Diriyah is a cultural and historical district in Riyadh, recognized as the UNESCO World Heritage Site. In XVIII-XIX centuries it was the capital of the First state of Al-Saud dynasty. It finally opened after reconstruction in the end of 2022.
These days, Diriyah consists of the open-air museum (with entrance fee, but you can book a free English-speaking guide), walking terrace and a restaurant zone.
The museum will be entertaining both for children and adults. On the walls of the museum you can see cartoons and animation that explains what was the purpose of this place many centuries ago. Inside the city walls of the museum, there are actors demonstrating the everyday life of the capital in the XIX century. You can visit an old city market, medieval doctor and an astronomer, common houses…
Next to the museum there is a picturesque Al Bujairi terrace (free entrance).
In the restaurant zone nearby, you can redeem the price of your museum tickets. However, it’s better to book a restaurant in advance, since they are overflooded with customers.
My honest opinion: Diriyah is my favorite place to spend the evening in the nice weather. I would visit the museum several times, since there is a lot to see. However, I would go somewhere else for dining because here it’s too noisy and crowded, what affects the quality of service. The price is also a bit elevated.
Working hours: two options.
Afternoon— from 10 am till 4 pm (Sunday-Wednesday only) — free entrance to the terrace, but no entrance to the museum
Evening — from 4 pm till 12 am (both working days and weekends) — paid entrance everywhere.
While buying the tickets on the website, you choose the evening or afternoon option and have the right to enter at any time within the chosen slot.
Recommended time for visiting: 1-3 hours.
Price: The district (not the museum) can be visited for free during Sunday-Wednesday from 10 am till 4 pm.
Museum entrance: 100 SAR / person on weekdays (Sunday-Wednesday)
and 150 SAR/person on weekends (Thursday-Saturday).
Additionally, you can book an excursion in English or Arabic (you will receive an email with registration details after booking the entrance tickets). I heard that there are also Spanish-speaking guides available at the entrance
IMPORTANT: please, buy the tickets online in advance. They are available for 7 days ahead only, and are sold out quickly.
Parking: check the official website. Multiple options were announced, but when we visited Diriyah, the machines weren’t functioning yet, so parking was free for everybody 🙂
You can register and buy the tickets on the official website.
Location: google maps (please chack the official website before visiting, since there are multiple entrance and parking options).
In addition, there are many side-events. For instance, from October 22, 2022 till February 22, 2023 the place is hosting Diriyah season with Formula E race and musical concerts. You can check the schedule and buy the tickets on the official website of the festival. The price starts from 100 SAR.
Check out the list of other interesting places in Riyadh 🙂
My Saudi Arabia 
Оставить комментарий