A Desert Sanctuary

The Sandstone Wilds of Western Saudi Arabia

Dates: 26 February – 6 March 2027
Length: 9 days · 8 nights
Price: USD 4,300 per person
Seats: Limited to ten guests

Western Saudi Arabia is sandstone shaped by wind and rain — Hisma, Disa and AlUla barely see a visitor.

Nine days move through the rock cities of Tabuk and Disa, then three full days around AlUla: Elephant Rock, the Hegra tombs and the mirrored Maraya hall.

Highlights

Jeddah's old town and the Red Sea corniche at sunset
The wind-carved sandstone of the Hisma desert
Three days in the canyons of Disa
AlUla: Elephant Rock, Rainbow Rock and the dancing rocks
Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first World Heritage site
Maraya, the mirrored hall, in the desert

Itinerary

Day 01

Arrive in Jeddah

Jeddah, on the Red Sea — a dream city of ancient roots and modern lines, quietly telling a thousand years of stories. A melting pot of art and culture, where skyscrapers stand beside traditional souks and the call of historic mosques carries across time. A walk along the corniche, the sea breeze and sunset over glittering water — beauty to intoxicate. At night, beneath the city's brilliant lights, every lamp is an unfinished story. After arrival we visit the waterfront district and shoot sunset at the floating mosque or the King's Fountain. Four-star hotel in Jeddah (twin room).

Day 02

Tabuk

The morning in Al-Balad old town and the central fish market — founded in the 7th century, most of its standing buildings dating from the 16th to the early 20th, a deserved entry on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Then a flight north to Tabuk. Around Tabuk, the Hisma desert is a world of weathered sandstone: wind-eroded pillars, arches and outcrops rising from wide flat plains, ochre-red and pale-cream strata in soft layers — the texture of Jordan's Wadi Rum, but with far fewer visitors. A natural canvas of ochre, honey and light brown.

Day 03–05

Three days in Wadi Disah

After breakfast we drive into Wadi Disah — one of the most beautiful places in Saudi Arabia. Its grand canyon is a sculpture gallery of nature: carved by wind, washed by rain, one breathtaking geological wonder after another. Deep in its uninhabited reaches, time itself seems carved by the canyon wind; the red sandstone lies like finely chiselled artwork, layer upon layer in endlessly varied forms — limitless possibility for our work. Farm stay in the valley (twin room).

Day 06–08

AlUla & surroundings

One more sunrise in Wadi Disah, then on to the famous destination of AlUla. Its spectacular natural landmarks — Elephant Rock, Rainbow Rock, the double-arch rock — are masterworks of wind and water erosion; the 'dancing rocks' are spiralling strata of strange design. The AlUla oasis is lush with date palms; the Hegra site is Saudi Arabia's first World Heritage; and the modern Maraya concert hall, clad in four thousand mirrors, reflects the landscape back on itself. We spend three days exploring and shooting the desert rock wonders at multiple locations around AlUla, from sunrise and sunset to the starry Milky Way.

Stay: guesthouse villa in AlUla (twin and double rooms)

Day 09

Farewell to Saudi Arabia

Transfer to the airport in good time — homebound with a heart full of landscapes, the return its own new journey. Fly home via Riyadh. (You can also continue with me to South America — Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.)