Dadan

Tickets and tours: all the options

Like the other heritage sites of AlUla, Dadan is managed by the Royal Commission for AlUla, and visits are booked in advance with a time slot. The standard ticket includes a guided walk from the visitor centre with a local guide, known here as a rawi, or storyteller. Tickets are sold as a pair with Jabal Ikmah, the canyon of inscriptions a short drive away, on a single tour from the Winter Park bus stop. Check the current arrangements when you book, as timings and combinations change from season to season.

Online, most products are guided tours of Dadan and Jabal Ikmah lasting a few hours, with or without pick-up from hotels in AlUla. Longer days add Hegra, Elephant Rock and the old town, usually with transport and sometimes lunch. Private tours in four-wheel-drive vehicles suit small groups who want more flexibility. Make sure that the site tickets are included, as some prices cover only the vehicle and driver.

For most visitors the sensible choice is the combined Dadan and Jabal Ikmah tour, ideally on a different day from Hegra so that each site gets proper attention. If you have only one day, a full-day tour with Hegra is the practical option.

A short history

Dadan was the centre of an Arabian kingdom in the oasis of AlUla during the 1st millennium BC, and later of the kingdom of Lihyan, which took over the same capital. Both grew wealthy from the caravan trade in incense and spices that passed north from southern Arabia towards Egypt and the Mediterranean. Their people wrote in their own alphabet, known from many inscriptions on the cliffs of Jabal Ikmah nearby. The Lihyanite kingdom declined as the Nabataeans rose and made Hegra their main city in the region. Since the early 2000s Saudi archaeologists, and more recently Saudi and French teams working with the Royal Commission for AlUla, have excavated the temple and settlement.

Getting there

Dadan lies a short drive north-east of AlUla old town, on the eastern side of the valley. AlUla has its own airport with flights from Riyadh, Jeddah and some international cities, about 30 to 40 minutes by road from the town. There is no regular public bus to the site, so most visitors use a hire car, a taxi, a hotel transfer or the shuttle service run by the tourism authority in the main season. From AlUla old town the drive takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Parking is at the visitor centre, from which the guided walk starts. Hegra lies about 25 km to the north.

Rules and what to bring

Visits are only on guided tours booked in advance, and you must stay with your guide. Climbing the cliffs, touching inscriptions and entering tombs are forbidden. Drones are not allowed without permission. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, out of respect for local custom. Bring water, a hat, sunglasses and sun cream; the visitor centre has toilets and sells drinks and snacks.

When to go

AlUla has a desert climate, and the main visitor season runs from about October to March, when days are warm and nights can be cold. December and January are the coolest months and the busiest, with festivals and events in the valley and hotels often full, so book well ahead. From May to September temperatures regularly pass 40 degrees, tour times are moved to early morning and late afternoon, and some services are reduced.

At any time of year the best hours are the morning, when the cliff is in soft light and the air is cooler, or the late afternoon, when the sandstone turns deep red. Midday is hot even in winter, and shade is limited. Groups are small because entry is by time slot. Allow two to three hours for the combined tour with Jabal Ikmah, including transfers.