Days are planned around the light, not the clock
This week
The guides’ diary
What runs each day this week. Reserve through your host, or add it when you book your stay.
Later today
05:45
· In the air
Balloon flight at dawn
3 h
· $480 a guest
Daily
05:45
Oct–Apr
06:30
· Wellness
Sunrise yoga on the dune
1 h
· Included
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun
06:30
07:00
· Desert
Morning canyon hike
2 h 30
· Included
Daily
07:00
08:00
· Heritage
Morning with the falconer
1 h 30
· $150 a guest
Fri, Sun
08:00
08:30
· Heritage
Hegra with an archaeologist
4 h
· $320 a guest
Mon, Wed, Sat
08:30
11:00
· Food
Lunch at the oasis farm
3 h
· $120 a guest
Tue, Sat
11:00
16:30
· Desert
Sunset ride in the dunes
2 h
· $180 a guest
Daily
16:30
20:30
· After dark
Stars over the valley
1 h 30
· Included
Tue, Thu, Sat
20:30
Nothing on the diary that day. Your guide can plan a private drive, a walk or a dinner in the dunes instead.
Everything on offer
All
Desert
Heritage
In the air
After dark
Wellness
Food
When to come
Every month in the valley has its own character. The bar is the average afternoon high, the colour is the season.
- Cool season
- Warm season
- Hot season
January · cool season
Crisp mornings, warm afternoons and the clearest skies of the year for stargazing.
Getting here
Most guests fly into AlUla International Airport from Riyadh, Jeddah or Dubai, where a driver meets every flight. We arrange every transfer for you.
AlUla International Airport
25 min by car
Riyadh
1 h 25 by air to AlUla
Jeddah
1 h 10 by air to AlUla
Dubai
2 h 20, seasonal direct flights
What to pack
Light, loose layers that cover shoulders and knees
A warm layer for the evenings: winter nights drop to 7°C
Closed walking shoes for the canyon hikes
A wide hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen
A swimsuit for the pools and the hammam
Any medicines you need; the nearest pharmacy is 30 minutes away
Where the heritage fee goes
where-the-heritage-fee-goes
Heritage
Faisal Al-Rashid
Every night you stay, forty-five dollars a guest goes to the people who protect the valley. Here is exactly how it is spent, and what it has achieved so far.
heritage, conservation, community
Hegra, slowly: a morning among the tombs
hegra-slowly
Heritage
Khalid Al-Harbi
How to see Saudi Arabia's first World Heritage Site without the rush: when to go, what to look for in the carvings, and why the quiet tombs are the best ones.
hegra, nabataeans, heritage
The falconer's morning
the-falconers-morning
Stories
Saad Al-Mutairi
Before dawn in the mews with the birds, the hood, the glove and the quiet patience of an Arabian tradition that is older than the tombs of Hegra.
falconry, heritage, stories
When to come to AlUla: a month-by-month guide
when-to-come-to-alula
Planning
Reem Al-Zahrani
Cool clear winters, golden springs and quiet summers. An honest guide to the weather, the light, the crowds and what each month in the valley is best for.
planning, seasons, weather
What the stars look like at 900 metres
what-the-stars-look-like-at-900-metres
Desert
Khalid Al-Harbi
No lights for thirty kilometres, dry air and a sky that fills from edge to edge. A guide to stargazing in the valley, and what to look for in each season.
stars, night sky, astronomy
Dates: a primer from the oasis farm
dates-a-primer-from-the-oasis-farm
Kitchen
Omar Haddad
Medjool, Barhi, Ajwa and the dozens in between. Our chef on how dates are grown in the valley, how to tell them apart and how we cook with them.
dates, farm, kitchen
Why the desert flowers in February
why-the-desert-flowers-in-february
Desert
Khalid Al-Harbi
After the winter rains, the valley turns briefly green and gold. What blooms, where to find it, and why it lasts only a few weeks.
wildflowers, seasons, nature
