The twin sister of Jordan's Petra. Same stonemasons, same rose-pink rock — but for two thousand years almost no one came. The most famous tomb, Qasr al-Farid (the "Lonely Castle"), stands in the wasteland like an abandoned ship. In season, organised tours from AlUla only; ticket with shuttle around 95 SAR.
The silhouette is an elephant bowing its head to drink. Around it, lounges carved out of sandstone with cushions, and lights tented into the dunes. Free, but popular: after 17:00 the car park fills with tour buses. Next door: Hegra by Night, dinner under the stars from 550 SAR.
Capital of the Lihyanite kingdom before the Nabataeans. Lion-guardian tombs are carved into a sheer face of rose stone — climbing is forbidden, but a zoom lens does the job. Ikma is an open-air rock "gallery" with inscriptions in Aramaic, Dadanitic and early Arabic. Three hours with guide — 230 SAR.