Riyadh - Travel Guide: Things to see and do

Riyadh is not necessarily the first city that comes to mind when you want to visit Saudi Arabia. It is the capital and the main financial center of the country, located on a desert plateau in the center of the country.

Little dedicated to tourism until now, the city is transforming itself (like the country). Many development projects are present throughout the city by 2030.

Indeed, many projects have been set in motion in the city of Riyadh by King Salman Bin Abdulaziz :

Green Riyadh: the objective is to green Riyadh with more than 7.5 million trees and the creation of many green spaces
King Salman Park: a new 16 km2 park
Diriyah Gate: located in the heart of At-Turaif (listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the aim is to offer a cultural place focused on the heritage of the Arab world
Riyadh Art: an initiative to accelerate the development of culture and the art world in general in the capital
Riyadh Sports Boulevard: the goal is to provide residents with more than 100 kilometers of bicycle and pedestrian paths throughout the city

You might as well say that at the moment, the construction sites are well present throughout the city.

In this article, you will find some of my recommended visits at the moment if you are in Riyadh.

Riyadh – Downtown

In the heart of the city of Riyadh, you can discover several districts and historical monuments including:

The National Museum
The Great Mosque Al Rajhi
King Abdullah Park
The Kingdom Centre tower and its Sky Bridge (see below)

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You can also visit Masmak Palace and Deera Square (also known as Al-Safaa… or « Chop Chop Square »). It was here that executions by beheading took place.

The death penalty is still in force in Saudi Arabia, but executions are now carried out in other places.

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Riyadh – Skybridge

The Sky Bridge is located at the top of the Kingdom Centre tower.

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This 65-meter long footbridge joins the two sides of the tower at a height of more than 300 meters.

From up there, you’ll get an excellent 360-degree view of the city of Riyadh and the developments taking place.

The cost is 69 SAR for adults (about 25 CAD) and 23 SAR for children under 10 (free for children under 2).

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Riyadh – Season

Riyadh Season is an event that lasts several months during the winter (usually from November – March depending on the year). Numerous activities are planned throughout the city, mainly in the evening (from 3 to 4 pm) such as

Winter Wonderland : an amusement park for children and adults
MDL Beast Soundstorm: a world-class music festival
BLVD World (see below)

MDL Beast Soundstorm 2022: a world-class music festival - Soudstorm 36

Riyadh – BLVD World

BLVD World (read Boulevard World) is part of the Riyadh Season festivities. It is a gigantic pedestrian zone especially designed for families.

Review : JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh | Marriott Bonvoy - BLVD World-21

In all, there are about ten zones presenting the culture and food of different countries including :

France
China
Japan
United States
India
Mexico
Morocco
Spain
Italy
Greece

As well as areas for children (or adults) such as:

Super Heroes
Combat Village
Medieval

Review : JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh | Marriott Bonvoy - BLVD World-01

Count on at least 4 hours to make the tour. The rate is 100 SAR (weekdays) and 150 SAR (weekends). Hours of operation are from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

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Here are a few photos showing the different areas:

BLVD World – India

The India Zone at BLVD World Riyadh:

Riyadh - Saudi Arabia: Things to see and do in a few days - BLVD World-03

BLVD World – Mexico and Spain

Mexico and Spain area at BLVD World Riyadh:

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BLVD World – Morocco

Morocco area at BLVD World Riyadh:

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BLVD World – China

The China Zone at BLVD World Riyadh:

Review : JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh | Marriott Bonvoy - BLVD World-22

BLVD World – Japan

The Japan Zone at BLVD World Riyadh:

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BLVD World – Greece

The area of Greece in BLVD World Riyadh :

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BLVD World – United States and Superheroes

The United States and Superhero Zone at BLVD World Riyadh:

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BLVD World – France

The area of France at BLVD World Riyadh:

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BLVD World – Italy

The area of Italy at BLVD World Riyadh:

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BLVD World – Combat Village

Combat Village is the area that left me wary. In fact, in the middle of this area, there are attractions that could be seen in any fair: shooting balloons with a pellet gun, duck fishing, etc.

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On the sides, there are activities more oriented for teenagers or adults like a zombie hunt or a shooting training.

But the problem in my eyes: several arms dealers were also present in the middle of these attractions! It was thus possible to hold real weapons in hand, and even to buy them!

Toy or Weapon. There is no difference here.

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Riyadh – In the vicinity

Riyadh – Edge of the World

Even though Edge of the World is only about 100 kilometers from Riyadh, it will take you between 2.5 and 3 hours to get there.

Indeed, the last 30 kilometers will be done in the middle of the desert on stony roads.

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - Edge Of The World 1

You will need an SUV to cross the different obstacles, but be aware that at the end of the road, depending on the path you have chosen, you will probably have to finish on foot.

Once there, the spectacle offered by nature is breathtaking, especially at sunset.

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - Edge Of The World 3

Be aware that many private or semi-private tours are offered from Riyadh, including on Viator like this one.

Sometimes including a meal and drinks.

Riyadh – Red Sand Dunes

About an hour’s drive southwest of Riyadh is the Red Sand Dunes.

The best way to explore it is via the Quad. On the spot, you will find many rental companies (count 100 SAR for 1 hour). You can also book a Quad bike activity on Viator.

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Riyadh – Where to stay

During my stay in Riyadh, I had the opportunity to test 4 Marriott Bonvoy hotels:

Of the 4 establishments, Le Méridien Riyadh and the JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh offer the best value for money.

Istanbul, Riyadh, Doha: History, Electronic Music and Football World Cup - Le Meridien Riyadh 02

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Riyadh – Credit Cards

Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere in Riyadh and in Saudi Arabia (including Apple Pay/Google Pay).

I recommend using a credit card with no foreign transaction fees: you will save 2.5% in fees on every transaction and you will earn rewards points on your purchases.

Personally, I used to hold the HSBC World Elite Mastercard (now discontinued following HSBC Canada’s acquisition by RBC in October 2023) and the Scotiabank Passport^™ Visa Infinite + Card. That way, I was never caught off guard, knowing that Mastercard and Visa cards are accepted everywhere in the world.

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
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For cash withdrawals on site, I prefer the Wise card in order to minimize fees. You should also know that if you are an HSBC customer, you will be able to use the ATMs of the local bank SABB free of charge.

Riyadh - Saudi Arabia: Things to see and do in a few days - Désert Riyadh-1

Riyadh – Activities

Here is a selection of activities to book in Riyadh through our partner GetYourGuide.

Bottom line

My visit to Riyadh was mainly for the MDL Beast SoundStorm Music Festival. But this first discovery of Saudi Arabia through its capital gave me the taste to come back to explore other places of the country.

I must say that the Saudi Arabia pavilion at the Expo2020 Dubai had particularly impressed me. This country seems to be opening up to the world a little more every day and is worth discovering!

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