AlUla tours are less optional than in most destinations. The biggest sites — Hegra, Dadan and Jabal Ikmah — are protected, and you reach them on a booked tour rather than by driving up and walking in. The good news is that the core tours are cheap: the shared Hegra Day Tour starts from SAR 95 and the Dadan & Jabal Ikmah guided tour from SAR 60. This guide puts every main AlUla tour on one page — what it costs, how long it takes, when it runs in the 2026–27 season, and which of our detailed guides to read next.
Quick answer: if you only book one thing, book the Hegra Day Tour (from SAR 95, 2–3 hours). If you have two days, add Dadan & Jabal Ikmah (from SAR 60). Old Town, Elephant Rock and the Oasis trail are free and do not need a tour at all. Everything else — balloons, stargazing, ziplines — is a nice extra, not the main event.
AlUla tours at a glance
We checked the prices below against the official Experience AlUla tour pages on 9 October 2026. All prices are “from” prices and can change, so always confirm on the booking page before you go.
| Tour | From (price) | Duration | Runs | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hegra Day Tour (shared) | SAR 95 per person | 2–3 hours incl. transfer | Daily, year-round | Hegra tours compared |
| Hegra Premium Tour (private 4×4) | SAR 1,000 per vehicle | ~2 hours | Daily, year-round | Hegra tickets & prices |
| Dadan & Jabal Ikmah guided tour (shared) | SAR 60 per person | 2–3 hours incl. transfer | Year-round | Dadan guide |
| Dadan & Jabal Ikmah Premium Tour (private 4×4) | SAR 1,000 per vehicle | ~2 hours | Daily, year-round | Jabal Ikmah guide |
| The Incense Road Experience (Old Town, evening) | SAR 185 per person | 1 hour 30 minutes | Tuesday to Saturday evenings | Old Town guide |
| Hegra Geology Hike | SAR 150 adult · SAR 35 child (6–12) | 1 hour 45 minutes | Saturdays, 24 Oct – 12 Dec 2026 | — |
| Sunrise hot air balloon flight | SAR 1,295 per person | ~3 hours incl. transfer | Seasonal; official page says “returning in October” | Balloon guide |
| Stargazing at Gharameel | SAR 397 per person | 3–4 hours | Check dates; booking page was not open on 9 Oct | Stargazing guide |
Hegra tours: the one tour almost everyone books
Hegra was Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, with more than 100 monumental Nabataean tombs cut into sandstone outcrops. Entry is managed, so the tour is the ticket. You meet at the Winter Park bus stop (free parking), ride a designated bus into the site, and stop at the main tomb clusters, including Qasr al-Farid.
- Hegra Day Tour — from SAR 95 per person, 2–3 hours including transfers, English and Arabic, daily all year. Best value for most visitors.
- Hegra Premium Tour — from SAR 1,000 per vehicle, about 2 hours with a private guide. Priced per vehicle, so it only makes sense for families or small groups who split the cost.
In past seasons there was also a self-paced Hop-On Hop-Off format in the cooler months. On 9 October 2026 we could not find a live page for it on Experience AlUla, so do not plan around it until it reappears. For a full comparison of formats, read Hegra Tours Explained, and for what to expect on site, How to Visit Hegra.
Dadan & Jabal Ikmah: the best-value second tour
Dadan was the capital of the Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms, centuries before the Nabataeans built Hegra, and Jabal Ikmah next door is an open-air library of ancient inscriptions. One combined tour covers both.
- Guided tour — from SAR 60 per person with a shared Rawi (storyteller) guide in English or Arabic, 2–3 hours including transfer, from the Winter Park bus stop.
- Premium tour — from SAR 1,000 per vehicle, about 2 hours, private.
The cheaper audio-guided version that ran last season was listed only until 31 December 2025, so expect the live-guided tour to be the standard option this season. Read more in our Dadan & Lion Tombs guide and Jabal Ikmah guide.
Old Town: free to walk, with one paid evening experience
AlUla Old Town, the mudbrick maze below AlUla Fort, is free to enter and easy to explore on your own. If you want a guided layer, the new option on Experience AlUla is The Incense Road Experience: a 90-minute evening walk with live scenes and storytelling about the incense trade, ending in an incense-making workshop with a take-home gift. It costs from SAR 185 per person, runs Tuesday to Saturday evenings, is for ages 5 and up, and is not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers. Park at Old Town South Parking (free). Our Old Town guide covers the free walk.
Seasonal tours in the 2026–27 season
Some of the most memorable AlUla tours only run part of the year. These are the ones with confirmed dates on the official site:
- Hegra Geology Hike — every Saturday from 24 October to 12 December 2026, starting 16:00 at the Hegra Visitor Centre. SAR 150 for adults and SAR 35 for children aged 6–12, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
- AlUla Skies Festival (6–15 November 2026) — tethered balloon rides in Al Manshiyah Plaza from SAR 100, balloon glow shows from SAR 30, and the AlUla Skyrise experience from SAR 990. See our AlUla events calendar 2026–27 for every date.
- Sunrise balloon flights — from SAR 1,295 per person; the official page said flights were “returning in October” when we checked. Details in our hot air balloon guide.
- Stargazing at Gharameel — from SAR 397 per person, 3–4 hours. The booking page was showing “coming back soon” on 9 October, so check before you plan an evening around it. See Stargazing in AlUla.
Adventure activities and the free sites
Not everything in AlUla is a guided tour. The AlUla Adventure Hub runs the via ferrata, the AlUla Stairway and the zipline. And several of the most photographed places need no booking at all: Elephant Rock is free and open into the evening, the Oasis Heritage Trail is free, and Maraya is worth seeing from outside even if you are not going to a show.
Which AlUla tours to book for your trip length
| Trip length | Book | Do for free |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day | Hegra Day Tour (morning) | Old Town and Elephant Rock at sunset |
| 2 days | Hegra Day Tour + Dadan & Jabal Ikmah | Old Town, Elephant Rock, Oasis trail |
| 3+ days | Add one evening (Incense Road or stargazing) and one adventure activity | Wadi AlFann, Maraya from outside |
For full day-by-day plans, see AlUla in One Day and AlUla in 2 Days.
How to book AlUla tours
- Book on the official site. Hegra, Dadan, Jabal Ikmah and the seasonal experiences are run by Experience AlUla and booked at experiencealula.com.
- Book early in peak season. November to February is busy, and festival weeks (Skies in November, Winter at Tantora from 17 December) fill up first.
- Know the cancellation rule. The Hegra and Dadan tour pages allow cancellations and refunds up to 3 days before your booked date.
- Plan your transport to Winter Park. Both Hegra and Dadan tours start from the Winter Park bus stop. If you are not renting a car, read Getting Around AlUla.
- Go early or late. Even in winter, midday sun is strong. Morning and late-afternoon slots are the most comfortable — see the best time to visit AlUla.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a tour to visit Hegra?
Yes. Hegra is a protected UNESCO site and access is through booked tours. The cheapest is the shared Hegra Day Tour from SAR 95 per person, which includes the bus into the site.
What is the cheapest AlUla tour?
The Dadan & Jabal Ikmah guided tour, from SAR 60 per person. Old Town, Elephant Rock and the Oasis Heritage Trail are free and need no tour.
How many AlUla tours can I do in one day?
Two is comfortable: Hegra in the morning and Dadan & Jabal Ikmah in the afternoon, since both start from Winter Park. Keep the evening for Old Town or Elephant Rock.
Are private AlUla tours worth it?
Private 4×4 tours of Hegra or Dadan cost from SAR 1,000 per vehicle. Split across a family or group, the price per person gets close to the shared tours, with a private guide and more flexibility. For one or two people, the shared tours are much better value.
Are AlUla tours available in English?
Yes. The Hegra Day Tour and the Dadan & Jabal Ikmah guided tour are offered in English and Arabic.