Desert Treks

On this page you will find some of my favorite places to visit in the desert surrounding Riyadh and directions to them.  


Raghbah and the Rolling Sand Dunes


This enchanting little mud town called Raghbah is located about 120 km outside of Riyadh and is easily accessible even with a small car. Nearby are date farms, red mountains and lovely rolling sand dunes that grow small bushes and other flora. In the rainy season small bodies of water gathers in the deep folds of the dunes.

Raghbah makes for a nice day trip from Riyadh and it's really easy to find because of the prominent watch tower. The ruins of this town (built in 1669) are vast and the visitor can take hours to explore all it has to offer.

 Many of the houses can be entered and explored from inside. Some have interesting details and there is one building especially well preserved with amazing detail inside. There are also wells and ruins of castles and walls on the outskirts of the town. The town has historical significance, it plays a role in the Najd history and it was invaded and destroyed by the Turks in the 19th century.

 There are two mosques and the larger one is called the Al-Tali' mosque, which is, like all the other buildings here made out of mud and straw. It's worth going inside the mosque and checking out the courtyard, small well for wudu (washing for prayer) and the amazing prayer hall which is lit by natural sunlight. For more images of the mosque check: http://imagesofsaudi.blogspot.com/2012/04/mud-mosque.html

 The most interesting part is the Marqab watch tower on the west side of the town. The tower is quite tall and surprisingly narrow! It's possible to climb the tower's spiral staircase all the way to the top to get a great view of the whole town and the beautiful mountains and sand dunes in the distance. The climb up takes time because the way there is extremely claustrophobic experience! Not for the faint at heart and only one person can go up at a time, otherwise you will get stuck.

 On a clear day you can see the escarpment in the distance.

 Although the town has been long ago abandoned, some very poor families and maybe illegal immigrants still live there.

 Nearby the town are magnificent sand dunes, reachable with a small car if you don't venture out too far. With a 4x4 it's worth driving further out for better views but in general this place is has few other people around.

 Be careful when driving here there are sudden holes and there might be water in them too!

 The sand dunes seem to continue endlessly.

To get here from Riyadh, from exit 4 take the Qassim road (65W) until you get to the exit called Huraimila. Then continue until you see the sign for Raghbah. The drive takes about an hour. Drive until you come to the small village and you cannot miss the mud village on your left hand side because of the watch tower visible from the road. The village is not more than 200 meters from the main road. Turn left when you spot the tower and you can drive into the village from any place you see fit.
To get to the sand dunes just continue on the road that lead you to the mud village and the dunes are best on the right hand side.

Rawdhat Khuraim

The beautiful gardens of Rawdhat Khuraim can be found about 100 km outside Riyadh in the middle of the desert. An abundance of trees, bushes, birds and flowers welcome the visitor.
The huge park is fenced all the way around and accessible by foot only. You must drive next to the fence and when you find a spot you like park your car and then proceed on foot. No cars or other motorized vehicles are allowed inside which makes it a peaceful haven. The area is clean and free of trash, which is unfortunately a rarity for picnic places in Saudi. It's a lovely place to go walking, birdwatching or just for a picnic and women can take their abayas off.

 After rains and in the winter and spring months the Rawdhat (=garden) becomes very lush and flowers can be seen everywhere. If you're lucky you might see flowing rivers and small lakes being formed after the rains. The park remains green even during the dry summer months.

Overnight camping is not allowed here and visitors should leave the park before 10 p.m. Caution should be practiced when making open fires and visitors are expected to keep the place clean. Don't leave any trash behind!!

Directions: From Riyadh take the Dammam highway (route 40E), after about 40 km turn left to Rumah. Then drive another 55km and you will see signs for Rawdhat Khuraim, just follow the signs and the gardens are easy to spot from the highway. You will turn towards Rawdhat Khuraim to the right and you can the enter the park from anywhere you like. Cars can be parked outside the fence, no motor vehicles allowed inside. If you continue straight on this road you will reach the King's area which is off limits to public.
For the most quiet places drive off to the right from the road, around to the back of the area beside the fence until you see a nice spot. The area is so huge you can drive for half an hour along the fence and still not see an end to the park. Alternatively you can go left from the road next to the red sand dunes but this place usually is more crowded because it's easier to reach. You can drive here with a normal car but if you wish to venture further you will need a 4x4.

 Watch out for the thorny bushes!