31 Tourist places to Visit in Riyadh

Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, has so many attractions (both free and paid), tourist places, things to do, and picnic spots that you need weeks to explore.

• Riyadh City Bus Routes and Timings

What is the best time to go?

I believe the best time to visit Riyadh is during the winter season, as you can enjoy the whole day and the whole night. In summer, the temperature can reach 50°C, making it impossible to move around.

If you want to come by air, book cheap Riyadh flights quickly to keep your trip economical.

Riyadh Boulevard World

If you have only one day in Riyadh and want to make the most of it, Boulevard World is the best place to visit for free with your family. The Boulevard represents different countries, and I personally liked China, Morocco, and Italy.

The area has numerous shops, kid’s activities, cafes, restaurants, and more. Your family would love to go there and enjoy themselves. You must walk at least 3 hours to cover the entire Boulevard area.

• Boulevard World location.
• Boulevard World Timing: 3 pm to 11 pm.

Riyadh Zoo

If you are traveling with family, the best tourist place to visit in Riyadh cannot be other than the Zoo. It is probably the biggest zoo in Saudi Arabia and has a train ride inside. Therefore, your family is going to love it.

• Riyadh Zoo Entry Ticket: SR 11.50/adult and SR 5.75/child.
• Riyadh Zoo Train Ticket: SR 4.60/person.
• Riyadh Zoo Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM.
• Riyadh Zoo Location.

1st Paintball

If you are looking for some adventurous things to do in Riyadh, Firstainment is the place to visit. It is an excellent place to have fun and bond with friends.

Remember that bullets hurt even though you are wearing a protective vest. They will not give you shoes; you will get paint on all your pairs, so you had better grab your old shoes.

• 1st Paintball Location.
• Firstainment Timing: 4 pm to 12 am.
• 1s Paintball Price: SR 110/person for 100 rounds and SR 65 for each additional 100 rounds.

Universal Bowling Center

Universal Bowling Center is quite a famous place to visit in Riyadh among expats tourists due to its reasonable price and good environment.

• UBC Location.
• UBC Timing: 4 pm to 1:30 am.
• Universal Bowling Center Price: SR 30/person for bowling.

Snow City

When the outside temperature is 50°C, tourists can visit Snow City, located in Othaim Mall, Riyadh, to experience -5°C. There are numerous rides there, and you and your family are going to love it.

• Othaim Mall Location.
• Snow City is on the 3rd Floor.
• Snow City Ticket Price: SR 170/person.

Word Sights Park

If you love to take pictures, visit the World Sights Park in Riyadh. It has around 25 monuments worldwide, including the Taj Mahal, Burj Khalifa, Petra, etc.

• World Sights Park Location.
• World Sights Park Entry Ticket: SR 11.50/adult and SR 5.75/child.

Nofa Wildlife Safari Park

You feel like you’re in a cage and free wildlife is moving around you when you visit Nofa Wildlife Safari Park in Riyadh. It is a perfect place to visit with your family, as they can see the wild animals moving around.

• Nofa Wildlife Safari Park Location.
• Nofa Wildlife Safari Timing: 8:00 am to 3:30 pm.
• Ticket Price: SR 1,500/10 persons. (you need to book the entire truck).

Al Heet Cave

Al Heet Cave is a nice evening picnic spot about 35 km from Riyadh. The place is not explored much by tourists, and swimming is not that easy as the water is not clean. It is a perfect place for bachelors, but it is not recommended to go with family.

Al Heet Cave Location.

Escape the Room

If you are a horror lover, you would love to visit the place called “Escape the Room” in Riyadh. Each Escape Room is a real-life adventure game. Your goal is simple: you have 60 minutes to open your mind & eyes, work together, crack codes & solve ciphers to escape — alive!

• Escape the Room Price: SR 155 to SR 200/person.
• Escape the Room Timing: 1 pm to 12 am.
• Escape the Room Location.
• Book your tickets online.

Museum of Illusions

If you want to take some crazy pictures in Riyadh, the Museum of Illusions is the place to visit. Although it is not a huge museum, there are enough frames to fill your Facebook or Instagram profile. The staff at the museum will guide you on how to take pictures.

• Museum of Illusion Price: SR 80/adult, SR 60/child, SR 240 for a family of 4 people.
• Museum of Illusion Location.

Gyrocopter Flight in Riyadh

If you have never been on a helicopter, it is time to ride one in Riyadh. On the exciting helicopter tour, you can have a bird’ s-eye view of the Thumamah desert and experience the sights from a different perspective.

• Gyrocopter Flight Price: SR 450/person.
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Kingdom Center

Kingdom Center is the fourth tallest building in Riyadh, at 302 meters, but tourists still visit its top floor to have an exotic view of the city.

• Kingdom Center Location.
• Sky Bridge Ticket Price: SR 63/person.

Airforce Museum

The Airforce Museum in Riyadh has a variety of planes, jets, and helicopters on display, which people looking for free places to visit in the city for family love. Flight simulators are available, but perhaps due to pandemics, the services are suspended these days.

• Airforce Museum Timing: 4 pm to 9 pm (Tuesday off).
• Airforce Museum Location.
• Airforce Museum Ticket: Free.

Edge of the World

If you are an adventurous tourist, you should visit Edge of the World, a 2-hour drive from Riyadh. Having a 4X4 car for this is always better, as you will drive off the track.

Start with the first location given below, and once you are there, navigate to the second location to avoid being misguided by Google Maps.

• Entry Location to Edge of the World.
• Final Location to Edge of the World.

Finger Mountain 

If you are a tourist who loves adventure, Finger Mountain or Jabal al-Isbii, located in Qiddiya Riyadh, is the place to visit. It is a cool place to go for a short hike, but be careful the closer you get to the top. The Rock is very brittle and will crumble. Wear good shoes and long pants.

• Finger Mountain location.

King Abdullah Park

If you want to enjoy a fountain show in Riyadh with your family, King Abdullah Park is a tourist spot. It has nice play areas for the family as well as different musical vehicles, such as trains and cars, which sets it apart from other gardens. 

• King Abdullah Park Entry Fee: SR 11.50/adult and SR 5.75/child.
• King Abdullah Park Location.

Al Salam Park

Al Salam Park is a perfect free picnic spot for families coming to Riyadh. It is a well-maintained park with green grass, many trees, and a beautiful lake.

• Al Salam Park location.
• 8 best family parks in Riyadh

Lake Khararah

Lake Khararah is a tourist attraction and a perfect free picnic spot for families. It is situated around 60 km from Riyadh city center. The best time to visit is winter when enough rain fills the lake.

• Lake Khararah Location.

Wadi Hanifa

Wadi Hanifa was once a garbage dumping point in Riyadh, but now it has become a beautiful park and a quiet tourist attraction. It is a perfect spot to enjoy some peace of mind while your children play with water.

• Wadi Hanifa Location.

Ushaiger Heritage Village

The 1500-year-old Ushhaiger Heritage Village, situated around 200 km from Riyadh, is a unique tourist spot for a walk through history, beauty, and simplicity. Ushaiqer is a standing ancient village that outlines the beauty of Najdi style and art.

• Ushaiger Heritage Village Location.

Ad Diriyah Museum

You can learn and explore Saudi Arabia’s history through an arranged tour at the Diriyah Museum in Riyadh, which has become a great tourist destination. However, it is not yet open for public visits, so you will have to book a tour operator.

Here, you will find out how Saudi Arabia was established, its first and second states, how it united as one, and its past and current rulers.

• Diriyah Musuem Location.

Diplomatic Quarters

Diplomatic Quarters in Riyadh are filled with embassies and residential compounds, and therefore, you cannot visit on your own. You can only visit if someone who lives inside is willing to host you.

• 8 Things to do in Diplomatic Quarters.
• Diplomatic Quarters Location.

National Museum

National Museum Riyadh is a free tourist spot where you and your family can explore the history of Saudi Arabia and Islam through unique artifacts and displays. The whole activity should take no more than 2 hours.

• National Museum Location.
• National Museum Timing: 8 AM to 8 PM.
• National Museum Entry Ticket: Free.

Murabba Historical Palace

Murabba Historical Palance is a free tourist attraction in Riyadh. Scenic pathways wind through beautifully sculpted gardens, and water features add an otherworldly effect, especially at sunset.

• Murabba Historical Palace Location.
• Murabba Historical Palace Timing: 8 am to 10 pm.
• Murabba Historical Palace Ticket: Free.

Al Masmak Museum

Al Masmak is a thick-walled fortress built in Riyadh during the second Saudi state in the 19th century. It is a great tourist attraction. It was built mainly for defense purposes but later had different uses.

• Al Masmak Museum Location.
• Al Masmak Museum Ticket: Free.
• Al Masmak Museum Timing: 8 AM to 9 PM.

VIA Riyadh

VIA Riyadh is very calm, clean, well-maintained, and organized. It has a variety of casual and fine-dining restaurants and coffee shops. It is indeed a great place to enjoy a dining experience with friends and family, suitable for kids. Also, they have big open spaces. The place is very prestigious with a touch of majesty.

• VIA Riyadh Location.

U-Walk by Cenomi

If you are done with the tourist attractions in Riyadh, let’s go shopping and eat at U-Walk. There are many world-recognized restaurants and dress shops here.

You will also find the movie theater “MUVI” and a beautiful fountain in the middle of Cenomi. Young people love to go there in the evening.

• U-Walk Location.
• U-Walk Timings: 9 AM to 11:30 PM.

Riyadh Front

Riyadh Front is another fantastic place to visit in Riyadh for shopping and eating. It has a great ambiance. Some stores, Vox cinema, and various restaurants offer different cuisines, plus cafes/coffee shops.

• Riyadh Front Location.

Pigeons Tower

Pigeons Tower is a unique abandoned building that can be visited during your trip to Riyadh. Each chamber has its own tower; in the middle, an open courtyard connects all chambers via a passageway.

It’s worth visiting for a 30-minute stopover on the way to Hidden Canyon. Be cautious! There are so many flies around, and they’re kind of disgusting, too.

• Pigeons Tower Location.

Hidden Canyon

Situated around 100 kilometers from Riyadh, Hidden Canyon is a perfect place to visit for nature lovers in the winter season. It is a beautiful rock formation where you might find some rainwater, too.

Wear comfortable clothes as you might have to climb up and down to explore more.

• Hidden Canyon Location.

Audat Sudair

Audat Sudair is one of the largest, most beautiful, and well-maintained historical towns in the Riyadh region. Many old houses have been converted into beautiful museums.

Audat Sudair is approximately 150 kilometers from Riyadh and is a must-visit place for tourists who like historical places.

• Audat Sudair location.