A desert valley in northwest Saudi Arabia: Hegra (Mada'in Salih), the country's first UNESCO site, with 2,000-year-old Nabataean rock tombs including Qasr al-Farid; Elephant Rock, the mirrored Maraya concert hall, the mud-brick Old Town, the inscriptions of Dadan and Jabal Ikmah, and the Harrat lava-plateau viewpoint. Most heritage sites, Hegra included, are entered only on tours booked through experiencealula.com. Best October–March (AlUla Moments festival season); May–September reaches 38°C. From Ulaanbaatar, two connections via Beijing/Riyadh or Doha/Dubai. Mongolia is not on the e-visa list: e-visa if you hold a US/UK/Schengen visa, otherwise via the embassy in Beijing.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 90 days✈ Flight: 20h☀ Best months: October, November, December, January
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: October, November, December, January, February, March.
Things to see (11)
🧸 for kids
Hegra (Mada'in Salih) and Qasr al-Farid★ 4.8 (5,000)
CultureHegra Day Tour (coach, guided) from SAR 95 per person; private 4×4 from SAR 1,000 per vehicle (up to 7)Daily, year-round; timed tours depart Winter Park (≈2–3 h)
Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO site: more than 110 rock-cut tombs of the 1st-century Nabataean kingdom — Petra's 'sister city'. The free-standing Qasr al-Farid tomb is the most famous. No self-driving; entry only on booked tours, and you cannot go inside the tombs. October–March you can fly over Hegra at sunrise by hot-air balloon (from SAR 1,295).
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goMongolia is not on Saudi Arabia's e-visa list, so sort the visa early — and book your Hegra tour in advance too.+
1
Visa: which route
If you hold a valid US, UK or Schengen visa that you have used at least once, or are a resident of the US/EU/UK or a GCC country, apply for the e-visa at visa.visitsaudi.com: one-year multiple entry, 90 days in total, ≈SAR 535 including insurance. Otherwise fill in a tourist visa application on ksavisa.sa and submit it at the Saudi Embassy in Beijing, which covers Mongolia: fee $80 + $21 service + insurance.
Tip: Look-alike 'eVisa' sites charge 2–3 times more — use only visa.visitsaudi.com and ksavisa.sa.
Hegra, Dadan, Jabal Ikmah, Maraya and Sharaan can only be visited on tours booked through Experience AlUla. The Hegra Day Tour is from SAR 95 with timed slots; in November–January and during festivals seats sell out fast. Balloons fly only October–March.
Tip: Cancel up to 3 days before the booked date for a full refund.
The tourist visa includes health insurance but with a cap, and serious patients are transferred from AlUla to Madinah, so take travel insurance that covers evacuation. Since July 2026 the Houthis in Yemen have fired missiles and drones at Riyadh and Jeddah, so check your connecting flights and UK FCDO advice.
Tip: Your passport must be valid for more than 6 months from arrival.
🛬Arrival and getting into townAlUla International Airport (ULH) is small and some way out of town.+
1
Arriving on a domestic flight
Flights take ~1 h 45 min from Riyadh and ~1 h 20 min from Jeddah. On an international flight you can land directly in AlUla and clear immigration there. The Old Town is ~35 km from the airport.
Most reliable is a pre-booked hotel transfer or a rental car from the airport. Uber and Careem operate but have few cars, so waits can be long; AlUla Taxi can be booked by WhatsApp.
AlUla airport is small, so buy an STC, Mobily or Zain visitor SIM while transiting Riyadh or Jeddah: register with your passport, fingerprints may be taken. STC Visitor: 2 weeks 5 GB SAR 40, 20 GB SAR 60.
If your phone supports eSIM, install Airalo or an STC eSIM at home. Coverage is weak in the desert at Hegra, Sharaan and Gharameel, so download AlUla in Google Maps for offline use.
Tip: Do not use a SIM registered to someone else — by law SIMs are tied to a passport.
🚇Getting around AlUlaThe sites are spread over tens of kilometres along the valley, so you need a car or booked tours.+
1
Renting a car
Driving yourself is the most flexible way to reach the Old Town, Elephant Rock, Harrat Viewpoint and Maraya. Rental firms operate at the airport and in town; bring an International Driving Permit. Camels wander onto roads at night — drive carefully.
Hegra tours leave from Winter Park by air-conditioned coach, with free parking. In season, town buses run roughly every 30 minutes and you can book rides in the Darb AlUla app.
The riyal is pegged to the US dollar: $1 ≈ SAR 3.75. Cards and Apple Pay work in hotels, restaurants and for tours; carry a little cash for small Old Town stalls and desert cafés.
AlUla is pricier than Riyadh: budget rooms from ≈SAR 150, a mid-range resort ≈SAR 770, luxury desert hotels over SAR 4,000. Prices include 15% VAT and peak in high season.
🍜FoodOasis dates, lamb and Arabic coffee; plenty of modern cafés in the Old Town.+
1
What to eat
Kabsa and mandi — spiced rice with lamb or chicken; AlUla oasis dates and citrus; cardamom Arabic coffee (gahwa). Try Old Town Market Street, the food trucks at Elephant Rock and restaurants such as Maraya Social.
Tip: Take water and light snacks into the desert — there are almost no shops on the way.
2
Halal, alcohol, Ramadan
All food is halal and there is no pork. Alcohol is banned outright — not even luxury hotels serve it. During Ramadan do not eat or drink in public by day; some restaurants close in daytime.
Police, ambulance and fire — all 911. Without a Saudi SIM, call 112. If you lose your passport, contact the Embassy of Mongolia in Riyadh and report it to the police.
AlUla is calm with little crime. Since July 2026 the Houthis in Yemen have fired missiles and drones at cities and airports including Riyadh and Jeddah, so connecting flights may be disrupted. Follow Civil Defence alerts and avoid the Yemen border region.
Summer days are very hot: drink plenty, wear a hat and sunscreen and stay out of the midday sun. Winter nights are cold, so bring warm layers for stargazing and balloon trips. Do not climb the rocks and take care at unfenced edges.
Dress is more relaxed than in Riyadh but should stay modest: loose clothing covering elbows and knees. Women do not have to wear an abaya or headscarf (cover your hair in mosques). Wear closed shoes in the desert.
At Hegra, Dadan and Jabal Ikmah do not touch or climb the rocks and inscriptions or enter tombs; no drones without a permit. Stay on the paths your guide shows and leave no litter.
Do not photograph people, especially women, without permission. Some shops close briefly at prayer times. Avoid hugging or kissing in public and loud music.
Experience AlUla — official booking for Hegra, Dadan, Maraya, Sharaan, stargazing and balloons, plus the AlUla Moments festival calendar. Visit Saudi — e-visa and general information.
The airport is ~35 km from town; roads are quiet but camels may wander on — leave early. Return your rental car at the airport or book your hotel transfer the day before.
If connecting via Riyadh, Jeddah or Doha, put all legs on one ticket so bags check through. Cancellations are possible because of the regional situation, so check your flight the day before and on the day. Dates and incense are fine to take home.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
★ 4.6 (6,260)
NatureFree entry (food and drinks extra)Daily 16:00–24:00, Thu–Fri until 00:40
A 52 m sandstone outcrop shaped like an elephant with its trunk to the ground. At sunset and in the evening there are fire-pit seats, cafés and food trucks — a relaxed family evening. About 20 minutes from the Old Town.
CultureMaraya Tour from SAR 95 per person (concerts extra)Tour ≈45 min, roughly 9:00–17:00; book via Experience AlUla
In the Ashar Valley, the world's largest mirrored building (Guinness), clad entirely in mirrors so the cliffs and desert seem to swallow it. Seasonal concerts and the Maraya Social restaurant.
CityFreeMostly from 8:00–9:00; shops 15:00–23:00, restaurants until 01:00
A 12th-century walled village of over 900 mud-and-stone houses below the hilltop Musa bin Nusayr fort. The restored Market Street has cafés, crafts and the Dar Tantora hotel. Lovely to stroll when lit up at night, with an oasis palm trail next door.
Dadan — capital of the Lihyanite kingdom★ 4.4 (540)
CultureDadan & Jabal Ikmah Tour SAR 60 per adult, ages 5–12 from SAR 30Check tour times on Experience AlUla
Capital of the Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms in the 1st millennium BC, with the 'lion tombs' carved into the cliff. One ticket also covers Jabal Ikmah; open excavations and an exhibition.
CultureIncluded in the Dadan & Jabal Ikmah Tour (SAR 60)Roughly Sun–Thu 8:00–17:00
Hundreds of Dadanite, Lihyanite, Aramaic and Nabataean inscriptions on canyon walls — an 'open-air library' tracing the development of Arabic script; listed on UNESCO's Memory of the World.
From the edge of the Harrat Uwayrid volcanic lava plateau you look down on the AlUla valley, the Old Town and the oasis. Best at sunset; drive yourself, free parking. Keep children close to the railings.
CultureIncluded in Hegra toursDuring Hegra tour times
A station of the Ottoman Hijaz Railway, built in 1908 from Damascus to Madinah: stone buildings, an old locomotive and carriages. It is on the Hegra tour route, a hit with children.
NatureFrom SAR 397 per adult, children SAR 340 (dinner included)Evenings, 3–4 h; transport leaves from the Husaak adventure camp
In the light-pollution-free Gharameel desert, among spire-like sandstone rocks, an astronomy guide shows stars and the Milky Way through telescopes; a 'moonlit night' version depending on the lunar cycle. Skies as clear as the Mongolian steppe.
NatureFrom SAR 125 per person≈2.5 h; AlUla Adventure Hub roughly Sun–Thu 8:00–17:00
Climb a cliff face on iron rungs and cables, then relax in a hammock slung 200 m above a canyon. Safety gear and guide included. Age and fitness requirements apply — check when booking.
NatureSafari Tour SAR 288 per adult, ages 8–14 SAR 230Pre-booked tours only (3–4 h)
A 1,500 km² protected area at the heart of the Arabian leopard recovery programme: sandstone canyons, Arabian gazelles and raptors. 4×4 safaris or guided hikes; desert luxury stays such as Banyan Tree are nearby.
