AlUla

AlUla reveals history through silence, sandstone and scale. Tombs, oases, ancient trade routes and monumental rock formations create a desert landscape where archaeology and nature appear inseparable.

AlUla lies in the Hejaz region of north-western Saudi Arabia, in a long oasis valley of date palms and citrus gardens framed by sandstone cliffs. For millennia it sat on the incense route between southern Arabia and the Mediterranean. The Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms ruled here first; later the Nabataeans, builders of Petra, made Hegra their great southern city. In 2008 Hegra became Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hegra’s more than one hundred monumental tombs are carved into free-standing outcrops, their facades still sharp after two thousand years. The mud-brick old town of AlUla, inhabited until the twentieth century, has been restored around its lanes and hilltop fortress; nearby are Dadan, the inscriptions of Jabal Ikmah and the vast natural arch of Elephant Rock. Maraya, the mirrored concert hall in the Ashar valley, gives the desert a contemporary landmark.

The season runs from October to March, when days are warm and clear and desert nights can be genuinely cold, especially in December and January. This is when the region’s cultural calendar is at its fullest, gathered under the AlUla Moments programme: concerts at Maraya, arts and heritage festivals through the winter, and hot-air balloon flights over the canyons at dawn when conditions allow.

From May to September temperatures regularly pass 40°C, and sightseeing is limited to early morning and evening; some camps and resorts reduce their activities. October and April offer a good balance of comfortable weather and quieter sites. Visits to Hegra and Dadan are by guided tour only, so arranging them in advance, along with the night-time experiences in the canyons, is part of any well-planned stay.

AlUla’s hotels are few and closely tied to the landscape. Banyan Tree AlUla sets its tented villas among the sandstone walls of the Ashar valley, and Our Habitas AlUla stands in the same valley with a more relaxed desert-camp spirit. The Chedi Hegra occupies restored historic buildings close to the Nabataean tombs, and Dar Tantora The House Hotel is set within the restored lanes of the old town. LVXVRY advises on and arranges each stay directly, together with guided access to Hegra.