AlUla needs no permit of its own: what an international visitor needs is lawful entry to Saudi Arabia, and then tickets for the heritage sites. According to Visit Saudi, the Saudi Tourism Authority's official site, the tourist visa can be issued as an eVisa, as a visa on arrival for eligible travellers, or through an embassy, and the official eVisa portal is the only binding source for who qualifies and on what terms. Once inside the country, AlUla is a practical destination for a visitor from abroad: English is widely spoken, cards and contactless payment are widely accepted, mobile coverage around the town is good, and the dress expectation is modest and comfortable rather than formal — no abaya or headcover is required of visiting women. This guide gathers what the official platforms say on each of these points, and explains what CHAPTERS does and does not do for a guest arriving from overseas.
You need a Saudi tourist visa — an eVisa, a visa on arrival for eligible travellers, or an embassy visa, as the official portal decides — then you fly to AlUla or drive about three hours from Madinah or Tabuk; inside AlUla, English is widely spoken, cards work almost everywhere, there is no alcohol, and modest, comfortable dress is all that is expected.
If how to get there is your first question, the arrival guide covers the airport, roads and distances; if it is what to wear, the packing guide covers layers and seasons. This article fills the space between them: what a visitor from abroad needs to know before booking anything.
Visit Saudi, the Saudi Tourism Authority's official site, states that the tourist visa can be issued as an eVisa, as a visa on arrival or through an embassy, and that tourists can enter through land, sea and air ports. The official eVisa portal describes the eVisa as a one-year, multiple-entry visa allowing a stay of up to 90 days, covering tourism-related activities such as events, leisure, visiting relatives and Umrah — and excluding Hajj, work and study. At the time of our editorial review the portal listed 68 eligible countries; the list and the conditions change, which is why the portal alone is binding.
| Topic | What you need to know | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist eVisa | Applied for online in three steps on the official portal; one-year, multiple-entry, up to 90 days per the portal at the time of review; for nationals of the countries on its eligibility list | The official eVisa portal — the eligible-country list on the portal itself |
| Visa on arrival | Visit Saudi states that holders of a valid US, UK or Schengen tourist or business visa, and permanent residents of the UK, US or EU, are eligible for a tourist visa on arrival | Visit Saudi's visa regulations page — the nationality checker |
| Embassy visa | If your country is not on the eVisa list, the portal directs you to the nearest Saudi embassy; Visit Saudi says everyone is welcome to apply for the tourist visa | The nearest Saudi embassy or consulate |
| GCC residents | Welcome to apply; the visa can be issued as an eVisa or through the embassy, per Visit Saudi | Visit Saudi's visa regulations page |
| Health insurance | Visit Saudi states that a health insurance policy is issued together with the eVisa, valid for one year to match the visa | The official portal, at the time of application |
| What the visa permits | Tourism, events, leisure, family visits and Umrah; it excludes Hajj, work and study | The official eVisa portal |
Entry rules change without notice to tour operators. CHAPTERS does not apply for, sponsor or advise on visas; check the official portal before you buy a flight, and treat anything you read elsewhere — this article included — as a summary that may go out of date.
AlUla's air gateway is AlUla International Airport (IATA code ULH), east of town and about half an hour from the centre, with direct domestic flights from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam and international flights from Dubai and Doha on seasonal schedules at the time of review. By road, Experience AlUla puts AlUla at about three hours from Madinah to the south and from Tabuk to the north. Our dedicated arrival guide covers the airport, roads and distances in detail; here we add only what matters to someone coming from outside the Kingdom.
CHAPTERS does not sell flights or visas. You reach AlUla — or the agreed meeting point — and we take over from there; when the agreed meeting point is the airport, pickup there is part of the trip.
The currency is the Saudi riyal. Experience AlUla's practical information page says that credit cards and contactless payment are widely accepted, that some shops only accept cash, that there are several ATMs in AlUla, and that currency exchange is available at AlUla International Airport and in Old Town. Tipping, it adds, is generally appreciated but not expected; leaving small change or rounding up the bill is enough. We quote no prices and no exchange rates anywhere in this guide: they change, and the official platforms and your bank are the right sources.
| Payment method | What Experience AlUla says | Our practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Cards and contactless | Widely accepted across AlUla | Tell your bank you are travelling, and carry a second card from a different network in case one is declined |
| Cash | Some shops only accept cash; carrying some is advised | Useful for small purchases and roadside stops; keep small notes |
| ATMs | Several ATMs in AlUla | Withdraw in town rather than counting on a machine near a remote site |
| Currency exchange | Available at AlUla International Airport and in Old Town, with daily opening hours published on the page | Exchange a modest amount on arrival; cards cover most of the rest |
| Tipping | Appreciated but not expected; small change or rounding up is the custom | Nothing in a CHAPTERS programme depends on tipping; follow the same light custom if you wish |
On a CHAPTERS trip, transport from the meeting point, your guide and the accommodation named in the programme are already covered, so day-to-day spending is mostly meals outside the programme, souvenirs and personal extras. What is and is not included is stated in your final confirmation and in our policies.
Experience AlUla reports good mobile and 5G coverage around AlUla, little or none in more remote areas, and Wi-Fi hotspots at most hotels. It recommends buying a local SIM after you arrive, from an STC or other telecom store, or at Jeddah or Riyadh airport if you transit there. AlUla uses Type G plugs and sockets, the same as the United Kingdom.
Coverage fades on the road between sites and inside the canyons; download offline maps and save your accommodation address before you leave the hotel. On CHAPTERS trip days your guide handles navigation, so this matters most on your free days.
Experience AlUla's guidance is short and reassuring: dress codes depend on the individual establishment, some casual and others more sophisticated; women do not need to wear a headcover or an abaya; and places of worship require modest dress while visiting. Visit Saudi frames the rest as respect for local customs and culturally appropriate behaviour, as in any country, and states that everyone is welcome. In practice, modest and comfortable clothing — covering shoulders and knees, in breathable fabrics, with closed shoes for sand and stone — works everywhere in AlUla, and our packing guide goes into layers and seasons.
| Where | What is expected | Where it is stated |
|---|---|---|
| Public places and heritage sites | Modest, comfortable clothing; no abaya or headcover required of visiting women | Experience AlUla — practical information |
| Places of worship | Modest dress is required while visiting | Experience AlUla — practical information |
| Hotels and restaurants | Dress code set by each establishment, from casual to sophisticated | Experience AlUla — practical information |
| Hotel pools and spas | Each private establishment sets its own policy; on public beaches modest clothing is expected | Visit Saudi — visa regulations FAQ |
| Shared accommodation | Unmarried couples are able to share accommodation | Visit Saudi — visa regulations FAQ |
| Photography and drones | Tourists are not permitted to fly drones in the Kingdom | Visit Saudi — visa regulations FAQ |
None of this is a test you can fail. The people of AlUla are used to visitors and forgiving of small slips; dressing modestly and asking before you photograph someone cover almost everything.
Saudi Arabia is alcohol-free for visitors: Experience AlUla states that the sale, purchase and consumption of alcohol is illegal and that bringing alcohol or drugs into the country is illegal, and Visit Saudi confirms that alcohol is not available. That applies to every hotel, restaurant and CHAPTERS dinner, and it changes nothing about the evening itself — AlUla's nights are about the sky, the food and the conversation.
On a CHAPTERS trip, the timing of meals, sites and evenings is our job, including around Ramadan hours and public holidays; tell us your dates and we build the day around what is open.
The major heritage sites are visited on organised tours: Experience AlUla's official Hegra page says the best way to explore Hegra is by joining an organised tour, that self-driving is not allowed, and that pre-booking is highly recommended, with tickets at the visitor centre subject to availability. The same page notes that bottled water is provided on the tour and encourages visitors to bring their own bottle — the single most useful piece of desert advice there is.
CHAPTERS does not sell the official site tickets on their own, since their official channel is Experience AlUla; but when a published CHAPTERS journey lists entry tickets among its inclusions, the tickets for the sites in its programme are part of the journey and we arrange them. Check each journey's page for what it includes. Otherwise you book them yourself: we build the trip's timing around the tour slots you hold, and we tell you in advance which slots to book for the programme we agree.
CHAPTERS is an AlUla tour operator, and international guests are a normal part of our weeks. The trip includes transport from the agreed meeting point, an English-speaking guide, and accommodation where the programme names it; it does not include flights or visas, which stay in your hands because the official platforms issue them. The official site tickets are included when the published journey's page lists them among its inclusions, and booked in your name otherwise. Here is how a booking from abroad runs.
Everything in this section is what CHAPTERS commits to in your final confirmation; everything in the sections before it is what the official platforms publish, and they — not we — are the authority on entry rules.
Yes, as for anywhere in Saudi Arabia: AlUla has no permit of its own, so what you need is lawful entry to the country. Visit Saudi states that the tourist visa can be issued as an eVisa, as a visa on arrival for eligible travellers, or through an embassy, and the official eVisa portal is the binding source for eligibility and conditions.
Visit Saudi states that holders of a US, UK or Schengen tourist or business visa, and permanent residents of the UK, US or EU, are eligible for a tourist visa on arrival, and directs everyone to its visa requirements page to confirm by nationality. Confirm there before you fly; the rules change.
At the time of our editorial review, the official portal described the eVisa as a one-year, multiple-entry visa allowing a stay of up to 90 days, for tourism-related activities including events, leisure, family visits and Umrah, and excluding Hajj, work and study. The portal's current wording prevails.
No. Experience AlUla states that women do not need to wear a headcover or an abaya; places of worship require modest dress, and individual establishments set their own dress codes. Modest, comfortable clothing is all that is expected in public places and at the sites.
No. Experience AlUla states that the sale, purchase and consumption of alcohol is illegal in Saudi Arabia and that bringing alcohol or drugs into the country is illegal; Visit Saudi confirms that alcohol is not available. Hotels, restaurants and CHAPTERS dinners are all alcohol-free.
Both. Experience AlUla says that credit cards and contactless payment are widely accepted, that some shops only accept cash, that there are several ATMs in AlUla, and that currency exchange is available at the airport and in Old Town. Carry some cash for small purchases and rely on cards for the rest.
Yes. Experience AlUla states that Arabic is the official language and that English is widely spoken in AlUla and around the country. CHAPTERS guides speak English, and the site and your booking confirmation are available in English.
Not your visa or flights: visas come from the official portal and flights from the airline, both in your name. We do not sell site tickets on their own, since their official channel is Experience AlUla; but when a published CHAPTERS journey lists entry tickets among its inclusions, the tickets for the sites in its programme are part of the journey and we arrange them. Check each journey's page. CHAPTERS provides transport from the agreed meeting point, an English-speaking guide and the accommodation named in the programme, and builds the timing around the tour slots — including airport pickup when the airport is the agreed meeting point.
Tell us your dates, where you are flying from, your landing time and the guests' ages, and we reply with a programme and the tour slots to book officially — then we meet you at the airport and build your days around your arrival.