Originally, I felt like writing a negative article about Al Ula, that new most reputable tourist destination of Saudi Arabia. When you arrive at the airport or at any border, or when you go to the Visit Saudi website, you’ll see it written everywhere: Come to Al Ula.

I didn’t quite follow this call. It was rather the people on the road who urged me to not miss that place and ultimately persuaded me. It is comparable to Petra in Jordan - less visited, but pretty expensive.

Both the prices and the need to organize everything beforehand annoyed me, especially since I was hastily trying to place my bookings a day before arrival whilst visiting another new tourist attraction in the capital Riyadh.

To be fair: Al Ula is amazing and it was pretty much my fault that I wasn’t well prepared. So, if you’re in Saudi Arabia, make sure you don’t miss Al Ula. Also, keep the following things in mind.

1. Book your tour in advance

I was walking through the beautiful narrow streets of rebuilt Ad Diriya at the outskirts of Riyadh, when I received a message from a fellow hitchhiker. I was asking him if we should try to get some rides together on the way to Medina. Instead of answering my question, he just told me to book all my tours for Al Ula ASAP. He had been there for two days and hadn’t seen anything.

A minute later, I was on my phone trying to handle the website of Al Ula. Here you can read into all of the biggest attractions of Al Ula and find organized tours. Almost everything has to be booked up front and so I was desperately trying to find a slot.

My original plan was to arrive by night bus around 1 pm, take a tour in the afternoon, see a few things the next morning and then hitchhike to Medina.

This plan was really not possible. Almost all interesting slots were taken and I didn’t end up with the most interesting tour to the Hegra sights right away. I repeatedly failed while trying to place my booking and pay for the 11 a. m. tour two days later.

Screenshot Al Ula website: Choose an "experience" and book your slot

Pro tip: Turn off the VPN that you most likely have when traveling to Saudi Arabia and then your credit card payment will work ;)

I found out about this a little bit too late and ended up with two bookings. One to Hegra, one to the Dadan tombs and Jabal Ikmah rock. I was very much urged to prioritize Hegra and from what I’ve seen it’s really worth it. If you have time, add the Dadan tour too or check on other special offers like the night visits.

Taking care of your bookings a week before is more than recommendable. Three to four days might be fine too, but make sure you check in advance what’s available and you will see how early you will have to place your booking.

2. Have a look at the Elephant Rock

One of the attractions of Al Ula that you can see for free is the Elephant Rock. The name in Arabic is a bit similar to other formations in the region. I was clever enough to hitchhike to the wrong stone only to realize that I can’t get in without a permit.

As it was already late, I was considering giving up and going home, just like the hitchhiking friend who sent me that friendly reminder. But yeah, whatever. Saudi drivers are really nice and I was confident it shouldn’t be a problem to find a ride.

Within a few minutes I was on the way to the actual Elephant Rock and it was more than worth it. Once you’re inside the area just walk through the huge arch and head to the cozy bean bags. Get a coffee or an alcohol-free drink and chill like many others in front of this incredible view.

Time-wise it was actually perfect for me. In the evening they play Arabic music through the speakers and families come here to enjoy the sunset. If you hitchhike, you can easily get a ride back. I was taken by a group of guys who sprayed me with Oud as soon as I entered the car and invited me for dinner.

3. Share accommodation in Al Ula or camp outside

Saudi Arabia wants to turn Al Ula into a premium destination for tourists. The prices for accommodation are therefore pretty high and if you're traveling alone, that’s a real problem. I ended up in a private hotel room costing 75 Euros. Without a Booking.com discount meaning I only paid 53 Euros, I would have never chosen that place. Way too much for one night.

An alternative could be to stay in one of the camps. You can pay for a glamping tent and wake up with the sunrise in the middle of nature. Sadly, that’s not exactly a cheaper option. From what I’ve heard from other travelers, the price is okay if you share the tent. Then you can probably get down to around 20 Euros per person.

If you don’t have anyone to share a rental tent with, buying one might be cheaper. Also, you’re a bit more flexible and can choose the exact spot where you will stay. If you have no car, it’s pretty hard to get to some of the glamping sites. That was also one of the reasons why I decided against it.

One problem with camping by yourself is of course that you either have no idea where to leave your stuff, or you have to carry it around with you all the time. In Al Ula that’s actually not that much of a problem. Saudi Arabia is generally safe and you can leave your bags at the waiting room where the tours start. There’s someone watching the stuff all the time.

4. Don’t get confused with the Hegra busses

One thing I didn’t like was that there isn’t much information in English about how those Hegra visits actually work. Basically you get picked up with a bus and they bring you to some little hub. You’re welcomed with dried fruits and juice, but it’s not really clear what you’re waiting for.

I would recommend to hang around at this welcome station for a little bit, to not go to the museum and shop on arrival, but to head straight for the bus that picks you up on the other side of this little camp. This one will bring you to stop number one.

Once you’ve arrived at the stop, most likely a guide at the entrance will explain some things in to the group Arabic. Just wait, read the explanations on the plates and then ask the guide directly after they’re finished to explain everything in English. They all speak the language and are more than happy to share their knowledge.

After that, no stress. You have all the time in the world to have a look at the Nabatean tombs. If you miss the bus, you take the next one. They are rotating all the time and bring you to the next stop.

All in all there are five stops on the Hegra tour with the unfinished tomb and the ancient parliament meeting place being probably the most impressive ones.

After you’re done with number 5 you take the bus back to the hub. Now you can have a look at the shop and get some souvenirs. Also be sure to have a look at the museum with information about the reconstructed skull of the Nabatean woman Hinat. Found in a grave in Hegra, the head of this ancient woman was recreated by forensic sculptures some years ago and is one of the most impressive exhibits in this little welcome center.

5. Book some event or exhibition in the Maraya concert hall

Something I missed was to book a free museum visit at Maraya concert hall. While I was there, they were showing some pieces by Andy Warhol. Yeah, why would I want to see American Pop-Art in Saudi Arabia? I passed.

(Source: Nesma & Partners, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Bad idea. It was of course not about Andy Warhol, but about the location. The concert and exhibition hall has a façade made from blank mirrors and blends into the landscape. Without a ticket to an event, you sometimes can’t visit this amazing attraction in Al Ula.

When you’re there, take some time for unforgettable pictures.

6. If you can drive, get a car

For most of the attractions in Al Ula you really need a car. Well, I’m pretty flexible and adventurous. Waving my thumb gets me a ride pretty quickly. Especially in Al Ula, that wasn’t a problem at all. People were extremely friendly and helpful.

If you want to discover the area a bit more independently however, renting a car might be a better idea. There’s really a lot to discover and when you get deeper into nature, you will find a lot of nice hiking tracks.

After all, you could also sleep in the car. Most of the Saudi cars are SUVs anyway and they give you enough space to dream comfortably.

7. Getting to Al Ula: plane, bus, driving, hitchhiking

The easiest option is of course a flight. You should check the prices of the Saudi low-cost carriers Flybe and Flynas a bit beforehand. Sometimes there are really good offers a week before as well. Count on spending at least 100 Euros.

If you want to go cheaper, there’s the buses run by SAPTCO. Go to their website, type in the cities and check the times. From Riyadh you will be on the road for 15 hours. In this case, the night bus is the best option. It leaves at 10 p.m. and arrives by 1 p.m. the next day.

And, Saudis love A/C. Even if it’s hot outside, take a jumper and warm socks on board. I was freezing half of the time.

Compared to those 15 hours on the bus, you would be much faster by car. The distance between Riyadh and Al Ula is about 1,000 km, so I would say 10 to 12 h driving. Originally I wanted to hitchhike of course, but that would have cost me precious daylight and time to work.

But honestly, rather than taking a direct bus, if you have time, there are nice places to stop on the way. Specifically Ha’il was recommended to me multiple times. Not that it’s extremely beautiful there, but the people seem to be very hospitable.

8. Take your time

I had two half days to discover the attractions and sights of Al Ula. For this limited time, I actually managed to see quite a lot. But in the end I really regret not having stayed longer in this place.

If I were to go there again, I would probably stay for three or four full days. If you want to go for some longer hikes, you could also stay for up to a week. Just keep in mind that the costs will rise quickly, especially if you book hotel accommodation.

9. Find well-priced food

Seriously, avoid international and local fast food, unless it’s Al Baik. This is the name of the most famous local burger brand: It’s pretty tasty and cheap. In all the other shops, you pay a lot of money for a tiny unsatisfying burger. If you go to more local places, you’re a lot better off.

Check for Saudi or Yemenite grills and Kabsa kitchens. You’ll get a big plate of rice with chicken or lamb as well as up to three skewers with bread and salad for about 20 to 25 Riyal (around 5 to 6 Euros at the time of writing). That’s a lot more food than one McDonald’s style burger for the same price. On the other hand, Al Baik burgers and sandwiches only cost 5 to 8 Riyal, so up to 2 Euros.

10. The reconstructed old town isn’t really worth it

When you pass through the center on the way to the “Winter Camp” where all the tours start from, you will spot the historic center. All the entrance roads are blocked, because you will need to pay for some ticket – and book it beforehand of course.

Honestly, it’s not really worth it. The old town appears a bit fake, probably because it was rebuilt. If you have seen similar places in Saudi Arabia like Riyadhs Ad Dariya, then you could easily skip it and attend some free workshops instead.

11. There’s actually a free tourist bus

Yes, there is a free tourist bus that goes from the Al Manshiyah market in the South to the Center and the historic town and all the way up to the “Winter Camp”. The question is: where does it stop? On the website there’s a pretty complex bus schedule with the names of the stops. Where that Al Manshiyah market parking is supposed to be however, I have no idea.

While trying to find the mysterious Al Manshiya bus stop, some Saudi hiking enthusiast already spotted me and insisted on driving me up to the center. There I checked for another bus stop, but a sweet elderly man helped me out getting to the “Winter Camp” with another ride.

12. Getting your Saudi visa

This is the easiest thing ever right now. If you want to see the attractions in Al Ula, then just go to the Visit Saudi website, start a new form, upload a 2x2 cm passport picture, pay the required 535 Riyal including emergency insurance (that doesn’t work for an infected finger, btw!) and within a few minutes you’ve got your visa.

(Screenshot: Visit Saudi Website)

Print it and for one year you can go in and out with that barcode. Limit of actual visits is 90 days though, so you need to count a bit. But three months and multiple entry for a year is quite a good deal, almost incomparable to other countries.