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Saudi Arabia

Duration: All Weekend 4-7 days 8-14 days 15+ days Kids: All 👨‍👩‍👧 Kid-friendly
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Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, AlUla and Jeddah
Saudi Arabia 10 days

Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, AlUla and Jeddah

The grand journey: Riyadh, the desert, the Nabataean tombs of AlUla and the Red Sea at Jeddah

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Planning a trip to Saudi Arabia? Here you'll find our day-by-day itinerary (Riyadh, AlUla and Hegra, Jeddah and the Red Sea, Diriyah, The desert, Taif and Asir), plus all the practical info to organise your journey: currency, visa, e-SIM, health, plugs and useful numbers.

When to go to Saudi Arabia

The climate is desert: summers are scorching, with Riyadh and AlUla exceeding 45-50 degrees, while winters are mild and pleasant. The best period to visit is October to March. The Red Sea coast at Jeddah is hot and humid, enjoyable almost all year. In the desert, winter nights can be cold.

Practical info for travelling in Saudi Arabia

Updated: June 2026

Documents and visa

You need a passport with at least 6 months' validity and a visa, which has become easy: since 2019 you get the tourist e-Visa online (visa.visitsaudi.com) or, for EU/Schengen residents, on arrival too, with no sponsor needed. Health insurance is MANDATORY for entry. Check the visa expiry on your passport carefully (it is also shown in the Islamic calendar).

Currency

The currency is the Saudi riyal (SAR), about 4 to a euro. The banking system is modern and Western: cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) are accepted everywhere and ATMs are widespread. Sums over about 13,500 euro (60,000 SAR) must be declared. Tipping is not compulsory.

Language

The official language is Arabic, but English is very widespread: signs, menus, hotels, museums and tourism staff use it commonly. Communicating is generally easy.

Health and insurance

No vaccines required for travellers from Europe (yellow fever only from risk countries; meningococcal vaccine is required only for the Mecca pilgrimage). Hospitals are of Western standard, private and paid for foreigners: health insurance with repatriation is mandatory for the visa and truly essential (hospital stays are very expensive). Sporadic cases of MERS-CoV: avoid contact with dromedaries and raw camel milk.

eSIM and connectivity

5G coverage is excellent throughout the country. A travel eSIM or a local SIM (STC, Mobily, Zain) are easy to activate and cheap: the best way to always have internet, maps and taxi apps with you. Wi-Fi is widespread in hotels and malls.

Electricity

Power is 230V, with mostly type G sockets (the same as British ones, with three rectangular pins). European plugs do NOT fit: you need a UK-type adapter (the same used in the United Kingdom).

Time zone

Saudi Arabia is at UTC+3. There is no daylight saving time, so the offset from Europe shifts by an hour between summer and winter.

Alcohol totally banned

Throughout the kingdom alcohol is forbidden: importing, possessing or consuming it is an offence punished with severe penalties. In restaurants and hotels, even luxury ones, only non-alcoholic drinks are served - excellent 'mocktails', fresh fruit juices and gahwa, the cardamom Arabic coffee. Do not bring alcohol into the country.

Mecca and Medina

Mecca is forbidden to non-Muslims: even the road leading to it has a compulsory exit, with check-points. In Medina non-Muslims may enter the city but not the area of the Prophet's Mosque. The classic tourist itinerary (Riyadh, AlUla, Jeddah) does not include them: the kingdom offers a great deal else, from deserts to Nabataean tombs to the Red Sea.

Good to know

  • Visa and insurance — Before you go: the online tourist e-Visa (quick, at visa.visitsaudi.com; alternatively obtained on arrival for EU residents), valid health insurance (mandatory for entry) and a passport with at least 6 months' validity. If you travel in spring, during the Hajj pilgrimage, check with the airline: boarding on a tourist visa to some western airports (Jeddah, Medina, Taif) may be restricted.
  • Dress and etiquette — Saudi Arabia remains a deeply religious country, even if much changed: sober, respectful conduct is needed. Cover shoulders and knees and avoid tight clothes (for female tourists the abaya is no longer compulsory, but modesty is expected). No public displays of affection. Do not criticise Islam or the royal family. Respect prayer times, during which some shops briefly close.
  • What NOT to do — Some things, normal elsewhere, here are very serious crimes: alcohol, drugs (death penalty for trafficking), pornographic material, homosexuality, proselytising for other religions. Do not display non-Islamic religious symbols in public (crosses, Bibles can be confiscated at the border; private worship is tolerated). Do not photograph people - especially women - without permission, nor military or government buildings.
  • Ramadan — If you travel during the month of Ramadan, remember that eating, drinking and smoking in public during daylight hours is forbidden, even for non-Muslims. Many restaurants close during the day and life shifts to the evening, after sunset, when the cities come alive. Adapting is a must and part of the experience.
  • Driving and transport — To drive or rent a car you need an international driving permit (Geneva Convention). Women can drive (since 2018). Speed cameras are widespread and accidents frequent: in a crash do not move the car until the police arrive. In the city the Uber and Careem apps are very handy; between Riyadh, AlUla and Jeddah you fly on cheap domestic flights (Saudia, flynas).
  • Safety and areas to avoid — The tourist areas (Riyadh, AlUla, Jeddah) are safe and well policed, with very low crime. Avoid the border areas with Yemen in the south-west (Najran, Jizan and partly Asir provinces, subject to missile and drone attacks), the border with Iraq and the strip within 20 km of the northern border. Keep a low profile and follow the local authorities' instructions.

Useful numbers

  • 999 — Police
  • 997 — Ambulance and medical emergency (Red Crescent)
  • 998 — Fire brigade
  • +966 11 488 1212 — Your country's embassy in Riyadh (for Italian citizens: Embassy, emergency +966 50 525 4792; Consulate General in Jeddah)

💡 The tourist visa is now simple (e-Visa online, or on arrival for EU residents) and health insurance is required. But remember it is a strict Muslim country: no alcohol anywhere, covered clothing, no public displays of affection, and Mecca is off-limits to non-Muslims (the classic Riyadh-AlUla-Jeddah itinerary excludes it). Best time to go: October to March, to avoid the scorching summer heat.