Saudi Arabia: Women's Expedition

Salam! Welcome to Riyadh – the birthplace of modern Saudi Arabia. Once a walled, mud-brick city along desert trading routes, this capital is now a contemporary metropolis with more than 4000 mosques, shopping centres, palaces, museums and traditional souks. When you arrive at Riyadh International Airport, an Intrepid representative will meet you and take you to your hotel, ready for your adventure to begin at 6 pm with a welcome meeting. Get to know your local leader – women are making significant contributions to the tourism sector here and represent around 30% of the workforce – over a traditional meal in a heritage restaurant. Saudi Arabian cuisine blends traditional Arabian and Middle Eastern flavours with influences from Africa and South Asia. You’ll sample local breads, fresh salads, sambosas (a triangle pastry often filled with beef, onions and spices), taheena and kabsa (a mixed rice dish).

After breakfast, take the world’s longest driverless metro system – spanning 176 km across 85 stations – to the National Museum to journey through the ages of Saudi Arabia’s history. Then jump back on the metro to Souq Al Zal, one of the city’s oldest markets. From there, take a private transfer to a local home to share lunch with a family and get to know the local culture. After, drive to Diriyah – the birthplace of the first Saudi state – to explore the UNESCO-listed At-Turaif district. It holds great historical weight and is known for its well-preserved adobe structures that showcase traditional Najdi architecture. Learn how mud-brick houses were built, how homes were cooled during summer and how people lived without electricity. You might like to hang around for dinner here – things liven up in the evening in Saudi Arabia, making it a great time for people watching. Your leader can also provide dinner recommendations closer to your hotel.

Head to Unayzah this morning, stopping in the heritage village of Ushaiger where you’ll get a glimpse into a traditional, slow-paced Saudi society. Bedouins settled here 1500 years ago and Ushaiger quickly became a popular rest stop for pilgrims crossing to Makkah, thanks to its springs and olive groves. Continue to Buraydah, where you’ll join a local cook in her home to learn about the dishes the Najd area is famous for. Influenced by the region’s topography and desert climates, Najd food is hearty and wholesome – think rich stews, wheat and rice dishes with fragrant spices. After lunch, head to your Qasimi-style lodge on a working farm among gardens and date palms to enjoy some downtime. Regroup in the evening to explore Al Musawkaf Traditional Market and eat dinner at a local spot. You might also get to sample Kleija made by local women – these biscuits hail from the date-rich province of Qassim and are filled with date molasses or honey.

On your way to Hail today, stop at Buraydah – home to the world’s largest date market. Known as the Date City, this is where farmers come for the seasonal market in August and September. Buraydah has more than 11 million date palm trees – the highest concentration in Saudi Arabia. Learn why dates are a cornerstone of Saudi culture and why they’re considered one of the best gifts. Continue to Hail, where you’ll have free time for the afternoon. Regroup in the early evening to check out Hail Market and visit an Abaya shop, where you’ll learn how this staple piece has evolved and how many Saudi women still choose to wear it, even since it became optional in 2018. This is the perfect place to buy an abaya (as a foreigner, the use of an abaya is completely optional, but you’ll need one to visit Madinah).

Make your way to Jubbah this morning to explore the area with a local guide. One of Saudi Arabia's five UNESCO World Heritage sites, Jubbah is home to the country’s most famous rock art, with petroglyphs dating back 10,000 years. Return to Hail in the afternoon, where the rest of the day is free to explore. Hail was once the capital of the entire Arabian Desert and a historic stop for those travelling to Mecca from the north. This evening, you might like to head to the city outskirts for a Bedouin picnic dinner known as kishta, complete with a traditional tent, rugs, cushions and a meal cooked over coals.

Today is a long travel day to AlUla – a city deep in the desert and home to Saudi’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rock formations and canyons here feature pre-Islamic rock art and immaculately preserved tombs built more than 2000 years ago by the Nabataeans. Upon arrival, head to a family-run citrus farm and learn how they turned their father’s labour of love into a multi-generational business. Sample fresh produce, then sit under the trees for a farm-to-table lunch prepared by the sisters. You’ll then check into your lodge before heading to Elephant Rock for sunset. The rock (also known as Jabal Alfil) was carved by millions of years of wind and water erosion and now stands 52 m high. As dusk falls, there’ll be food trucks and music, so you can hang out on the deck chairs and enjoy the view. Dinner tonight is at the lodge.

Start the day touring the Nabataean site of Hegra. Tours here are guided by local rawees (storytellers), who are predominantly women. Hegra dates back to the first century BCE and was the southern capital of the Nabataean kingdom that extended as far as Petra in present-day Jordan. Explore several of the 100 well-preserved tombs and see their elaborate facades carved from desert rocks. The smallest tomb is only 2.7 m tall, but the largest is 21.5 m! Then, visit Maraya Theatre – the world's largest mirrored building and a spectacular example of Saudi's architectural innovation. After, head to AlUla Oasis – cultivated for millennia and still an integral food source, with over 2.3 million date palms and 29 varieties of citrus fruit. Have lunch, then return to the lodge. You might also like to walk part of the 6 km Oasis Heritage Trail on your own or with a local guide and make your way back to the lodge later.