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Nabataean tomb facades with carved stepped crowns and doorways cut into a weathered sandstone outcrop at Hegra, AlUla, under a clear sky

Travel guide from India

Saudi Arabia

Return flights from India

₹20,433 live

Mumbai to Riyadh, checked in the last 48 hours

Watch this fare
Best time
Dec–Feb
First trip
8–11 nights
Visa for Indians
Visa needed, 90 days
In this guide
8 places

Saudi Arabia covers most of the Arabian Peninsula, a few hours' flight west of India, and opened up to leisure tourism only in 2019. It pairs the Nabataean tombs of Hegra and the mud-brick old capital of Diriyah with Jeddah's coral-stone old town, Red Sea reefs and cool southern mountains. The kingdom has large Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities whose curry shops serve thalis, and many restaurants will leave the meat out of a dish if you ask.

Your first trip

8–11 nights, 6 stops

  1. The Kingdom Centre tower with its open, bridged top against a hazy orange sky in Riyadh
    Riyadh3 nights
  2. A mud-plastered Najdi-style building in Diriyah with a wooden-roofed balcony lit by lanterns at dusk
    Diriyah and At-TuraifDay trip
  3. Visitors on the sheer sandstone cliffs of the Edge of the World above a vast desert plain
    Edge of the WorldDay trip
  4. Elephant Rock in AlUla, a huge sandstone outcrop with a trunk-like arch, under a deep blue sky
    AlUla and Hegra2–3 nights
  5. Old houses with carved wooden roshan balconies along a street in Jeddah's historic Al-Balad
    Jeddah2–3 nights
  6. Cars on a road curving across a steep, rocky mountainside near Taif
    Taif1–2 nights

When travel advice allows, fly into Riyadh for the city, Diriyah and a sunset at the Edge of the World, fly on to AlUla for Hegra and the old town, then fly to Jeddah for Al-Balad and the Corniche and finish with a drive up the escarpment to Taif. The loop suits the cooler months, roughly November to March; in summer, when the lowlands bake, Taif is the mountain escape, and late March or April brings Taif's rose harvest.

Flying into Riyadh for 8–11 nights? FlyBun can check Google every day for the dates you can travel and email you when that trip gets cheaper.

When to go

The best months, place by place

Jeddah month by month: weather and fares →Riyadh month by month: weather and fares →
Jeddah highs, °C
29°
31°
33°
36°
40°
41°
41°
41°
41°
38°
34°
31°
Jeddah Weather and fares overall
Riyadh City
Diriyah and At-Turaif Heritage
Edge of the World Hill country
AlUla and Hegra Heritage
Jeddah City
Taif Hill country
Abha and the Asir highlands Hill country

Best monthsShoulderHotter, wetter or busierThis monthBlue highs: a wet month, 150 mm or more

Temperatures: NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources) Daily API v2.10.0, MERRA-2 based, 2001-2020 monthly means of daily values, 2001–2020 monthly means.

No official Saudi tourism page describing seasons could be opened, so these ratings are derived from the NASA POWER climate normals: highs sit at or above 38°C from May to October, ease to 31 to 36°C in November, March and April, and settle at 29 to 31°C from December to February with almost no rain in any month.

Places to visit

Places to visit in Saudi Arabia

8 places in the order you would meet them on a first trip. Tap one for what to do there.

The Kingdom Centre tower with its open, bridged top against a hazy orange sky in Riyadh
City

Riyadh

The capital: Masmak Fort, the National Museum, the Kingdom Centre's Sky Bridge, old souqs and cheap Indian food.

3 nightsabout 30 min from Riyadh airportBest Nov–Mar

What to do here →

Riyadh, the capital, lies on the Tuwaiq escarpment near the middle of the country and sprawls so far that you will rely on taxis, ride-hailing or the six-line metro. The old core in the south holds Masmak Fort, the souqs and the National Museum, while the towers of Olaya, the Kingdom Centre among them, mark the modern north. For a cheap, filling meal, the city has countless small Indian and Pakistani restaurants.

Visit Saudi picks November to March, Riyadh's winter and desert camping season, when highs average around 23°C against about 43°C in summer.

Sources: Visit Saudi: Riyadh, Visit Saudi: Al Masmak Palace, Visit Saudi: The National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Visit Saudi: Kingdom Centre, Visit Saudi: Souq Al Zal, Visit Saudi: Riyadh Metro, Visit Saudi: Getting around Saudi, Wikivoyage: Riyadh, Wikivoyage: Saudi Arabia (checked 14 Oct)

What to do in Riyadh

  1. 1Masmak FortThe mud-brick fort that the young Abdulaziz Al Saud and his men stormed in 1902, the raid that began the modern Saudi state, is now a museum, and the tip of a spear thrown in that fight is still stuck in its gate.
  2. 2National Museum and Murabba PalaceOpened in 1999 in the Murabba district, the museum takes you from prehistoric Arabia to the modern kingdom in halls such as Man and Universe, with almost everything labelled in English, and King Abdulaziz's two-storey mud-brick Murabba Palace stands next door.
  3. 3Kingdom Centre Sky BridgeRide up the 99-floor tower, opened in 2003, to the Sky Bridge slung between its two peaks; Wikivoyage suggests going at dusk or after dark, when the flat, lit-up city spreads out below.
  4. 4Souq Al ZalOne of Riyadh's oldest markets, in the Al-Dirah district at the heart of the city, is the place to browse antiques, old coins and auctions, along with oud, incense, perfume and the traditional men's cloak called the mishlah.
A mud-plastered Najdi-style building in Diriyah with a wooden-roofed balcony lit by lanterns at dusk
HeritageDay trip

Diriyah and At-Turaif

The mud-brick first capital of the Saudi state, a UNESCO site, with dining above Wadi Hanifa at Bujairi Terrace.

about 1 h from Riyadh airportBest Nov–Feb

What to do here →

On Riyadh's north-western edge, about 15 km from the King Abdullah Financial District, Diriyah was the Al Saud family's capital from 1727 until Ottoman forces defeated it in 1818. Its At-Turaif district, built of mud brick in the Najdi style in the mid-18th century, joined UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2010 and opened to visitors again in 2022 after restoration. It is a short drive from Riyadh's hotels, so it works as a day or evening out from the city.

Visit Saudi's Diriyah guide names November to February as the winter season; come early or late in the day for the golden light on the mud walls.

Sources: Visit Saudi: Diriyah, Visit Saudi: At-Turaif District, Visit Saudi: A Full Day in Diriyah, Visit Saudi: Bujairi Terrace, Visit Saudi: Wadi Hanifa, Visit Saudi: Al Samhaniya, Wikivoyage: Diriyah, Wikivoyage: Riyadh (checked 14 Oct)

What to do in Diriyah and At-Turaif

  1. 1At-Turaif and Salwa PalaceWalk the restored lanes to Salwa Palace, seat of the First Saudi State, whose rooms now hold the Diriyah Museum's galleries on the old capital's rulers, daily life and building methods.
  2. 2Bujairi TerraceOn the far side of the wadi, restored Najdi buildings of clay brick house restaurants and cafés, Saudi and international, that look back over At-Turaif.
  3. 3Wadi HanifaThe valley that winds about 120 km through the capital is now a long park of trails, lakes and picnic spots, at its best in winter and spring; stay out of it in rain, as wadis can flood very fast.
  4. 4Al SamhaniyaThis mud-brick quarter on a plateau above Wadi Hanifa, a stronghold during the 1818 siege, has 36 heritage buildings, restored after 2013, that now hold cafés and small shops.
  5. 5JAX DistrictClose to Diriyah, this newer arts district hosts galleries and exhibitions by Saudi and international artists.
Visitors on the sheer sandstone cliffs of the Edge of the World above a vast desert plain
Hill countryDay trip

Edge of the World

Sheer cliffs at the end of the Tuwaiq escarpment, seen at sunset on a 4WD or tour trip from Riyadh.

about 2 h 30 min from Riyadh airportBest Nov–Mar

What to do here →

The Edge of the World is a run of sheer cliffs at the end of the Tuwaiq escarpment, about 100 km north-west of Riyadh, where the plateau drops away to a wide desert plain. There are no services out here and much of the way in is rough dirt track, so go with a tour or in a four-wheel drive and make it a half-day trip timed for sunset.

Visit Saudi gives November to March as the winter and camping season around Riyadh, when daytime highs are near 23°C.

Sources: Visit Saudi: Edge of the World, Visit Saudi: Riyadh, Wikivoyage: Riyadh (checked 14 Oct)

What to do in Edge of the World

  1. 1Sunset or sunrise from the rimVisit Saudi rates the start and end of the day as the best times on the clifftop, when the sky changes colour over the valley and the desert beyond.
  2. 2Go with a tour or a 4WDTours from Riyadh head out for sunset, often with a Saudi-style picnic by the cliffs; if you drive yourself, take a four-wheel drive, supplies and a phone with GPS, as the signal can drop.
  3. 3Stay back from the dropWikivoyage notes that fatal accidents have happened at the Edge, so keep well back from the cliff edge.
  4. 4Fossils and desert plantsLook for fossil shells and other sea creatures left from when this land lay under water, and for samar and acacia trees on the valley floor.
Elephant Rock in AlUla, a huge sandstone outcrop with a trunk-like arch, under a deep blue sky
Heritage

AlUla and Hegra

Hegra's Nabataean tombs, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO site, plus a mud-brick old town and Elephant Rock.

2–3 nightsabout 2 h 30 min by flight from Riyadh airportBest Oct–Apr

What to do here →

AlUla is an oasis valley of date palms and sandstone cliffs in the north-west, about two hours by air from Riyadh, with flights from Jeddah too, or three hours' drive from Madinah. A royal commission has been developing it for visitors since 2017, and it is the base for Hegra, 22 km away, and for the ancient sites of Dadan and Jabal Ikmah. Its oasis has some 2.3 million date palms, with signposted trails winding through the groves past mud-brick ruins and working farms.

Visit Saudi gives October to April, its winter season, when highs are around 25°C against 45°C in summer; even then, sightsee early or late in the day.

Sources: Visit Saudi: AlUla, Visit Saudi: Hegra in AlUla, Visit Saudi: AlUla Old Town, Visit Saudi: Maraya Concert Hall (getting there), Experience AlUla: Hegra, Experience AlUla: Old Town, Experience AlUla: Elephant Rock, Experience AlUla: Dadan, Experience AlUla: Jabal Ikmah, Experience AlUla: Harrat Viewpoint, Experience AlUla: AlUla Oasis, Experience AlUla: Getting to and around AlUla, Wikivoyage: Al-Ula, Wikivoyage: Hegra (checked 14 Oct)

What to do in AlUla and Hegra

  1. 1HegraSaudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site was a Nabataean stop on the incense trade route, with more than 110 rock-cut tombs, 94 of them with carved façades, including Qasr al-Farid, cut into a lone boulder and never finished; guided coach or 4x4 tours run between the tomb groups, as private cars are not allowed inside.
  2. 2AlUla Old TownWander the alleys of this 12th-century mud-brick town, once a resting place on the incense routes and on the pilgrim road between Damascus and Makkah, overlooked by a fort about 45 m high; it is liveliest from late afternoon into the evening.
  3. 3Elephant RockAbout 20 minutes' drive north-east of the old town, wind and rain have worn a 52 m sandstone outcrop into the shape of an elephant; come at dusk, when it is lit up and people gather round fire pits.
  4. 4Dadan and Jabal IkmahOne tour covers Dadan, seat of the ancient Dadan and Lihyan kingdoms over two millennia ago, where tombs flanked by carved lions sit high in a red cliff, and Jabal Ikmah, a canyon of hundreds of ancient inscriptions on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.
  5. 5Harrat ViewpointDrive up a volcanic mountain to this lookout at 1,219 m for sunset over the oasis, the old town and Dadan, then stay to look at the stars through its telescopes.
Old houses with carved wooden roshan balconies along a street in Jeddah's historic Al-Balad
City

Jeddah

Al-Balad's coral-stone houses and souqs, a seafront Corniche with a towering fountain, and Red Sea diving.

2–3 nightsabout 30 min from Jeddah airportBest Oct–Apr

What to do here →

Jeddah, the kingdom's second-largest city, has been a Red Sea port for centuries and once traded across the Indian Ocean; its old quarter, Al-Balad, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014. Tall houses of coral stone with carved wooden balconies called rawasheen line the alleys and souqs, while the modern city stretches north along a seafront Corniche of about 30 km. It is also the usual starting point for the drive up to Taif.

Visit Saudi gives October to April for Jeddah, when highs are nearer 31°C than the 41°C of summer.

Sources: Visit Saudi: Jeddah, Visit Saudi: Historic Jeddah (Al Balad), Visit Saudi: Souq Al Alawi, Visit Saudi: Beit Nassif, Visit Saudi: Jeddah Corniche, Visit Saudi: King Fahd's Fountain, Visit Saudi: Scuba diving sites near Jeddah, Visit Saudi: 5 Must-Do Experiences in Jeddah, Wikivoyage: Jeddah, Wikivoyage: Ta'if, Wikivoyage: Saudi Arabia (checked 14 Oct)

What to do in Jeddah

  1. 1Al-BaladGive the old town three or four hours in the late afternoon and evening, when it is cooler and the souqs, heritage houses and cafés are at their busiest.
  2. 2Souq Al-Alawi and Beit NassifSouq Al-Alawi, which dates from 1716 and began as a stop for pilgrims on their way to Makkah, sells incense, spices, jewellery and old-style remedies, and nearby Beit Nassif, a merchant mansion more than 150 years old where King Abdulaziz once lived, has an old neem tree at its door.
  3. 3Corniche and King Fahd's FountainWalk or cycle the seafront past open-air sculptures and play areas at sunset, then watch King Fahd's Fountain throw a jet of water up to about 300 m, lit up after dark.
  4. 4Dive or snorkel the reefsJeddah's dive operators run boats to reefs and wrecks such as the Chicken Wreck, lying at 10–18 m, where 30–40 m visibility is common; Visit Saudi rates spring the best diving season, and families can snorkel instead.
  5. 5teamLab BorderlessIn Al-Balad, this digital art museum spreads more than 80 interactive light works across about a hectare, and they react as you move, which children love.
Cars on a road curving across a steep, rocky mountainside near Taif
Hill country

Taif

A cool mountain city of rose farms and rosewater stills, a winding drive up the escarpment from Jeddah.

1–2 nightsabout 2 h 30 min from Jeddah airportBest May–Aug, Dec–Feb

What to do here →

Taif sits at about 1,880 m in the Sarawat Mountains east of Makkah, which keeps it far cooler than Jeddah and makes it one of the kingdom's most popular summer escapes. It is known as the City of Roses, for the Taif rose its farms grow for rosewater, oil and perfume. Most visitors drive up from Jeddah, two to three hours away depending on the route, and the mountain areas of Al Hada and Al Shafa lie just outside town.

Visit Saudi names two seasons: May to August, when Taif stays mild compared with the hot lowland cities, and December to February.

Sources: Visit Saudi: Taif, Visit Saudi: Rose water in Saudi, Visit Saudi: Top places in Taif for families, Wikivoyage: Ta'if, Wikivoyage: Saudi Arabia (checked 14 Oct)

What to do in Taif

  1. 1Rose farms and distilleriesGo in the picking season from late March into April, when farmers gather petals before sunrise and boil them for hours in copper pots, condensing the steam into rosewater and rose oil.
  2. 2Al Hada mountainTake the winding road up Al Hada at dawn or shortly before sunset, which Visit Saudi rates the best times for the views, and ride a cable car over the mountains.
  3. 3Al Shafa and fruit farmsHigher up, at 2,200–2,500 m, Al Shafa brings green slopes, cool air and mountain cafés, and fruit farms in the highlands let families pick strawberries and other berries.
  4. 4Old Taif and Al Kaaki PalaceBrowse the old town's markets for perfume, spices and crafts, and look at Al Kaaki Palace, built of juniper wood, granite and stained glass.
Island

The Red Sea islands

A new top-end resort area of islands, coral reefs and mangroves between Umluj and Al Wajh.

2–3 nightsabout 2 h 30 min by flight from Jeddah airport

What to do here →

Branded simply as The Red Sea, this new resort area spreads along the coast and across more than 90 islands between Umluj and Al Wajh, with Shura Island as its hub. Every resort sits firmly at the top end and there is little else nearby; you arrive through Red Sea International Airport or by road, about 550 km from Jeddah. The draw is the water: coral reefs, mangroves, sea turtles and very clear seas.

Sources: Visit Saudi: The Red Sea, Visit Saudi: Can't-miss experiences in The Red Sea, Visit Saudi: Four days in The Red Sea, Visit Saudi: Shura Island, Wikivoyage: Red Sea Project (checked 14 Oct)

What to do in The Red Sea islands

  1. 1Snorkel and dive the reefsThe reefs hold more than 330 kinds of coral, reef fish and sea turtles, and you may spot the critically endangered hawksbill turtle.
  2. 2Kayak the mangrovesPaddle narrow mangrove channels with a conservation guide who explains how the forest shelters birds, fish and the shore.
  3. 3StargazingUnder dark skies, the resort area's astronomy team leads star walks and full-moon hikes and offers telescope hire.
  4. 4Inland hikesTrails of 1 to 10 km head into red granite mountains past petroglyphs, stone circles and traces of old nomad camps.
  5. 5Pair it with AlUlaBoth lie in the north-west, so a few days on the coast fit neatly after AlUla.
Stone tower houses with white-framed windows in the old village of Rijal Almaa, below green Asir hills
Hill country

Abha and the Asir highlands

Misty southern mountains with juniper forests, cable cars, painted Asiri villages and stone tower houses.

2–3 nightsabout 2 h 30 min by flight from Jeddah airportBest Mar–Sep

What to do here →

Abha, capital of Asir in the far south-west, sits high in the Sarawat Mountains, and its mild climate and mist-covered peaks make it a favourite summer getaway for Saudis. Juniper forests cover the slopes around Al Soudah, which rises to 3,015 m, and the region is known for Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, the bold geometric wall painting done by women, which UNESCO added to its intangible heritage list in 2017. The UK government currently advises against all but essential travel to Asir province because of attacks from Yemen, so check the latest advice before you plan a trip here.

Visit Saudi recommends March to September, when Asir is milder than the rest of the country and light rain greens the hills.

Sources: Visit Saudi: Aseer, Visit Saudi: Aseer hiking guide, Visit Saudi: The cable cars of Abha, Visit Saudi: Top 5 cultural experiences in Aseer, Visit Saudi: Rijal Almaa Village, Visit Saudi: Al Muftaha, Wikivoyage: Abha, Wikivoyage: Asir, Wikivoyage: Saudi Arabia, UK FCDO: Saudi Arabia travel advice (checked 14 Oct)

What to do in Abha and the Asir highlands

  1. 1Al SoudahWalk the trails among the junipers of Al Soudah park, high on the mountains, or ride its cable car for wide views.
  2. 2Rijal AlmaaAbout 45 km from Abha via the Aqabat Al-Samma road, this village of multi-storey stone houses, some eight floors high, has a museum of village life and was named one of the UN World Tourism Organization's Best Tourism Villages in 2021.
  3. 3Al Muftaha villageIn central Abha, lanes painted with Asiri geometric murals lead to galleries, artists' studios and the King Fahd Cultural Center.
  4. 4Abha cable carRide from Abu Khayal Park up to Green Mountain, which is lit emerald green after sunset, for a bird's-eye view of the city.
  5. 5Tuesday MarketAbha's traditional market now trades every day but is busiest on Tuesdays, with local honey, silver jewellery, woven baskets and farm produce.

Getting around

Distances are long, so most visitors normally fly between regions: Riyadh to Jeddah takes about 90 minutes by air, and AlUla's airport has flights from both cities. The UK government currently warns that disruption and cancellations at Saudi airports are very likely, so confirm with your airline before you book. On the west coast the Haramain high-speed railway links Jeddah, which has a station at its airport, with King Abdullah Economic City and Madinah. Riyadh has a six-line metro; elsewhere taxis, Uber and Careem or a hire car are the usual way around.

Visa for Indian passports

Visa needed, 90 days

Indian passport holders need a visa for Saudi Arabia before travel. Allow about 14 days for a first-time application. eVisa or visa on arrival if you hold a used US, UK or Schengen visa. Free 96-hour stopover visa on Saudia or flynas with an onward ticket. Tourist visa via VFS Tasheer with biometrics.

Before you book, check the Ministry of External Affairs travel advisories and the Consulate General of India, Jeddah for the latest guidance.

Getting there

Where to land in Saudi Arabia

2 airports FlyBun tracks, priced from your city. Live fares were checked in the last 48 hours; the rest are the lowest seen in 14 days.

Flying from

Before you go

Sort these before you book

Visa needed, 90 days

Allow about 14 days before you fly.

Official visa page →

Travel advisory

There is a current advisory for this country; read it before booking.

Consulate General of India, Jeddah →

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Saudi Arabia: questions

What are the best places to visit in Saudi Arabia?

Riyadh: The capital: Masmak Fort, the National Museum, the Kingdom Centre's Sky Bridge, old souqs and cheap Indian food. Diriyah and At-Turaif: The mud-brick first capital of the Saudi state, a UNESCO site, with dining above Wadi Hanifa at Bujairi Terrace. Edge of the World: Sheer cliffs at the end of the Tuwaiq escarpment, seen at sunset on a 4WD or tour trip from Riyadh. AlUla and Hegra: Hegra's Nabataean tombs, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO site, plus a mud-brick old town and Elephant Rock. Jeddah: Al-Balad's coral-stone houses and souqs, a seafront Corniche with a towering fountain, and Red Sea diving. Taif: A cool mountain city of rose farms and rosewater stills, a winding drive up the escarpment from Jeddah. The Red Sea islands: A new top-end resort area of islands, coral reefs and mangroves between Umluj and Al Wajh. Abha and the Asir highlands: Misty southern mountains with juniper forests, cable cars, painted Asiri villages and stone tower houses.

How many days do you need for Saudi Arabia?

A first trip takes about 8–11 nights: Riyadh (3 nights), Diriyah and At-Turaif (1 night), Edge of the World (1 night), AlUla and Hegra (2–3 nights), Jeddah (2–3 nights), Taif (1–2 nights). When travel advice allows, fly into Riyadh for the city, Diriyah and a sunset at the Edge of the World, fly on to AlUla for Hegra and the old town, then fly to Jeddah for Al-Balad and the Corniche and finish with a drive up the escarpment to Taif. The loop suits the cooler months, roughly November to March; in summer, when the lowlands bake, Taif is the mountain escape, and late March or April brings Taif's rose harvest.

What is the best time to visit Saudi Arabia?

Peak season is Dec–Feb. No official Saudi tourism page describing seasons could be opened, so these ratings are derived from the NASA POWER climate normals: highs sit at or above 38°C from May to October, ease to 31 to 36°C in November, March and April, and settle at 29 to 31°C from December to February with almost no rain in any month.

Do Indians need a visa for Saudi Arabia?

Indian passport holders need a visa for Saudi Arabia before travel. Allow about 14 days for a first-time application. eVisa or visa on arrival if you hold a used US, UK or Schengen visa. Free 96-hour stopover visa on Saudia or flynas with an onward ticket. Tourist visa via VFS Tasheer with biometrics.

How much is a flight to Saudi Arabia from India?

The lowest return fare FlyBun has seen in the last 14 days is ₹15,018, Mumbai to Riyadh, for October 2026 departures. Fares change daily.

Places and things to do are written by FlyBun from official tourism, heritage and park sources, linked under each place, last checked 14 Oct. We leave out entry fees and opening hours because they change; check them before you go.

Watch a route and FlyBun alerts you free when its fare drops.