Perfectly located only a quick flight from the UAE, AlUla is the oasis where ancient monuments meet contemporary culture and luxurious hospitality. In December, the destination transforms into a serene winter haven, offering crisp sunny days and cool, starlit nights that make each visit even more spectacular.
It is home to natural landscapes, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and some of the region’s most exciting luxury escapes. With cool, sunny days and crisp evenings under star-filled skies, early December offers ideal weather for discovering this jewel of north-west Arabia.
Here are the top experiences that make for an unforgettable UAE National Day long weekend, the perfect escape from the city.
Pick from an array of luxury hotels
Visitors can pick from a curated selection of luxury properties, such as the serene, tented villas of Banyan Tree AlUla – a One Michelin Key resort – or the sustainably chic Our Habitas AlUla. Dar Tantora The House Hotel tells a different story, an eco-lodge fashioned from restored mud-brick houses. The Chedi Hegra, the first hotel to be located within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers a connection to heritage, while Cloud7 Residences is perfect for longer stays, offering high quality and comfort.
Find peace amid nature
Time slows down amid AlUla’s landscapes – vast oases fringed by dramatic rock formations and horizons. Travellers can explore the AlUla Oasis or the living farms of Daimumah – perfect for nature walks. For the more adventurous, guided tours through Sharaan National Park are available, exploring protected valleys, petroglyphs and wildlife that reveal the heart of this ancient land.
When night falls, the AlUla sky becomes its own spectacle. It has two of the GCC’s only official Dark Sky Parks— AlUla’s Manara and Gharameel, which can be experienced in all its glory through dedicated stargazing experiences, complete with dinner under the stars.
Explore ancient heritage
AlUla’s history spans more than 200,000 years, with 7,000 years of continuous civilisation. Visitors can discover the tombs of Hegra, where the Nabataeans carved monumental facades into sandstone cliffs. They can step further back in time at Dadan, capital of the Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms, and at Jabal Ikmah, an open-air library of hundreds of inscriptions and petroglyphs in multiple ancient languages.
During the Ancient Kingdoms Festival, these sites are brought to life with immersive performances, interactive trails and storytelling, allowing visitors to experience the wonders of AlUla’s past in a way that bridges history and the present.
Indulge in world-class cuisine
Gourmet diners can experience best-in-class gastronomy at the limited-edition Ducasse in AlUla pop-up, a collaboration with world-renowned French-born chef Alain Ducasse; the Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded Joontos, or Michelin Guide-recognised Harrat and Tama. Visitors can also discover charming homegrown coffee shops and eateries such as Somewhere, where Arabian flavours are given a modern, creative twist. For a truly unforgettable setting, guests can reserve a table at Maraya Social, Chef Jason Atherton’s signature restaurant inside the world’s largest mirrored building, where the vast landscape is reflected in breathtaking, ever-changing panoramas.
How to get there
The UAE is directly connected to AlUla through four weekly flights from Dubai on flydubai, and the UAE National Day long weekend is an exceptional time to visit. UAE nationals can travel visa-free, while GCC residents can obtain easy e-visas online. Private transfers and expert guides ensure exploration is seamless from start to finish, allowing every moment to be spent living the charm of this ancient land.
