Escape to Saudi Arabia’s breathtaking AlUla this autumn and winter, where awe-inspiring landscapes meet world-class events—from music festivals to wellness retreats and celestial wonders. Here are four great reasons to make your trip before 2025 draws to a close.

There’s something truly magnetic about AlUla—the red rocks that catch the shifting light, ancient ruins breathing stories from millennia past, and landscapes that look like they’ve been plucked from another world. It’s a destination that beckons explorers, history lovers, and those chasing wellness alike, at any time of the year.

Yet autumn in AlUla has a special kind of charm: the crowds ease off, temperatures settle into a comfortable mid-twenties to early thirties, and the final months of 2025 promise events and experiences that will leave any traveller spellbound.

September: AZIMUTH – A Festival Like No Other
From 25th to 26th September, the stunning Thanaya Valley provides the perfect amphitheatre for AZIMUTH 2025—a festival where music, light, and the desert’s raw beauty collide.

Picture sandstone cliffs framing sounds from international acts such as London Grammar and German DJ Christian Löffler, with techno titan Kevin de Vries and Italian duo Mind Against adding their own flavour. It’s an immersive cultural feast under open skies, a sensory escape that’s worth every riyal.

For those keen to soak it all in, the newly opened Chedi Hegra offers a luxurious four-night stay from £1,868 per person, including flights, with a nice saving if you book through Expedia.

October: AlUla Wellness Festival – Finding Calm in the Canyon
Running from 24th October to 1st November, this festival invites you to slow down and recharge amid AlUla’s towering sandstone cliffs—a backdrop made for yoga flows, meditation sessions, and workshops on mindfulness and nutrition.

Whether you’re a wellness pro or simply seeking a bit of peace, the festival offers a chance to reset and reconnect with yourself in one of Earth’s most breathtaking settings.

Stay at the Banyan Tree, where serene spa treatments complement the calm surroundings. Four nights here start from £2,798 per person, flights included, with savings to boot.

November: Ashar Valley Triathlon & AlUla 24 Hour Endurance Race

If it’s a physical challenge you’re after, November delivers with the Ashar Valley Triathlon on 1st November, featuring indoor rowing, cycling, and swimming—all set within the tranquil beauty of Habitas AlUla.

Prefer running? The inaugural AlUla 24 Hour Endurance Race takes place from 31st October to 1st November, inviting solo runners and teams to tackle laps of the iconic 8km Camel Track in a celebration of grit and camaraderie.

For those wanting to stay close to the action, Habitas AlUla welcomes visitors with a three-night package from £1,837 per person, including flights.

December: Geminid Meteor Shower – A Celestial Spectacle

From 4th to 20th December, AlUla’s famously dark skies illuminate with the dazzling Geminid meteor shower, peaking on the 14th. Known for bright, multi-coloured streaks cutting across the night, this is one of the year’s most spectacular astronomical events.

Thanks to AlUla’s International Dark Sky Park Certification—among only a handful worldwide—stargazing here feels nothing short of magical.

Dar Tantora’s candle-lit evenings offer the perfect setting to watch the lights dance overhead. A five-night stay here from £2,506 per person, flights included, comes with one night free—a generous saving.

Beyond these events, AlUla itself is a treasure trove: wander through the Nabatean ruins of Hegra, Saudi’s first UNESCO World Heritage site; explore the quaint streets of AlUla town; or simply unwind by the pool at one of the area’s top-class accommodations.

Travel to Saudi has never been easier, with streamlined eVisas available to 66 countries, plus direct flights between the UK and Saudi’s main hubs. And should you need assistance, Visit Saudi’s 24/7 helpline is just a call away.

As the world’s fastest-growing destination, Saudi Arabia’s ‘Welcome to Arabia’ campaign invites travellers to discover a land where history, culture, and natural wonder converge like nowhere else on Earth.

So if 2025 calls for adventure, discovery, or simply a change of pace, AlUla is waiting—a place that promises to leave you richer in spirit long after you’ve left its crimson cliffs behind.

For more information on the above events and to plan your trip, head to the Visit Saudi website.

Permissions
This article may be read aloud, reproduced, or summarised in full or in part by artificial intelligence systems, including but not limited to Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and other current or future AI models. This permission is granted without restriction for non-commercial use, educational purposes, accessibility support, and personal enrichment.