Saudi Arabia tour

Planet

On this tour we visit several towns and places that are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites as well as protected reserves and areas such as the old walled city of Al Dir’iyah, Jubbah with its impressive ancient rock carvings, and Mada’in Saleh, the second city of the Nabateans after Petra in Jordan. All our visits to these places help to support local projects to conserve the area's cultural and geographical heritage.

Our guides will brief travelers on appropriate behaviour, both cultural and environmental, and when visiting areas of natural beauty such as the stunning Wadi Disah valley, we will make a point of ensuring that we leave no permanent traces of our stay behind, taking all rubbish with us to protect these valuable tourist attractions. These are some of the most beautiful areas in the whole of Saudi Arabia and we ensure that our impact is minimal when spending time in these environments. Saudi Arabia opened its doors to tourism in late 2019 and now welcomes intrepid visitors to its vast land, so it is our duty to make sure our impact is minimal. We believe it is incredibly important that at this early stage of tourism development we work with local service providers to set and implement best practice when it comes to environmental matters, so that this becomes the norm as tourist numbers increase. This includes basic things like not replacing towels each day, as well as saving electricity and turning lights off – small things but Saudi Arabia is not as used to tourism as countries in western Europe.

Where appropriate and feasible we will always incorporate walking tours of cities rather than being reliant on private transportation - not only reducing our carbon footprint but we believe leading to a more enjoyable and intimate experience for our clients. We work closely with our local suppliers to highlight best practice in terms of environmental issues.

We do not use big international hotels which drain economic and natural resources. The money that is spent on entrance fees directly contributes to the ongoing maintenance of the remote villages and sites we visit.

We only employ local staff and unlike many operators we believe that to send a foreign Tour Leader along to accompany your trip is an unnecessary burden on your wallet and our carbon footprint. We believe that locals know best. Our local operators only use locally owned accommodation. This means your money stays in the area to benefit the local community. When possible we use local transport, (i.e. rail or bus) and we always use local restaurants, markets and shops. In doing this your travels are supporting and encouraging the development of local services.

We only work with operators who are as committed as we are to putting something back into the communities we visit, such as the ones along the Hejaz Railway. Furthermore, in order to allow our clients to make an informed decision on where a greater proportion of their money should be spent, we avoid including pre-paid full board meals where possible. Local restaurants and cafes then benefit.

Our groups average only six clients, and maximum up to 12 people. This has much less impact when traveling through rural areas, reducing our environmental and social affects. Finally, to emphasis our commitment to Responsible Tourism all clients will receive a copy of our Travelers Code of Conduct with their travel documents.

People

Saudi Arabia is a deeply traditional and religious country with certain codes of behaviour, and the people here are not always that accustomed to outsiders. We ensure that our travelers are appropriately briefed in order so as not to offend local sensibilities.

By keeping our tours involved with the communities we visit, the people who benefit from our tours in Saudi Arabia are the local people; drivers, hoteliers, and restaurateurs, local guides. We only use small scale accommodation on this tour and not large hotel chains. Revenue from entrance fees directly contributes to the ongoing maintenance and protecting the local heritage.

We only employ local staff and unlike many operators we believe that to send a foreign Tour Leader along to accompany your trip is an unnecessary burden on cost and the overall footprint of the tour. We believe that locals know best. Our local operators only use locally owned accommodation. This means your money stays in the area to benefit the local community.

In order to allow our clients to make an informed decision on where a greater proportion of their money should be spent, we avoid including pre-paid full board meals where possible. Local restaurants and cafes then benefit.