Tour of Dadan & Jabal Ikmah
Start your journey through time at Dadan, the ancient kingdom of the Lihyanite and Dadanite civilisations. After exploring the ruins, a bus service takes you on a 10-minute drive to Jabal Ikmah, an open library of inscriptions, rock art and petroglyphs set in a stunning desert canyon. Below, you’ll find tour details, planning tips and what to expect when visiting these extraordinary heritage sites.
The Dadan & Jabal Ikmah Tour won the AlUla Quality Stamp Award
The AlUla Quality Stamp is used to designate products and services that have been identified as offering an elevated level of service.
Tour details
- Your Journey to Dadan and Jabal Ikmah starts at Winter Park where it is free of charge designated parking and where you board a shuttle bus to transfer you to Dadan.
- Arrive at Winter Park 25 minute before your tour start time to allow time for transportation.
- The tours are daily, with the first tour starting at 9:00 AM and the last tour starting at 3:00 PM.
- Tours and capacity are subject to availability and COVID-19 restrictions apply.
- With the transportation from Winter Park and back, allow up to two hours for the Dadan and Jabal Ikmah Tour.
- Visitors can download the Experience AlUla app for an immersive location-specific digital guide.
Helpful tips
- Arrive at the Winter Park - if driving park your car free of charge at the designated area near the entrance - our staff will guide you to the meeting point to join the shuttle bus to both Dadan and Jabal Ikmah heritage sites.
- Book tickets in advance and have your printed copy or e-ticket ready when you arrive to check-in.
- Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.
- The heritage sites are exposed to the elements, we encourage you to take responsibility for your health and safety and stay hydrated.
Coming Soon at Dadan & Jabal Ikmah
- A handicrafts pavilion offering an opportunity to appreciate ancient crafts in Dadan.
- Family-friendly archaeology workshop.
- New retail and dining options.
Recommended attire
- Men and women are encouraged to dress modestly in public and avoid tight-fitting clothing.
- Women should cover their shoulders and knees in public, but do not need to wear traditional clothing.
Dining & shopping
- Complimentary refreshments and snacks are available.
- There is a shop selling keepsakes, including local products.
Refunding & rebooking policies
- We will gladly refund the ticket price of cancelled experiences up to 3 days before the scheduled tour. Unfortunately, we are unable to refund credit card fees.
- Experiences cancelled within 1–3 days before your tour may be rebooked if timeslots are available but are not eligible for a refund.
- We are unable to refund or rebook experiences cancelled on the day of the scheduled tour.
HOW WILL YOU GET AROUND DADAN?
You will tour the extensive site between Dadan and Jabal Ikmah in an air-conditioned coach, which is included in your ticket price. The Dadan and Jabal Ikmah Tour starting point is at Winter Park where you will board the coach to the Dadan Welcome Centre.
At the Dadan Welcome Centre, you’ll be greeted by one of the local Rawi’s and offered complimentary Arabic coffee, some local dates and water and have a short briefing.
Explore the ruins of the ancient Kingdom of Dadan, one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities in the Arabian Peninsula. Dadan was the capital of the Dadanite and then the Lihyanite Kingdom, and was one of the most important centres of the caravan trade.
Head to the east of the city to see more than a dozen tombs cut into the red-rock cliff faces, including the famous Lion Tombs marked by seated lion sculptures and marking the burial site of a member of the royal family.
This area was once just a basin covered in dust and sand. Now it’s a live excavation site and archaeologists are discovering more about this little known era in Northern Arabian history.
NEXT STOP
You can move on to Jabal Ikmah to examine the hundreds of inscriptions and writings on the cliffs and rock faces that date mainly to the Dadanite and Lihyanite periods. There are five different languages found in the inscriptions in Jabal Ikmah including one which is the pre-cursor to the Arabic language. These inscriptions help decipher the way of life and the things that matter to the people living in AlUla during that era.
We are working hard to protect the heritage sites from any accidental or unintended damage. In order to preserve them for future generations, this tour does not include entry to any of the tombs and you can only visit and see them from outside. Please book online or at the visitor centre at Winter Park before visiting Dadan & Jabal Ikmah to avoid disappointment.
