Caravan-Serai Tours

Saudi Arabia

November 1 - 16, 2008

Space is still available! Register now to reserve your spot. Our maximum group size is 15 people.

$6080
per person, double occupancy, land only

Day 01 Saturday 01-Nov-08
Departure from New York JFK Airport (JFK) on SV22 at 2:00pm.

Day 02 Sunday 02-Nov-08 Riyadh
Arrive in Riyadh at 9:00am. We will be met and assisted, then transfer to our hotel, the Radisson SAS Hotel. At check in the ladies will receive an abaya set. Rest and relax, and enjoy lunch at the hotel. After lunch we will take a tour of Riyadh, the administrative capital of Saudi Arabia. It has grown into a modern, shining city in the middle of the desert. Unique architecture makes for a spectacular skyline. We will visit Faisaliah Tower, a new landmark hotel with a restaurant and observation deck at the top of this obelisk-shaped tower. Afterwards we will visit the 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. After visiting the souk we will then go to the King Abdul Aziz National Museum for a tour then have dinner at the Le Meraj Restaurant. Return to the Radisson SAS Hotel for overnight.

Day 03 Monday 03-Nov-08 Riyadh - Najran
After breakfast we will see a little bit more of Riyadh then visit Dariyah, the ancestral home 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 brick and have been very well preserved. We will also see the camel market then visit the luxury shopping mall and entertainment complex in Al Mamlaka Tower. Afterwards we will return to the hotel for lunch, then check out and transfer to the airport for our flight to Najran (SV 1867). Upon our arrival in Najran we will transfer to the Holiday Inn Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 04 04-Nov-08 Tuesday Najran
After breakfast we will begin our sightseeing of Najran. 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. Our tour will include visits to the Al Ukhdood Museum, Al Ukhdood Site, "the Massacre of Trench", Raoum Castle, Najran Gigantic Dam, the local souq, and the Emarat Historical Palace. Lunch and dinner will be at the hotel. Overnight in Najran at the Holiday Inn Hotel.

Day 05 Wednesday 05-Nov-08 Najran - Abha
After breakfast we will check out and drive to Abha. Along the way we will have stops at Dhahran Al Janoub and Al Haraja to visit the old city. We will also stop for a panoramic view of Farrshah from the Tehama mountains. Once we arrive in Abha we will check in at Abha Palace Hotel. There will be time to refresh ourselves and have lunch. After lunch we will go visit the mountainside village of Al Habala. Al Habala village is 2000 meters above sea level, is no longer inhabited but is a destination for visitors. The terraced village is sometimes called the hanging village because it virtually hangs on the side of the steep mountain. The inhabitants used ropes to climb from one place to another. Return to the Abha Palace Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 06 Thursday 06-Nov-08 Abha
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. We will return to the hotel for refreshing and lunch then visit the Bin Hamsan village and Museum and finish the day at the souq. Return to the Abha Palace Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 07 Friday 07-Nov-08 Abha - Madinah - Al Ula
After breakfast at the hotel we will check out and transfer to the airport for our flight (SV1555) to Madinah. Upon our arrival in Madinah we will stop for lunch at Le Meridien Hotel then proceed to Al Ula. Dinner and overnight in Al Ula at the Arac Hotel.

Day 08 Saturday 08-Nov-08 Al Ula
Al Ula is a gateway for visitors going to see the Nabatean ruins at Mada'in Saleh, an ancient city built by the same civilization that built Petra to the north in Jordan. Today we will visit the oasis of Khaiber, the site of a famous battle in the very earliest days of Islam. After that we will see the ancient dam of Zubaidah before returning to the hotel for lunch. After lunch we will go by 4WD on a desert excursion to see the Mammoth Rock and other unusual geological formations in the desert. Dinner and overnight will be at the Arac Hotel.

Day 09 Sunday 09-Nov-08 Al Ula
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. After lunch we will visit an Islamic castle, the historic and now defunct Hijaz Railway station No. 21. Afterwards we will visit the Nabatean ruins of Mada'in Saleh, an ancient city built by the same civilization that built Petra to the north in Jordan. We will return to the Arac Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 10 Monday 10-Nov-08 Al Ula - Taima - Jouf
After breakfast we will check out and depart for Jouf, with a sightseeing stop at Taima. Taima was part of the ancient kingdom of Midian and was home for the last Neo-Babylonian king, Nabonidus, who moved there in the seventh century B.C. One important archeological find in Taima is Taima Stone, inscribed with a religious text in ancient Aramaic and was discovered there in 1888. It is now in the Louvre. It was found near the great well Ain Haddaj which has been in use since Nabonidus' time and which, until diesel pumps were installed, required up to 60 camels at a time to draw water. Continue on to Jouf for dinner and overnight at the Al Nusl Hotel.

Day 11 Tuesday 11-Nov-08 Jouf
After breakfast we will depart for a day of sightseeing in and around Jouf. Jouf is of particular interest because of the role it has played in pre- and post-Islamic history. There is archeological evidence of the presence of the Assyrians and Nabataeans in Jouf. Following its conquest by Muslims in the third year of the Hijira, it became a staging post for Muslim armies, while remaining an important crossroads for traders and their caravans heading to or from Iraq and Syria into the Arabian Peninsula. We will start at Dumat Al Jandal, Qasr Marid, and the Umar Mosque, followed by a visit to the museum and the Old City. Return to hotel for lunch, then go to Sakaka and visit the Bir Saisra (well), Qasr Zabal and end the day watching the sunset. Return to Al Nusl Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 12 Wednesday 2-Nov-08 Jouf - Hail
We will check out of our hotel after breakfast and do some additional sightseeing in Jouf before departing for Hail. Lunch will be at the hotel then we will drive to Hail for dinner and overnight at Al Jabalain Hotel.

Day 13 Thursday 13-Nov-08 Hail
After breakfast we will take a sightseeing tour of Hail. For centuries, Hail was seen as the "key to the desert" because it was the main transit point for pilgrims heading for the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah and for traders traveling north or south in the Arabian Peninsula. When, towards the end of the Abbasid Caliphate, Muslim scholars of Hail took it upon themselves to protect and promulgate Arabic in its purest form. As a result the city became an important center of scholarship and learning. Lunch and dinner will be at the hotel. Overnight in Hail at Al Jabalain Hotel.

Day 14 Friday 14-Nov-08 Hail - Jeddah
After breakfast we will check out and transfer to the airport for our flight (SV1326) to Jeddah, the Red Sea port and commercial center of Saudi Arabia. It is also the main gateway for Muslims arriving from around the world for Hajj or Umrah. The city is said to be the burial place of Eve, thus the name Jeddah, which is grandmother in Arabic. Upon our arrival we will transfer to the Intercontinental Hotel, check in, and have lunch. After lunch we will begin our tour of Jeddah, starting with the Al Tayebat Museum of Abdul Raouf Khalil. Mr. Khalil began collecting his pieces of art and antiques and cultural exibits at a very early age. His museums represent a lifelong effort to collect and preserve these items and make them available to others to see. Our visit to the museum will be followed by a visit to the open air sculpture museum along the Corniche. Amazing sculptures have been placed along the road following the shoreline, becoming centerpieces for traffic circles, the sidewalks, and the beach. The sculptures range in size from several stories high to only 3-4 feet high and encompass a wide variety of subjects. Dinner will be at Al Nakheel Restaurant on the Corniche, a favorite of Saudi families. We will return to the Intercontinental Hotel for overnight.

Day 15 Saturday 15-Nov-08 Jeddah
Our sightseeing today will start with the historic 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 walk through the old city and see other examples of older restored homes and buildings before going to the Alawi Souq for jewelry, perfumes, fabrics, incense, coffee, and more. Lunch will be at the Green Island restaurant, then we return to the hotel for a rest before continuing our sightseeing in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the Intercontinental Hotel.

Day 16 Sunday 16-Nov-08 Jeddah - Washington
Breakfast will be by room service this morning as you get ready to depart. We will transfer to the airport for our flight (SV035) to Washington Dulles. End of services.

Flights:

1 NOV SV 22 JFK - RUH (Riyadh) 14:00 - 09:00 2NOV
16 NOV SV 35 JED - IAD 08:15 - 15:00

Included: Accommodations on double occupancy basis, full board basis Group visa, Transfers in air conditioned motor coach, All sightseeing as listed in itinerary with English speaking guides throughout

Not Included: Air fare, Items of a personal nature such as phone/fax calls, room service, laundry, etc. Tips for guides (about $5-$7) and drivers (about $3) per person, per day, Optional tours and activities not listed on the itinerary

Single Supplement: $800