- Ancient heritage destination is the perfect location for celebrations enhanced by exclusivity, understated luxury and a sense of place amid a land of history and culture
AlUla, Saudi Arabia –January 2026: Eternal memories are made in AlUla every day, with its natural bounty, authentic heritage and timeless culture as a backdrop for global travellers. Around Valentine’s Day, this ancient oasis becomes an especially evocative setting for meaningful moments and thoughtfully planned proposals. It’s the perfect destination for celebrations enhanced by exclusivity, understated luxury and a sense of place amid a land of history and culture.
From secluded viewpoints to intimate heritage experiences, AlUla invites couples to slow down and be fully present. Choose the experience that best reflects your story and let AlUla’s beauty frame the beginning of your shared journey.
Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride:
Few experiences feel as dreamlike as floating silently over AlUla at sunrise. As the balloon rises, the landscape is revealed: sandstone outcrops, hidden valleys and the lush oasis below. Wait until the balloon has reached its peak and the sun is just clearing the horizon, and with the vastness of AlUla stretching out beneath you, a simple, heartfelt proposal becomes unforgettable.
Sharaan National Park Platinum Dinner Safari:
Sharaan National Park is AlUla at its most majestic: towering sandstone cliffs and rock faces etched with ancient petroglyphs, and a recent Dark Sky Parks certification. The Platinum Dinner Safari elevates this landscape into an unforgettable, ultra-exclusive evening under some of the darkest skies in the region. Your journey begins with a drive into remote terrain, pausing at golden hour for canapes and refreshments. A UV-lit eco-walk reveals nocturnal wildlife and the secrets of the desert by night, before you arrive at a ‘Braai’ BBQ dinner under the open sky. Let the evening unfold naturally, then choose your moment during the guided stargazing, with constellations shining down on you and your loved one from above.
Secrets of the Scribe – Ikmah After Dark
Jabal Ikmah, recognised by UNESCO as a Memory of the World heritage site, offers one of the most poetic backdrops that could be chosen for this important milestone. By night, the ‘Secrets of the Scribe – Ikmah After Dark’ experience turns this natural marvel into an atmospheric open-air museum of rock inscriptions and soft lighting. The experience is intentionally intimate, with hands-on sculpture workshops and a gentle pace. It’s also the perfect moment to ask a timeless question in a place surrounded by timeless words.
Harrat Viewpoint:
Perched atop ancient black lava flows, Harrat Viewpoint offers one of AlUla’s most breathtaking vistas. From this elevated terrain, the desert opens in every direction, connecting adventurous spirits with the open air, wide sky and the stillness of the desert below. It feels wonderfully private, yet the views are grand enough to match the significance of the moment. For nature-loving couples, a hike to the top right in time for sunset is an epic moment to propose with the valley as your witness.
Hegra After Dark:
Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site becomes truly magical during the award-winning Hegra After Dark experience. Lanterns and incense-scented trails guide guests past monumental Nabataean tombs, while live performances and a theatrical marketplace evoke the days of the Incense Road. One highlight is the horse-drawn carriage ride that is steeped in atmosphere, creating a scene that feels like stepping into another era. Use the quiet of the carriage ride to plan a proposal that feels both dramatic and rooted in history.
From Old Town to Oasis: A Heritage Discovery Experience
This intimate twilight experience begins at Dar Tantora and climbs gradually through AlUla Old Town to the hilltop fort. Along the way, a Rawi (storyteller) shares tales of mudbrick homes and life lived between town and farm, before the path leads into the Summer Farms and lush palm groves. The pinnacle is the Old Town fort, now open exclusively to guided tours. From the top, you’re rewarded with sweeping views over the labyrinth of ancient rooftops, the palm-filled Oasis and the surrounding mountains – the ideal setting to pop the question.
About AlUla:
Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.
The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of over 140 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement.
Current research also suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after the Romans conquered the Nabataeans in 106 CE.
In addition to Hegra, AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Ikmah, an open air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages, which has been recently listed on the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. AlUla Old Town, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12th century, was selected as one of the World’s Best Tourism Villages in 2022 by the UNWTO.
