Explore The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia

Arrive in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Once a desert trading post on the caravan route, this skyscraper-filled city is fighting a battle between the old and the new. Riyadh has a more traditional atmosphere than its red sea sister, Jeddah, and its historical significance as the birthplace of modern Saudi Arabia can be seen in the contrast between the modern, gleaming buildings in the business district, and the many forts, museums and colourful souks that confirm the city's ancient past. Due to the number of evening flights into Riyadh, the Tour Leader plans to do the welcome meeting in the morning of Day 2. There are no planned activities today, so you can arrive into Riyadh at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary transfer today, you'll need to arrive into King Khalid International Airport (RUH), which is around 40 minutes' drive. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, you may wish to ascend the Faisaliah Tower or the Sky Bridge for their vantage points over the city. We will visit the Sky Bridge tomorrow but not at sunset, and it gives a great view of the Riyadh skyline as the sun goes down. Saudi Arabia is a vast country, so there will be some quite long drives with key stops along the way and a few early starts. We will use a comfortable charter bus throughout the itinerary. Please speak to your leader if you have any questions about driving times.

Riyadh is a chaotic, sprawling city, where ancient palaces and palm trees are found just a few traffic-laden streets away from bright, modern architecture. We'll get a feeling of both the old and new today. Before the 1930s, Riyadh was a small, walled oasis town in what was then known as the Second Saudi State. After Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud conquered the state in the late 1920s he retook his family's ancient seat and brought together most of the Arabian Peninsula in what he went on to name 'Saudi Arabia'. We'll learn some of this history in a trip to the National Museum this morning - the museum is enormous so we will pick and choose some of the key exhibits. If you arrive to Riyadh early on day 1 it's well worth spending more time here (please note that the museum has been closed at the end of 2022. It is planned to reopen in January 2023, at the discretion of the management). We'll go on to visit Masmak Fortress, the most prominent remnant of the old walled oasis town of Riyadh. From here, we visit the modern part of the city, taking the lift up the Kingdom Tower skyscraper for impressive views. In the afternoon, we'll be meeting a Saudi local for a city tour with a difference. Riyadh, like most Saudi Arabian cities, is a slave to the motor vehicle. Due to a combination of the heat and the status that cars give, Saudis drive everywhere - this means that you're unlikely to find people walking around. We, however, will be exploring on foot today in one of the neighbourhoods that still enjoys some life on the streets. We'll start at the Tabya Souk, a classic market with mostly female vendors. Then we'll stroll to Tahliya Street and Suleimaniya Street, where the 70's meet modern day architecture. We'll see how the city has grown quite dramatically over the last 30-40 years, and enjoy some tea and pastries at a local bakery. We then drive to Deera, close to our hotel, where we'll explore this market area and some of the vendors who have been selling here for years. This walking tour will give you the opportunity to discuss the changes that Saudi Arabia has experienced in recent years, and talk to a woman who's family has lived through many of the Kingdom's changing governments. Note that the timings for this day may change.

Leaving Riyadh this morning, we'll drive north-west to the Ushaiqer Heritage Village, a winding maze of alleyways and mud-brick houses. Nearby springs and palm groves made this a convenient stopping point for ancient pilgrims to Mecca. The village is a glimpse into an old way of life, with some incredible examples of ancient Nadji architecture. It's still partially inhabited today, and there is a lot of protection work going on here to ensure that it retains its character for future generations. From here we drive on to Buraidah. The area is one of the country's biggest date producers, and we have the chance to sample produce with a visit to a date shop before our arrival at the hotel.