UltimateCity Guide Riyadh
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Stories from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Every story, long read and guide in the ULTIMATE Riyadh City Guide, in one place.

Areas

Riyadh by area

From the mud-brick lanes of Diriyah and the souqs of the old centre to the towers of King Fahd Road, KAFD and the northern districts where Riyadh goes out: each area has its own guide.

The restored mud-brick palaces of At-Turaif in Diriyah under a clear skyArea guideDiriyahThe mud-brick city on the wadiThe Riyadh skyline at dusk, with the arch of the Kingdom CentreArea guideAl Olaya & King Fahd RoadThe landmark towersThe towers of the King Abdullah Financial District at night, with the full moon risingArea guideKAFDThe financial districtThe Masmak, the mud-brick fort of 1865, framed by palms in the old centre of RiyadhArea guideThe old centreThe fort and the souqsVia Riyadh at dusk, its stone buildings lit with floral projections around a fountain courtArea guideDiplomatic Quarter & Al HadaGardens and Tuwaiq stone

Getting about

The Blue Line runs through Al Olaya to KAFD: take the metro by day, and keep a car for Diriyah after dark.

  1. Area guideThe northern districtsWhere Riyadh goes out
  2. Area guideAs Sulimaniyah & TahliaCafés and boutiques

Practical

Plan your trip

The practical things to know before you go: the tourist e-visa, dress and prayer times, the six-line metro, and itineraries from a first day to a weekend in Diriyah.

The towers of King Fahd Road at duskBefore you goRiyadh essentialsThe e-visa, dress, prayer times and the numbers to callEscalators and the wave-patterned lattice inside the KAFD metro stationGetting aroundGetting around RiyadhThe airport, six metro lines and the trainsA platter of kabsa: spiced rice and lamb with tomato, cucumber, onion and lemonItineraryA day in RiyadhFrom the Masmak to At-TuraifThe courtyard of Bab Samhan in Diriyah at dusk, lanterns and shade sails among mud-rendered wallsLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addressesThe Al Faisaliah tower, with its golden glass sphere near the tipItineraryThe Gold weekendThe Kingdom Centre, Julien and Diriyah
  1. ItineraryThe Edge of the WorldUshaiqer and the cliffs at sunset

Our advice

At-Turaif after dark

At-Turaif opens in the evening: buy your pass on diriyah.sa, arrive as the light goes, and book dinner on Bujairi Terrace facing the walls you have just walked. Our Diriyah guide

Day trips

Beyond the city

The cliffs of the Edge of the World, the Najdi village of Ushaiqer, the theme parks of Qiddiya, the great oasis of Al-Ahsa by train and the Nabataean tombs of Hegra.

Mud-brick houses among palms at Ushaiger Heritage Village in NajdBeyond the cityThe Edge of the WorldCliffs at the end of TuwaiqBeyond the cityUshaiqerA Najdi villageThe Six Flags Qiddiya City sign and entrance plaza, with the escarpment behindBeyond the cityQiddiyaThe theme parksThe arched, lantern-lit lanes of Al Qaisariya souq in Hofuf, Al-AhsaBeyond the cityAl-AhsaThe great oasisQasr al-Farid at Hegra, the Nabataean tomb carved into a lone sandstone outcropBeyond the cityAlUla & HegraNabataean tombs

Our advice

Go in the cool months

From November to March the days are warm rather than hot: the season for the Edge of the World, the dunes and walking the old centre. Go to the cliffs with a licensed operator. The Edge of the World

In depth

In depth: the stories of Riyadh

Riyadh Season, the mud-brick city and the glass one, its museums and traditions, its table, its hotels, its metro and the new rules for buying a home.

A lake and a path among young trees in the restored Wadi Hanifah, RiyadhIn depth: nature & wildlifeWild RiyadhWadi Hanifah, the escarpment and the dunesThis winterRiyadh Season 2026–2027From 21 October: concerts, shows and Boulevard WorldFeatureRiyadh, the wadi and the towersMud brick, glass and the desert

Dress and conduct

Men and women cover elbows and knees; women need not wear the abaya or cover their hair. Shops close briefly at prayer times.

  1. In depthMuseums, architecture and traditionsFrom the National Museum to JAX
  2. In depthEating in RiyadhSaudi kitchens and the first MICHELIN guide
  3. In depthThe hotelsFrom the Kingdom Tower to Diriyah
  4. In depthGetting aroundSix metro lines and the trains
  5. In depthBuying in RiyadhThe new law and the first steps
  6. Fun factsRiyadh fun factsThings you might not know

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