A Guide to Visiting Saudi Arabia’s Cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, and More!

Saudi Arabia is a bustling state with modern cities and beautiful natural landscapes showcasing its true beauty. It is a land of various matters like history, deserts, tombs, palaces, geographical parks, and mountains. The cities of Jeddah and Riyadh are the main cities of Saudi Arabia where the government is investing bundles of money. As tourists prefer visiting the modern cities or want to stay at cities with luxury hotels and facilities. You can understand how much the tourism industry is spending there to look modern and traditional at the same time.

People love visiting Saudi cities after getting done with Umrah via Umrah packages to make it a budget-friendly trip. Islamic Travel has offered its Umrah Packages 2025 UK for those who want to perform Umrah this year. The main focus of the government is to spend on the tourism industry of Saudi Arabia to develop it. Soon Saudi Arabia will be among the best countries for tourists, with advanced tourism and world-class facilities. Visits to Riyadh and Jeddah are way more in percentage than visits to other cities by the tourists. You can also make your visit directly to Jeddah or Riyadh by landing at their respective airports.

Saudi Arabia and its cities have a lot of UNESCO World Heritage sites because of their ancient history and old civilisations. Visiting these cities allows you to have a deep insight into the royal history of the Arabian state.

Tips and guidance

Try to apply for an e-visa online before booking a flight and then book the flight on an earlier basis. Dress according to the country and its local culture where you are going to match its cultural vibes. Don’t trust anyone more than required in Saudi Arabia, although it is a safe country, but beware of random people. Take your medicines and water bottles with you to avoid issues arising later. Keep all your significant documents and expensive things in a safe locker at the hotel when you arrive there. Do not walk outside at midnight in the isolated areas of cities. You can get deals like Ramadan Umrah packages that sit well with your futuristic plan to make its planning better.

The modern city of Riyadh

Starting from Riyadh, our journey begins at the Riyadh International Airport. You can explore the beautiful historical museum in Riyadh, featuring its history and well-preserved things from the ancient era. Tourists with different native languages can use language screens in the museum to get translations in every language.

Masmak Fortress of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

You can discover the amazing Masmak Fortress in Riyadh that plays a major role in Saudi Arabia’s historical landmarks. It has the traditional architecture of the Najdi era as Najdi architecture. The museum of this fortress was earlier not a museum but was later converted into a museum. It shows the history and culture of Saudi Arabia’s royal palaces.

National Saudi Museum

In Riyadh, you can also go to the National Museum of Saudi Arabia, which is a cultural house showing history. It features indulgent exhibitions, mainly including art pieces, the film era, and its display.

Kingdom Centre Tower of Riyadh

You can go to the Kingdom Centre Tower, which is the iconic landmark in Riyadh, having a height of 56 floors. It offers beautiful sky views of Riyadh city from the skyscraper building tower. You can get access to the shopping mall connected to this Kingdom Centre, having a wide range of brands. You will see the local and international brands there with a huge variety of restaurants.

Riyadh Zoo with updates on wildlife

If your family is with you, you can go to the Riyadh Zoo. It is a family-friendly area that offers a variety of animals from all over the world. The management is trying to conserve these special breeds to save them from being endangered. A lot of playgrounds, playing areas, and picnic areas in the zoo offer recreational activities.

Diriyah district of Riyadh—old Diriyah

Diriyah is a new-story district of Riyadh with Najdi architecture on its thick walls. Diriyah has watchtowers and traditional old buildings of mud and bricks.

Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia

Jeddah is the second largest city in Saudi Arabia with amazing historical entertainment points and old markets. It offers everything to anything to everyone. Nobody gets away empty-handed after visiting Jeddah because of its unique markets. You can adjust these city tours in your Umrah packages to get big savings on the travel cost.

Jeddah’s historic town, Al Balad

You can discover its Al Balad old town, built in Hijazi styles. Its buildings are made of coral stones, which were the strongest stones of that era. The wooden balconies of these Hijazi-style buildings present the old culture of Arabs. This area was a merchant area used for trading and falls under the trade route of the Middle East.

Al Balad streets are full of shops, mosques, and traditional houses. Nobody lives there now, and this area only serves as commercial property for all the tourists as a shopping place. It offers spices, gold, honey, coffee, and dates as a speciality. Book Ramadan Umrah packages in this Ramadan, and you will get free special coffee from these shops.

Jeddah’s vibrant souks

Jeddah’s souks are so vibrant and colourful, offering a variety of daily life things that you can use easily. It is a local market for the local people, having everything from daily use to expensive extraordinary things. Shop a lot from these local markets to get things at a cheaper price rate than other markets. You can also shop for gold, which you can wear while returning home or keep in your hand carry. It is the safest way to get gold with you without any additional charges at the airport.

Abdul Raouf Khalil Museum

Abdul Raouf Khalil Museum is another rock museum on the tour. This museum will mesmerise you with its detailed history and research on old Arab civilisations.

Bargaining is the main tool there to shop at their local markets, to get things at cheaper rates. The malls lying in Jeddah are the biggest shopping malls in Saudi Arabia, where you can get many international brands with their amazing products. You can dine in or take away food from the open food court of these malls.

The Red Sea of Jeddah

You can chill at the seaside of Jeddah with its panoramic views or get a cruise ride towards the private island. It is the beachside of Jeddah where you can relax at the beach or have a meal at these restaurants.

Does Qatar Flights arrive at Jeddah?

Qatar Airways flights arrive at the Jeddah International Airport of Saudi Arabia. Most of the flights from London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Manchester for Umrah arrive at the Jeddah International Airport (JED). Pilgrims can also avail the option Qatar Manage Booking to change their arrival airport or getting additional services on the Umrah flight.