Historical Riyadh Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour
Overview
Explore Riyadh’s historical district, and learn about the city’s origins as the capital of Saudi Arabia with this immersive tour!
Listen to an expert historian and get an in-depth insight into Riyadh’s famous souks, magnificent mosques, cultural sights and begin to understand how this town, in the middle of a massive red-sand desert, has become one of the most developed cities in the world! Walk around the iconic key attractions such as the Al Masmak Fortress, Al Safat Square, The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque, Souq AlZzal Market, and Ath Thumayry Street as we track the history of this fascinating city and how it’s changed over the past 300 years.
Experience a historical adventure in this must-see picturesque city, and travel through time to learn everything about the historic buildings, mysteries and secret stories that made Riyadh the modern city that is today.
Note: This is a self-guided audio walking tour and does not include entrance tickets
Listen to an expert historian and get an in-depth insight into Riyadh’s famous souks, magnificent mosques, cultural sights and begin to understand how this town, in the middle of a massive red-sand desert, has become one of the most developed cities in the world! Walk around the iconic key attractions such as the Al Masmak Fortress, Al Safat Square, The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque, Souq AlZzal Market, and Ath Thumayry Street as we track the history of this fascinating city and how it’s changed over the past 300 years.
Experience a historical adventure in this must-see picturesque city, and travel through time to learn everything about the historic buildings, mysteries and secret stories that made Riyadh the modern city that is today.
Note: This is a self-guided audio walking tour and does not include entrance tickets
Inclusions
- Access to your self-guided audio tour
- Audio tour provided by a local or historian
- Offline Mode: Download tours in advance to listen without WiFi
- Location Aware: GPS map allows you to enjoy sites, without getting lost
- Instagram Hotspots: We find the spot for your perfect picture
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Al Masmak Fortress, 3153 Al Thumairi St, Riyadh 12652 Saudi Arabia
Begin the tour outside Al Masmak Fortress, a building is foundational to the history of modern Saudi Arabia. Follow the story of the Royal Saudi Family and King Abdulaziz's recapture of this Fortress back in 1902. Come back here later if you want and we can follow King Abdulaziz’s footsteps through Al Masmak.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Al Safarat, Riyadh Saudi Arabia
Head into Al Safat, a square established during Imam Turki bin Abdullah’s reign. It was redesigned during the first master plan for the new city of Riyadh. Despite this area being the oldest part of Riyadh, it actually underwent a lot of change! As the city plan went on, a lot of neighbourhoods opened up massively and ditched the traditional narrow streets and densely packed houses.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Qayasriat Al Kitab Riyadh, JPJ6+CR4, Ad Dirah, Riyadh 12634, Saudi Arabia
Wander into Qayasriat Al Kitab, a beautiful bookshop surrounded by palm trees and little fountains. This place brings together intellectuals, readers, and writers in one place in the heart of Riyadh by the Palace of Governance. Learn about Riyadh’s other cultural sights, from the King ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Historical Centre and the National Museum to Al-Murabaa Palace and the famous Al-Jinādiriyyah national cultural festival.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque, Al Imam Turki Ibn Abdullah Ibn Muhammad, Riyadh Saudi Arabia
Visit the Great Mosque, also known as the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque. This mosque was established during the reign of Imam Turki bin Abdullah in the 19th century and is one of the most important mosques in the city of Riyadh. Citizens could come here to meet and speak to their ruler.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Riyadh, Riyadh, Riyadh Province
Weave through Souq Al Zal, a truly authentic market here in the heart of Riyadh. The souq is over 100 years old and is still a go to destination for Saudis to buy and barter for carpets, perfumes, traditional clothes, and food. Learn about the history of Arabian markets, from the first souqs that appeared 2500 years ago to Saudi Arabia’s modern trade.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Al Thumairi Street, Al Thumairi St, Ad Dirah, Riyadh 12634, Saudi Arabia
Stroll down Al-Ath Thumayry Street, a favourite spot for handicrafts and local gifts. This is considered to be one of Riyadh’s most famous streets and it sums up Riyadh perfectly with authentic produce. Keep an eye out for the clock tower at the end of this road that was built in 1966, making it one of the city’s first public clocks!
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Riyadh, Riyadh, Riyadh Province
Finish the tour at Ath Thumayry Gate, a reconstruction of an old city gate. It’s part of the Qasr Al Hokm project, which reconstructs old parts of the heart of the city, and is made from the original materials that made up the old wall. Walk around it and you feel you are living in history.
Duration: 10 minutes
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Al Masmak Fortress, 3153 Al Thumairi St, Riyadh 12652 Saudi Arabia
Begin the tour outside Al Masmak Fortress, a building is foundational to the history of modern Saudi Arabia. Follow the story of the Royal Saudi Family and King Abdulaziz's recapture of this Fortress back in 1902. Come back here later if you want and we can follow King Abdulaziz’s footsteps through Al Masmak.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Al Safarat, Riyadh Saudi Arabia
Head into Al Safat, a square established during Imam Turki bin Abdullah’s reign. It was redesigned during the first master plan for the new city of Riyadh. Despite this area being the oldest part of Riyadh, it actually underwent a lot of change! As the city plan went on, a lot of neighbourhoods opened up massively and ditched the traditional narrow streets and densely packed houses.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Qayasriat Al Kitab Riyadh, JPJ6+CR4, Ad Dirah, Riyadh 12634, Saudi Arabia
Wander into Qayasriat Al Kitab, a beautiful bookshop surrounded by palm trees and little fountains. This place brings together intellectuals, readers, and writers in one place in the heart of Riyadh by the Palace of Governance. Learn about Riyadh’s other cultural sights, from the King ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Historical Centre and the National Museum to Al-Murabaa Palace and the famous Al-Jinādiriyyah national cultural festival.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque, Al Imam Turki Ibn Abdullah Ibn Muhammad, Riyadh Saudi Arabia
Visit the Great Mosque, also known as the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque. This mosque was established during the reign of Imam Turki bin Abdullah in the 19th century and is one of the most important mosques in the city of Riyadh. Citizens could come here to meet and speak to their ruler.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Riyadh, Riyadh, Riyadh Province
Weave through Souq Al Zal, a truly authentic market here in the heart of Riyadh. The souq is over 100 years old and is still a go to destination for Saudis to buy and barter for carpets, perfumes, traditional clothes, and food. Learn about the history of Arabian markets, from the first souqs that appeared 2500 years ago to Saudi Arabia’s modern trade.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Al Thumairi Street, Al Thumairi St, Ad Dirah, Riyadh 12634, Saudi Arabia
Stroll down Al-Ath Thumayry Street, a favourite spot for handicrafts and local gifts. This is considered to be one of Riyadh’s most famous streets and it sums up Riyadh perfectly with authentic produce. Keep an eye out for the clock tower at the end of this road that was built in 1966, making it one of the city’s first public clocks!
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Riyadh, Riyadh, Riyadh Province
Finish the tour at Ath Thumayry Gate, a reconstruction of an old city gate. It’s part of the Qasr Al Hokm project, which reconstructs old parts of the heart of the city, and is made from the original materials that made up the old wall. Walk around it and you feel you are living in history.
Duration: 10 minutes
Additional information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- This is a covid safe tour. Avoid the crowds while exploring Riyadh in a socially distanced manner
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
adrianalN9676WO
January 2022
Really enjoyed this tour and will definitely be purchasing new ones soon! It was super insightful, and what I liked the most was the great chemistry between the narrators. Not like those typical boring audio guides you get at museums, as it was like a fun and engaging conversation between frien...
Really enjoyed this tour and will definitely be purchasing new ones soon! It was super insightful, and what I liked the most was the great chemistry between the narrators. Not like those typical boring audio guides you get at museums, as it was like a fun and engaging conversation between friends. It really felt like I was being guided by locals who knew all the insights of Riyadh. All in all really loved the experience :)Manuela_C
November 2022
It was my 2nd time in Riyadh and gave me a brilliant overview of the little old centre. I recommend not to do the tour before late afternoon as life does not start earlier. It was very easy to get around with that tour.
It was my 2nd time in Riyadh and gave me a brilliant overview of the little old centre. I recommend not to do the tour before late afternoon as life does not start earlier. It was very easy to get around with that tour.Bradley_S
February 2022
Fantastic experience. Riyadh is so rich in history and to have this self guided tour really helped enhance my experience and overall trip. Easy to use, would recommend to anyone.
Fantastic experience. Riyadh is so rich in history and to have this self guided tour really helped enhance my experience and overall trip. Easy to use, would recommend to anyone.Nicholas_S
February 2022
This was my first trip to Riyadh and I had no idea what to do or see there. This was a great way to get see the main sites and learn about the history of Riyadh. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
This was my first trip to Riyadh and I had no idea what to do or see there. This was a great way to get see the main sites and learn about the history of Riyadh. Thoroughly enjoyed it!Abdullah_H
February 2022
Really enjoyable way to explore Riyadh. I've been to Riyadh a few times and always want to see and learn about new parts of the city. This was a really good way to do this!
Really enjoyable way to explore Riyadh. I've been to Riyadh a few times and always want to see and learn about new parts of the city. This was a really good way to do this!