Elephant Rock rises 52 metres out of the sand and was shaped by erosion over a very long stretch of time. Its Arabic name is Jabal AlFil. The trip is timed for dusk because that is when the fading sun throws a deep crimson light across the trunk, and the colour shifts fast enough that being in position early is the whole point of going late.
You are collected from your hotel in AlUla in the late afternoon, with enough time on site to walk the sand around the base and work out your angles before the light turns. Afterwards there is a stop in AlUla Old Town, where the shops run to 11pm and most restaurants stay open later still.
Day by day
Late afternoon
Pick-up from your hotel and the drive out to Elephant Rock. You arrive with the sun still up, which gives you time to walk right around the base, see how the trunk reads from different sides, and pick where you want to be standing when the colour changes.
Evening
The last of the light on the rock, then the drive back into town. The day finishes with a stop in AlUla Old Town, where the lanes and shops stay open into the evening, before drop-off at your hotel.
What is included
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off in AlUla
- Private air-conditioned vehicle
- Timed departure so you are on site before the light goes
- English-speaking driver
- Bottled water in the vehicle
- All fuel and parking
What is not
- Meals and drinks
- Gratuities
- Camera equipment and tripods
- Personal expenses
The places on this trip
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