Al Ula
The views as you wind your way up to this gem of a spot offer glimpses of what's to come. At the top, the road plateaus through a windswept, lunar…
©Yousef Albalawi/EyeEm/Getty Images
Al Ula
Nestled in a large, spectacular valley, where palm groves run down the centre of a wadi (dry riverbed) and forbidding red-sandstone cliffs rise up on either side, Al Ula has a delightfully mysterious air about it. It is also the gateway to Saudi Arabia's very own 'Petra', Madain Saleh, with most visitors to the World Heritage Site staying here in town.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
-
Al Ula
There are plans to make this a formal tourist venue in the near future, but for now you can enjoy freely wandering among the beautiful mud ruins where…
-
Al Ula
The fortress and three peaks of Jebel Khuraibah once formed part of the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Lihyan. Rock-cut tombs squat at the foot of the…
-
Al Ula
A few kilometres north of old Al Ula, Umm Al Daraj (Mother of Steps) is worth a detour. Climbing the hill reveals three red-sandstone religious structures…
-
Al Ula
This 300m-high mountain east of Al Ula features stone settlements and caves with pre-Islamic inscriptions and drawings, but there was no access to it at…
-
Al Ula
To protect the ancient village, inhabitants in the 6th century used red-sandstone blocks to build this castle on a promontory that gives a 360-degree view…
-
Al Ula Antiquities & Heritage Museum
Al Ula
This small museum is attractively designed, with some intriguing and informative displays on the history, culture, flora and fauna of the area, as well as…