In my easiest AlUla travel guide, you’ll find all of the information you need to plan your trip to the beautiful desert city in Saudi Arabia! It’s also written from my perspective as a solo female traveler, and also as a “frugal yet luxurious adventurer”, if you know what I mean.
First and foremost, if you’d like to know more about what it’s like to travel solo in Saudi Arabia, please check out: Solo Female Travel in Saudi Arabia – What’s ‘Allowed’ in 2025. It also has important insight about how the Saudi women are still being oppressed there!
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Interesting Facts About AlUla
Before you go, here’s some interesting things to know about AlUla!
- AlUla was once filled with the waters of the Red Sea!
- If you see darker colors at the top of the canyons, those were actually once islands
- It is now considered an Arabian Oasis, and this is why the Nabataean nomads ended up coming here; for the water supply and trade routes
- The Nabataean nomadic tribes that carved Hegra’s tombs, are the same as the ones the built Petra in Jordan
- AlUla is considered cursed by many Muslims, and they do not go there
- That being said, there are several resorts there that are very “lenient” to dress codes
How to Get to AlUla
AlUla is in a slightly remote area of Saudi Arabia, so the easiest way to get there is by flight. If you are specifically trying to just get to AlUla, you’ll likely need to fly to Riyadh or Jeddah first, then get a connecting flight to AlUla.
Usually I play Flight Roulette to see when the cheapest dates are and also the cheapest places to fly from, which I’d suggest for AlUla because a one-way flight can reach over $400!
Bus or car transportation is an option as well but you might need to hire it privately, which you can look into here.
The drive from AlUla to Jeddah is around 6-8 hours, but you could make a stop in Madinah along the way!
Travel Requirements for Saudi Arabia
You no longer need an invitation letter to get a visa for Saudi Arabia (for USA,UK, EU, and many other countries).
Simply apply for an eVisa online here: Saudi Arabia eVisa
The cost for a Saudi Arabia eVisa is between $90-130 depending on the length of it. When I applied, for some reason the only option was multiple-entry, so I had to pay extra and get that one.
Foreign women also do not need a male guardian or escort in Saudi Arabia. I would not have gone if that were a requirement!
Are There “Rules for Women” in Saudi Arabia?
Yes and no. For the most part, there aren’t any set rules for foreign, non-Muslim women, but you are expected to dress modestly and be respectful of their religion.
Here’s some general do’s and don’ts for female travelers in Saudi Arabia:
- You do NOT need a male guardian to go around Saudi Arabia
- Wearing a hijab (head covering) is NOT required UNLESS you enter a mosque or holy site
- You do NOT need to wear an abaya (robe) but
- You MUST dress modestly in public, wearing loose clothing that covers most of you
- Women CAN drive and can drive alone
- At hotels, dress can be more casual, and swimwear is Ok
Please check out my full post:
Airport Transportation Options
The AlUla airport is 45 minutes to 1 hour away from most of the accommodations in AlUla, and transportation is pretty expensive. It’s easiest to book through your accommodation but that’s also the most expensive.
Unfortunately most of the transportation websites for AlUla didn’t respond to me or wouldn’t take just one person (eyeroll) but I did find one company when I was there who would.
Private Transport Company in AlUla:
- UTA AlUla
- Whatsapp: +966 54 888 0786
- Airport Transfer: 350 SAR (around $95)
- CASH ONLY! Accepted SAR and USD
I read a post about people renting a car, which might be a good option if you’re not a solo female traveler (I’m not sure how accepting they are of that still). There are car rentals at the airport but book in advance.
How to Get Around AlUla
Getting around AlUla was the most difficult thing for me to figure out, and the most expensive, especially since I was solo. I ended up negotiating a decent price with a private driver from the company above, but it was through the help of a nice hotel worker who was friends with the driver, so I can’t guarantee the same rates.
There is a bus but it doesn’t go everywhere, and it takes a long time. There are also Ubers and taxis, but mainly only in the main area.
Here’s a breakdown of options for how to get around AlUla:
- Hire a private car and driver like the company above. Prices start around $100/hour, or $500 for the day
- Rent a car from the airport and drive yourself around if you feel comfortable
- Stay in the main area of AlUla (see below) and use the tourist buses
- Try your luck getting an Uber
- Take a taxi
- Take tours that include transportation
Use the search box below for the best rates on car rentals in AlUla:
Best Areas to Stay in AlUla
If you have a high budget and you want a lot of luxurious relaxation, you’ll want to stay in Ashar Valley (see below for recommendations). This is also closer to Hegra, however if you do the budget tour, you’ll still need to pay a lot to get to the meeting point in the main town.
For medium to low budgets, you’ll want to stay closer or in the main town of AlUla. That way you will have easy access to the tour meeting point at Winter Park, the tourist bus, and more availability with Uber and taxis.
Map of AlUla
This is a very very general idea of the areas of AlUla to help you decide where to stay! As I mentioned, it looks small, but the distances are actually quite far!
Here’s some estimated transportation times:
- Airport to AlUla Town: 30 minutes
- Airport to Ashar Valley: 1 hour
- AlUla Main Town/Old Town to Ashar Valley: 30-45 minutes
- Main Town to Hegra: 1 hour
- Ashar Valley to Hegra: 20 minutes
To sum up the main two areas to stay in:
- Ashar Valley: Luxury Desert Resorts (Habitas and Banyan Tree) plus other tented camps
- AlUla Town: All budget accomodations, close to Old Town and Winter Park (tour starting points)
Best Accommodations in AlUla
Whether you are going to AlUla for the fabulous photo-worthy desert resorts, or solely to see the unique heritage sites, there’s something there for everyone! Well, except budget backpackers, I cannot say I found AlUla do-able on an extreme low budget at all.
High Budget – Ashar Valley
Our Habitas AlUla
Be sure to request an eBike in advance, which is super fun and you can take it to the trampoline park, the swings, the pool and restaurant, and anywhere else on the property! The pool is absolutely stunning and worth the money alone! Rooms are spacious and very well decorated, all with stunning canyon views.
Although I thought the $355/night price was pretty high (especially for a solo traveler), I still think it’s worth it for the experience at Our Habitas AlUla. I stayed in a Canyon Villa and made sure to allow plenty of time to actually enjoy the property and get my money’s worth!
The included breakfast was amazing, and lunch was pretty good, although I thought it was over-priced. You can also go to their sister property, listed below, for food truck options!
One thing to note is that it is expensive to get to Habitas and expensive to get around from there unless you rent a car!
AlUla Caravan by Our Habitas
The funky sister of Our Habitas, is AlUla Caravan! I didn’t actually stay there, but it looked pretty cool, with your room being inside of a full sized Airstream! It’s also slightly less expensive than the villas, and as mentioned above, instead of a restaurant, they have a couple of food trucks!
There’s also “canyon cinema” nights here, and guests still get full access to the main Habitas pool, restaurant, art parks, and activities!
Banyan Tree
The most important things to note that I liked about Banyan Tree in AlUla were; the canyon pool, the free ride to Maraya, and the dinner experience at Saffron. Other than that, there’s not much else to do there.
If you stay at “Banyan Tree”, that’s where you’ll find the luxury villas, some with multiple rooms, and for a hefty price. I personally was not going to pay that amount alone, so I opted for the property below nearby!
Ashar Tented Camp
I felt so clever when I found Ashar Tented Camp on my phone’s maps app, because it seemed to be right next to Banyan Tree, but the cost was half the price. Upon reading the reviews, I realized that it actually is part of Banyan Tree, but I guess their “budget” option (it was still nearly $300), so they gave it a different name.
The “Tented Camp” was not what I expected at all. It wasn’t like the luxury tented camps I’ve stayed at in Africa, because this accommodation actually had walls and AC/heater. It was more like a one bedroom villa with an artistic tent over it!
When you stay here, you get full access to Banyan Tree’s pool, spa, and restaurants, but full warning, it takes almost 10 minutes by buggy to get there from your room!
Medium Budget Accommodations in AlUla
I only stayed at one other place besides Habitas and Ashar Tented Camp, so I’ll list that one, but also a few others I was looking at in town!
Beitk Apartments Al Ula
To be honest, I was looking for one of the cheaper places to stay because I arrived at 3am and planned to head out to the sites at 10am. I found Beitk Apartments at only $57, which was one of the lowest prices in AlUla!
I was hesitant though because it looked like BnB, and I wasn’t sure about arriving in the middle of the night and someone being awake to let me in. But I definitely hit the jackpot! Not only did the owner pick me up from the airport and give me a free ride, but he decided to upgrade me to their massive two bedroom apartment that’s probably four times the size of mine in Tulum!
The next day he also gave me a ride all the way to Habitas, which would have otherwise costed almost $100! So if you are renting a car, and want an affordable luxurious stay in someone’s mansion, definitely check this place out!
Accommodations in AlUla Town
Again, I didn’t stay at these, but if I were more on a budget, and had known how expensive it is to get around from Ashar, I would have probably stayed in AlUlal Town at one of these:
Top Sites to See in AlUla and How to Get to Them
Now that you have the logistical information about how to plan your travels in AlUla, it’s time for the fun part! Below are the top sites to see in AlUla and also how to get to them!
Hegra Ancient Tombs
Hegra was the top reason why I wanted to go to Saudi Arabia, ever since I went to Jordan almost eight years ago! The intricate and beautiful facades that are carved into the red rocks are actually tombs that were where the nomadic Nabatean tribe’s people once rested eternally.
You MUST take an organized tour to see the tombs of Hegra. You cannot just drive there or take a taxi there at any time. It HAS to be booked in advance.
Here’s your options for seeing Hegra:
- Private Tour with LandRovers
- Shared Tour with transport from Winter Park (you need to get yourself to Winter Park)
- Shared Tour with Hotel Pickup ( I did this but arranged my own transport)
If you opt for the shared tours and you’re already close to Hegra (like in Ashar Valley), you can opt to pay for a ride to go straight to the Hegra entry gates, just be sure to email the tour company and let them know.
Below are all of the tour options for Hegra
My Shared Tour Experience: Since I booked things late and also couldn’t get the best information about Hegra, I ended up doing on of the cheap $35 group tours that I assumed wouldn’t be so crowded since it was low season. I was very wrong. To my surprise, instead of going around in the jeeps that were lined up at the entry gate, a giant charter bus rolled up, and it was jam packed with nearly 50 people!
I thought for sure my dreams of getting an amazing people-free photo of Hegra’s tombs was destroyed, but it ended up being alright. Most of the people rushed to take photos first, then rushed back to the bus to claim their seats. While they rushed back, I lingered, getting my people-free photos, and then happily taking whatever seat was left on the bus!
Maraya Mirrored Building
Maraya is the stunning mirrored building that’s constructed in Ashar Valley, and it’s absolutely worth a visit, even if just to the outside! Inside I believe is a concert hall and fancy restaurant, but it was closed when I went.
If you’re staying in Ashar Valley, your resort will likely offer free transportation to Maraya for photos. At least Banyan Tree did! I’d recommend going when the sun is about to start going down and not directly overhead.
Elephant Rock
Elephant Rock is allegedly best seen just before and during sunset. The colors of the rock change colors with the setting sun, and it makes a really cool visual effect!
You don’t really need a tour to go to Elephant Rock since there’s no entry fee. If you’re staying in AlUla town, you can take the tourist bus, a taxi, or an Uber there (just make sure it waits for you or comes back). Or if you hire a driver you can combine seeing it with the next few places.
Oh by the way, just in case you couldn’t guess, the name is because the rock looks like an elephant.
Old Town
The “Old Town” of AlUla looks really cool! I didn’t have time to explore it, but next time I’ll definitely go back and spend some time meandering through it. It’s fairly large and has several shops, restaurants, and cafes! You can also grab the tourist bus to go to it, and combine it with seeing Elephant Rock nearby.
Here’s some guided tours for Old Town that may also include entry:
Trampolines at Habitas
Since the trampolines at Habitas have gone viral several times, I’m including it on the list of sites to see. Also because it was one of my favorite experiences, and a lot of fun!
There aren’t any tours that include this as a stop, you have to do it yourself and there’s really only two ways to do it:
- Stay at least one night at Our Habitas or the Caravans
- Go to the restaurant there called Tama for a meal (reservations required), which gives you access to take photos at the pool, trampolines, swings, and more!
Harrat Viewpoint
Several people in AlUla recommended Harrat Viewpoint to me, but I didn’t go, assuming it was just like every city viewpoint. Then I just now researched it for this post and, well, let’s just say I’m glad I have plans to return to AlUla!
Most people said there was a “cafe” at the top of the viewpoint, but they didn’t mention there was this epic restaurant! So now we know. And now I have a reservation one year in advance!
Have any AlUla questions? Feel free to write them in the comments and I’ll respond as soon as I can!
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xx, Alyssa
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