Choosing between AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts is the single biggest lodging decision you will make in this corner of Saudi Arabia, and the two options could not be more different. Stay in the Old Town and you sleep inside a centuries-old mudbrick village, steps from the artisan souk. Book a desert resort and you get a private plunge pool beneath sandstone cliffs with almost nobody around. The AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts question really comes down to whether you want atmosphere and walkability, or space and silence. Below I break down price, location and who each suits, using real 2026 rates.
In this guide
- AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts: the quick answer
- What actually separates the two
- Staying in AlUla Old Town
- The desert resorts of Ashar Valley
- Atmosphere, food and evenings
- Price compared: the real 2026 numbers
- Location and getting around
- The third option: The Chedi Hegra
- Who should pick which
- How to combine both
- Frequently asked questions
AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts: the quick answer
Short on time? Here is the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts verdict in one line: pick the Old Town if you value walkable heritage, cafes, an evening buzz and a lower nightly rate; pick a desert resort if you are here for isolation, a pool, a spa and stargazing, and you have the budget for it.
First-timers who want to see everything on foot usually prefer the Old Town. Honeymooners and anyone chasing a slow, screen-off escape lean desert. On three or more nights, plenty of travellers split the difference and do both, which I cover at the end. That is genuinely the smartest way to settle the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts debate if your dates allow.
AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts: what actually separates them
People frame the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts choice as budget versus luxury, but that is not quite it. There are budget beds in the desert and a genuinely premium heritage hotel in the Old Town. The real split is about what surrounds you when you step out of your door.
In the Old Town you walk out into narrow mudbrick lanes, a restored souk full of small artisan shops, coffee roasters and open-air dinner spots. It gets lively after sunset. In Ashar Valley, you walk out into raw desert framed by 200-metre sandstone cliffs. It is silent, dark and private. Neither is better; they are simply answers to different questions, and that is the honest heart of the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts debate.
Keep that in mind through the whole AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts comparison: you are trading convenience and social buzz against space and seclusion. Everything else, from price to drive times, flows from that one difference.
Staying in AlUla Old Town: the heritage side
The Old Town is a restored labyrinth of mudbrick and stone houses that was inhabited for roughly 800 years and only recently reopened to visitors. Staying here puts you within a five-minute walk of the souk, the cafes and the atmospheric lantern-lit lanes at night. If your version of a good trip is wandering out for dinner without a car, this is your side of the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts split.
Dar Tantora, the only hotel inside the mudbrick quarter
Dar Tantora The House Hotel is the only property physically inside the historic Old Town quarter. It is built from 30 restored “dar” houses, lit by candles and lanterns rather than electric light after dark, with clay walls, hand-painted ceilings and no televisions. It is atmospheric in a way no purpose-built resort can fake, and for many people it is the single reason the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts scales tip toward the heritage side.
Be honest with yourself about the trade-offs, though. Candlelight and no in-room TV is romantic for some and frustrating for others, and the heritage rooms are not cheap: expect rates from around SAR 1,300 (roughly $356) a night in 2026, climbing in peak season. That still undercuts the top desert villas by a wide margin, which is a recurring theme in the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts pricing story.
Cheaper beds around Old Town
You do not have to book Dar Tantora to stay near the Old Town. A short drive out, in the wider AlUla town and Al-Aqran area, there are 3-star hotels and guesthouses from around SAR 350 to 550 a night. They are plain, but they put you minutes from the historic core for a fraction of resort money. For budget travellers, the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts decision is often made right here, on price alone.
The desert resorts: Ashar Valley and its sandstone canyons
The desert half of the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts equation is concentrated in Ashar Valley, a dramatic corridor of sheer sandstone cliffs roughly 15 to 20 minutes’ drive from the Old Town. Four properties cluster here, and Maraya, the world’s largest mirrored building, sits nearby. You can read a fuller breakdown in our guide to the Ashar Valley resorts.
Our Habitas and Caravan by Habitas
Our Habitas AlUla is the most photographed of the desert resorts: low-slung eco-villas, a wellness focus and a pool that catches the canyon light. It is the resort most people picture when they weigh the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts question. Rates start from around $329 to $410 a night in low season and climb steeply on weekends and holidays. Its sibling, Caravan by Habitas, is the more relaxed, Airstream-style option and usually the most affordable way into an Ashar Valley address. If you want desert seclusion without top-tier prices, Caravan is where the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts budget gap narrows most.
Banyan Tree and Ashar Tented Resort
Banyan Tree AlUla is the top of the market: standalone tented villas, many with private pools, spa treatments and canyon views. Official rates start from about SAR 4,200 a night and entry-level villas realistically sit near SAR 5,000, with the grandest suites running well past SAR 12,000. Ashar Tented Resort offers a similar tented-luxury feel a notch below Banyan Tree. If you are weighing pure indulgence, our AlUla luxury resorts guide goes deeper on each. This is the end of the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts spectrum where money disappears fastest.
AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts: atmosphere, food and evenings
Where you sleep decides how your evenings feel, and this is where the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts contrast is sharpest. In the Old Town, dinner is a stroll: you wander lantern-lit lanes, pick a rooftop cafe or a courtyard spot in the souk, and the place hums with other travellers until late. There is a real sense of a living town at night.
At a desert resort, dinner is an event you stay in for. The dining is more formal and much pricier, often a set menu under the stars, and once you have eaten there is little to do but sink into the quiet and sleep. For some that emptiness is the whole appeal; for others it feels isolating by the second night. Be realistic about which camp you fall in before you lock in the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts decision.
Stargazing is the one clear win for the desert side. With almost no light pollution in Ashar Valley, the night sky is extraordinary and several resorts run guided astronomy sessions. The Old Town, glowing with lanterns, simply cannot match it, so if dark skies matter to you that alone can settle the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts question.
AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts: price compared
Prices move with season and dates, so treat the table below as a starting point, not a quote. The Saudi riyal is pegged to the US dollar at about SAR 3.75 to $1, so $100 is roughly SAR 375, which makes quick budgeting easy. Here is how the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts options stack up on a typical 2026 night.
| Stay | Area | From (SAR/night) | From (USD) | Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-star hotel / guesthouse | AlUla town, near Old Town | ~350–550 | ~$95–145 | Basic, walkable to sights |
| Dar Tantora The House Hotel | Inside Old Town | ~1,300+ | ~$356+ | Candlelit heritage |
| Caravan by Habitas | Ashar Valley | ~1,200+ | ~$320+ | Relaxed desert camp |
| Our Habitas AlUla | Ashar Valley | ~1,230+ | ~$329+ | Eco-luxury villas |
| Banyan Tree AlUla | Ashar Valley | ~4,200+ | ~$1,120+ | Private-pool tented villas |
| The Chedi Hegra | Inside Hegra site | ~4,000+ | ~$1,070+ | Ultra-exclusive, on a UNESCO site |
The headline from the table: the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts gap is real but not absolute. A budget bed near the Old Town is a fifth of a Banyan Tree villa, yet Dar Tantora and Caravan by Habitas actually overlap in the SAR 1,200 to 1,400 band. If your budget lands there, the decision is about experience, not money.
AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts: location and getting around
Distances in AlUla are small, but whether you have a rental car or rely on taxis changes the calculation. Both sides of the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts choice are within about 20 minutes of the main sights, so neither is genuinely remote, but the daily rhythm differs.
- Old Town: walk to the souk, cafes and dinner; drive ~15–20 min to Ashar Valley and Maraya, ~20 min to Elephant Rock.
- Ashar Valley resorts: right beside Maraya; ~15–20 min to Old Town, ~45 min from AlUla (ULH) airport.
- Getting around: a rental car is the simplest option; resorts also run shuttles and the official Experience AlUla buggies serve key sites.
If you will not rent a car, that pushes the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts answer toward the Old Town, where you can eat and browse on foot every night. From a desert resort, every meal out or sight is a drive or a booked shuttle. For a full day-by-day plan either way, see our AlUla in 2 days itinerary, and for a broader neighbourhood overview our best area to stay in AlUla guide.
The third option: The Chedi Hegra
There is a wildcard beyond the usual AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts pair: The Chedi Hegra, the only hotel set within the UNESCO-listed Hegra archaeological site itself. It occupies restored heritage buildings among ancient Nabataean surroundings, about 20 minutes north of both the Old Town and Ashar Valley, and roughly 45 minutes from the airport.
It is the most exclusive and expensive stay in the whole region, and its location is unmatched for history lovers. But it is remote from both the Old Town buzz and the Ashar Valley cluster, so it does not really resolve the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts question so much as sidestep it. Book it only if sleeping on a UNESCO site is the entire point of your trip.
AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts: who should pick which
Here is how I would steer people after several visits. Use this as the tiebreaker in your AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts decision.
Choose the Old Town if…
- You want to walk to dinner, cafes and the souk without driving.
- You are travelling on a mid or lower budget.
- You love heritage, texture and a bit of evening life.
- You are not renting a car.
Choose a desert resort if…
- You are here to switch off, swim and be pampered.
- You want a private pool, spa and dark-sky stargazing.
- You are on a honeymoon or a special occasion.
- Your budget can absorb SAR 1,200 to 5,000+ a night.
Families are a genuine edge case in the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts call: the resorts have pools and space kids love, but the Old Town’s walkable dinners and lower prices can suit family budgets better.
Solo travellers and small groups of friends usually get more out of the Old Town in the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts trade-off, simply because there are people around and things to do after dark.
How to combine both
My honest recommendation for a three-night-plus trip: do not treat the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts choice as either/or. Split it. Spend the first night or two in the Old Town to explore the souk, Hegra and the museums on foot and by day, then move to a desert resort for a final night or two to unwind by the pool before you fly home.
Because Ashar Valley is only 15 to 20 minutes from the Old Town, switching hotels costs you almost no sightseeing time, and you get both the heritage energy and the desert calm. That combination is, for most people, the most satisfying resolution to the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts question. Fill the days between with our roundup of the best things to do in AlUla. For official site details and opening seasons, the Experience AlUla website is the most reliable source.
One logistics tip if you split your stay: book the Old Town leg first and the resort leg second. You will be busiest and on your feet during the sightseeing days, so ending on the desert side lets you decompress before the flight home. Check the cancellation terms on both bookings too, because peak-season rates on the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts properties are often non-refundable.
To recap the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts choice in a sentence: Old Town for walkable heritage and value, Ashar Valley resorts for privacy and pampering, and both together if you have the nights to spare.
Frequently asked questions
Is AlUla Old Town or a desert resort cheaper?
The Old Town area is cheaper overall. Basic hotels near the Old Town start around SAR 350 to 550 a night, while Ashar Valley desert resorts start near SAR 1,200 and reach SAR 5,000 and beyond. The exception is Dar Tantora, the heritage hotel inside the Old Town, which is priced like an entry-level resort at about SAR 1,300. So on the AlUla Old Town vs desert resorts split, budget mostly favours the Old Town.
How far are the desert resorts from AlUla Old Town?
The Ashar Valley resorts sit roughly 15 to 20 minutes’ drive from the Old Town, so switching between the two is quick and easy. Both are within about 20 minutes of the main attractions, and the resorts are around 45 minutes from AlUla International Airport.
Can you stay inside AlUla Old Town itself?
Yes. Dar Tantora The House Hotel is the only hotel physically inside the restored mudbrick Old Town quarter, built from 30 heritage houses lit by candlelight after dark. Everything else described as “Old Town” is actually in the surrounding AlUla town, a short drive away.
Which is better for a first-time visitor?
For a first visit, the Old Town usually wins because you can walk to dinner, the souk and evening atmosphere, and it costs less. If your trip is a honeymoon or a pure relaxation break, a desert resort is the better fit. On three nights or more, doing one of each is the ideal answer.
Do you need a rental car in AlUla?
Not strictly, but it helps. If you stay in the Old Town you can walk to most food and shops and taxi to the sights. From a desert resort you will rely on a car, resort shuttles or the official Experience AlUla transport, so a rental gives you the most freedom either way.