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The AlUla Wellness Festival 2024: What to do, where to stay, and what to eat
The AlUla Wellness Festival is the perfect place to reflect and rejuvenate – just like countless travellers have been doing for centuries when pausing for rest and relaxation in stunningly beautiful AlUla.
Taking place from October 17 – November 2, this year’s edition of the AlUla Wellness Festival will help seek, nurture and connect to the oasis within you on your journey of transformation alongside similarly-minded community members.
Featuring celebrity-led workshops, fully immersive five-day retreats and a series of unique wellness experiences, the AlUla Wellness Festival promises a pathway to connecting not just with yourself but others – in the most meaningful of ways.
Festival packages and tickets are available through this website, with exclusive discounts on Experience AlUla mobile app.
Refuge of the Five Senses
AlUla Wellness Festival’s beating heart features a nurturing hub of classes, workshops and people who want to connect through global inspirational speakers, world renowned transformational therapists, and movement and fitness experts. Sensory-based wellness experiences set in a lush farm include meditation, yoga and mindfulness sessions. The immersive world of Five Senses Sanctuary has a combination of group classes and 1-1 sessions. Healthy dining and nature’s nurturing energy ensure the ultimate place of learning, peace and tranquillity.
Available tickets: Single Day Pass from SAR 150 (17 – 21 Oct) | From SAR 100 (22 Oct – 2 Nov)
3 Day Pass for SAR 400 and 5 Day Pass for SAR 600 (17 – 21 Oct)
All Day I Dream
Dream of the perfect location for your favourite sounds and think no further than the AlUla Wellness Festival and All Day I Dream. What’s on the playlist? A rejuvenating atmosphere, world-class DJs and chilled house filled with curated melodic and soulful tunes set to evoke emotions and inspire connection, complemented through art installations and alluring visuals. The sustainable, eco-friendly decor of All Day I Dream – which runs on October 17 and 18 with nine hours of music per day – reflects the stunning backdrop of AlUla.
Available tickets: Save 10% on the website (From SAR 225); Save 20% on mobile app (From SAR 200). Door Prices: 1-day pass: SAR 250 | 2-day pass: SAR 400.
Hegra Sound Bath
On October 21, experience a transformative wellness sound bath session – the ideal way to soothe, manage and heal – set against the awe-inspiring backdrop of Hegra, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, in AlUla.
As blissful vibrations resonate through ancient rock formations, participants will experience a profound sense of relaxation and rejuvenation for the mind, body, and spirit. The serene sounds of crystal bowls accompany the atmospheric audio of nature, which echoes across the vast space, creating an oasis of tranquillity.
Available tickets: SAR 120
Accommodation
Dar Tantora The House Hotel
‘The Door’ to the AlUla Wellness Festival opens to the original mudbrick village with 30 unique ‘Dars’. Each home tells a story – blending traditional architecture with modern design, offering a genuine feel of AlUla’s heritage, nestled in the tranquil oasis. Dar Tantora aims to blend comfort with a deep commitment to sustainability, offering a tailor-made experience – including 24/7 butler service.
Caravans by Our Habitas
Caravan by Our Habitas AlUla is an immersive glamping experience off-the-beaten path for people seeking adventure, surprise and human connection – in other words, the perfect setting for AlUla Wellness Festival attendees truly wanting to reconnect with the earth.
Shaden Resort AlUla
Situated at the heart of AlUla’s city, Shaden Resort offers the highest levels of modern spirit from the originality of ancient Arabic hospitality – in a setting characterized by natural design and rich with elegance and luxury.
Sahary AlUla Resort
Sahary AlUla Resort is a series of traditional style buildings and two long avenues lined with individual bungalows. The resort provides visitors with the chance to stroll and admire the desert valley lined with dramatic sandstone rock formations.
Restaurants
There are many incredible natural dining and food options in AlUla. But here’s an example of just some that might make an AlUla Wellness Festival trip just that little bit more delectable.
OKTO
Those finishing a meal at the contemporary Greek cuisine atop the beautiful outlook of the Harrat Viewpoint are left pondering a simple yet also extraordinarily difficult question: what was more enjoyable – the breathtaking journey through the mountains to the viewpoint, or the mouthwatering food at the top? Developed by one of the top-rated chefs around the world, Chef Ntinos Fotinakis, OKTO’s exclusive menu has an all-black theme inspired by the geology of AlUla.
Heart of the Oasis
For a dining experience closer to the ground but no less beautiful nor delicious, the Heart of the Oasis – settled in the shadows of AlUla’s many date palm trees – regenerates the mind while nourishing the body. Fire lamps surround the dining space, and the oasis-to-table inspired dishes deliver an experience rooted in nature – apt for the AlUla Wellness Festival.
Tawlat Fayza
Located in a restored mudbrick building with rooftop views overlooking the Oasis, Tawlat Fayza’s menu features authentic recipes that the owner grew up eating at her grandmother Fayza’s table, which became the thoughtful namesake of this local dining concept. The farm-to-table nature of Tawlat Fayza is reflective of the AlUla Wellness Festival’s natural vibe and spirit.
Maraya Social
One of Britain’s best-loved chefs and owner of Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide, Jason Atherton opened Maraya Social on the rooftop of the award-winning Maraya. A selection of sharing plates and quality mocktails are sourced from seasonal produce and feature Mediterranean, Arabian and British cuisine. Relax, dine, and socialise whilst surrounded by the glorious views of the rock-strewn canyons of Ashar Valley.
About AlUla Moments:
AlUla Moments is AlUla’s new home for events. AlUla Moments calendar was launched at the end of 2021 and introduced new festivals and events to celebrate and unlock AlUla’s stories, uncover its secrets, and celebrate local and international cultures. With 7,000 years of civilisations and home to some of the most sophisticated ancient kingdoms of antiquity, AlUla is no stranger to social gatherings and cultural celebrations.
AlUla Moments calendar comprises five festivals offering diverse experiences in art, culture, music, nature, wellness, equestrian activities, dining, and astronomy. The AlUla Wellness Festival featuring the latest practices to engage the mind, body and soul; Winter at Tantora, the original AlUla celebration of heritage, culture, fashion and music; the Ancient Kingdoms Festival offers immersive events acknowledging the ancient civilisations that lived in AlUla and its neighbouring oases in Khaybar and Tayma; AlUla Skies Festival with the popular hot air balloons and stargazing experiences; and AlUla Arts Festival bringing together contemporary and ancient art events and experiences.
In addition to the festivals AlUla Moments calendar offers a number of marquee events, including AZIMUTH and Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo, along with the heritage sports events such as The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup, AlUla Camel Cup, AlUla Falcon Cup, the Tent Pegging World Championship and Horseback Archery World Cup, a world-class fashion, adventure and sporting events.
About AlUla:
Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.
The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and comprises 111 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement.
Current research also suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after the Romans conquered the Nabataeans in 106 CE.
In addition to Hegra, AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Ikmah, an open air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages, which has been recently listed on the UNESCO’s memory of the World Register.
Also AlUla Old Town Village, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12th century, has been selected as one of the World’s Best Tourism Villages in 2022 by the UNWTO. Additionally, AlUla Railway and Hegra Fort, which are key sites in the story and conquests of Lawrence of Arabia.