A gem in the desert
Location : Saudi Arabia - Jeddah
This is a tour unlike any other, you'll be offered a various amount of activities and chances to explore all those special sides of Saudi Arabia, you'll be taken on a journey through the ages visiting sites of ancient cultures in Madaen Saleh and Tayeb Ism, beautiful views in Al Ula and Deise valley, and you'll even experience the lush lifestyle of jeddah that still has its cultural mark intact through the decades, definitely a recommended tour for anyone looking to make everlasting memories.
Program ( 10 days )
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Day 1
Arrival in Jeddah
Today you fly to Jeddah, Jeddah is the commercial heart of Saudi Arabia and traditionally the port where pilgrims from all over the Islamic world arrive on their way to Mecca and Medina.
Depending on your flight schedule you will arrive during the evening or (early) morning. You will be picked up at the airport and taken to the group hotel in the city.
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Day 2
Jeddah
Visit to some of Jeddah’s most captivating old Ottoman houses. The old quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for its coral-built houses. The Nasif house is one of the few historic buildings that have been restored and now serve as a museum. You walk further through the old town and visit the Al Alawi Souq, the market that winds through the old neighborhoods and where products such as incense, jewelry, coffee and clothing are sold. The art collection of Abdulraouf Khalil is exhibited in the Al Tayebat museum. The museum includes items from the pre-Islamic period, furniture and traditional clothing from different regions of the country.
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Day 3
Jeddah - Abha
In the morning we fly to Abha, the capital of the province of Asir in the southwest region of the country. Located at 2200 meters, it has a milder climate than in other parts of the country. Because rain can fall all year round, the city is also a popular destination for Saudi tourists. Another advantage of the climate and altitude is that soil in Asir is very fertile. The tastiest fruit, the best grain and maize of the entire country would be grown there. Abha has long been able to resist external influences and thus its own architectural style and identity are intact. Especially in the outskirts of Abha you can see centuries-old mud and stone houses with striking white decorations around the top. The population of Abha differs from other parts of the country. For example, the women dress in abayas decorated with detailed embroidery and the men sometimes wear colorful pants. The jewelry women wear also reflects the social status. Today there is time to explore Abha and visit a local museum.
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Day 4
Abha - Tabuk
We start the day by visiting the local market where you can find all the famous delicacies from the region. Just outside Abha is Al Soodah Park, a beautiful nature reserve that is part of the Asir Mountains. The highest mountain in Saudi Arabia, the Jabal Soodah, reaching 2995 meters at its peak. Lies in the park With all the greenery, the different terraces and special vegetation, it is a unique area in Saudi Arabia, a country that is mainly known for its desert and high temperatures. Then you will continue to the wonderful UNESCO World Heritage village of Rijal Al- Maa. Which for centuries, has been an important stopping place for travelers coming from the Levant and Yemen to Mecca and Medina. About 60 buildings are characterized by unique white windows and eaves.
Fly to Tabuk
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Day 5
Tabuk city tour
Tabuk Province has some of the richest history of the whole Arabian Peninsula and deserves a museum to highlight its heritage. Since 2019 visitors have been able to admire some fascinating artifacts exhibited in the old Hijaz Railway Station in Tabuk city that was refurbished for this purpose. The elegant building has the architecture of early twentieth and twenty-first centuries mixing together to offer a journey from prehistory to modern times and even into the future, with the city of Neom that will soon rise in Tabuk Province.
Overnight in Tabuk hotel.
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Day 6
Desi Valley – Duba - AlBade
The natural jewel of Saudi Arabia, Wadi Qaraqir - also known as Wadi Desi - is a 15-Km-long canyon running through the Jebel Qaraqir, a heaven palm oasis with crystal clear running water. This natural wonder was for a long time a well-kept secret among explorers, before the road leading to the nearby city of Desi was built and satellite images were available to the public, which made it quite difficult to find and reach. Today, this natural wonder has become one of the must-see places in Saudi Arabia.
Visit of Duba city by the Red Sea to visit the fish market and continue to AlBade.
Overnight in AlBade hotel.
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Day 7
Ras Al-Sheikh Hameed – Magna - Tayeb Ism - Medyan - Tabuk
The western tip of Mainland Saudi, Ras Al-Sheikh Hameed is a beautiful sandy cape located in Tabuk Province, at the junction between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. The sand banks of the Ras Al-Sheikh Hameed used to be the westernmost point of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia until the cession of Tiran Islands by Egypt to Saudi Arabia in 2017. Thus, it is today only the westernmost point of the Saudi Arabian mainland.
Maqna (The wells of Moses) is a charming coastal town located on the Gulf of Aqaba that faces Egypt and the Sinai mountains, clearly visible from it. But the town is famous for its wells that witnessed an important episode in the life of the Prophet Moses.
Tayeb Ism (The valley of Moses) is one of the magical natural wonders of Saudi Arabia that takes visitors by surprise. This incredible natural feature of Tabuk Province is located on the Gulf of Aqaba, just 15 Km north of the coastal town of Maqna.
Dated back to the end of the 2nd millennium BCE, Medyan is known for being the place where Prophet Moses sought refuge after fleeing Egypt. There he met the Prophet Jethro who recognized in Moses a pure soul and gave him one of his daughters. Moses then lived in Medyan with his wife and father-in-law for ten years before returning to Egypt to free its people from the Pharaoh Ramses II.
Overnight in Tabuk hotel.
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Day 8
Hegra - Al Ulla
Hegra is the most iconic historical site of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the first to be listed as a UNESCO Word Heritage, back in 2008. The Nabateans, called it Hijra (as it appears in some ancient inscriptions at the site).
The Nabatean Kingdom
The Nabatean people were Arab merchants actively involved in the frankincense trade originating from ancient Yemen from which they gained their great wealth.
The extensive settlement of the site took place during the 1st century AD, when it came under the rule of the Nabatean king Aretas IV Philopatris (Al-Harith IV) (9 – 40 BC), who made Hegra the kingdom's first capital, before Petra, located 500 kilometers to the north.
In the early 19th century BC the Ottomans built a railway station at Hegra that was along the Hejaz Railway linking Damascus to the holy city.
The birthplace of two ancient Arabian kingdoms. During the 1st millennium BCE, Al-Ulla saw the rise of the ancient city of Dadan that became the capital of two successive kingdoms, Dadan and Lihyan, that ruled over the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula.
Al-Ula Heritage Village (ghost town), is the traditional Arabian village where people of the oasis moved approximately 8 centuries ago and inhabited until the 20th century.
Overnight in Hegra camp.
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Day 9
Al Ulla - Jeddah
After breakfast we will fly to Jeddah, which means grandmother, a name that owes the city to the belief that Eve would be buried there.
Enjoy the Red Sea corniche, along the boulevard are various statues of famous artists such as Miró, Baldaccini and Moore.
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Day 10
Departure Jeddah
Today you fly back home.
Activities
- Adventure
- Exploring
Select Day
Following things are included
- All transfer and transportation with A/C bus or car.
- All nights’ accommodation F/B at selected category hotel.
- English speaking tour leader/driver.
- All entrance fees in Saudi as listed in itinerary.
- All Taxes.
- All Dinners
Following things are Excluded
- Visa cost to Saudi.
- All Lunches.
- Drinks during meals.
- Domestic Flight.
- Tips.
- Any personal expenses.
- Anything not mentioned in the Include items.