💰 This page covers the street-level details of spending money in AlUla: Hegra tour tickets, flights in, getting around, Elephant Rock and Maraya, where to stay and eat, card acceptance and which machines to use. For Saudi Arabia-wide ATM tips, DCC warnings, tipping norms, and exchange rate advice:
Read the Saudi Arabia Money Guide →🎧 Order Riyals Before You Fly
AlUla runs on cards. If you want riyals in hand on landing, order ahead. Insured delivery, 2–5 days.
Order SAR → CEI Currency ExchangeDo You Need Cash in AlUla?
Very little. AlUla, a desert valley in the north-west of Saudi Arabia, opened to tourists only in 2019 and was built for card payment from the start. Tours are booked online, hotels and restaurants take Visa and Mastercard, and phone payments work almost everywhere. American Express is the exception: it is not widely accepted. Carry SAR 100 to 200 for tips and the odd stall in the Old Town. The Saudi Arabia money guide covers the riyal and the rest of the kingdom.
Hegra: Book the Official Tour
A booked visit only. Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a city of more than 100 monumental Nabataean tombs carved into sandstone outcrops, built by the same people as Petra. You cannot drive in on your own: every visitor arrives on a tour.
Prices. The standard Hegra day tour on an air-conditioned coach starts from SAR 95 per person, departing from the Winter Park hub. Premium private 4x4 tours cost about SAR 1,000 per vehicle for up to seven people. Refunds are offered up to three days before and date changes up to a day before, under the official terms.
The reseller trap. Search for Hegra tickets and you will find tour agents and look-alike sites charging two to three times the official price, some issuing a voucher you must exchange rather than the QR ticket. Book on the Experience AlUla site or app, which is the official seller, and pay by card in riyals.
Getting There and Getting Around
Flights. AlUla International Airport (ULH) has flights from Riyadh and Jeddah on Saudia and flynas, about 70 to 90 minutes, and seasonal routes from Dubai and Doha. One-way fares from Riyadh start around SAR 390. Book early for the winter season, when seats run short.
No buses. AlUla has no regular public transport. Most visitors hire a car at the airport, paid by card with a credit card deposit; the roads are good and empty. Hotels arrange taxis and transfers, charged to your room. Without a car, you can still see Hegra, but the other sites are hard to reach.
The season. October to March is the season: pleasant days, cold nights, and the festivals. In summer the heat passes 40°C, many experiences close, and hotel prices fall.
Elephant Rock, Maraya and the Old Town
Elephant Rock. The 50-metre sandstone formation shaped like an elephant is free to visit and open at all hours. Cafes and a lounge at its foot sell drinks for roughly SAR 20 to 40, and it is busiest at sunset and after dark.
Maraya. The mirror-clad concert hall in the Ashar valley, the largest mirrored building in the world, is free to see and photograph from outside. Inside, tickets for concerts and events have cost several hundred riyals, booked online.
AlUla Old Town. The abandoned mud-brick town below the fort has been restored with a walkway of cafes, shops and craft stalls. Entry is free; stalls take cards, though small sellers appreciate cash.
Where to Stay and Eat: Budget Accordingly
Desert resorts. AlUla's best-known hotels are luxury desert resorts and tented camps, priced from well over a thousand riyals a night in season and several times that at the top. Bills add 15 percent VAT and municipality fees. Mid-range hotels and guesthouses in AlUla town cost far less, and fill fast in winter.
Eating. Restaurants at the resorts and in Old Town price like a capital city. Local restaurants in AlUla town serve kabsa and grills for a fraction of that, and take cards.
ATMs in AlUla
Look for these logos. The main Saudi banks have machines in AlUla town and at the airport.
Al Rajhi Bank
SNB
Riyad BankATM Locations
Al Rajhi Bank and Saudi National Bank machines are on the main street of AlUla town and at the airport. There are none at the remote sites. Saudi Arabia has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA debit card pays the $5 non-network fee and 3% international transaction fee. Choose riyals if a machine offers to convert.
Tipping in AlUla
Not required. Tip Hegra guides and drivers SAR 20 to 50 for a good tour, round up in restaurants without a service charge, and give hotel porters SAR 5 to 10.
Prices in AlUla
AlUla is expensive to sleep in and cheap to explore.
| Item | Price (SAR) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Hegra day tour by coach | from SAR 95 | from $25 |
| Hegra private 4x4, per vehicle | about SAR 1,000 | about $267 |
| Elephant Rock entry | Free | Free |
| Coffee at Elephant Rock | SAR 20–40 | $5–11 |
| Flight Riyadh to AlUla, one way | from about SAR 390 | from about $104 |
| Hire car, per day | SAR 150–300 | $40–80 |
| Kabsa at a local restaurant | SAR 30–60 | $8–16 |
| Dinner for two at a resort | SAR 600+ | $160+ |
USD estimates use the fixed rate of SAR 3.75 = $1.
AlUla Quick Reference
| Destination | Cards? | Cash Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hegra tours | ✅ Official site | From SAR 95 | Avoid resellers |
| Flights | ✅ Online | From about SAR 390 | Riyadh, Jeddah, seasonal Dubai |
| Getting around | ✅ Hire car | No public transport | Credit card deposit |
| Elephant Rock | Free | Cafe drinks SAR 20–40 | Best at sunset |
| Hotels and resorts | ✅ Cards | High in season | 15% VAT added |
| Amex | ❌ Patchy | Bring Visa or Mastercard | Official advice |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a Hegra tour?
The official Hegra day tour by air-conditioned coach starts from SAR 95 per person, booked on the Experience AlUla website or app. Premium private 4x4 tours cost about SAR 1,000 per vehicle for up to seven people. Independent entry is not allowed; every visit is a booked tour.
Are Hegra tickets sold by resellers safe?
Not always. Resellers and look-alike sites have been charging two to three times the official price and issuing vouchers instead of the official QR ticket. Book on the official Experience AlUla site or app, which issues the QR code you show at the Winter Park departure point.
How do I get to AlUla?
By air to AlUla International Airport (ULH), with flights from Riyadh and Jeddah on Saudia and flynas, and seasonal flights from Dubai and Doha. One-way fares from Riyadh start around SAR 390. The drive from Medina takes about four hours.
Do I need a car in AlUla?
Mostly yes. There is no regular public transport. Hegra tours start from Winter Park, and hotels run some shuttles, but to reach Elephant Rock, the Old Town and the viewpoints you need a hire car, a taxi booked through your hotel, or a tour. Hire cars are paid by card with a credit card deposit.
Do I need cash in AlUla?
Very little. The official site says most businesses take international Visa and Mastercard, and phone payments are common. American Express is not widely accepted. Carry SAR 100 to 200 for tips and small stalls in the Old Town.
Are there ATMs in AlUla?
Yes, in AlUla town and at the airport, run by the main Saudi banks such as Al Rajhi and Saudi National Bank. Saudi Arabia has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner.
Pay Smart in AlUla
The Wise card works with Apple Pay and Google Pay, converts at the real mid-market rate, and pays Hegra tours, hire cars and resort bills without a foreign transaction fee.
Get the Wise Card →Hero photo: a Nabataean tomb at Hegra, AlUla, by Following Hadrian, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.