Saudi Arabia, the desert jewel (2024)

Jour 1

Welcome to Saudi Arabia, a country of contrasts that will leave you with amazing memories. A transfer to your hotel in JEDDAH, on the shores of the Red Sea, the country´s second city, with four million inhabitants.19:00 hrs.- We meet our guide at the hotel reception. We will take a walk through the historic center, better known as Al-Balad, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, with its impressive set of medieval alleys and its houses made with coral and wooden balconies. The lighting of the neighborhood at night makes it especially attractive and there are very nice restaurants.

Jour 2

Full day in Jeddah. With a local guide we will explore this city of astonishing contrasts. At the moment a large part of the city is being rebuilt to make it a great global megalopolis. The construction, among other things, of the Jeddah Tower stands out, which will be the tallest building in the world upon completion with more than a thousand meters high. We will continue towards the Corniche, with its beautiful views, its mosques by the sea and its recreational areas. We will contemplate the King Fahd Fountain, the highest of its kind in the world, its water jets reach more than 300 meters high. We will make a stop at the active and picturesque fish market. We will include admission to “Al Taybat International city”, an architectural complex of great beauty with very interesting history and ethnography museums. We will visit the historic center again, entering through Bab Makkah - the most important gate in Jedah. We will see inside the elegant house of Beit Salloum, today converted into a museum. We will also pass through the Eve cemetery, where, according to the tradition, Eve, Adam´s wife and the first woman of humanity, according to the Bible, was buried. Free time for lunch in a shopping center - Mall - where you can choose among various restaurants and types of food offered there.In the afternoon we will visit the Al Rahma Mosque, better known as the floating mosque, as it was built on the shores of the Red Sea with pillars on the water. We will also enjoy the lively marina, very close to the tracks, where the Formula 1 racetrack is held.

Jour 3

After breakfast we leave for the Arabia inland, large highways crossing deserts and mountains take us to the holy city of MEDINA - “the luminous city”. Arriving at noon, we will make a stop at a large shopping center at the entrance to the city to have lunch in its “food court”, according to your preferences. We are in an imposing historical destination, one of the two most sacred cities in Islam, a destination, where millions of pilgrims arrive every year and a city prohibited for non-Muslims until very recently. It is in a holy place, respect for its inhabitants and beliefs and wearing an appropriate way of dressing is required. We will walk around the immense Prophet´s Mosque (Al Masjid an Nabawi), an amazing and luminous mosque with 10 minarets with capacity for a million visitors, built by the prophet himself and the place where he is buried. We will visit the UHUD mountain, an important pilgrimage site, where the prophet´s forces clashed against the troops of Mecca. You can walk along its immense esplanade and climb the mountain, but remember to do so in silence and respecting the hundreds of pilgrims who will surround us any day. In the Quba Mosque, in the year 622, the prophet and his followers laid the first stone of what would be the first mosque in history, although the current building is more recent. From this point we will walk to the nearby garden and well of Ethiq, where the different tribes of the place came out to greet and give water to the Prophet and his companions who had recently arrived in Medina after his persecution in Mecca. We will then have some free time in the city center so you can stroll through its shopping areas or - if you’d like to - visit the Hejaz Railway Museum (in the old Ottoman train station).In the afternoon we will visit the Al Madinah museum about the history of the city. At dusk we will go towards the Al Masjid mosque to feel once again the emotions, when we observe the thousands of people entering at prayer time and admire the illuminations. Dinner included.

Jour 4

After breakfast we continue our route towards the east of the country. We cross a very sparsely populated region, desert areas with landscapes of multiple colors. Arrival in BURAIDAH, capital of the province of El Qasim with more than 600,000 inhabitants located in a large oasis. Free time for lunch. After that we will explore this city whose economy is based on agriculture of oasis products (dates, lemons, oranges, wheat). Annually, around August, a huge date market attracts numerous people from different places to buy this fruit. We will visit “the city of the date”, more or less active depending on the time of year, where we can taste this sweet fruit of the palm tree. Later, we will make a stop at the Al Oqilat Museum revealing the traditions of Arabia and the customs of the region. After that we will have time to walk through the city center with its vegetable market, its great mosque, its jewelry souks and its activity. Dinner included.

Jour 5

Early morning we will go to see the largest Camel Market in the world, located in Buraidah - a city that also has a camel hospital. After that we continue along the ancient route of pilgrims who traveled from Iraq to Mecca, with its numerous historical cities and small oases that mark them. Arrival at USHAIQER and visit the Heritage Village, a town that was an important stop for pilgrims due to its springs and the beauty of its oasis. We will also be able to see its small museum and its Najdi architecture houses with their carved wooden doors, their beautiful windows and their triangular roofs. Lunch included. Dune desert landscapes take us to SHAQRA, a city that is growing next to its university. We will visit the well-fortified ancient city, with its picturesque old market and adobe alleys. We continue to AL QASAB which was known since ancient times for its production of salt and wheat, also for its poets. We will visit the walled city and the small saline lagoons, where 200,000 tons of salt are still produced per year. In the evening we will arrive to RIYADH, the capital of Arabia, a very active city with almost eight million inhabitants.

Jour 6

Today (varying order of activities depending on time of the year) we will visit the impressive capital of Saudi Arabia. We will include the climb to the tower just over 300 m high, the “Kingdom Centre”, with its beautiful design and its “bridge-shaped” viewpoint that offers spectacular views over the city. We will also visit, surrounded by a beautiful park, the National Museum, the largest museum in the country, where we will learn about the history, culture and art of the Kingdom. After that we will visit the Masmak Fortress, the old fortress of the city, whose interior allows us to understand the incredible change that developed in this city during the last century. Next, we will have time to walk through the neighborhood, with its souks and commercial life. Free time for lunch in a shopping center - Mall - where you can choose among the various restaurants and types of food offered there.In the evening we will visit the Al Rajhi Mosque, the largest mosque in Riyadh with its Andalusian-style architecture, we will witness a prayer and have an introduction to Islam that will surely make us learn something about this religion.At the end of the day we will include a transfer and admission to Riyadh City Boulevard, full of life and activity, the attractions, the numerous restaurants with specialties from numerous countries, its live shows, and - above all - the spectacle of colorful fountains. Free time for dinner and a walk enjoying this place. Return to the hotel.

Jour 7

On the outskirts of Riyadh is the Al Turaif district, where we will visit DIRIYAH, an area declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This place housed the first capital of the Saudi dynasty and today we can discover its beauty thanks to the vestiges of its numerous palaces and the urban complex on the edge of the oasis. After that we continue our route along excellent highways towards the AL-AHSA Oasis, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, with its gardens, canals and wells. Inhabited since the Neolithic, it is considered the largest oasis in the world with its almost 3 million date palms. Arrival in AL HOFUF, the main city of the oasis. We will walk through the elegant Al Qaisariya souq, one of the oldest markets in Arabia that reflects the commercial tradition of the region and we will take an evening walk through King Abdullah Park, a pleasant park with its artificial lake and fountains that dance to the rhythm of the music. Dinner included.

Jour 8

After breakfast we will visit the city. We will see the Ibrahim Palace, a historic fortress (World Heritage Site) dominated by its white mosque, built in 1556 by the Ottomans. After that we will visit “House of Allegiance”, which shows us a small palace characteristic of the oasis. We will approach the lively area, where the Mehaires Palace stands, with its numerous restaurants, shops and parks where the local population goes. Later we continue through the oasis towards AL QARA, a historical place and spectacular landscape area of labyrinths, mini-gorges and caves in the mountain, which will seem as if you were entering the mountain. The temperature is constant throughout the year and is around 25 degrees. We will also have the opportunity to visit its “Land of Civilizations” museum that describes the history of the area.In the afternoon we continue our route towards the Persian Gulf. We will visit the modern city of DAMMAM, the provincial capital of almost a million inhabitants. Before arrival we will make a stop at the impressive Ithra site and its very modern King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture - a rock-shaped place, architecturally very striking and that has leisure areas, museums and a library. Already in Dammam, next to the sea, we will make a brief stop to see the Khobar water tower. Following its modern promenade we will reach the Heritage Village, which in the form of a fortress next to the sea invites us to get to know the Saudi civilization. Here we discover its small museum of antique objects, including the collection of historic automobiles. Dinner included.Note: during the creation of this itinerary the Ibrahim Palace was closed for restoration. During the time it still remains closed, it will be known from the outside.

Jour 9

After breakfast, end of our services.