Language · 11 published
Country guide
At 2,149,690 square kilometres, Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East and the only one with coastline on both the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf — which is the fact that separates its cities. Riyadh, the capital, stands inland at the centre and is built at driving scale. Jeddah on the Red Sea is the older port, with a coral-stone historic quarter and the water at the end of the street, while Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam, are closed to non-Muslims. The 33.7 million people counted in 2024 are gathered into a handful of centres with long empty desert in between.
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · B.alotaby · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photograph · Wurzelgnohm · CC0
Photograph · Saudi Press Agency (SPA) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
14 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Jeddah Corniche is a Red Sea waterfront extending for more than thirty kilometres along the city. Visit Saudi describes it as a public landscape where coastal views, urban art and everyday recreation meet, rather than as one enclosed attraction.
غار ثور
The Cave of Thor, known locally as غار ثور, is a small mountain cave located near Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
حديقة الملك سلمان
King Salman Park is a major public green space in Riyadh, named حديقة الملك سلمان in Arabic. It gives residents and visitors an outdoor setting within the capital’s rapidly developing urban landscape.
حديقة الفوطة
Al Futah Park is a central public park in Riyadh, known locally as حديقة الفوطة. It offers an urban green setting for residents and visitors who want outdoor time without leaving the capital.
حديقة النخيل
Al Nakheel Park, known locally as حديقة النخيل, is a public green space in Jeddah. Its name means Palm Park, connecting the place with the palm trees and landscaped character associated with the city’s outdoor spaces.
حديقة السلام
Salam Park, منتزه سلام, is a public green space in central Riyadh built around a large artificial lake. The park gives the capital a family-oriented outdoor setting with landscaped areas, walking routes, seating, and recreational activities.
كهف هيت
Heet Cave is a natural cave formation located near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Known locally as كهف هيت, it represents a geological feature of interest in the broader Riyadh region.
Jeddah Outdoors Museum and Park is a public sculpture park located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The site serves as an open-air cultural destination that replaced a duplicate marina entry in local listings.
حديقة الملك عبدالعزيز
King Abdulaziz Park is a public park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, known locally as حديقة الملك عبدالعزيز. The park occupies the site of a former exhibition facility and now provides an urban green-space setting within the Saudi capital.
منتزه الملك عبدالله
King Abdullah Park is a major public park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Its local name is حديقة الملك عبدالله. The park serves as a significant recreational green space within the capital city.
Lake Al-Arbaeen Park is a public waterfront park located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The park occupies a site where a mall entry once stood in excess, now transformed into green public space open to residents and visitors.
La Plage Park is a public coastal recreation area in Jeddah, set within the city’s Red Sea waterfront landscape.
Middle Corniche Park is a named public green space on Jeddah’s Red Sea waterfront, within the middle section of the city’s long Corniche.
واجهة روشن البحرية
Roshn Waterfront is a coastal development project located on the Red Sea shoreline in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The local name is واجهة روشن البحرية. It is promoted by Roshn, a national real estate developer backed by the Public Investment Fund.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·
Eight to twelve days can combine three days in Riyadh, three in Jeddah, and a dedicated AlUla leg. Makkah is subject to religious eligibility and pilgrimage permissions and must not be planned as an ordinary sightseeing stop.
Saudi entry depends on nationality and purpose, with tourist eVisa and pilgrimage permissions following different rules. Confirm eligibility through the official Saudi visa service and the relevant pilgrimage authority before booking.
Domestic flights cover Saudi Arabia's long distances, while Haramain high-speed rail serves Makkah, Jeddah, the airport, and Madinah. Other routes rely on buses or cars, and desert excursions require an appropriate vehicle and reliable operator.
November through February offers the most practical outdoor conditions for Riyadh, Jeddah, and desert excursions. Pilgrimage periods can change access and demand independently of weather, so check the religious calendar and permit rules.
Saudi Arabia uses the riyal (SAR). Cards are common in cities, but carry a SAR backup for smaller stops and verify the local-currency total before accepting payment.
Use 911 as the unified emergency number where supported and 997 for ambulance service in Saudi Arabia. Type G sockets supply 230 V; tap-water guidance is not recorded here.
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