Caravan-Serai Tours

Saudi Arabia

September 27 - October 11, 2009

$6318
per person, double occupancy, land only

Sept 26: Departure from New York's JFK Airport on Emirates Air flight EK204 at 11:20pm.

Sept 27: Arrive in Riyadh at 7:05pm. We will be met and assisted, then transfer to our hotel, the Radisson Blue Hotel. At check-in the ladies will receive an abaya set. Dinner and overnight at the Radisson Blue Hotel.

Sept 28: After breakfast we will take a tour of Riyadh, the administrative capital of Saudi Arabia. It has grown into a modern, shining city in the middle of the desert. It's unique architecture makes for a spectacular skyline. We will start with a visit to the Masmak Fortress, captured in 1902 in King Abdul Aziz's battle to regain control of the city, his ancestral home. At the entrance to this mud citadel we will see a spear tip broken off and embedded in the door lintel of the old fort, and preserved that way as a reminder of the battle for the city. Afterwards we will visit the Heritage Souq near the fortress for some shopping - antiques and gold can be found here. Our next stop will be to visit Dariyah, the ancestral home of the Al Saud dynasty. It was the capital of Saudi Arabia prior to Riyadh and is located not too far out of the modern city in a wadi. The buildings are made of mud brick and have been very well preserved. We will also see the camel market then have lunch at Al Mazraha Restaurant. After lunch we will visit Faisaliah Tower, a new landmark hotel with a restaurant and observation deck at the top of this obelisk-shaped tower and the luxury shopping mall and entertainment complex in Al Mamlaka Tower. We will have a break at the hotel to refresh ourselves, then go to the King Abdul Aziz National Museum for a tour. Return to the Radisson for dinner and overnight.

Sept 29: After breakfast we check out and transfer to the airport for our flight to Najran (SV 1863). Upon our arrival in Najran we will transfer to the Holiday Inn Hotel to check in, and have lunch. Najran is very close to the border with Yemen and at one time was considered part of Yemen. It was on the main frankincense caravan route that ran from southern Arabia to Jordan, Syria, and Egypt. Najran's most prosperous trading time was during the first and second centuries BC when it was known as Al-Ukhdood. After lunch we will visit the Najran Gigantic Dam and then go to Hema to see the rock carvings depicting people of ancient times climbing up the date palms to harvest the dates. We will also see the ancient well that still brings water to the area and explore the area a bit before watching the sunset. Visit the local souk, then return to the Holiday Inn for dinner and overnight.

Sept 30: After breakfast we will spend the morning sightseeing in Najran, which will include visits to the Al Ukhdood Museum, Al Ukhdood Site, "the Massacre of Trench", Raoum Castle, and the Emarat Historical Palace. We will return to the hotel for lunch then check out and drive to Abha. Along the way we will have stops at Dhahran Al Janoub and Al Haraja to visit the old city. We will also stop for a panoramic view of Farrshah from the Tehama mountains. Once we arrive in Abha we will check in to our hotel for dinner and overnight at the Abha Palace Hotel.

Oct 1: This morning we will enjoy the natural beauty of this region with a visit to one of many parks in the area, Al Soodah Park. The area is mountainous and the climate really varies from top to bottom. We will see terraced mountainsides, and green vegetation like nowhere else in Saudi Arabia. We will also take a cable car ride to see the picturesque mountain village of Rijal Al Maa and to explore Sarawat Mountain. We will return to the hotel for refreshing and lunch then visit the mountainside village of Al Habala. Al Habala village is 2000 meters above sea level, is no longer inhabited but is a destination for visitors. The terraced village is sometimes called the hanging village because it virtually hangs on the side of the steep mountain. The inhabitants used ropes to climb from one place to another. Afterwards we will visit the Bin Hamsan village and Museum and finish the day at the souq. Return to the Abha Palace Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Oct 2: After breakfast at the hotel we will check out and transfer to the airport for our flight (SV1651) to Jeddah in transit. Board our flight (SV1659) to Wedjh, and have lunch at the Al Wejdh Resort Hotel. We will have a short tour of Wejdh then proceed to Al Ula for dinner and overnight in Al Ula at the Arac Hotel.

Oct 3: Al Ula is a gateway for visitors going to see the Nabatean ruins at Mada'in Saleh, an ancient city built by the same civilization that built Petra to the north in Jordan. Our day will start with sightseeing in the ruins of the old city of Al Ula and the Al Ula Museum. We will also see the Old Railway Station then visit the ancient tombs cut out of the mountainside at Al Khuraibah. We will go back to the hotel for lunch and a break, then go to see the ruins at Mada'in Saleh. We will also see the old Islamic Castle and the now defunct Hijaz Railway station No. 21. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Oct 4: This morning we will go back and visit some of the sites we saw yesterday by the morning light. We will visit the Islamic castle, the Nabatean ruins of Mada'in Saleh, and the Hijaz Railway. We will return to the Arac Hotel for lunch. After lunch we will go by 4WD on a desert excursion to see Harrah Hill and the Mammoth Rock and other unusual geological formations in the desert. Dinner and overnight will be at the Arac Hotel.

Oct 5: After breakfast we will check out and depart for Jouf, with a boxed lunch and a sightseeing stop at Taima. Taima was part of the ancient kingdom of Midian and was home for the last Neo-Babylonian king, Nabonidus, who moved there in the seventh century B.C. One important archeological find in Taima is Taima Stone, inscribed with a religious text in ancient Aramaic and was discovered there in 1888. It is now in the Louvre. It was found near the great well Ain Haddaj which has been in use since Nabonidus' time and which, until diesel pumps were installed, required up to 60 camels at a time to draw water. Continue on to Jouf for dinner and overnight at the Al Nusl Hotel.

Oct 6: After breakfast we will depart for a day of sightseeing in and around Jouf. Jouf is of particular interest because of the role it has played in pre- and post-Islamic history. There is archeological evidence of the presence of the Assyrians and Nabataeans in Jouf. We will start at Dumat Al Jandal, Qasr Marid, and the Umar Mosque, followed by a visit to the museum and the Old City. Return to hotel for lunch, then go to Sakaka and visit the Bir Saisra (well), Qasr Zabal and end the day watching the sunset. Return to Al Nusl Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Oct 7: We will check out of our hotel after breakfast and do depart for Hail. Once in Hail we will check in at the Golden Tulip Hotel and have lunch. Afterwards we will go to Jubbah to visit the museum there and see the rock carvings. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Oct 8: After breakfast we will take a sightseeing tour of Hail. For centuries, Hail was seen as the "key to the desert" because it was the main transit point for pilgrims heading for the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah and for traders traveling north or south in the Arabian Peninsula. When, towards the end of the Abbasid Caliphate, Muslim scholars of Hail took it upon themselves to protect and promulgate Arabic in its purest form. As a result the city became an important center of scholarship and learning. Lunch will be at the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Oct 9: After breakfast we will transfer to the airport for our flight (SV1333) to Jeddah. Upon our arrival we will check into the Intercontinental Hotel and have lunch. Afterwards we will begin our sightseeing of Jeddah, the Red Sea port and commercial center of Saudi Arabia. It is also the main gateway for Muslims arriving from around the world for Hajj or Umrah. The city is said to be the burial place of Eve, thus the name Jeddah, which is grandmother in Arabic. We will visit the Al Tayabet Museum, a collection belonging to Abdulraouf Khalil, a lifetime collector of all types of cultural pieces - modern, pop, and antique. We will then have dinner at Al Nakheel Restaurant on the Corniche, a favorite of Saudi families. Return to the Intercontinental Hotel for overnight.

Oct 10: After breakfast we will start our sightseeing with the historic Nasif House, which is an excellent example of Arabian and Islamic architecture, and is now a museum. We will walk through the old city see the Chafee Mosque and see other examples of older restored homes and buildings before going to the Alawi Souq for jewelry, perfumes, fabrics, incense, coffee, and more. After lunch at the Green Island Restaurant we will have more sightseeing in Jeddah, ending the day at the open air sculpture museum along the Corniche. Dinner and overnight at the Intercontinental Hotel.

Oct 11: This morning we will visit a second Abdulraouf Khalil museum then visit a shopping mall. We will return to the hotel for lunch and free time until its time to check out and transfer to the airport. In the evening transfer to the airport for our flight to Dubai (EK804), then on to New York (EK203 - arrival the next morning at 7:45am Oct 12). End of services.

Included: Accommodations on double occupancy basis, full board (all meals), Group visa, Transfers in air conditioned motor coach, All sightseeing as listed in itinerary with English speaking guides throughout

Not Included: Air fare, Items of a personal nature such as phone/fax calls, room service, laundry, etc., Tips for guides (about $7) and drivers (about $4) per person, per day, Optional tours and activities not listed on the itinerary

Single Supplement: $700

Call us for air fare. Transfers included for flights listed in itinerary only. If you arrive at a diffrerent time, a separate transfer must be arranged at additional expense.

Please note that airline schedules and itinerary can change without notice and for reasons beyond our control.