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Masmak Fortress in old Riyadh

Saudi Arabia

Riyadh

A capital that lives its season: the Boulevard and its events, with historic Diriyah minutes away.

  • Typical stay: 3–4 days

Why ⁨Riyadh⁩?

  1. Diriyah

    At-Turaif and Bujairi Terrace in historic Diriyah.

  2. Riyadh Season

    Riyadh Season's events from October to March, at the Boulevard and beyond.

  3. Old Riyadh

    A walk from Masmak Fort through the date and coffee market beside it.

Before you go

  • Currency

    Saudi Riyal

  • Language

    Arabic

  • Time difference

    GMT+3

  • Getting around

    Metro

  • Driving

    On the right

  • Airports

    RUH

Where to stay in ⁨Riyadh⁩

Areas to base yourself in, and who each one suits.

Best time to visit ⁨Riyadh⁩

November to March

  • January

    Average high: 21°C

    Average low 9°C

    Coldest month

    3 days of rain

    Best time to go

  • February

    Average high: 24°C

    Average low 11°C

    2 days of rain

    Best time to go

  • March

    Average high: 29°C

    Average low 15°C

    2 days of rain

    Best time to go

  • April

    Average high: 33°C

    Average low 20°C

    4 days of rain

    Wettest month

    Good time to go

  • May

    Average high: 39°C

    Average low 25°C

    0 days of rain

  • June

    Average high: 43°C

    Average low 29°C

    0 days of rain

  • July

    Average high: 44°C

    Average low 30°C

    Warmest month

    0 days of rain

  • August

    Average high: 43°C

    Average low 30°C

    0 days of rain

  • September

    Average high: 40°C

    Average low 26°C

    0 days of rain

  • October

    Average high: 35°C

    Average low 22°C

    0 days of rain

    Good time to go

  • November

    Average high: 28°C

    Average low 17°C

    2 days of rain

    Best time to go

  • December

    Average high: 23°C

    Average low 11°C

    2 days of rain

    Best time to go

Places in ⁨Riyadh⁩

Compare flight tickets to ⁨Riyadh⁩

Trip plans for ⁨Riyadh⁩

Local tips

  • Insider tips

    1. Take the metro to the airport, rare in the region, and remove the journey most likely to go wrong.

    2. Go to Diriyah late in the day: the mud brick takes the low sun, and the heat drops with it.

    3. Boulevard World and Boulevard City run during Riyadh Season, October to March; dates change each season.

  • Money

    1. Cards work almost everywhere, including small shops and taxis. Cash is rarely needed.

  • Customs and safety

    1. Modest dress in public, shoulders and knees covered for everyone; the city is less formal about it than it was.

    2. From May to September avoid the outdoors at midday; follow the city's rhythm, which opens late and stays open late.

  • Food and prayer

    1. All food sold in the country is halal. Pork and alcohol are not sold at all, hotels included.

    2. Mosques are everywhere; prayer rooms are in malls, metro stations and the airport. Shops close briefly at each prayer.

Getting around ⁨Riyadh⁩

  • Metro

    A driverless network across the city, and one of its lines reaches the airport.

    Recommended

  • Bus

    A bus network built to feed the metro rather than to compete with it, on the same card.

  • Ride-hailing

    Ride-hailing is how most people cover what the metro does not, and the fare is settled in the app.

  • Walking

    Within a district, yes: the Diplomatic Quarter and the old centre are both laid out for it. Between districts, no.

Darb card

Transit card

One rechargeable card pays for the metro and the buses, bought and topped up at the stations.

From the airport

  • RUH

    King Khalid International Airport

    Metro, Taxi, and Ride-hailing

Things to do in ⁨Riyadh⁩

Tours, tickets and experiences.

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eSIM plans in ⁨Saudi Arabia⁩

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Continue your ⁨Saudi Arabia⁩ trip

About ⁨Riyadh⁩

Riyadh is inland, six hundred metres up on the Najd plateau, and nothing about it is coastal or green by accident. It grew from the old walled town around the Masmak fort along one spine of towers, and it is still growing that way.

The two halves of a visit are a few kilometres apart. The old centre and the fort are one morning; Diriyah and At-Turaif on the western edge are another, and they are the older story of the two.

For much of the year this is an indoor city by necessity, and it is built like one: covered walkways, large malls, and museums that are as much a refuge as a destination.

Photo credits

Photographs on this page, with their licences.

Data sources