Saudi Arabia: top 10 highlights

In most countries you queue for the highlights, but in relatively unknown Saudi Arabia, you have them practically to yourself - from monumental rock tombs in the desert to gingerbread villages in the mountains.

In most countries you queue for the highlights, but in relatively unknown Saudi Arabia, you don't have to twist yourself into strange corners for a selfie without hordes of other tourists. From monumental rock tombs in the desert and diving hotspots in the Red Sea to ancient cities from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights and gingerbread villages in the mountains: here you have the most sensational highlights practically to yourself. And if you share them, it is with the hospitable locals who welcome you with open arms.

1. The highlight of highlights - Hegra

While the ancient rock temples of Petra in neighboring Jordan attract more than a million visitors annually, the 111 rock tombs of Hegra are much less well known – even among archaeologists. New ruins are still being discovered and there is a good chance that a large part of this desert city of the Nabataeans is still buried under the sand. It is striking that Hegra, surrounded by a vast emptiness, is much better preserved than Petra, its famous Jordanian counterpart. It is no coincidence that Hegra ranks number 1 and is one of the highlights that should definitely not be missed during your tour of Saudi Arabia.

2. Jeddah

Many Saudi cities have an old center, a maze of alleys filled with the scent of exotic spices and the atmosphere of the tales of One Thousand and One Nights: Al-Balad. The most evocative Al-Balad in Saudi Arabia is the seventh-century old town of Jeddah, where extended bay windows hang from the facades and Ottoman-style city palaces have been carefully restored. Since 2014, Jeddah's Al-Balad has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List and is one of the most important highlights during a tour of Saudi Arabia.

3. Wadi Al Disah

Wadi Al Disah is an incredible mix of the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley, with one striking difference: between the rocks grows a green carpet of swaying grasses and meter-high date palms. There are hardly any tourist facilities, but for adventurers—on foot or with a 4WD – Wadi Al Disah is a paradise. For that real feeling of being alone in the world in Wadi Al Disah, come early in the morning and avoid the weekend, when local tourists come to the area for picnics. The end of the day is also a perfect time to visit the wadi, when the rocks take on a warm yellow-orange glow at sunset.

4. Thee Ain

High in the mountains of Al-Baha lies one of Saudi Arabia's most beautiful villages. From a distance, Thee Ain is reminiscent of a Tuscan citadel. The nearly fifty cube-shaped houses of stacked slate atop a hill look like a sturdy stronghold. In Europe, such a historic fortress would not withstand the inevitable rush of tourists, but in Thee Ain you are one of the few visitors.

5. The Edge of the World

West of the capital Riyadh the Tuwaiq plateau comes to an abrupt end. From a towering wall of sandstone, you overlook a red plain three hundred meters below that was once the bottom of a tropical sea. The Edge of the World truly feels like the end of the world - not only because of the endless views over the arid rocky landscape, but also because of the strenuous drive to this remote corner, for which you should definitely take a 4WD.

6. Al-Diriyah

Just outside Riyadh, on the banks of Wadi Hanifa, lies the former capital of the Saudi Empire, Al-Diriyah. Diriyah is considered one of Saudi Arabia's most important highlights. In its heyday, 30,000 people lived here in mud brick houses. A few years ago, the city, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was restored in traditional Najdi architectural style. Only mud, limestone from wadig quarries, and wood from tamarisk trees were used, so that you can now admire the cradle of modern Saudi Arabia in all its glory.

7. Al Hofuf

In the middle of the desert lies an oasis where as many as three million date palm trees grow. The best view of this endless sea of green foliage is from the top of Al-Qarah. This 75-meter-high mountain in the middle of the city of Al Hofuf is a honeycomb of sandblasted gorges and caves. Those who climb the limestone cliffs immediately understand where the name Al Hofuf, Arabic for "whistling wind," comes from.

8. Umluj

With more than a hundred atolls scattered across the turquoise waters of the Red Sea Umluj has been called the Maldives of Saudi Arabia. Island hopping, dolphin spotting, snorkeling and enjoying sun, sea and sand - those looking for a relaxing beach vacation have come to the right place. You must share your perfect island retreat - with sea turtles, Indian manatees and 1,200 species of fish in all colors of the rainbow.

9. Madinah

Medina is the city where the Islamic era began. When the Prophet Muhammad left Mecca in 622, he settled here. The giant Masjid an-Nabawi, the Prophet's Mosque, is one of the three holy places in Islam. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit the imposing structure, before or after the umrah, the small pilgrimage, or the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. The colossal building can accommodate one million believers and is worth a visit for its staggering size alone. But note that only Muslims are allowed to enter the grounds of the Masjid an-Nabawi. As a non-Muslim, you can view the mosque from outside the fence.

10. Rijal Almaa

The nine-hundred-year-old mountain village of Rijal Almaa is to eat up so beautiful and definitely one of the highlights of Saudi Arabia! One look at the quaint high-rises of large brown stones and gaily painted window frames, doors and shutters and you will understand why this village is known as Gingerbread Village. Not only are the houses of this gingerbread village colorful: the Qahtan tribe that inhabits Rijal Almaa wears brightly striped clothing and head wreaths of flowers and herbs. Rijal Almaa is located in the province of Aseer.