Tourism Places in Riyadh: where to go in Riyadh?

Welcome to one of the richest cities in the world, home to the best museum in Saudi Arabia, a World Heritage Site that connects the story of Genesis in the Kingdom, and some of the best hotels and restaurants in the Kingdom. From a distance, Riyadh (meaning “garden”) was a mud-brick wall tower station along the desert trade routes, a picture of modern, rising towers rising above the surrounding desert. Up close, it can look cautious and discreet and feel more conservative than other Saudi cities like Jeddah. But the winds of change sweeping the country are also affecting the capital. Like a public bus service, the long-awaited metro system is on its way more liberal than before. Riyadh recently hosted the country’s first music festival, where Mughniyah performed for the first time in Saudi history. In this article we will recommend you the best tourism places in Riyadh, where you can enjoy while visiting the city.

Kingdom center tower

This is a 41-storey building in Riyadh. In addition to the shopping center, the Kingdom Tower contains the Four Seasons Hotel and Apartments Riyadh. There is a 56-meter (184-foot) airlift over a skyscraper.

The Kingdom Center has a Sky Bridge, a shopping mall and the Four Seasons Hotel in a 1-kilometer building.

The mall is considered one of the most important landmarks in the city and also one of the best tourism places in Riyadh, where the mall has the most luxurious brands in the Kingdom, with a wide range of shops and shops.

Sky Bridge is a modern marvel of a unique landmark, rising at an altitude of 300 meters and overlooking the city of Riyadh.

Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh has 274 spacious rooms, including 37 luxurious suites, combining luxurious dining, entertainment and recreation in one prime location.

Masmak Citadel

It’s like the Saudi Culture Museum. There is no entrance fee. It is a mud fort with four watchtowers and thick walls. Located in the center of Riyadh. This building played a major role in the Kingdom’s history. This site is open to all visitors.

Al Faisaliyah center

It is a commercial skyscraper located in Riyadh. It is the fourth tallest building in Saudi Arabia. Al Faisaliah Center has a height of 267 meters and consists of 44 floors.

On the ground floor, there is a shopping center with major international brands. There is an amazing and wonderful view of Saudi Arabia’s other skyscrapers, the Kingdom Center, from the Al Faisaliyah Center. Also, these two buildings creating a shaded skyline in the evening.

National Museum

Opened in 1999, this museum is one of the best tourism places in Riyadh, equipped with the latest technology and easily accessible to visitors, with almost everything available in English.

There are plenty of video shows and small theaters that you might spend a whole day here for virtual tours of Madain Saleh or watching the re-enactment of the battle of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina.

Note: Many taxi drivers will not recognize the English name, ask for the nearby Palace Square (Palace Square) instead.

Riyadh zoo

The zoo only opens at 1pm which is the hottest part of the day and closes at 6.30pm. The zoo is very big and it is not overcrowded at all.

This zoo has elephants, giraffes, monkeys, camels, etc., but the lion or tiger cannot be found in the zoo. They also have a train ride if tired of seeing the zoo on foot. There are plenty of stalls inside.

The Diplomatic Quarter Parks

Located on the edge of Wadi Hanifa, the Diplomatic Quarter Park (DQ) was first built in the 1970s as a venue for diplomats as well as for the embassies area. Accommodation in the area is now open to anyone to live.

The park itself consists of more than 30 gardens or gardens with lush greenery and ample amount of open spaces where you can walk.

There is also a 20-kilometer trail around DQ and the best part so far is that this area is free of abaya – expatriate residents are often seen wearing “natural” clothes in the garden.

The garden itself is beautifully maintained and offers grass fields, fountains, picnic areas, suites, patios, benches, shaded walkways, private seating areas, flowers that open all year round and impressive rock formations.

The gardens also provide great architecture as designed by a group of international landscape architects.

The Engineer aims to preserve the natural environment using natural materials and native plants. As a result, all plants in the DQ gardens are endemic in the Arabian Peninsula.

You can visit this park which is considered as one of the best tourism places in Riyadh for free all day, any day of the week!

Red Sands Flower Fields

This destination is somewhat unfortunately seasonal and depends on the amount of rain received by the desert.

When you go out on the Makkah Highway west, next to a town called Jauw, you can find not only the beautiful red sand dunes, but also the grass-covered sand dunes that grow from under the rocks and many flowering flowers.

Although the dunes, unfortunately, have a lot of garbage on them, they are still a surprisingly beautiful and quiet destination that can be a great destination for some amazing pictures or even hiking in nature if you feel the need for something different.

We recommend you go during the spring and take an SUV for this trip, otherwise you might get stuck!

The King’s Forest

More commonly known as Rawdat Khuraim, the King’s Forest is the perfect oasis to head to for a picnic or just to break away from the city life’s rat race.

The garden is not only a peaceful haven for people, but also a haven for various rare species such as deer. This means that there is a restricted area that the public cannot access.

There are approximately 132 species of wild plants and 42 species of animals found in the King’s Forest.

This is another great destination if you like the outdoors or want a place for hiking, going for a walk or spending time outdoors.

It is not uncommon to have the place to yourself during weekdays and women are also allowed to remove their abayas if they wish.

The Edge Of The World

Located in the Acacia Valley, it is one of the unique and private destinations you should visit in Saudi Arabia.

“Edge of the World” is considered as a large cliff with a stunning view of Riyadh. Once you reach the abyss, you can choose to either climb to the ledge or go down the valley. Either way, you’re going to climb and walk a lot, so be sure to fill in enough water.

Also be sure to look for fossils while you are there. This is after all used to be the ocean floor about 50 million years ago!

Located about 90 km outside Riyadh, you should travel to use an SUV. Rather we recommend driving in a caravan and ensure before leaving all cars with a full tank, shovel, tow belt, spare tires and tire repair tools.

The road is quite rough and becomes very sandy in some patches – you may get stuck if you go alone.

The gates to the Acacia Valley close every evening at 18:00, so it’s important to note that you will be stranded in the park all night if you don’t do it in time.

This is also a natural sight without fences or warning signs, anywhere. If you choose to go there it is your own responsibility and responsibility to be more careful and attentive with the children around you.

Also, Read:

Tourism in Jeddah: Top 10 Things to do in Jeddah

Tourist Attractions in Saudi Arabia: Where to go in the GCC’s largest kingdom?

Where to stay in Riyadh: The best hotels in Riyadh