8D7N Saudi Arabia Heritage Quest

Upon arrival at King Abdulaziz International Airport, you will be transferred to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free at leisure. Overnight in Jeddah.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken for Jeddah City Tour. Begin your city tour by visiting 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 Nassif 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.

Visit the Central Fish Market comes to life at daybreak, selling row upon row of colorful produce fresh from the sea. In the evening, return to the hotel and overnight in Jeddah.

After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, start your journey to Al-Ula (3 hours 15 minutes) which is the birthplace of two ancient Arabian kingdoms. During the 1st millennium BC, AlUla 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. A small fort still stands in the middle of the Heritage Village of AlUla and is known as Musa Ibn Nusayr Fort. It was probably a fortified structure as early as the Dadanite or Lihyanite times as some Dadanite inscriptions were carved on the rock where the fort was built. AlUla Heritage Village (ghost town), also known as Ad-Deerah, is the traditional Arabian village where people of the oasis moved some 8 centuries ago and inhabited until the 20th century. Check-in hotel and overnight in AlUla.

After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, start your journey to Al-Ula (3 hours 15 minutes) which is the birthplace of two ancient Arabian kingdoms. During the 1st millennium BC, AlUla 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. A small fort still stands in the middle of the Heritage Village of AlUla and is known as Musa Ibn Nusayr Fort. It was probably a fortified structure as early as the Dadanite or Lihyanite times as some Dadanite inscriptions were carved on the rock where the fort was built. AlUla Heritage Village (ghost town), also known as Ad-Deerah, is the traditional Arabian village where people of the oasis moved some 8 centuries ago and inhabited until the 20th century. Check-in hotel and overnight in AlUla.

After breakfast at the hotel, proceed to visit Hegra (35 minutes). 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 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. 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. In the evening, return to hotel and overnight in AlUla.

After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, you will be driven to Hail (4 hours 50 minutes). With its strategic location, the city of Hail hosted several fortified buildings protecting its rulers. The oldest and probably most famous is the Earif Fort which is built on top of a rock which provides the best viewpoint over the city. Hail is well-known for the generosity of its people as it is the place where Hatim al-Tai, who was a famous Arab poet and one of the characters of The One Thousand and One Nights, lived. Stories about his extreme generosity have made him an icon to Arabs throughout time, as in the proverbial phrase “more generous than Hatem”. Check-in hotel and overnight in Hail.

After breakfast and checkout from the hotel, travel to UNESCO World Heritage site, Jubbah (1 hour 25 minutes). This world-famous site features some of the best rock-art in Saudi Arabia. Strewn across the scorched rocks of Jabal Umm Sinman are thousands of intricate rock carvings, some of which are thought to be over 10,000 years old. On returning to Hail, reach to the airport for your flight to Jeddah. Upon arrival at KAIA airport, transfer to hotel for check-in. Overnight in Jeddah.

After breakfast at the hotel and check out, you are free at leisure until your transfer to the airport for your departure.

Thank you and do not forget to book your next travel arrangement with CIT!