Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea tourism project, which sits on the kingdom’s north-western coast in Tabuk province, is stunning, but beyond the five-star resorts there isn’t anything much to do in the immediate area.
This is how I find myself – alongside my husband and two young children – heading to the nearest town, Umluj, about an hour away, to rent a car and drive four and a half hours north-east to the ancient city of AlUla.
Along the way, we speed past black lava fields, where we see generations of Saudi men picnicking by the roadside, with ice cream vans parked at regular intervals selling cooling ice lollies despite the grey skies and drizzle.
About an hour later, we drive through the little-known town of Al Ais, where crumbling heritage buildings sit among modern homes and general trade shops and banquet halls. Normal life carries on amid the fascinating ruins.
I spent 10 days in north-western Saudi Arabia, never once getting bored as we moved between cities and resorts, but this road trip has to be among the highlights.
Here’s everything you need to know about driving between the Red Sea and AlUla.
How to rent a car
It wasn’t easy to figure this out from the coast, where we flew from Dubai to the Red Sea International Airport. It’s a very self-contained tourism project and, while there is a Budget rental shop in the area, it’s only open to Red Sea Global employees (even though I was able to book a car on their website from this location).
Even getting a taxi isn’t easy. Thankfully, as we disembarked our speedboat from Shebara Resort at Turtle Bay Resort, we were able to ask for a car to take us to the coastal city of Umluj, about an hour away. These are not regular taxis, so it’s not cheap and we ended up spending about 500 Saudi riyals ($133) to get there.
Make note of the time you’ll arrive – and don’t make the same mistake as us and arrive in Umluj after midday. In Saudi Arabia, it’s common for businesses to close between noon and 4pm and, as we arrive at about 1pm, we have to find a nearby restaurant to sit in for three hours until the rental business reopens. Then we have to commence our four-and-a-half-hour drive (not factoring in any delays) to AlUla at about 4.30pm. Did I mention we had two young kids in tow?
Also, while foreign citizens can rent a car, it’s easier to have a local SIM as you need to register on a government website before driving off.
The route
Google Maps won’t steer you wrong and it’s actually a very simple drive, but if you want to ensure you go in the same direction as us – through lava fields and past Al Ais – then take Route 8888 and Route 328.
It’s basically a straight motorway until you reach the outskirts of AlUla, next to the city's international airport, where you’ll need to take a left and exit the roundabout on your right, taking you through the Old Town.
Where to stay
There are many beautiful accommodation options around the ancient city, including renovated, boho-chic Airbnbs that are often more affordable than five-star resorts, particularly during peak periods.
As we’re there in the off-season, we get a great deal on a one-bedroom pool villa in the Banyan Tree AlUla, in the Ashar Valley, amid the city's famed rugged rock formations and alongside the famous multipurpose venue Maraya, the largest mirrored building in the world.
There are also some incredible heritage options, such as Dar Tantora The House Hotel, which is in the Old Town and housed in restored buildings that bring back to life old ways of living. But take note, some rooms don't have central air-conditioning, only fans – something to consider when the weather is warmer. There’s also The Chedi Hegra, a boutique hotel in a former railway station within a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Is AlUla worth the drive?
Undoubtedly, yes. We weren't sure if it would be since we were there during the height of summer, but I was pleasantly surprised by the weather, which allowed us to spend time outside even at midday.
Naturally, it's quieter at that time of year than during cooler periods, but for someone travelling with children, that's not a bad thing. And prices are much more reasonable. For example, our villa was about 2,000 Saudi riyals a night, compared with 16,000 Saudi riyals in winter.
I highly recommend wandering through the Old Town, where coffee shops, hipster boutiques and heritage buildings line up side by side. Also, make sure you take a tour around Hegra, the Unesco World Heritage Site that's home to the ancient rock formations and carvings from the Nabataean civilisation.
How to get back
If you aren’t up for the drive back, then you have the option to leave the car at a Budget in AlUla and fly back to Red Sea International Airport. There are a couple of flights a week between the two areas, so you’ll need to plan your trip accordingly.
Alternatively, you could drive back the way you came (we did) or take Route 8776 and Route 5, which is ever so slightly longer but cuts through the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve and offers very different scenery. You will, however, drive past the Red Sea Project to get to Umluj in this direction.
If you're heading to another hotel on the Red Sea after this, it's worth requesting a car transfer from Umluj (probably at an additional cost) to ensure your journey to the area is hassle-free. We were asked to provide our car licence plates in advance of our booking at Desert Rock, so it's not as easy as hopping in a taxi.
Other nearby destinations
Perhaps you don’t want to go directly back to Umluj. There are other places you can explore by car. For example, the coastal town of Yanbu is also about four and a half hours from AlUla airport. While this is known as an industrial hub, it’s also rich with heritage sites, has a beautiful coastline and is known as the kingdom’s scuba diving capital.
From there, you could reach the holy city of Madinah in about three hours.
If you don’t mind long car journeys, then the notable port city of Jeddah is also on the Red Sea coast and about a seven-hour drive from AlUla (about four hours from Madinah). From there, you can easily get to Makkah, which is only an hour’s drive away.
A two-hour drive inland from Jeddah is Taif, which is famous for its rose fields and rose-scented products, plus a cooler climate.
Whatever you decide to do, it's worth exploring as much of Saudi Arabia as you can while you're there, as there's simply so much to see.
