Let’s start the journey in the south of the valley in the old town district. It may be a good idea to start your exploration of Al Ula’s treasures with a tour of the Old Town in the morning, which should take no more than two hours with the usual waiting times. You are not allowed to explore the Old Town on your own, but must join an official tour, which you can book at the Old Town Visitor Centre on site.
Starting from Old Town Visitor Centre on site the tour takes you past a few market stalls through a partially restored section of the old town up to the remains of the Al Ula fortress Musa Ibn Nusayr and back. The walk gives an impression of what life may have been like in this area not only hundreds of years ago, but into the recent past, until a few decades ago when the traditional way of life gave way to modernisation. he Old Town Village district is the site of an abandoned mud-brick settlement.
After you have finished your tour of the old settlement, you can round off this part of Al Ula with a visit to the restored market street. This part is particularly atmospheric in the late afternoon or (early) evening, when the last rays of sunlight bathe the square in a warm light over the rock formations and gently lead into the so-called blue hour. The market street offers numerous cafés, market stalls and shops selling local souvenirs, art, handicrafts, fashion, jewellery, food and drinks.
Immediately to the north of the link just shown begins the district of Al Jadidah, which is developing as a small cultural quarter (Arts District).
Just south of Al Jadidah and the historic settlement, in the middle of the new part of the town, is the Al Ula Museum, which is well worth a visit for those who want to get an overview of the geological and (especially cultural) historical development of the region. As there are concrete plans for a completely new museum to replace this one, it is possible that the current museum will be closed earlier than planned. You should therefore check the current opening hours on site.
