$5045.00 Land / Air to and from New York $1430.00

15days/12 nights

15th April / Day 1 Sun:
Departure on Saudi Arabian Airlines flight 0034 from JFK to Riyadh.

16th April / Day 2 / Mon:
Upon our arrival in Riyadh we will be met and assisted, then transfer to the Radison Hotel. At check in all women in the group will receive an abaya set. Overnight in Riyadh.

17th April / Day 3 / Tue:
After breakfast we will begin our sightseeing in Riyadh. We will begin with 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. Return to hotel for a rest and to refresh ourselves then visit Faisaliah Tower, a new landmark hotel with a restaurant and observation deck at the top of this obelisk-shaped tower. Also there is a luxury shopping mall and entertainment complex. Afterwards, we will continue to Dariyah, the ancient hometown 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 and have been very well preserved. After our visit we will have dinner at a local restaurant called Al Mazraah that specializes in Saudi cuisine. Hotel Radisson for overnight. (B,D)

18th April / Day 4 / Wed:
After breakfast we will continue sightseeing in Riyadh with a visit to the National Museum and the King Abdul Aziz Museum. The National Museum contains exhibits on traditional Saudi lifestyle, archeology and culture. The National Museum is part of a public park and museum complex. We cross a courtyard to another building to visit the King Abdulaziz Historic Center which contains many personal items of King Abdulaziz. We will return to the hotel for lunch then check out and transfer to the airport for our short flight to Dammam. Once in Dammam we will proceed to the Gulf Meridien Hotel to check in then enjoy an orientation lecture. Dinner and overnight in Dammam. (B,L,D)

19th April / Day 5 / Thur:
After breakfast our first visit will be at Hofuf. Hofuf is an inland city known for its extensive date orchards. It also has sandstone rock formations that are unusual and seem to have their own natural air conditioning in the caves that have formed there. On our return we will pass by the King Fahad Causeway to Bahrain and enjoy the sunset. Continue to Al Khobar for dinner at a local seafood restaurant. Return to our hotel in Dammam for overnight. (B,D)

20th April / Day 6 / Fri:
Dammam and the Eastern Province are best known as the oil and industrial center of the Kingdom. Aramco has a very interesting museum that teaches visitors about oil science as well as the Arab and Islamic contributions to science. After a visit of the museum we will visit the historic Well # 7, the first well to produce enough oil to launch Saudi Arabia on an economic wave that spurred development and commerce to unprecedented levels. Afterwards we will transfer to the airport for our flight to Najran. When we arrive in Najran we will transfer to the Holiday Inn for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

21st April / Day 7 / Sat:
After breakfast we will visit several sites in this ancient trading city, including the Al Ukhdood Museum, Al Ukhdood Site, Raoum Castle, Najran Gigantic Dam, a local souq and Emarat Historical Palace. 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 our tour of the city’s sites, we will drive to Hema by 4wd jeep, where you can see rock carvings and mosaics depicting such scenes as date harvesting. We will see an ancient irrigation well that still holds water, and explore the fringes of the Empty Quarter, or Rub Al Khali, and enjoy the sunset over the sand dunes. We will have dinner at a Bedouin camp in the desert. Return to the hotel for overnight. (B,D)

22nd April / Day 8 / Sun:
After breakfast we will check out and drive to Abha with photo stops at Dhahran Al Janoub and Al Haraja, where we will visit the old city. We will also see Farshah from the Tehama mountains. Abha is the capital of the Asir province and its cool weather, mountains and beautiful scenery make it a popular weekend resort. Once we arrive in Abha we will check in at Abha Palace Hotel and refresh ourselves before sightseeing in the city. Return to hotel dinner and overnight. (B,D)

23rd April / Day 9 / Mon:
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 Alma and to explore Sarawat Mountain. Return to our hotel for a rest, then proceed to the Bin Hamsan Cultural Village and Museum to see the traditions and lifestyles of the people of the Asir region. We will also visit the souq before returning to our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

24th April / Day 10 / Tue:
Breakfast is followed by checkout and transfer to the airport for our flight to Madinah, via Riyadh. We will have a stop in Riyadh that will allow us enough time to visit the camel market before departing for Madinah. Once in Madinah we will transfer to our hotel, the Madinah Sheraton Hotel, for an orientation lecture, dinner, and overnight.

25th April / Day 11 / Wed:
We depart for Al Ula after breakfast, stopping at Zubaida Dam and Khaiber along the way. Al Ula is a gateway for visitors going to see the Nabatean ruins at Mada’in Saleh. This area is to the northwest of Madinah and closer to the border with Jordan. Upon our arrival there we will check in at the Arac Hotel and have lunch. Afterwards we visit Mada’in Saleh, an ancient city built by the same civilization that built Petra to the north in Jordan. We will also visit an Islamic castle, the historic and now defunct Hijaz Railway station No. 21, and get a view of Al Ula valley from the top of 700m hill Al Harrah. We will return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)

26th April / Day 12 / Thurs:
Our day will start with sightseeing in the ruins of the old city of Al Ula and the Al Ula Museum. Afterwards we will visit the ancient tombs cut out of the mountainside at Al Khuraibah before continuing on to the airport at Madinah. We will have a box lunch on the way. Our flight takes to the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. Once there we will transfer to the Jeddah Intercontinental Hotel for overnight. (B,L)

27th April / Day 13 / Fri:
After breakfast at the hotel we will begin our tour of Jeddah, the commerce capitol of Saudi Arabia and the port through which almost all pilgrims coming for haj or umrah arrives. The city is said to be the burial place of Eve, thus the name Jeddah, which is grandmother in Arabic. Our first stop will be the Nasif House, which is an excellent example of Arabian and Islamic architecture, and is now a museum. One feature that is interesting is the staircase built specifically to accommodate camels. It was designed that way so that as the house was built camels could be used to carry the building materials to the upper floors. This method of moving materials and supplies was used again during the restoration. We will also visit the old Alawi Souq and the private museum of Abdul Raouf Khalil. Afterwards we will have lunch at a local restaurant. Continue sightseeing in this modern metropolis and ancient trading city before returning to the hotel for overnight. (B,L,D)

28th April / Day 14 / Sat:
After breakfast we will visit a second Abdul Raouf Khalil Museum then continue to the open air museum along the Corniche. Throughout the city, but mostly along the road that follows the shoreline, you will see an incredible array of sculptures. Some are small and no taller that a person, while others dominate the center of a roundabout and are visible for miles. The entire collection is referred to as the Open Air Museum. The themes of the sculptures vary, too so you will see an extraordinary variety from Islamic themes, to nature, to cultural themes – giant Arab coffee pots, bicycles, a sun with rays of light bursting from it. We will return to the hotel to gather our luggage and check out before heading back to the Corniche for our farewell dinner at the Green Island Restaurant. Afterwards, we will transfer to the airport for our 1:15 am departure. (B,D)

29th April / Day 15 / Sun:
Departure SV 0035 to New York at 1:15am. End of our service.

This tour includes meals as follows: 12B / 4 L/ 9 D, accommodations based on double occupancy in hotels listed in itinerary, services of English speaking guides throughout, transfers in air conditioned motor coach, internal flights, entrance fees.