Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia only began issuing tourist visas in 2019, and it still feels early. AlUla's desert and the Nabataean tombs of Hegra rival Petra without the crowds. Add Red Sea diving, a fast-changing Riyadh, and the coral lanes of old Jeddah. Come for what most travelers haven't seen yet, and dress and behave for a conservative country.

Most trips run Jeddah–AlUla–Riyadh, stitched together with short domestic flights. AlUla is the anchor: two or three days for Hegra's tombs, Elephant Rock at sunset, and the mud-brick lanes of the old town. In Jeddah you wander Al-Balad's coral houses; in Riyadh it's Diriyah and a restaurant scene changing by the month. This is not a budget trip — AlUla hotels in particular price like a luxury destination — but tours and tickets are well organised.

Be clear about what this isn't. There is no alcohol and no nightlife in the conventional sense, distances between sights are enormous, and summer heat makes half the year unworkable. The tourism machine is new and occasionally half-finished. Travellers uncomfortable with conservative social codes, or with the politics, should think hard before booking. The trade-off: you walk through Hegra nearly alone — something that hasn't been possible at Petra in decades.