Saudi Arabia Tour Packages

Can a country that had no tourist visa a decade ago already be one of the region's biggest travel stories? Saudi Arabia answers that question every year. Saudi Arabia has spent the last few years turning from one of the world's hardest countries to visit into one of its fastest-growing destinations. A country that had no tourist visa before 2019 welcomed an estimated 122 million domestic and international visitors in 2025 alone. And it's targeting 150 million by 2030 as part of its Vision 2030 economic plan. The right Saudi Arabia tour packages bring together AlUla's Nabatean heritage, Riyadh's modern skyline and the Red Sea's coral coastline into one smooth itinerary.

What makes the Kingdom worth watching now is the pace of change. Cinemas, concerts and coastal resorts that didn't exist a decade ago now sit alongside 2,000-year-old rock tombs and centuries-old mud-brick forts. This guide covers the best places to visit, the top experiences, and the ideal time to plan your Saudi Arabia trip this year.

Why Should You Visit Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia has moved from one of the world's most closed countries for tourism to one of its most ambitious in under a decade. Here's why it deserves a spot on your travel list:

A Country Reopening to the World

Saudi Arabia issued its first tourist e-visa in September 2019, opening the country to independent travellers for the first time in its modern history. Cinemas, concerts and mixed-gender restaurants that didn't exist before that year are now part of everyday life in Riyadh and Jeddah. Saudi Arabia tour packages let you witness a country changing shape in real time.

Home to the Arabian Peninsula's First UNESCO Sites

Hegra, the Nabatean city near AlUla, became Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. Since then, the At-Turaif District in Diriyah and historic Jeddah's Al-Balad quarter have joined the list, giving the Kingdom a heritage trail that stretches from pre-Islamic Arabia through to Ottoman-era trading ports.

A Gateway to the Middle East

Saudi Arabia sits at the centre of the Gulf, with short flights to the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan. Many travellers extend a Saudi trip into wider Middle East tour packages, pairing Riyadh or Jeddah with a few days on a Dubai tour packages across the border.

Desert Landscapes Unlike Anywhere Else

From the sheer cliffs at the Edge of the World outside Riyadh to the sandstone canyons of AlUla and the coral reefs of the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia's geography ranges further than most travellers expect from a country associated mainly with desert. Asir's misty mountains in the south add yet another climate to the mix.

Family-Friendly Mega-Events

Riyadh Season alone has drawn more than 20 million visitors in a single edition, with theme park zones, concerts and cultural pavilions built for exactly this kind of crowd. Family tour packages to Saudi Arabia often centre around Riyadh's entertainment boulevards and pair well with family retreat holiday packages if you'd rather add a quieter desert-camp stop.

What Makes Saudi Arabia Special?

Saudi Arabia's appeal comes from the scale of the contrast it offers: a country building some of the world's most ambitious modern megaprojects while sitting on some of the region's oldest archaeology. Here's what actually sets it apart:

A Country of Ancient and Ultra-Modern Contrasts

Within the same week, you can walk through a 2,000-year-old rock-cut tomb, ride a cable car above a cloud-covered mountain village, and stand inside a mirrored concert hall built into a desert canyon. Few destinations manage that range of scenery, let alone that range of centuries.

The Nabatean Legacy of AlUla

Long before Petra made the Nabateans famous, they built Hegra, a city of monumental rock-cut tombs south of Petra's better-known site. AlUla's Old Town adds mud-brick lanes and a hilltop fortress to the story, and ongoing excavation work means new finds are still being uncovered in the surrounding valley.

A Coastline Still Being Discovered

The Red Sea coast is one of the least-dived stretches of reef anywhere in the world, largely because it's only recently opened to international visitors. Red Sea Global's resort developments are adding luxury properties along this coastline, with dozens more planned through the rest of the decade.

A Culture Reopening to the World

Riyadh Season now runs for six months a year and has grown from 10 million visitors in its debut edition to over 20 million in later years, featuring concerts, championship boxing and international cuisine across a dozen themed zones. It's one of the clearest signs of how quickly public life in the Kingdom has changed since 2019.

Experience Saudi Arabia: Top Places to Visit

The best Saudi Arabia tour packages give you enough time to see the country's range, from ancient rock tombs to Red Sea reefs. Here are the destinations worth building your itinerary around.

Riyadh: Diriyah and the Kingdom Centre

Riyadh's skyline is dominated by towers like the Kingdom Centre, with its distinctive Sky Bridge, but the city's most important site sits just outside it. Diriyah, the birthplace of the first Saudi state, has been restored into a UNESCO-listed heritage district of mud-brick palaces and narrow lanes along the Wadi Hanifah valley. Riyadh Season, running roughly from October to March, adds concerts and entertainment zones to the mix, a period that pairs well with winter holiday travel packages if you're timing a trip around it.

AlUla: Hegra and Elephant Rock

AlUla is Saudi Arabia's answer to Petra, and arguably its most striking destination. Hegra's rock-cut tombs, carved by the Nabateans over 2,000 years ago, sit scattered across a desert valley that took decades to properly excavate. Elephant Rock, a giant sandstone formation shaped by centuries of wind erosion, makes for one of the most photographed sunset spots in the country, and the Maraya concert hall, the world's largest mirrored building, hosts events built directly into the surrounding cliffs.

Jeddah: Al-Balad and the Red Sea Corniche

Jeddah's Al-Balad district is a UNESCO-listed old town of coral-stone merchant houses with elaborately carved wooden balconies, a legacy of the city's centuries as a Red Sea trading port and gateway for pilgrims heading to Makkah. The Jeddah Corniche runs for kilometres along the waterfront, lined with modern sculptures, seafood restaurants and views of the King Fahd Fountain, one of the tallest fountains in the world.

The Red Sea Coast

North of Jeddah, the Red Sea coastline holds coral reefs that rank among the least-disturbed in the world, alongside a growing string of island resorts developed by Red Sea Global. It's an easy add-on for luxury holiday travel packages if diving, snorkelling or a private-island stay is part of the plan.

Asir and Abha: The Green Mountains

In the far south, the Asir mountains sit high enough to catch monsoon-driven clouds most of the year, giving the region a cooler, greener climate that surprises most first-time visitors to the Kingdom. Abha, the regional capital, is the base for exploring Al Soudah's cable car and the hanging village of Habala, once accessible only by rope.

Taif: The City of Roses

A mountain retreat above Makkah, Taif is known for its rose farms, which produce a large share of the rose oil used in Arabian perfumes. The cooler climate has made it a traditional summer escape for Saudi families for generations, and the annual rose harvest in spring is worth timing a visit around.

The Edge of the World

About two hours from Riyadh, the Edge of the World is a dramatic escarpment where the Tuwaiq Mountains drop away in sheer cliffs over the desert plain below. It's usually visited as a half-day trip with an SUV and a local guide, since the final stretch requires off-road driving. Sunset is the busiest and best time to be there.

Things to Do in Saudi Arabia

• Walk among the rock-cut tombs of Hegra in AlUla
• Ride the Al Soudah cable car above the clouds in Asir
• Watch the sunset from the cliffs at the Edge of the World
• Dive or snorkel the reefs along the Red Sea coast
• Explore Diriyah's mud-brick lanes at dusk, when the district is lit up
• Catch a concert at Riyadh Season or inside AlUla's Maraya Hall

Things to Buy in Saudi Arabia

• Bakhoor and oud, traditional Arabian incense and perfume oils
• Dates, particularly Ajwa and Sukkari varieties from Madinah and Al-Ahsa
• Najdi silver jewellery and Bedouin-style ornaments
• Sadu weaving, a traditional Bedouin textile craft
• Arabic coffee sets (dallah pots) and cardamom-spiced coffee beans

Food to Eat in Saudi Arabia

• Kabsa (spiced rice with meat, the Kingdom's signature dish)
• Mandi (slow-cooked meat over rice, cooked in an underground pit)
• Jareesh (a savoury cracked-wheat porridge)
• Saleeg (a creamy rice dish popular in the Hejaz region)
• Arabic coffee (qahwa) served with dates, offered as a mark of hospitality

A Practical Guide to Planning Your Saudi Arabia Trip

Saudi Arabia is far easier to visit today than it was even five years ago, but a few things are worth sorting out before you book your Saudi Arabia trip packages. Here’s what to consider:

How to Reach Saudi Arabia from India

• By air: Several direct flights connect Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kochi and Chennai, to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah, operated by Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Saudia, with flight times of roughly three to four hours. This makes Saudi Arabia one of the more accessible Middle East tour packages for Indian travellers, with far shorter flight times than most of Europe.
• By rail: The Haramain High-Speed Railway connects Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah and King Abdullah Economic City, and is a fast, comfortable way to move between the western cities without domestic flights.
• By road: If you're extending a wider Gulf trip, Saudi Arabia connects by road to the UAE, Bahrain (via the King Fahd Causeway), and Jordan, worth considering if a multi-country itinerary appeals to you.

Visa and Documentation

Indian citizens need a visa before travelling to Saudi Arabia for any purpose; there is no visa-free entry. Most Indian travellers apply through an authorised visa agency rather than the direct e-visa portal, which is limited to a shorter list of nationalities, though those already holding a valid US, UK or Schengen visa may be eligible for a faster e-visa or visa-on-arrival route. 

Fees typically start around SAR 300 (roughly ₹7,500) plus service charges, with processing usually taking anywhere from a few days up to two weeks depending on the route used. Visa rules for Indian applicants have changed more than once in the last two years, so it's worth confirming the current process with an authorised agent shortly before you apply rather than relying on older information.

How Much to Budget

Booking structured Saudi Arabia trip packages bundles flights, accommodation and transfers into a single arrangement, which removes much of the guesswork below. 

What to Carry

• Loose, modest clothing that covers shoulders and knees, for both men and women
• A light scarf, useful for mosque visits or more conservative areas
• Light, breathable fabrics for the heat, alongside a warmer layer for desert nights and the Asir mountains
• Comfortable, closed walking shoes for desert sites and old town lanes
• A universal adaptor (Saudi Arabia uses Type G sockets)

Best Time to Visit Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's climate swings sharply between seasons, and the right time to visit depends heavily on where you're headed. Here's a quick overview:

If your trip lines up with the cooler months, it's worth reading this winter travel planning guide for tips on timing flights and hotel bookings before Riyadh Season's peak season rush sets in.

Saudi Arabia Festivals and Events

Saudi Arabia's calendar has expanded rapidly over the past few years, and timing a trip around one of these events adds another layer to the experience. Here's a quick overview: 

Travellers building a wider Gulf loop often plan their Middle East tour packages around these dates, pairing a Riyadh Season week with a quieter stretch across the border in the UAE or Bahrain.

Things to Know Before You Visit Saudi Arabia

• Before you book your Saudi Arabia trip, keep these things in mind to enjoy a peaceful vacation:
• Saudi Arabia uses the Saudi Riyal (SAR), pegged at a fixed rate of 3.75 to the US dollar.
• Non-Muslims cannot enter Makkah; Madinah is open to visitors, but the Prophet's Mosque and its immediate vicinity are reserved for Muslims.
• Alcohol is completely prohibited nationwide, with no exceptions for tourists or hotels.
• Shops and restaurants pause briefly, usually 20 to 30 minutes, during each of the five daily prayer times.
• The weekend runs from Friday to Saturday rather than Saturday to Sunday, which affects opening hours and business schedules.
• If your trip could overlap with the Hajj season (roughly April to June), check current visa rules closely; Saudi Arabia has previously paused tourist e-visa issuance for several nationalities, including India, during this period.
• Modest dress is expected everywhere in public, though the abaya is no longer mandatory for foreign women since 2019.

Begin Your Arabian Journey with EaseMyTrip

Saudi Arabia isn't trying to be the region's easiest destination; it's trying to be its most complete one. Ancient rock tombs, futuristic entertainment districts, untouched reefs and misty mountain towns all sit inside the same country, often a short flight apart. Whether it's a short Riyadh-AlUla loop or a longer trip that adds Jeddah and the Red Sea coast, Saudi Arabia tour packages make it easy to see the Kingdom without overplanning every stage yourself.

Ready to plan your trip to Saudi Arabia? At EaseMyTrip Holidays, we help you book flights, hotels and holiday packages with zero convenience fees and simple payment options, so you can focus on the trip rather than the logistics.