Getting Around AlUla: What You Need to Know About Its Limited Transportation Options

AlUla (also spelled Al Ula or Alula) is gaining attention as a major tourist destination in Saudi Arabia. However, despite its popularity, local transportation options are still underdeveloped. To enjoy AlUla’s beautiful landscapes and historical sites, advance research is essential. This article will introduce transportation methods in AlUla and important points to consider, which I hope will be useful for your trip planning.

Tourism in Saudi Arabia

Until 2019, Saudi Arabia maintained a policy of not accepting foreign tourists other than Muslims, effectively closing the country to general tourism. Now, however, the country has started issuing visas and is advancing many tourism projects as part of its goal to develop the tourism industry. AlUla is part of this initiative, attracting attention as a tourist destination with rich natural heritage and historical buildings. Nevertheless, the tourism infrastructure remains under development, and particular attention must be paid to transportation options.

Transportation Situation in AlUla

AlUla, being more of a rural area, has formed a complete car-dependent society. Buses only operate on limited routes and with very few services. While there are vans and electric buses that run continuously around the old town area, which can be helpful for avoiding the sun during short-distance travel, they are specifically designed for distances that could be covered on foot. In AlUla, where tourist attractions are separated by distances of several kilometers to tens of kilometers, these options do not function as transportation between tourist sites. Therefore, there is almost no public transportation available for tourists, making it important to secure means of transportation in advance.

Also, you’ll hardly see any roaming taxis in AlUla. While ride-hailing apps like Careem and Uber technically cover the area, the number of active vehicles is very small, so you often can’t get a ride or have to wait a long time. Even using taxis isn’t straightforward in the AlUla style.

Practical Transportation Options in AlUla

So what transportation options are left for travelers? Let’s examine them one by one.

Rental Cars

The most flexible way to travel is by rental car. AlUla has few cars and wide roads, making it relatively easy to drive even for beginners. It’s also attractive for keeping your overall budget down. However, in the time-casual atmosphere of AlUla, rental car shops may not always be staffed, so you might be kept waiting when you want to rent or return a car. This is especially true during holidays and prayer times. You’ll also need to consider how to get to the rental car shop.

Due to these circumstances, renting a car in AlUla isn’t actually very common, and many travelers arrive by car from surrounding cities like Medina.

Additionally, parking areas can often be difficult to find locally, and you may struggle to secure parking spaces, so it’s good to keep this in mind.

Experience AlUla’s Ride Service

In AlUla, a service called Experience AlUla is promoting the enhancement of tourism infrastructure, and as part of this, they operate a taxi dispatch service. Although there isn’t a dedicated app, it’s a great service where you can request a taxi via WhatsApp and one will come to you. The major advantages are that you can easily communicate via WhatsApp, and while it might take time, a taxi will almost certainly come. It’s also relatively inexpensive, which is attractive.

However, the number of vehicles is limited, and depending on your location, you might have to wait a long time. Especially in places slightly away from tourist sites and during peak times, the waiting time can be particularly long, so it’s good to book with plenty of time to spare.

Private Car Hire with Driver

What I personally recommend the most is hiring a private car with a driver. In my case in particular, there was hardly any information online and I had to visit suddenly on a Friday (a holiday in the Islamic calendar), so this was my only option to avoid being stranded. The advantages of a private car with a driver are that you can go to the places you want according to your schedule, you don’t have to drive yourself so it’s comfortable, and it saves time because there’s no need to arrange for pick-ups. Disadvantages include that it’s relatively expensive and you need to choose an appropriate service. Language issues can also arise, so it’s recommended to arrange for a driver who understands English.

Alfateh Transport is Recommended

What I particularly recommend is Alfateh Transport, based in Jeddah. Normally they support long-distance travel for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, but they are also happy to accommodate general travelers’ movements. They were outstandingly inexpensive compared to other car hire services I researched, so I decided to use them for my transport within AlUla. Since I had communicated my detailed itinerary in advance, I was able to move around AlUla flexibly and smoothly. The cost was 600 SAR (about $160) for a full day, which might seem a bit expensive compared to taxis, but considering that with taxis you would have to pay for each ride, I felt it wasn’t an expensive option for smooth and stress-free transportation.

https://www.alfatehtransport.com/

What Do You Think?

AlUla is a tourist destination full of attractions, but local transportation options are still underdeveloped. Secure practical transportation methods in advance, such as rental cars, ride services, or private cars with drivers, and enjoy a comfortable trip!