of camels, goats and sheep change hands here each morning, alongside saddles, accessories and a sprawling date market where you can sample the region's famously rich medjool dates. Entry is free. Afterwards, head to Buraydah train station and board the high-speed SAR train to Hail (~2 hours, ~£12). In Hail, visit the hilltop A'arif Fort (free exterior, small entry fee inside ~£3) for sweeping city views, and Al Qishlah compound, the historic red-mud garrison. Dinner at a local Arabic restaurant.

🚌SAR high-speed train Buraydah to Hail, ~£12. Local taxis in Hail ~£5

🛏Holiday Villa Hail or similar budget hotel (~£35/night)

• →Buraydah Camel Market — world's largest (free entry)
• →Date Market sampling
• →High-speed SAR train Buraydah to Hail (~2hrs, ~£12)
• →A'arif Fort, Hail (~£3)
• →Al Qishlah compound

Take a shared taxi or pre-arranged day hire from Hail to Jubbah (~1.5hrs north) to see the UNESCO-listed Neolithic petroglyphs carved into large sandstone outcrops in the Al Nafud desert. These extraordinary rock art panels — depicting aurochs, cheetahs and lions — date back thousands of years to when the region had a wetter, savannah-like climate (entry ~£5). Return to Hail then continue the long drive southwest to AlUla (~625km total from Hail — consider an overnight bus or hiring a private driver for this leg, ~£40–50pp). Pack a picnic lunch for the journey through the Great Nefud dunes. Arrive in time for sunset at Jabel Al Fil (Elephant Rock) — free and breathtaking. Check into your farm stay or budget guesthouse.

🚌Shared taxi Hail–Jubbah (~£15 return), private driver or overnight bus Hail–AlUla (~£40–50pp)

🛏Mazham Boutique Farm or Shaden Resort budget rooms, AlUla (~£45/night)

• →Jubbah UNESCO Neolithic petroglyphs (~£5 entry)
• →Drive through Nefud Al Kabir dunes
• →Picnic lunch en route
• →Sunset at Jabel Al Fil (Elephant Rock) — free

Book your Hegra (Madain Saleh) timed entry ticket in advance via the Experience AlUla website (~£25). This UNESCO World Heritage Site — the southernmost major Nabatean city — features over 130 ornate funeral monuments carved into rose-red sandstone cliffs, ancient inscriptions and stone structures dating back 2,000+ years. Transport to Hegra is via a shuttle bus from the AlUla Experience Centre. Afterwards, walk around the exterior of Maraya, the enormous mirrored arts venue in Ashar Valley (exterior viewing is free). In the afternoon, follow the Oasis Heritage Trail through AlUla's date palm groves and orange orchards, emerging into Al Jadeeda (Art City) with its colourful street exhibits. End with a stroll through AlUla Old Town — ancient alleys mixed with renovated cafés and craft shops. Grab dinner at one of the Old Town's trendy restaurants.

🚌AlUla Experience Centre shuttle bus to Hegra (~£5). Walking and local golf carts within AlUla (~£5)

🛏Mazham Boutique Farm or Shaden Resort budget rooms, AlUla (~£45/night)

• →Hegra (Madain Saleh) UNESCO site — book in advance (~£25)
• →AlUla shuttle bus to Hegra
• →Maraya mirrored building exterior (free)
• →Oasis Heritage Trail through date palm groves (free)
• →Al Jadeeda Art City street exhibits (free)
• →AlUla Old Town exploration

Hire a car or join a shared taxi from AlUla towards Medina (~400km), stopping at the Khaybar Oasis en route if access is permitted (check locally — it can be intermittently restricted). This dramatic volcanic landscape of black lava fields, palm-filled wadis and ancient mud fortresses was once inhabited by Arabian Jewish tribes before the Battle of Khaybar in 628 CE. Explore the crumbling mud city and viewpoints over the oasis valley. Continue to Medina (non-Muslims must stay near the airport area due to city restrictions). In the evening, walk to the perimeter of Al Masjid an Nabawi (the Prophet's Mosque) — non-Muslims can view the exterior from the edge of the vast square. Visit Mount Uhud at sunset for panoramic views over the holy city.

🚌Rental car or shared taxi AlUla–Medina via Khaybar (~£30–40pp). Local Uber in Medina (~£8)

🛏Millennium Hotel Medina or similar near airport (~£40/night)

• →Khaybar Oasis volcanic landscape and mud fortresses (free/small entry)
• →Drive to Medina (~400km)
• →Exterior viewing of Al Masjid an Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) — free
• →Sunset at Mount Uhud viewpoint — free

Spend the morning exploring more of Medina. Visit the historic Hijaz Railway terminus station — the Ottoman-era line once brought pilgrims from Damascus and is a fascinating piece of history (free entry). Browse the central market souk for local sweets: ma'amoul butter cookies, honey-drizzled luqaimat dumplings and rose-water kunafa. Enjoy a simple lunch with views towards the Prophet's Mosque from a nearby rooftop café. Board the Haramain High Speed Railway from Medina to Jeddah (~2hrs, ~£15 — book via the SAR app or website). On arrival, head to the Jeddah Corniche and watch King Fahd's Fountain illuminate the night sky. Sit on the waterfront Saudi-style on carpets with tea.

🚌Haramain High Speed Railway Medina–Jeddah, ~£15. Uber/Careem in Jeddah ~£8

🛏Ewaa Express Jeddah or similar budget hotel (~£35/night)

• →Hijaz/Ottoman Railway terminus station, Medina (free)
• →Central market souk and sweet stalls
• →Haramain High Speed Railway Medina–Jeddah (~2hrs, ~£15)
• →Jeddah Corniche evening stroll
• →King Fahd's Fountain viewpoint (free)

Begin at Tayebat Museum (Abdul Raouf Khalil Museum, ~£5 entry), which showcases life-size reconstructions of traditional Saudi buildings, everyday heritage objects and information about Mecca and Medina. Head to Jeddah's famous fish market — an atmospheric slice of local life where you can buy fresh catch and have it cooked on the spot at a simple market restaurant for a few pounds. In the afternoon, explore Al-Balad, Jeddah's UNESCO-listed historic district. Wander its labyrinthine alleys of multi-storey coral-stone merchant houses adorned with intricate wooden roshan (latticed window screens). This is one of the most photogenic neighbourhoods in the Arab world. Grab dinner at one of Al-Balad's renovated heritage restaurants.

🚌Uber/Careem taxis around Jeddah (~£10 total for the day)

🛏Ewaa Express Jeddah or similar budget hotel (~£35/night)

• →Tayebat Museum (~£5)
• →Jeddah fish market — buy and cook fresh catch (~£8)
• →Al-Balad UNESCO historic district (free to walk)
• →Roshan wooden window architecture photography walk

Rise early and drive south from Jeddah along the Red Sea coast (~300km) towards Al Bahah. The landscape shifts dramatically from coastal plains to the forested Aseer highlands. Stop en route at Thee Ain (Al Ain) Marble Village — a beautifully preserved hilltop stone village dating back several centuries, with terraced agricultural fields, ancient irrigation channels and panoramic mountain views (free entry). This is one of Saudi Arabia's hidden gems. Continue to Al Bahah, perched at over 2,000m altitude among juniper forests, for a cool and dramatic end to the day.

🚌Rental car or shared long-distance taxi Jeddah–Al Bahah (~£25–35pp). Approx 300km.

🛏Swiss Spirit Cloud City Al Bahah or similar guesthouse (~£35/night)

• →Drive south from Jeddah along Red Sea coast
• →Thee Ain (Al Ain) Marble Village visit (free)
• →Mountain scenery and Aseer highlands
• →Arrive Al Bahah — explore the town

Today is about slowing down and experiencing authentic rural Saudi life. Arrange a homestay in Al Shaaf village in the Aseer region — local homestays can be booked via the Saudi Tourism Authority's platform or through local guesthouses in Al Bahah (~£25–35pp including dinner). The Aseer highlands are lush and green, terraced with ancient farming fields and populated by the famously colourful Asiri culture. Your host family will provide traditional Asiri dinner — a rich spread of slow-cooked lamb, salta (fenugreek stew), flatbreads and local honey. Spend the evening under a sky full of stars with no light pollution.

🚌Local taxi or arranged transfer from Al Bahah (~£10–15)

🛏Al Shaaf local homestay (~£30/night including dinner)

• →Drive to Al Shaaf village in Aseer highlands
• →Cultural homestay experience with local family
• →Traditional Asiri dinner with host family
• →Stargazing in the mountain highlands

Depart the highlands and wind back down towards Jeddah via the scenic mountain route through Baljurashi — a town known for its traditional honey markets (Aseer honey is considered some of the finest in Saudi Arabia). Continue via Taif, the 'City of Roses', famously cool and fragrant with rose farms and orchards sitting at 1,800m altitude. In season (March–April), the Taif rose water distilleries are open to visitors. Taif also has a pleasant souq. Continue the final leg down to Jeddah. Final evening — enjoy dinner on the corniche.

🚌Rental car or shared taxi Aseer–Baljurashi–Taif–Jeddah (~£30–40pp). Approx 350km.

🛏Ewaa Express Jeddah or similar budget hotel (~£35/night)

• →Baljurashi traditional honey market
• →Taif City of Roses — rose farms and souq
• →Rose water distillery visit (seasonal, free or small fee)
• →Return to Jeddah
• →Final dinner on the Jeddah Corniche

Your adventure ends in Jeddah. King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) is approximately 25–30 minutes from the city centre by Uber (~£10). If your flight allows, grab a final breakfast at a local café in Al-Balad or along the corniche. Saudi Arabia has a way of leaving a deep impression — ancient, modern, holy and wild all at once.

🚌Uber/Careem to Jeddah airport (~£10)

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Final breakfast in Al-Balad or on the corniche
• →Transfer to King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED)
• →Depart Jeddah