15 Days Tour

This tour starts in Riyadh where we meet at our hotel in the city centre at 14H00 to check in and have a quick pre-departure meeting. This afternoon we will then visit the National Museum and Murabba Palace, 2 of Riyadh’s most historically interesting sites. This evening we will take the 180kph lift up the 99th floor of the Kingdom Tower where you can brave a walk across the Sky Bridge for unsurpassed views over the city. We end our evening at the Najdi Village where you are invited to join us for a group welcome dinner at a traditional Saudi restaurant before retiring to the comfort of your 4 star hotel in Riyadh city centre.

This morning after breakfast we will venture into the old part of the city and visit Masmak Fortress, a mudbrick museum showcasing one of Saudi’s most important historical landmarks. This central area is also known for its markets where you have free time to shop for that perfect Saudi souvenir and sample delicious street-food. This afternoon we will take 4×4’s to visit The Edge of the World, a dramatic escarpment that rises steeply out of the rocky desert floor offering uninterrupted views of the horizon, best viewed at sunset. This evening we return to our 4-star hotel in Riyadh city, where you have the rest of the night free to relax.

After breakfast we now leave Riyadh and visit Al Jeraisy Castle, a recently renovated 12th century fort with a fascinating history. We continue to the cultural heritage village of Ushaiger, a living museum where you can wander through the maze of twisting alleyways that lead to hundreds of yellow mud houses displaying traditional Najdi architecture. We end our day in the town of Buraydah, famous for its date farms and a camel market which we visit early the following morning. Tonight, we stay at a 4-star hotel in Buraydah and you have the evening free to relax or explore the town centre at your leisure.

An early rise today and we are off to the world’s largest camel market on the dusty outskirts of Buraydah where thousands of camels, goats and sheep are traded each morning. This lively market is an attack on the senses and a true Saudi experience! We return to our hotel for breakfast and then later this morning we continue our journey to the Hutaymah crater, the result of a volcanic eruption millions of years ago where you have the option to walk around the crater rim or hike down into the basin to a small salt lake at the craters centre. This afternoon we reach the town of Hail where we have sunset at Hail Hilltop for outstanding views over Hail city including views of the mud fort of Aarif and the Qishla mud palace. This evening we will stay at a 3-star hotel in Hail where you have the evening free to relax or explore the town centre at your leisure.

This morning we will visit the ancient rock art at Jubbah. This area was once an oasis where thousands of years ago the Arab ancestors left traces of their passages in numerous petroglyphs in the rock face including representations of humans, lions, ibex, horses, camels and ostrich. In the afternoon we continue our journey to the oasis of AlUla where we will have the following day free to explore this area of outstanding natural beauty & history. After checking into our 3-star accommodation in AlUla you will have the option to visit the old town at night where you are free to explore this quaint area and have dinner at a local restaurant.

We start the day by visiting the UNESCO world heritage site of Hegra (Madain Saleh) where we find well-preserved tombs with magnificent facades carved into the sandstone rocks by the Nabataean civilization nearly two thousand years ago. This afternoon we will visit the Lion Tombs of Dedan, a site that predates Hegra where the kings of Dedan were laid to rest with some of the most important tombs displaying lions carved at their entrances. AlUla is an area not only famous for its ancient tombs but also for its natural beauty and today we spend sunset at the iconic Elephant Rock where nature has created an enormous geological feature resembling an elephant. Please note that our timings to visit all the sites at AlUla today may vary depending on how many tourists are at each of the sites so be prepared to be fluid. We will spend this evening at our 3-star accommodation in AlUla where you are free to relax or explore more of AlUla by night if you so wish.

Today we will drive through Lawrence of Arabia country where in WW1 the Arab tribes frequently sabotaged the famous Hejaz Railway line that ran from Damascus to Medina. Along our route we will stop at an historic site that displays the remnants of this bygone era including rusting train carriages and an abandoned train station. This afternoon we will arrive at the holy city of Medina. Officially the city centre and Prophet’s Mosque remain off-limits to tourists. Your time in Medina is free for you to explore as many of the historic sites as possible on your own.

This morning we will visit one of Saudi’s most dramatic natural wonders, Al Wahbah crater. At 4km wide & 250m deep this volcanic crater offers you the chance to walk along the rim for outstanding views over the vast hollow with an opaque lake at its centre. This afternoon our journey ascends into the mountains and on a cool plateau we reach Taif, the City of Roses, famous all over Arabia for its colourful rose farms. Tonight, we will visit the Central Market where we wander through the labyrinth of narrow alleys and discover stalls selling everything from rich local honey to fragrant rose water.

This morning we will visit a rose farm in Taif before taking a snaking route through the beautiful Al Hada mountains, home to playful Hamadryas baboons and rows of mountains that seem to fade into the horizon. This afternoon we will reach the ancient port of Jeddah, the cosmopolitan hub of the country displaying a vibrant mix of new & old. After checking into our hotel and a quick lunch you have the opportunity to visit the lively corniche, a beautiful walkway along the Red Sea coast which also offers a wonderful view of the Al Rahma floating Mosque and King Fahd’s fountain which at 312 metres high makes it the world’s tallest fountain. This evening you are invited to a traditional Arabic group dinner at a popular local restaurant before returning to our 3-star hotel in the city.

This morning we will visit the UNESCO listed historic centre of Jeddah, Al Balad, where narrow alleyways lead you to spice-scented souqs, art galleries, quirky cafes & traditional bakeries. Some of the old coral merchants’ houses and mosques have been carefully restored and turned into living museums of which Naseef House and Al Shafee Mosque are two of the finest examples. This afternoon we take a trip to the Tayebat City Museum where you can learn all about Jeddah’s 2500-year history through a collection of over 60,000 items including ancient coins & manuscripts, Arabic weaponry, traditional Saudi costumes and fine art. You will have this evening free to explore more of Jeddah at your leisure and enjoy the comforts of our 3-star hotel in Jeddah city.

This morning we will fly to Jazan in the southeastern part of the country and from there we catch the afternoon ferry to the Farasan Islands, an idyllic archipelago made up of more than 80 islands with pristine coral reefs & white sand beaches. After checking into our hotel, you are invited to a group dinner to sample some of the country's best seafood.

This morning you are invited to join the group for a 4-hour boat tour around the archipelago to enjoy some of the area’s best beaches & snorkelling. After lunch we will then visit Al Qassar sandstone village and explore the historic Pearl Merchants Neighbourhood, the 2 most historic highlights of the Farasan Islands. This evening you are free to explore more of the islands at your leisure or relax in the comfort of our hotel in Farasan Islands.

Today we catch the early ferry back to Jazan where we meet our bus and continue up to Rijal Almaa, a village displaying dark block-like fortresses elegantly studded with white quartz. The men of the village wear colourful wrap-around skirts and adorn themselves with floral wreaths which give them the nickname the Flower Men. Later in the afternoon we reach the town of Muhayil where we spend the night at our 3-star hotel and you have the evening free to enjoy some of Saudi’s more modern conveniences.

This morning a snaking road leads us up to the Asir province, so named after the local Asir tribe. This is an entirely different face of the Kingdom with the area boasting big mountains and lush vegetation, a huge contrast to the desert landscapes further north. We will head into the beautiful Mt. Soudah (3000m), Saudi Arabia’s highest peak. We visit the beautiful Soudah National Park and explore this area of outstanding natural beauty which is home to troops of Hamadryas baboons and has many short walking trails leading to incredible viewpoints. After lunch we visit the hanging village of Al Habala which is dramatically perched on the ledge of a sheer cliff. Built nearly 400 years ago by the Qahtan tribe and only accessible by rope ladders, this village is the only one of its kind in the Kingdom. We continue on to Al Yanfa, a village that sits atop a warren of underground tunnels which resembles something out of a fairy-tale. Wandering through the labyrinth of low-ceilinged tunnels is an experience not to be missed. Tonight, we spend our final evening of the tour in a 3-star hotel in Abha, a town famous for its mud-walled Shada Palace, a showpiece of traditional Asir architecture. This evening you are invited to attend a group farewell dinner to say goodbye to your crew and fellow travellers.

After breakfast today we catch a flight from Abha to Riyadh where our tour ends upon arrival at Riyadh airport, usually around midday. For your own peace of mind please do not book your flight home before 18H00 today. You can arrange a 3-hour PCR test at the airport if you need one to return home. If you need any extra night's accommodation in Riyadh your tour leader will be happy to help arrange that for you.

To make a booking please fill out and submit our online booking form, and when you receive the confirmation number by email, you have to pay the tour price via the link for online payment, which will be sent along with the confirmation number. Once we receive your payment, we will send you all the relevant information necessary for your tour preparations.

The tour payment can be made online via the link that will be sent by email.

We have designed this tour to be comfortable and avoid long drives wherever possible. Most of the time we will be traveling in private air-conditioned buses and 4×4’s.

We stay at 3- and 4-star hotels throughout the tours. All the hotels we use are comfortable with modern conveniences and private bathrooms. Accommodation is provided on a twin-share basis, so if you are traveling alone be prepared to share your room with another member of the tour. Your tour leader will always strive to put you in a room with a suitable partner. Couples can request a room with a double bed.

There is a single room supplement fee of ($700) if you are a solo traveler and prefer to have a private room just for yourself.

1. A booking is made in the name of the client and is not transferable to another person. Please note that you will be affected if you have transferred and there is a price increase as you will have to pay the current tour price at the time that the balance of the tour payment is due.

2. If the full tour payment is not received 1 month prior to departure Falcon may deem the booking canceled and all monies paid will be forfeited. If you book within the one-month period prior to departure the full non-refundable tour price must be paid upon booking.

3. Cancellation of a booking must be notified in writing, however, all monies paid will be non-refundable if the booking is canceled less than one month prior to the tour departure date. You acknowledge that payment for the trip is an intrinsic part of the trip’s income and contributes towards the overall costs of hotel bookings, transportation costs, meals, staff administration, travel permits, etc.  and Falcon will have incurred a large part of its costs before the actual departure date. You will not receive a refund of any amount after the tour has been confirmed to run (which will usually happen no later than one month prior to the tour departing), nor are you able to transfer to another tour therefore we recommend you take out your travel insurance from the date you make your final tour payment, one month prior to departure, so you are insured if you have to withdraw off the trip. If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges, but it is your sole responsibility to do so and we accept no liability for any acts or omissions of your insurance company.

4. It is unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your tour, but we do plan all tours many months in advance. Occasionally, we may have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes will be minor and we will advise you of them at the earliest possible date. We also reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your tour. For example, if the minimum number of clients required for a particular tour is not reached, we may have to cancel it. However, we will not cancel your tour less than one month before your departure date (except for reasons of Force Majeure). If we are unable to provide the tour for any reason (aside from Force Majeure) you can either have a refund of all monies paid or accept an offer of an alternative tour of comparable standard from us, if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value). It is understood that the minimum number of members required to run the tours varies with each tour, and less than that may result in the cancellation of the tour. In the event of this happening, all monies paid by you towards the tour cost only will be refunded. In the event of a cancellation Falcon is not responsible for reimbursing equipment, flights, visa costs, vaccinations, medication, etc. purchased by yourself. In the event of a tour being cancelled due to Force Majeure no refunds or compensation will be given by Falcon. We therefore recommend you have suitable travel insurance as if the reason for cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy you may be able to reclaim these charges, but it is your sole responsibility to do so, and we accept no liability for any acts or omissions of your insurance company.

5. In the unlikely event of Force Majeure we will not refund you or pay you compensation if we have to cancel or change your tour in any way because of unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control. These can include, for example, war, riot, industrial dispute, terrorist activity and its consequences, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, epidemics, pandemics, health risks, closed or congested airports, ports or stations, poor local infrastructure, changes imposed by rescheduling or cancellation of transport by the transport supplier such as flights by airlines or main charterer, the alteration of transport or transport types, adverse weather conditions (actual or threatened), avalanche and technical failure with transport, Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice changing and advising against travel to the trip destination. We therefore recommend you have suitable travel insurance as if the reason for cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy you may be able to reclaim these charges, but it is your sole responsibility to do so and we accept no liability for any acts or omissions of your insurance company.

6. If you choose to leave a tour for any reason on your own accord once the tour is underway you will not receive any compensation from Falcon including any refunds of the tour payment. We therefore recommend you have suitable travel insurance as if the reason for your departure is covered under the terms of your insurance policy you may be able to reclaim these charges but it is your sole responsibility to do so and we accept no liability for any acts or omissions of your insurance company.

7. We reserve the right at any time prior to the departure date, without prior consultation with yourself, to merge your trip with one or more other tours travelling at the same time. This will not constitute a major change and would usually just mean swapping vehicles.

8. The tour payment covers transport, accommodation, any tour related ferry and train tickets, meals and national park entry fees as specified on the website.

9. The tour leader has sole responsibility for any tour payments. Any tour payment monies or stock remaining at the tour end are non-refundable.

10. You undertake to comply with the laws and regulations, whether in respect of health, immigration, currency exchange control, dress or any other matter of all the sites visited during the tour.

11. You undertake to obtain a valid passport and have enough blank pages in the passport for the tour and your specific passport and visa requirements. Immigration requirements are your responsibility, and you should confirm these with the relevant embassies and/or consulates. We do not accept any responsibility and shall not be liable if you cannot travel or cannot participate in any part of the tour because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements. You are responsible for obtaining and having available the necessary documents (including but not limited to full, current passport with enough blank pages to complete the tour and valid for at least 6 months from the last day of the tour and visas for all periods, countries and territories within the tour) enabling you to participate in the tour and shall comply with all local legislation and regulations of the countries in which the tour takes place (including immigration requirements, customs regulations and currency exchange). You shall indemnify us against any loss or expense that we may incur or suffer as a result of breach of this condition by you. We cannot guarantee visa prices and availability of visas. Ultimately visas are your own responsibility to obtain.

12. Falcon reserves the right to deviate from the advertised tour route if in their reasonable opinion such deviation is necessary for the safety or well-being of any or any one of the members of the tour or for the satisfactory progress of the tour.

13. Falcon accepts no responsibility for matters arising out of political disputes, border closures, epidemics, pandemics, natural disasters, climate, armed robbery, terrorism, etc. Should it become necessary to abandon a tour because of such an event Falcon will be entitled to retain all monies paid. We therefore recommend you have suitable travel insurance as if the reason for cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy you may be able to reclaim these charges, but it is your sole responsibility to do so, and we accept no liability for any acts or omissions of your insurance company.

14. You accept that owing to the nature of some countries visited, all tours involve an element of personal risk and are of a potentially hazardous and unpredictable nature. In many countries we visit the basic infrastructure, such as roads, is very poor and therefore less safe than that familiar to people from many western countries. In particular, lack of road markings or warning signs, unmarked speed bumps, seasonal flooding of roads and bridges, local vehicles which are poorly maintained and driven, and which are hazardous to other road users etc. are factors beyond the control of falcon. You accept that in some areas we drive off-road and that this involves personal risk when the tour vehicle can be negotiating rough terrain. 

15. You accept that local emergency facilities are sometimes of a very limited nature. Hospitals outside of large cities often have no accident and emergency facilities and emergency transport facilities can be non-existent.

16. If you have a problem during your tour, please inform the tour leader immediately who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally, please follow this up by emailing or writing to our office giving all other relevant information and where possible, evidence. We must receive any such complaint not later than 28 days from the date of completion of your tour. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. This will assist us to quickly identify your concerns and speed up our response to you.

17. We do not accept any liability or responsibility for any personal possessions (including but not limited to cameras, jewellery, valuables and money) which is carried on or in our vehicles, carried on public transport or transport supplied by independent subcontractors, left in accommodation provided by us or our suppliers during a tour or left in our care during a tour. Such items are carried and/or left at your own risk.

18. Excursions or other tours that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are on a tour are not part of your trip arrangements provided by us. For any excursion or other tour that you book your contract will be with the operator of the excursion or tour and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or tour or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator. You accept that the prices quoted for optional activities are approximate as local prices can and do change. Any of the optional activities listed are not necessarily endorsed or recommended by Falcon. You also accept that you undertake any activity at your own risk and your participation is your own decision and does not form any part of your contract with Falcon. Falcon does not take responsibility for cancellations, unreliability of services or safety of operators, agents or contractors.

19. Whilst a tour is in progress you will at all times be expected to act in accordance with all reasonable instructions from us and/or the tour leader. We may exclude you from the tour or any part thereof at any time (including during the tour itself) if we are of the opinion that you are likely to prejudice the good order, discipline or safety of the tour, including as a result of failing to comply with the tour leader’s instructions, breaking any law or regulation of any country where the tour takes place or failing to adhere to the tour code of conduct, provided that we exercise our discretion reasonably in this regard. In such an event you shall reimburse to us any reasonable costs, losses or expenses which we incur or suffer as a result of our decision to exclude you from the tour, and Falcon shall cease to have any responsibility to/for you. No refund will be given for any unused services.

20. By completing the booking form you confirm that you appreciate the risks involved in the tour and that you do not suffer (or have ever suffered) from any pre-existing medical condition that may prevent you from actively participating in the tour other than those that have been declared to us. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are medically fit enough to undertake the tour and to ensure that you have received the necessary vaccinations and medications (and taken them as prescribed by your doctor) relevant to the destination country. Unless informed otherwise in writing we will assume that you are in good health and are not aware of any reason why you may be unsuitable to take part in the tour. We recommend that you consult your doctor before making a booking to ensure that you are medically fit and are fully aware regarding the immunizations and medical issues related to your destination countries. If you have any pre-existing medical condition, illness or disability, are undergoing medical treatment or, since entering into the contract, develop any medical condition, illness or disability or undergo any medical treatment; you will give us full particulars at the earliest opportunity and at the latest sixty (60) days before the departure date. If it is later discovered that a pre-existing condition was not declared within the specified time, and such condition would, if we had knowledge of it, have led to our refusal to accept or to cancel your booking, we reserve the right to withdraw you from the tour without any refund or recompense. In such an event, you shall reimburse to us any reasonable costs, losses or expenses which we incur or suffer as a result. In the event of you being withdrawn from a tour, no refunds will be given, and we will not be responsible for (and you agree to indemnify us against) any costs, claims, losses and expenses arising including costs of repatriation, eg. flights and legal expenses. By agreeing to these conditions, you provide your consent to us and our insurers obtaining your medical records should we consider it necessary. You will be responsible for any charges for the provision of the information. We reserve the right to inspect your vaccination book at any time and to withdraw you from the tour in the event that you have not received and/or taken all the requisite inoculations and/or medication. If the information provided by you is incorrect and we discover that the correct information affects your suitability to take part in the tour, we may terminate the contract and withdraw you from the trip without refund or recompense, including during the tour. You agree and acknowledge that certain activities undertaken whilst you are on the tour may be inherently hazardous and have risks associated with them. You agree to abide by all instructions given to you whilst you are on the tour and you acknowledge that we cannot be held responsible for any injuries that may arise as a result of you failing to comply with such instructions.

21. You must be covered by personal travel insurance to undertake any Falcon tour. We recommend you take out a travel insurance policy that covers you fully against the cost of tour cancellation by you or by Force Majeure, medical care and repatriation should you become too ill to continue and above all covers you against the cost of air evacuation should sickness or injury necessitate such a course of action. You should also note that passenger liability insurance covering vehicles, particularly in third world countries, may be inadequate. It is therefore important that your travel insurance cover makes sufficient provision for your dependents in the event of an accident. Please note however that we have no control over the availability or standard of medical and repatriation services and facilities in the areas we visit, and these do not form any part of our contract with you. Please read your travel insurance policy details carefully and take them with you when you travel. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs. We do not check individual insurance policies for suitability.

22. The client agrees to indemnify Falcon against any claim or demand made in respect of any accident, personal injury or loss of life caused to, contracted or suffered by the client during the course of the tour.

23. Privacy and Data Protection – we shall ensure that appropriate security measures are in place to protect your personal data and we do not store our customers’ financial details. When you make a booking, you do however consent to all the information you provide being passed on to our suppliers, agents, subcontractors, employees or volunteers.

24. By agreeing to these terms and conditions you consent (unless otherwise stated on your application form) to our staff taking photographs and or video footage of you during the tour and that these images may be used by us for publicity and training purposes including, but not limited to, brochures, websites, marketing material and in the media.

25. We shall be entitled to novate or assign the contract or any part of it to any third party. You shall not be entitled to assign the contract or any part of it. This contract is made on the terms of these conditions, which are governed by Saudi law, and subject to the provisions of condition you agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Saudi courts. If any of these conditions is found by any court or other competent authority to be wholly or partly unfair or unenforceable the validity of the rest of the booking conditions and the rest of the condition in question shall not be affected and shall remain valid and enforceable to the extent permitted by law. A reference in these conditions to a statute, convention or regulation shall be as a reference to that statute convention or regulation as amended, re-enacted or extended at the relevant time. The headings in these conditions are for convenience only and shall not affect their interpretation. Where the context otherwise requires, words importing the singular meaning shall include the plural meaning and vice versa and words denoting the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter genders. Where the context so admits, words denoting persons shall include natural persons, companies, corporations, firms, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, joint trips, trusts, voluntary associations and other incorporated and/or unincorporated bodies or other entities (in each case, whether or not having separate legal personality) and all such words shall be construed interchangeably in that manner.

26. The information given on the website, in the brochure and other literature supplied is given in good faith but no warranty is given that it is correct.

27. No servant, agent or authorized representative of Falcon has authority to commit Falcon to any liability whatsoever and Falcon will not be bound by any statement or representation unless it is in writing and signed by one of the directors.

28. Your contract is with Falcon Tour, a company registered in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (License No. 73103045) whose registered office is at Hilmi Kutbi St, Al Zahara, 23425, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.