[PLACEHOLDER: first-hand photo — AlUla Old Town lanes at dusk.]
Two days is the sweet spot for AlUla: enough to see the headline sites without turning the trip into a checklist sprint. This is the plan we actually run, with timings that leave room for the desert to slow you down.
Day 1 — Hegra & the Old Town
- Morning: the first Hegra tour of the day, for soft light and cool air.
- Midday: lunch and a rest through the hottest hours.
- Late afternoon: the restored AlUla Old Town — mud-brick lanes, small shops, and the citadel view as the light drops.
- Evening: dinner in the Old Town or Ashar valley.
Day 2 — Rocks, canyons & a sunset
- Morning: Elephant Rock (Jabal AlFil) is best early; then the Dadan and Jabal Ikmah inscriptions.
- Afternoon: drive out toward Gharameel for the pinnacle field, or rest before sunset.
- Sunset: a desert viewpoint — Gharameel or a dune camp — followed by some of the darkest skies in the region.
If you have a third day
Add a dawn hot-air balloon, a slower morning at Maraya, or simply repeat a site you loved with more time. See the full menu in things to do in AlUla.
Getting around
Sites are spread across the valley, so you will want a rental car or a hired driver. Public transport is not a realistic way to do this itinerary. First work out how you are arriving in how to get to AlUla.