Overview
AlUla Old Town is a labyrinth of mud-brick houses built from the 12th century, abandoned within living memory and now partly restored.
Why visit AlUla Old Town
The settlement grew on the incense trading route and on the pilgrim road, and it was walled: fourteen gates controlled the way in. A fort dating to around the 10th century stands above it, 45 metres up, and the climb is the quickest way to understand the town's plan - hundreds of clay houses packed shoulder to shoulder along alleys narrow enough to stay shaded through the day.
The restored section now holds shops and restaurants along one main lane. Most of it opens between 8 and 9 in the morning and it is busiest after 3pm; shops run to about 11pm and most restaurants to around 1am, which makes it the one place in AlUla with a genuine evening.
This once-thriving settlement from the 12th century stood on ancient incense trading routes and was also a key settlement on the pilgrimage path from Damascus to Makkah. The old town and its 14 gates were overlooked by a resolute 45-metre-high fort, a defensive lookout dating back to around the 10th century.
Tours that include AlUla Old Town
Winter in AlUla
5 days, 4 nights in AlUla, timed for the cool season: Hegra, Dadan, Jabal Ikmah and the Old Town.
Riyadh, AlUla, Madinah & Jeddah
7 days, 6 nights. Riyadh, AlUla, Madinah and Jeddah, taking in Hegra, At-Turaif and the old quarter of Al-Balad.
Riyadh & AlUla
6 days, 5 nights. Two nights in Riyadh for the founding sites, three in AlUla for Hegra and Dadan.
Jeddah & AlUla
6 days, 5 nights. Two nights in Jeddah for Al-Balad and the Red Sea, three in AlUla for Hegra.
AlUla & Tabuk
6 days, 5 nights. Three nights in AlUla for Hegra, Dadan and Jabal Ikmah, then two in Tabuk for the sandstone country.
AlUla & Madinah
6 days, 5 nights. Three nights in AlUla for Hegra, Dadan and Jabal Ikmah, then two nights in Madinah.
Travel Tips Before Visiting
AlUla Old Town is in AlUla.
Photograph: Pteropus conspicillatus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Plan your visit to AlUla Old Town
Want to include AlUla Old Town in your trip? Browse our journeys or ask for a custom plan.