Saudi Arabia tour with locals

Riyadh - Madinah - Jeddah - Taif

·         10.10. We are arriving in the third biggest city in the Arab world - the capital, Riyadh. Welcome to Saudi Arabia! The place where the futuristic projects meet Mecca and Madinah. We will have a drive on the brand new First Subway in Saudi Arabia. In the evening, we will visit the old part of the city to have a traditional dinner and explore the “workers” part of the city in central Riyadh. We will also visit a few pieces of Saudi brutalist architecture in this part. Evening visit to the local bazaar for a mint tea.

·         11.10. Starting today at Masmak fortress with the history museum and a beautiful Saudi Arabian flag, continuing through the well-known Alsafat square, where the executions used to take place just a few years ago. The traditional underground shopping mall, or bazaar full of spices, Saudi perfumes, and traditional oud wood from Yemen. From here we will go to old Diriyah, the old town on the outskirts of Riyadh. This historical place was once the capital of the local Emirate of Diriyah. Evening flight to Madinah.

·         12.10. Welcome to the holy city of Madinah or Medina. This is the place where the Prophet Mohammed is buried. Here we have to dress more conservatively. We are starting with a date market to get some energy - dark dates from this region are very tasty. The energy in this place is on a different level - pilgrims from all the countries in the world visit this place to pray in the Prophet´s mosque, located in the city center. We will wander through the local markets, enjoy the muezzin prayers, a really kind people, and have the best Egyptian falafel in town.

·         13.10. Today we are going to the cultural capital of Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, by the high-speed 300km/h train. Today we will meet Hadeel - a Saudi girl, a local traditions and cuisine professional, and our friend. We will head to the New Corniche close to the Formula 1 circuit. This is the ideal place to have coffee or tea, or typical Jeddah fries with spices. Afternoon, we will visit Al Balad - Old Jeddah is a place of a kind. Full of historical houses with wooden windows and a very authentic atmosphere, mixed with Arabs and pilgrims from all over the world. We will taste the Sukkary dates here, have a tea with locals, eat a local dinner, and buy some local products at the bazaar.

·         14.10. After the local breakfast with our local guide and driver Musab, today we are heading to the green mountains of the Taif region. Driving the grand circle around Mecca - the Muslim most holy city, closed for non-muslims. With a dirt road, we get to the hidden, 30-meter-high waterfall, accompanied by local bee families, monkeys, and camels. In the afternoon, we will drive to Taif for tea and a local snack. Sunset at the Old Corniche of Jeddah by the Red Sea, where locals enjoy evenings.

·         15.10. After breakfast, we are heading to Moon Mountain, just a one-hour drive from Jeddah and to have a nice picnic with the view of the Hijaz region on top. After arriving back in Jeddah, we will visit the most famous shopping mall in town - Red Sea Shopping, where we buy the local stuff for our families and spend our last currency - the Saudi Riyal. At the airport, we say goodbye to our guides and our friends Musab and Hadeel.

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What is included in the price:

• accommodation with breakfast in 3 and 4* hotels

• fast trains and a domestic flight

• English-speaking guide

• private car for the whole trip

• traditional Saudi Hijazi dinner in Jeddah

• local surprise at the end

What is not included in the price:

• International flights and visas ( we will recommend the easiest and most economical ways)

• personal expenses

  What to bring with you: comfortable shoes, hat, sunglasses, long pants, long-sleeved shirt and scarf for ladies for the Holy city of Medina.