AlUla and Hegra

AlUla, in the northwest of Saudi Arabia, is the country's most spectacular ancient destination, a vast, dramatic landscape of golden desert, sandstone canyons and palm oases at the heart of which lies Hegra, the kingdom's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The southern capital of the Nabataeans, the same civilisation that built Petra, Hegra is a breathtaking city of more than a hundred monumental tombs, their elaborate facades carved directly into huge, isolated rock outcrops rising from the sands, long hidden and now newly opened to the world.

What you actually see

• Hegra - the Nabataean tombs carved into desert rock outcrops.
• Tomb of Lihyan - the great solitary carved tomb, Hegra's icon.
• Elephant Rock - the natural rock formation shaped like an elephant.
• The old town and oasis - the mud-brick old town of AlUla and its palms.

When to go

October to March, the cool season, for bearable temperatures, as the desert summer is fiercely hot; this is also when AlUla hosts its festivals and events. Sites are visited on organised experiences, so book ahead, especially in the popular winter season.

Honest expectations

It is a major, newly developed destination, so most sites are visited on organised, guided experiences that must be booked, and it can be pricier and more curated than the raw archaeological sites of some countries. It is remote, reached by a flight. Saudi Arabia opened to tourism only in 2019, so infrastructure is new and evolving. Hegra's tombs and the AlUla landscape, though, are genuinely spectacular and uncrowded.

Nearby

The ancient oasis of Khaybar and the AlUla canyons are within the region.