Al Ula Heritage Village

Top choice in Al Ula


There are plans to make this a formal tourist venue in the near future, but for now you can enjoy freely wandering among the beautiful mud ruins where people (the ancestors of the current residents of Al Ula) lived for centuries. As well as visiting Al Ula Fort, it is worth trying to locate the tantura (sundial) and old mosque. The ruins are dissected by the highway: those on the upper west side have been renovated considerably, while the lower east side is wonderfully raw.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Al Ula attractions

1. Al Ula Fort

0.03 MILES

To protect the ancient village, inhabitants in the 6th century used red-sandstone blocks to build this castle on a promontory that gives a 360-degree view…

2. Al Ula Viewpoint

1.27 MILES

The views as you wind your way up to this gem of a spot offer glimpses of what's to come. At the top, the road plateaus through a windswept, lunar…

3. Al Ula Antiquities & Heritage Museum

1.28 MILES

This small museum is attractively designed, with some intriguing and informative displays on the history, culture, flora and fauna of the area, as well as…

4. Umm Al Daraj

1.44 MILES

A few kilometres north of old Al Ula, Umm Al Daraj (Mother of Steps) is worth a detour. Climbing the hill reveals three red-sandstone religious structures…

5. Jebel Khuraibah

1.47 MILES

The fortress and three peaks of Jebel Khuraibah once formed part of the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Lihyan. Rock-cut tombs squat at the foot of the…

6. Mt Almejder

2.21 MILES

This 300m-high mountain east of Al Ula features stone settlements and caves with pre-Islamic inscriptions and drawings, but there was no access to it at…

7. Elephant Rock

6.02 MILES

Arabia's only 'elephant' is a huge red rock three storeys in height. The enormous 'body' connects to a slimmer 'trunk' that bulges in just the right areas…

8. Madain Saleh

12.82 MILES

Often dubbed the 'second Petra', Madain Saleh, for many, is on a par with – if not more impressive than – its famous cousin across the border in Jordan…