A guide to AlUla’s Old Town

AlUla’s Old Town is perhaps the best place to understand how multiple civilisations used and adapted the landscape over millennia. Today, the Old Town Village is the most walkable part of the city. No cars are allowed and everyone is encouraged to immerse themselves in its past and present. The Old Town Village consists of three inter-connected parts: the oasis, AlJadidah, the district renowned for its public art by local artists, and the ancient Old Town. This connectivity is what makes this an entirely walkable experience. For its commitment to the Sustainability Charter with governs the economic, social and environmental impacts of its regenerative projects, AlUla Old Town was recognised by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation as Best Tourism Village in 2022 and is an unmissable experience.

AlUla Old Town (Experience AlUla)

The ancient Old Town, whilst a place where people lived, was also a center for pilgrims, travellers and merchants to meet, trade and socialise. It was used by successive generations and civilizations and thrived as a hub along the incense route. Whilst archaeologists continue to uncover evidence to understand why progressive generations may have moved here, and away from the desert, what we know is that the ancient Old Town was inhabited from the 10th century until it was abandoned in the 1980s. Many local people have relatives who occupied the Old Town within their living memory.

With a castle that overlooks the oasis and an entire village built around it, the story of AlUla’s Old Town continues as it’s still in use today. In the past, its mudbrick houses were attached to each other to strengthen their walls and provide fortification. Narrow streets served the inhabitants and at one point in its history 14 gates allowed visitors to come in or out of the village. An ambitious project to restore the ancient passages and homes to their former glory, sensitively and authentically, is now underway. Once the Old Town is fully restored, many more of its stories will be brought to life. Visitors will be able to understand what every day life was like in AlUla’s Old Town.

For people whose daily lives were governed by the moon and stars it would go without saying that the changing of seasons was decided by the sun. The Tantora Sundial is a relic found in the Old Town which had been used to tell the time and mark the first day of the winter planting season. This was a season of celebration and the tradition still continues. The new Dar Tantora The House Hotel is a great place to celebrate festival season. Experience the authenticity of its cultural significance. Located at the edge of the Old Town with 30 rooms, the hotel, which opened in April 2024, has traditional decor designed to capture AlUla’s heritage.

The rock-topped remains of AlUla Old Town’s Castle (Shutterstock)

This street which runs the length of the Old Town has always been a place where locals bought everyday essentials or traded goods. Today, you can find coffee shops, restaurants, jewellers and arts and crafts along Market Street.

Continue walking seamlessly into AlJadidah along the Incense Road. Here you may notice that the street is decorated with a painted carpet, a huge mural created through a collaboration of artists and local people. Look up to admire more local artistry on the side of buildings as you walk along or explore one of the creative spaces and exhibitions.

The Tantora Sundial (Shutterstock)

AlUla Castle, which sits at a high point of the Old Town, can be visited with a rawi on the Old Town tour. You will need to walk through the low, narrow passages of the Old Town to get here and several sets of steps take you to the viewpoint at the top. The castle dates back to the 10th century and from the top of its fortifications you will see the breadth of the oasis as well as the tightly-packed houses which made up the Old Town below you. Whilst AlUla Castle is immensely popular with visitors for its history, its unique viewpoint right across the valley is what makes the experience special.

The Incense Road in AlJadidah (Experience AlUla)

Explore AlUla’s Old Town on a guided tour (Experience AlUla)

Whilst it’s possible to explore the Old Town and its old world charm on a self-guided tour, the best way to understand it is on a guided tour with a rawi or storyteller guide. Rawis have always existed in Arabic culture and have traditoinally been reciters of the region’s oral history. Your guided tour will provide insights into the history of the Old Town.

On your hour-long tour you will visit some of the 900 houses, 500 shops, five town squares and AlUla Castle. The Rawi will explain the town’s history and who occupied the Old Town, from its inhabitants to travellers and pilgrims, and might add their own family story of living in AlUla. You will also have a chance to delve in to its construction. Which methods and materials were used and how they may have been carried here. Furthermore, the Rawi will explain what motivated the design of the of the city and which issues dictated its construction.

Despite its name, the restaurant started in Geneva, Switzerland in 1930, and continues its culinary legacy in AlUla. With its Single Menu Formula of green salad, 200 gram Entrecôte steak and the acclaimed Café de Paris sauce served with homemade French fries visitors to AlUla can now enjoy this fine dining experience within the magical setting of the Old Town. With a choice of striploin, tenderloin or striploin Wagyu steaks Entrecôte Café de Paris brings a touch of Swiss dining to the heart of the Old Town. Be sure to stick to the smart casual dress code for the restaurant.

This beautiful indoor-outdoor restaurant should be your first stop if traditional Arabic cuisine is your desire. Named after Suhail, which is the brightest star in the sky which guided travellers on their long journeys across the desert, this restaurant sits along the main street of the Old Town. This high-end dining space serves authentic Saudi Arabian dishes in a traditional setting of a mudbrick building with an open roof and exceptional service. Enjoy innovative and traditional dishes such as AlUla orange and lavender salad, lamb mugalgal and heneini cheesecake with cardamom caramel sauce.

Walk along Market Street in the Old Town and you’d be hard pressed to miss eye-catching AlNakheel Café that is lively and busy with diners for the best part of the day. With a view across the oasis and the mountains in the distance, AlNakheel Café offers vibrant colours, traditional seating and rows of outdoor string lights that will keep you here late in to the evening as you dine with friends. Enjoy the traditional dishes created for sharing in this relaxed dining space. Order popular plates such as hummus, tabbouleh and grilled meat platters followed by saffron cake or date pudding.

Located in AlJadidah and backing right onto the oasis, Somewhere is a restaurant that fuses together flavours from across the globe, with dishes ranging from beetroot rice to wagyu beef kebab baos. The setting is wonderfully peaceful, too, the decor echoing its sandy setting and amplified by elegant water features. Make sure you allow room for the delicious mehlabiya pudding, a creamy milk-based dessert mixed with a sweet syrup.

Boasting rooftop views of over AlUla’s oasis, the menu here is inspired by the traditional dishes cooked by the owner’s grandmother, Fayza. With that in mind, it’s a truly authentic taste of local flavours you’ll be enjoying at Tawlat Fayza, bound together by the same varieties of vegetables Fayza used to pick from the fields in the family farmhouse.