10 Incredible Things to Do in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for First-Timers

Riyadh Things to do Itinerary Map

10 Best Things to Do in Riyadh

Standing at the Edge of the World is probably the highlight of my visit to Riyadh. The Edge of the World is a massive canyon that overlooks a vast desert landscape, creating the illusion of standing at the edge of the world, hence its name.

It is located approximately 98 km north of Riyadh and is the perfect half-day trip if you are looking to escape the bustling city. The canyon consists of many stunning viewpoints, dramatic cliffs, and valleys that seem to stretch endlessly into the horizon, as far as the eye can see.

Since the place is in the middle of nowhere, to get here, you are going to need a 4WD and a good navigator to help you navigate the endless barren desert of Saudi Arabia. I do not recommend you go on this journey on your own as there is a high chance you will get lost as the trails are not marked most of the way.

To visit the Edge of the World, I highly recommend you go with this organized tour instead. That’s how I did it, and I’m glad I did because I would never be able to find where it is on my own.

The tour took about 6 hours, and they picked me up at the designated meeting point in Riyadh around 2 PM before heading to the Edge of the World. The drive took about 2 hours, with a few photo stops at a camel farm and an underground cave along the way.

The ride to the Edge of the World was smooth halfway, and the other half was bumpy as hell, so if you get car sick, be sure to sit in the front or prepare a plastic bag just in case.

We arrived around 4 PM and had about 2-3 hours to freely roam the canyon. You can hike all the way down to the massive rock outcrop and hang your feet off the Edge of the World, just be very mindful of your step as the cliff is very high above the ground.

Just before sunset, the guide will direct you to a small plateau where you can get a clear view of the iconic rock outcrop during sunset as it is surrounded by the dramatic landscape of the Edge of the World. It is quite a sight to behold and makes the bumpy journey worthwhile.

After sunset, they will take you to an evening camp where you will be given dinner, mostly chicken biryani, and a cup of Chai, before heading back to Riyadh by 8 PM. The food was alright, nothing special, but it gets the job done.

All in all, it was one of the most memorable experiences I had in Riyadh, so if you’re looking to do something adventurous here, be sure to visit the Edge of the World. I highly recommend booking the tour in advance to secure your spot. You can book the tour here.

2. Explore Al Bujairi Heritage Park

Al Bujairi Heritage Park is a massive park situated in the historic district of Diriyah, the oldest part of the city, as well as the place where the founding father of Saudi Arabia, the House of Saud, resided.

The park is filled with restaurants, cafes, and recreational facilities for you to enjoy. It’s important to note that the park is only open from 5 PM to 4 AM, so make sure you plan your visit accordingly and arrive after 5 PM.

I found the park to be at its most active in the evening at sunset, with many locals hanging out in restaurants and cafes, enjoying the sunset, so be sure to plan your visit accordingly.

The entrance fee to Al Bujairi Heritage Park is about 50 SAR, and you have to buy the ticket online here before you can enter. Not gonna lie, I thought the price was expensive, but don’t worry, the card value can be redeemed at any restaurants and cafes inside the park, so go and enjoy the local cuisine.

There is a paid parking lot available near Heritage Park, but you could also park along this road for free, as I did, and it is not much further than the paid parking lot.

3. Check out the Light & Sound Show at At-Turaif World Heritage Site in the Evening

Within Al Bujairi Heritage Park, you will find At-Turaif World Heritage Site, which is the actual birthplace of the first Saudi state and the ancestral home of the Saudi royal family, the Al Sauds.

If you find the buildings around Bujairi Terrace, the first section you see as you enter Al Bujairi Heritage Park, to be too new and fake (this was definitely my first impression), then you are going to appreciate the mud-brick structures, palaces, and mosques of At-Turaif.

Much of the buildings around At-Turaif are renovated but kept in their initial form when they were excavated, which helps give you a glimpse of what the birthplace of the first Saudi state was like back when it was founded in 1727.

From its winding and crisscrossing streets and alleyways, you will find old mosques, palaces, and small museums dedicated to telling the story of the House of Sauds.

The place is huge, and you can expect to spend at least an hour just exploring At-Turaif alone. There are also a few cafes and restaurants tucked away in the maze in case you want to take a break.

If you are there in the evening, right after sunset, you will be able to witness its incredible light and sound show, which tells the history of Saudi Arabia from its founding days to its struggles with powers to the modern Saudi Arabia state we see today.

The presentation was incredible, with vivid imagery projected on the walls of the mud brick structures in front of the heritage site. The projection is pretty massive, and you can see it all the way from Bujairi Terrace.

When I was there, the show began around 6:20 PM, right after sunset, so be sure to be there around that time. The entire site is also lit up quite beautifully at night, and I found it much more pleasing to photograph during the blue hours, so if you enjoy photography, plan accordingly.

The site is open from 5 PM to 3 AM every day, and you do not need to buy a ticket as it is located within Al Bujairi Heritage Park. You just need to get the Diriyah Pass, and you will have access to the whole area, including Bujairi Terrace and At-Turaif.

After you’re done exploring Al Bujairi Heritage Park, make sure to visit Almesainad District, an upcoming trendy spot where you’ll find many locals hanging out at night. We stumbled upon it by accident while looking for a more affordable place to have dinner near Al Bujairi.

There are many amazing open-air restaurants and cafes you can choose from in this area, all at a much more affordable price than in Al Bujairi Heritage Park. Many places are packed with locals, which is always a good sign when you are trying to find a place to eat abroad.

There is also a charming little museum called the Museum of Bygone Years, housed inside old buildings, featuring a vast collection of consumables from years gone by that you should definitely check out.

There are a handful of small rooms inside the museum filled with old items from wall to wall. Deep inside the museum, there is also a cafe where you will be treated to an Arabic coffee and dates.

It was supposed to cost 20 SAR per person, but the guy in front let me in for free as I was a guest in his country! How kind of him! The hospitality here really reminded me of my time in Iran. The people are just too kind here!

The area is most active at night, but you can also visit the district during the day as we saw many cafes open when we drove past it again the next day. If you are looking for a place to chill and hang out in Riyadh, check out Almesainad District. Again, you can park your car for free at the adjacent street if you wish.

5. Visit Masmak Fortress

Masmak Fortress is another top attraction to see in Riyadh. It is a massive fortress that was constructed with high walls to protect against invaders, located right in the middle of the city.

The fortress was converted into a museum in the 1990s, and it now serves as a place for tourists to glimpse the historical past of Saudi Arabia and learn more about the heroism of the fortress and its former inhabitants.

When I was there, the museum inside was still under renovation, but I still found it worth a visit just to see the epic scale of the place from the outside alone.

There are also cafes and restaurants in front of the fortress, as well as a bustling market behind it, so be sure to spend some time exploring the surrounding areas while you are here.

There is a paid parking lot right in front of the fortress where you can park your car. It costs about 5 SAR per hour, which is not too expensive. You can pay by card or cash here.

6. Learn the History at the National Museum 🏛️ Best Museum

If you are looking to learn more about the history of Saudi Arabia, there is no better place to be than the National Museum, a massive museum with several sections dedicated to each period of Saudi Arabia from prehistoric times to the age of oil and modernization.

The exhibitions here are extremely impressive, allowing you to delve deep into the rich history of Saudi Arabia that you may not have known before. They also provide a glimpse of many tourist attractions around the country that you might be planning to visit on this trip.

Places like Hegra in AlUla are rich in history, and the museum will provide you with its history, how it came to be, and who its inhabitants were (the Nabateans, who also built Petra in Jordan), which will, in turn, make your visit to the actual place even more interesting.

Looking for a travel guide to AlUla? Check out:10 BEST Things to Do in AlUla, Saudi Arabia

There is also a section dedicated to the two holiest sites in Islam, Mecca and Medina, with models of the grand mosques you can see. These places only allow Muslims to enter, and if you are not Muslim but still want to see what it is like, the exhibition here is as close as you can get to seeing it in person.

The museum is massive, so be sure to allocate at least an hour or 2 here. The museum is open from 9 AM to 8 PM from Saturday to Wednesday, and from 2 PM to 10 PM on Thursdays and Fridays. It is not open on Sundays.

Best of all, the entrance fee is FREE, and there are plenty of free parking spots in front of the museum, which makes the place much more accessible. If you want to learn more about the history of Saudi Arabia, check out the National Museum.

7. Drop by Murabba Historical Palace

Located within the same area as the National Museum, you will find Murabba Historical Palace, a beautifully renovated former palace, home to a museum with a great collection of artifacts, traditional attire, and decorative art that you can see.

The palace is painted all white with beautiful decorations that you can come to expect from this region. There is also a beautiful courtyard with a tall palm tree in the middle, a pretty common feature in palaces in this part of the world.

Along the side of the courtyard, you will find several small rooms, each with its own theme and exhibition. They are all definitely worth walking around to explore.

The palace is connected to the National Museum via a beautiful park, so there is no need to find another parking spot to visit the palace. It is open from 9 AM to 8 PM from Saturday to Wednesday, and from 2 PM to 10 PM on Thursdays and Fridays, just like the National Museum, and there is no entrance fee.

8. Admire the Beauty of Al Faisaliah Tower

If Burj Khalifa is the crowned jewel of Dubai, Al Faisaliah Tower is definitely the crowned jewel of Riyadh. This iconic tower used to be the tallest building in the country in the early 2000s; now it is the seventh tallest building in the country.

Despite losing its crown, the iconic pyramid shape that wraps around a golden sphere at the top is still one of the most unique landmarks you can see here. Inside the tower, you will find a shopping mall, a 5-star hotel, and an observation deck with a 360° view of the city.

It is an incredible sight to see, and if you are looking for a place where you can get a stunning view of the tower itself, I highly recommend you drop by this Starbucks, located right in front of the tower.

The place has a clear view of the tower, is easily accessible from the highway, and has a free parking lot; the perfect place to take a break from driving in the city. Trust me, you are going to need it after you’ve been driving in Saudi Arabia for some time.

Planning to drive in Saudi Arabia? Check this out first:Renting a Car in Saudi Arabia: 19 Things to Know

9. Check Out Boulevard City

If you are looking for another cool place to hang out at night in Riyadh, Boulevard City is the place to be. It is like Times Square in New York, with shops, restaurants, and cafes lining both sides, while bright advertising screens hover over you, albeit on a smaller scale.

The place is extremely crowded at night, since it’s open from 4 PM all the way to 3 AM. I was there at 10 PM and couldn’t find a parking spot, not to mention we were stuck in traffic for hours before we got inside the parking area!

It definitely looks like a fun place to hang out at night, but we waited for hours with no luck, so we decided to abandon the trip. We only got to see it from the parking lot and it looks epic. I suspect that if you are there at 4 PM, right when it is open, you should be able to find a parking spot.

We just didn’t have time to revisit the place on our trip here, so if you are lucky enough to find a parking spot, let us know how it goes. Boulevard City is open from 4 PM to 3 AM every day and there is no entrance fee. You can park for free at this parking lot.

10. Go Up Kingdom Center Sky Bridge at Sunset

Last but not least, if you are looking for a great viewpoint to see Riyadh from above, Kingdom Center Sky Bridge is a great place to be. From the Sky Bridge, you will be able to truly see the scale of Riyadh as the city stretches as far as the eye can see.

The viewpoint is located on the 77th floor, so you will be able to see all the hyper-modern skyscrapers in Riyadh, including the iconic Al Faisaliah Tower. It is one of the places I really wish I had time to see, but the opening time just didn’t align well with my visits.

The Sky Bridge is open from 12 PM to 10:30 PM every day except Fridays when it is open from 4 PM to 10:30 PM. The ticket is 69 SAR per person, and you can buy it once you are there. Be sure to get there right before sunset and stay until nightfall for a spectacular view of the city at night.

What to Pack for Riyadh?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:

Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.

Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.

Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi’s jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.

Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It’s lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.

Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker’s towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.

Swim Suits: A swim trunk is a must-pack item if you are planning to visit Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in the summer, just in case there is a body of water you can jump in.

Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.

Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.

Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It’s a total game-changer.

Universal Adapter: You’ll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.

Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.

Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It’s large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it’s stylish as hell!

Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can’t go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.

Further Reading for Saudi Arabia

Looking for more information for your trip to Saudi Arabia? Here is a collection of articles about Saudi Arabia that you might find useful:

Planning a trip to Saudi Arabia? Here’s a perfect itinerary for you: 2 Weeks Saudi Arabia Itinerary.
Want to visit Saudi Arabia, but not sure where to go? Check out: 15 Best Places to Visit in Saudi Arabia.
AlUla is, hands down, one of the most beautiful places in Saudi Arabia and if you plan to visit there, you are going to need this guide: 10 Best Things to Do in AlUla, Saudi Arabia.
Jeddah is the Dubai of Saudi Arabia with the same laid-back vibe, but way cooler history. Here are the9 Best Things to Do in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Want to rent a car and travel around Saudi Arabia? You might want to read this first: 19 Things To Know Before Renting a Car and Drive in Saudi Arabia.
Looking to explore more? How about dropping by the United Arab Emirates Travel Guide, Qatar, or Bahrain?
Looking for more travel guides for the Middle East? You can find more on my Middle East Travel Guide page.
For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.