This concise itinerary optimizes sights which I thought is well worth the time. In an alternate exploratory itinerary, I did it for an average of USD50 per day, excluding airfares and accommodation. This includes paying for a tour that brings me to the Edge of the World, and also necessities. Such necessities include vehicle rental, fuel, food and other admission charges make up this Budget Itinerary for Saudi Arabia.

Awaiting Sunset at the Edge of the World

16 Days Budget Itinerary for Saudi Arabia

The following is a content and summary of this optimized itinerary:

Some may question why I have allocated so much time for Riyadh. The short answer: For a city with a population more than 9 million, there must be more than what meets the eye and the desert. There would be the shopping and dining experience as any city would have. Apart from dedicating half a day to the trip out to the Edge of the World, adequate time is also allocated for UNESCO world heritage site of AT Turaif at AD Diriyah. Feel free to modify and adjust days accordingly to your needs and cut sights to make your personal itinerary.

Saudi Arabia: Optimized 16 Day Itinerary

Hegra: Unfinished tomb of Lihyan, son of Kuza; VIew from North at Sunset in Winter

Why go?

Since late 2019, Saudi Arabia has opened up for international tourism. May there be peace in the region. With peace, now is probably the best time to plan to pay Saudi Arabia a visit in winter. I didn’t know a place like Hegra existed until early 2025. This is best before things get too crowded when Riyadh hosts the world Expo 2030, amongst other global events.

Al Ula

Apart from Al Ula attractions, most of the other attractions in this budget itinerary for Saudi Arabia, are free. The paid attractions are affordable by international standards. The country is 12th largest in the world. The suggested Itinerary hasn’t added Dammam to the east which should be grouped together with trips to Bahrain and Qatar. It also excluded the North where Neom is building new sights such as Trojena, an artificial ski slope with snow.

Affordability

For the budget conscious, there are plenty of affordable options in food. This is found especially in places where the average local or foreign worker gets their meal from. I had Chicken Biryani for SR10 in Madinah. I savoured Sri Lankan Koftu for SR18 in Jeddah. Mixed veg with rice for SR11 in Jazan squashed my hunger pangs. There’s also many fast food establishments and the local population loves their Broast. I enjoyed various meals at fast food chain like Al Baik for SR15 to SR25. Seafood cost more. Prawns Sanouna at a local joint cost SR40 while midmarket options will sell the same prawns for SR80. It’s also comforting for me to sit in one of the food establishments at Bujairi Terrace. I remember sipping warm soup for SR50 on a cold evening. This is covered as part of the entrance fee paid to enter AD Turaif after 5pm.

Prawns Sanouna at a Yemeni restaurant at Al Ula

Accommodation-wise, there are dorms in the larger cities, to the luxurious. I had managed to score last minute deals for a private room in Jeddah at SR80. It is also not prohibited to be sleeping in one’s vehicle or to wild camp in some places.

How to get around and about?

A private vehicle is necessary for this itinerary, along with an international driving permit, apart from your regular driving license. Joining the tour to get to the Edge of the world, is more budget than renting a 4WD . The price to rent a 4WD is almost double or more than most 2WD rentals. The places I have visited are all reachable with a 2WD and I made do with a Kia Pegas. There are other articles online sharing that it is not possible to rent two different cars at the same time.

My ride is the dark grey car, parked here at Thee AIn. Al Bahah shines bright on the top of the mountains

Google recommended making the rental just a week before the trip and that was what I did. I managed to secure a 16 day rental for about SR1400 with 4000km mileage. Additional km would be SR0.35 per km and that comes up to about SR 175 for a 500km excess.

Fuel

Budget-wise, it costs about SR80 to fill the Kia Pegas tank to full. The total cost of gas for the entire 4500km drive is a cumulative SR525 for 95-octane. Saudi Arabia ranks second in the world with the amount of petroleum extracted per day. The fuel is heavily subsidized at a regular rate of SR2.33 for 95-octane. I would have chosen an electric car like I did in Norway and the UK. However, the EV charging infrastructure does not support the demands of the itinerary.

Keeping record of the car mileage before I drive off.

Directions

I did not rent a separate GPS unit and relied on Google Maps which mostly works. However, be aware of your phone overheating, especially during the day when the sun shines through your vehicle. The irradiation from the sun caused my phone to heat up, effectively rendering my phone a lemon until it cools down. Also, I had to get creative to suspend my phone from a convenient position. The car I was driving did not have any slot for me to slide some piece of plastic through to suspend my phone like some hacks.

Check out my actual itinerary here which involved some exploratory detours, traffic jams. I also had to spend time just mapping my way out, find parking, etc. What my itinerary would have been should I replan would be to reduce detours to minimize driving mileage. That is something I wish to help others save time.

Given the long distances between each sight, i recommended to start driving with a full tank and top up whenever the tanks drops below half tank. I was worried about the 1000km road between Abha and Riyadh not having reliable gas stations, but I see no issues and it is totally doable within a day.

Furthermore, it is important not to break any traffic rules as traffic violations may incur hefty fines as much as SR10000, which will certainly blow the budget. If a turn is missed, it is best to simply do that detour, no matter how long it may be and to allow some extra time for such detours.

When to go?

The obvious choice is winter, when the days aren’t 40 to 50 degrees Celsius, even though the days can still get quite warm at 30 degrees Celsius. During winter, the nights can be freezing cold up north at Hail. It was also such a stark contrast between coastal Jeddah and highland Al Bahah at an elevation of 2200m. Many escape Al Bahah during winter because of the cold. The days of the week are also important here as most places remain closed on Fridays. Most folks would probably also plan their arrival with their own work week. It is also important to capitalize and link one’s leave plans with various bank holidays. It is also more crucial considering that some folks would really want to experience the Al Ula Tantora festival which only takes place once a year.

Winter at Tantora Festival 2025. The event itself is only once in the entire year!

Where to start and what’s there to see?

The Itinerary starts and ends in Riyadh to save the additional airfare of flying through another city, as well as the additional charges to return the car at a different point from where one starts. The cheapest international flights arrive and depart from Riyadh and car rentals here are also a little lesser than the other cities for the same rental period.

The routing has been planned to minimise detours, as detours add up to the mileage, which is all the more important when almost car rental companies impose a 200km/250km limit per day. Unlimited mileage would cost too much than to pay for the excess mileage and it is important to check the fine print on how much excess mileage is charged, and to choose the vehicle with the least charges listed. This itinerary is only a rough guide and anyone should be able to alter their itinerary as long as they are willing to spend a little more, and endure the 1000km drive between Abha and Riyadh.

Al Masmak Fortress, a key place in the making of today’s Saudi Arabia

The Itinerary takes one through a counter-clockwise loop so that sights at Hegra can be seen first. I also had doubts about visiting Jazan as most travel advisories would warn against travelling within 50miles of Yemen. The risks are real as we see how various sites and infrastructure in the domain of Jazan had been targets for attacks.

Budget Itinerary for Saudi Arabia Day One: From Ushaiqer to Hail

Riyadh International Airport

I had arrived very early on Friday, and I have heard of the traffic jams and driving styles that may be encountered at Riyadh. For some, its best to catch winks in Riyadh first. I chose to prioritize time and to quench my wanderlust.

Arriving and starring up at the roof of Riyadh International Airport

start driving as most businesses and attractions will be closed
stop by al qurainah to get water/breakfast/food/toilet break
skip hlewa as most villages are closed when I was there, and the mudhouses have disintegrated due to the earlier rain.

Ushaiqer Heritage Village

On the rooftop of a restored heritage house in Ushaiqer Heritage Village

Reach ushaiqer village and roam around till 1pm

Buraydah

The main hall of the Al Oqiylat Museum, set up for a Royal visit

Al Oqiylat museum reopens are 3.30pm, to have a quick look, if there is time. Museum door needs to be knocked as doors as closed and many think it is closed.

Hail

Reach Hail early for the evening view on Al Samra mountain. You can take the transfer up for 25SR or walk up. There is no connection between the Hatem lighthouse trail with the viewing platform on top. The only way up I found is to walk by the road side.

Budget Itinerary for Saudi Arabia Day Two: From Hail to Al Ula

Saturday.

Panorama from the A’arif Fort in Hail

Be the first to see the Aarif Fort so that when done, it is important to leave early for Alula, targeting to reach elephant mountain by 4pm for its opening.
Hang around for 30mins, make the 30mins drive up to Harrat’s viewpoint which is reminiscent of the Golden canyon in the USA, so as to catch the gold-ness of the land way before sunset time.
Grab a quick bite if you don’t have your food Head down to winter park and join the night tour at Hegra. Make sure to arrive 15mins before to use the bathroom and check in.

View from Harrat Viewpoint at Al Ula

Budget Itinerary for Saudi Arabia Day Three: Al Ula

Sunday morning.

Dadan tombs, and spot the pair of lions above one of them.

Join the Dadan and Jabal ikmah tour at 7.45am. Make sure you arrive by 7.30am to use the toilet. This tour had less people and hence was more enjoyable than the regular Hegra tour. Tour ends at around 10am.

Jabal Ikmah, site of at least 300 Dadanitic inscriptions

Drive 15mins to Maraya for the Maraya tour which you have prebooked at the 11am time slot, reaching 1045am to allows for security clearance to the restricted area, and also to find a place to park and walk over for check-in, this ensures you have time for the tour itself and also time to explore around the building after the tour. The tour ticket of SR95 for access to the environs, is still far less than staying at the cheapest accommodation in the vicinity. The tour also allows access to the concert hall where the likes of Andrea Bocelli once stood and you are free to sing to test the acoustics if you like, along with the roof top. The building was supposedly a temporary building for the 41^st GCC session in 2021 and cost a whopping SR1B.

Maraya, which literally means mirror in Arabic, is the world’s largest mirrored building constructed at SAR1 Billion at the 41st GCC meeting

Sunday Afternoon.

Leave Maraya site by 2pm to reach winter park by 2.15pm to check in for the Hegra tour at 2.30pm. The 3.30pm was too late and the sky became too dark and not the same site as Hegra after dark tour.

The unfinished tomb at Hegra at Stop #3 of the tour

Tour brings you back to winter park after 5pm and you can head over to Alula old town to explore. Both North and South carpark comes with shuttle service to the old town. The old town visitors’ centre is closer to the south shuttle point
Check out the Alula public Library and Design Space Alula in Aljadidah district, which are closer to the north shuttle point to the north carpark, as these will be closed on Monday and Tuesday

Tissue; Bread on a basket; and Shabani Oqda Chicken at Al Ula

Budget Itinerary for Saudi Arabia Day Four: From Al Ula to Medina

Monday morning.

Vantage point of Al Ula Old town from the Al Ula fort

Join in the Alula old town tour at 9.30am to see the old town by day, as this is the only way to access the fort.

Navigating through the seeming labyrinths of the Al Ula Old Town is quite straightforward as many paths are closed.

Then join in the one-day-per-year Tantora festival where free food is distributed along with music and cultural performances in the vicinity of Tantora Square. This takes place around the winter solstice was on 22 Dec 2025 when I was there. Check which day the Tantora festival will be, before deciding on your final itinerary. If there isn’t one, enjoy the many cafes, shops, sights and exhibits in old town. I remember a shop selling honey from different regions near to the Visitors’ Centre.

Monday Afternoon

Start driving the shortest route to Madinah by mid day, as there is no need to pass by Khaybar for now until the castle and fort reopens to the public for visits.
Try to get parking within walkable distance to Al Masjid e Nabawi (Islam’s holiest place open to non-Muslims) by 4pm to catch post afternoon prayers and hang around to see the umbrellas closing in action.

The mesmerizing retractable umbrellas at Masjid Al Nabawi in Medina projects a sense of calm and serenity

Explore the area around the Masjid, starting with Al Safiyyah Museum and Park
Then head to Quba walkway via underpass and explore the commercial areas, looping back to Al-Hayy where there is a triple deck vehicle for one to take in views in the evening.

The Madinah Railway Museum in the evening

Budget Itinerary for Saudi Arabia Day Five: From Medina to Jeddah

Tuesday.

The Al Wabah crater, view from the southernmost pavilion

Start off to Al Wabah Crater arriving for a picnic on site by midday. Many local families may be there to set up camping fires for their own picnic. The southern most pavilions offer the best views. Do not go down to the crater. Not sure if it is worth to walk 7km around the crater and maybe one should not do it under the hot sun. The Visitors’ Centre and the toilet/prayer room were all not open when I was there, and seems closed for good.
Head off to Jeddah, reach Jeddah corniche before 5pm as any later, there may be no parking lots and a huge traffic jam to enter after, with certain roads blocked. I had to circle the area three times before I found the entry point to the corniche, and it is only possible to do so from the north as there may be races in the vicinity. Spend the evening at Jeddah corniche walking northwards towards Al Rahmah mosque, and southwards towards to Jeddah sign.
Back to the carpark and head to King Fahd’s fountain, which was not operational when I was there on 26 Dec 2025. The fountain is the tallest fountain in the world, shooting water to 260m, outdoing earlier builds like the Jet d’eau in Geneva.
Then there’s Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Street which is Jeddah’s potential to be Beverly hills but with much faster traffic.

Budget Itinerary for Saudi Arabia Day Six: Jeddah

Wednesday.

An alley leading to the entrance of the Al Taybat International City Museum of Science and Information

Go to Al TayBat International City Museum of Science and Information. This museum is a mish-mash of eclectic collections. The section on the Kaaba was interesting for me as used the silk drapes were exhibited there. One could spend a good whole day there but be aware they close between 1pm to 5pm. If you choose to complete all 4 floors like I did, take lunch and outside pictures of AL Taybat. Then, continue from 5pm to 9pm, they start shutting down and switching off the lights 15mins before close time.
Head to any large hypermarket to see if Zam Zam water is for sale. Try the Zam Zam water, then head to Al Balad to observe the nightlife. The Bayt Nassif Musuem was also closed when I was there on 27 Dec 2025, for renovations.

Sunset at Al Balad district in Jeddah

Budget Itinerary for Saudi Arabia Day Seven: Jeddah to Al Bahah and Thee Ain

Thursday.

See Al Balad by early morning and take more shots.
Drive over to Al Bahah. Do note that a detour around Makkah is necessary for non muslims. As such, the drive will likely be some 6 hours
The road to Al Bahah involves an elevational change of more than 2000m. As such, there may be clouds/fog along the way, reaching by 2pm. I did try to go to some view points but too cloudy to see anything.

Cold and Foggy at a viewpoint at Al Bahah

The road from Al Bahah to Thee Ain is a highly scenic 30mins drive down reminiscence of driving through swiss roads with avalanche protection. As the road is downwards, it is recommended to make the trip only if you do not need to come back up to Al Baha for the night. Otherwise reach Thee Ain by 4pm to see it by both day and night.

That amazing road between Al Bahah and Thee Ain

Overnight at Al Makwah, book early if accommodation is needed as hotel rooms are limited.

Thee Ain, a ruin in the dark

Budget Itinerary for Saudi Arabia Day Eight: To Jazan

Friday.

Drive to Jizan/Jazan since nothing is likely open on Friday morning.
Stop by either at Al Qunfadhah or Al Birk or the Golden Beach for a breather.
Arrive at Jazan Heritage Village for a quick look. Skip Al Marjan Park. The corniche was under construction. Adosareyah castle was closed and the roads were blocked. Enjoy the greener environment

View of the coastline from Al Birk Viewpoint