How to spend three days in AlUla

Set in a vast wilderness of towering cliffs and tangled valleys deep in Saudi Arabia’s northwestern desert, AlUla is one of the country’s highlights. From above, it looks otherworldly — a swirl of rust-red mesas etched with ancient inscriptions, rock-cut tombs and hidden ravines. Once a vital stop on the incense route linking Arabia to the Mediterranean, the Old Town’s mud-brick buildings now shelter boutique galleries, shops, restaurants and cafes.

AlUla is home to Saudi’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra, the southern city of the Nabataean kingdom, where 111 monumental tombs rise from the desert. Nearby, the lion-guarded necropolis of Dadan and the script-covered canyons of Jabal Ikmah preserve the legacies of Arabia’s earliest kingdoms. While there's a lot to take in, AlUla has