Old Town

Old Town

Part of AlUla Old Town Village

With its labyrinth of tightly packed streets, hundreds of mudbrick buildings, and a colossal watchtower fort, Old Town is one of Northwest Arabia's most impressive heritage sites. Stroll among the ruins and you can feel a palpable sense of its history as a once-thriving settlement along ancient trading routes dating back almost a millennium.

All-New Experience AlUla App

Check out the new Experience AlUla app to really make the most of your visit to this extraordinary destination. With fast and easy-to-navigate information, interactive features and bookable experiences, you have the best of AlUla at your fingertips. 

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Experiences in Old Town

Old Town Tour

Join an expert guide (Rawi) for an hour-long tour and learn more about the fascinating history and daily life inside Old Town.

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Shopping & Dining Old Town Market

Stroll through the outdoor market and shop local artisans, traditional crafts and cafes.

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Old Town Experiences

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Restaurants in Old Town

Asfar

Set in AlUla’s Tantora sundial building, Asfar offers a colourful menu of traditional Saudi flavours drawn from only the freshest local ingredients. Rooftop seating also adds Old Town vistas and spectacular sunsets to the wonderful dining experience.

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Entrecote

The dining experience at Entrecôte Café de Paris brings a taste of the finest French cuisine to AlUla Old Town. Their world-famous steak frites and secret sauce make this set menu special.

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Origin Cafe

Located in AlUla Old Town, Origin Cafe is brewing some of the best coffee from around the world. It is the perfect place to sit back, take a deep breath and enjoy a cold brew or Chemex. If you want to keep exploring, get your drink to go. Most known for serving speciality coffee, so give their coffee of the day a try.

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Suhail Old Town

A high-end Saudi Arabian dining concept serving dishes inspired by old Arabian Peninsula spices and time-honoured traditions, matched with a modern twist and exemplary service.

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AlNakheel Café

A relaxed and casual dining venue, Palm Garden is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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Tomoor AlUla

Sample local date varieties, sip speciality coffee and eat authentic desserts in AlUla Old Town at Tomoor AlUla. This high-end cafe honours AlUla's history by serving eight date varieties, all grown locally on lush farms. Look up in awe at the sandstone canyons from outdoor and rooftop seating.

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Wacafe

Mouthwatering croissants and scrumptious cinnamon rolls fill the cases at Wacafe. Grab the perfect cup of coffee and settle in at this great AlUla Old Town café.

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ACME

ACME’s unique burgers and delicious bites bring fun new flavours to AlUla’s Old Town. From refreshing drinks to savoury snacks, an exciting menu awaits kids and adults alike.

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Temporarily Closed SHI Lounge

A new café in AlUla Old Town, SHI Lounge is overflowing with ambience, making it the perfect place to relax and unwind. Chill after a busy day exploring AlUla or keep the night going after dinner with friends.

This dining option is currently unavailable but will return back to AlUla soon. Follow @AlUlaMoments on Social to be the first one to know when this dining option is back.

 

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Harvey Nichols

The iconic British luxury department store Harvey Nichols is opening a new location in the historic area of AlUla Old Town selling designer fashion collections for men and women, fashion accessories, beauty products and luxury foods.

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Dining in Old Town

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UNWTO Best Tourism Award Recipient

AlUla Old Town Village


A crossroads of civilisations and oasis city on incense-trading routes, people have inhabited AlUla for thousands of years. Today AlUla Old Town Village encompasses its fascinating mudbrick Old Town, the lush Oasis and vibrant AlJadidah Arts District.
 

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Modern AlUla encompasses one of Saudi Arabia’s most exceptional heritage sites, Old Town.

 

One of the reasons it evokes such a deep sense of emotion is that it was actually inhabited in the not-so-distant past. AlUla Old Town is located in the narrowest part of the AlUla Valley. Built on a slight elevation, the town is overlooked by the Musa bin Nusayr Castle, a citadel dating back approximately to the 10th century.

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Old Town

With nearly 900 houses, 400 shops and 5 town squares, the Old Town of AlUla still contains remnants of some of the original stone and mudbrick buildings constructed here.

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Historical Significance

In the 12th century, AlUla Old Town became an essential settlement along the pilgrimage route from Damascus to Makkah. The city gradually replaced Qurh, to the south of AlUla, and is favourably mentioned by travellers from the 12th to the 20th centuries, when modern AlUla was constructed nearby. The houses were designed to be attached to one another, providing fortification, which hints to defence being a priority for the city's early inhabitants. At one point, the city was accessed by 14 gates, which were opened in the morning to welcome travellers, pilgrims and other visitors, and closed each evening. The ancient city’s recent occupation has enabled researchers to begin to gather oral histories, painting a picture of what life was like inside its walls. These stories will one day be available to visitors who can look forward to tapping into AlUla Old Town’s living memory.

Old Town

ALULA AUTONOMOUS POD

Experience the future of sustainable, zero-emission mobility! With the launch of a new, fully autonomous pod vehicle service, enjoy a quick and easy link to AlUla Old Town from the south car park for free.

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Explore The World's Masterpiece

The World's Largest Living Museum Heritage

Take a journey into both AlUla’s distant and recent past. Explore a rich cultural heritage through its ancient sites, historic dwellings, and preserved tombs that span thousands of years of human civilisation.

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A DESERT OASIS BECKONS NATURAL WONDERS Nature & Outdoors

From mazes of dramatic rock to rolling sand-swept dunes, a valley swathed in citrus groves to millennia-old basalt lava flows, AlUla’s spectacular landscape invites you to wander and connect with its wealth of natural beauty.

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Thrilling experiences and outdoor excursions Adventure

Whether its zip-ling through mountain ranges, taking to the skies in a hot air balloon, or gazing up at the constellations, AlUla offers adventures and activities from the thrilling to the awe-inspiring.

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A Land of Wondrous Inspiration Arts & Culture

From contemporary artists creating pieces made for the stunning desert backdrop to local artisans continuing the tradition of ancient handicrafts, the spirit of creativity and ingenuity can be discovered in every corner of AlUla.

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UNWTO Best Tourism Village

AlUla Old Town has been awarded the title of Best Tourism Village by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, joining an esteemed collection of villages across the five regions of the world. This prestigious award recognises AlUla's sustainable preservation initiatives across nature, culture, heritage and more.

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Plan Your Trip To AlUla

Flying to AlUla

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What to Do

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Where to Eat

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Where to Stay

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