Connecting Riyadh with Jubbah through 16 destinations, the latest Northern Trail offering brings heritage villages, regional food and desert experiences into focus—with opportunities for travel advisors building more individual Saudi itineraries.
Saudi Arabia is giving travellers more reasons to explore the towns and landscapes between its headline destinations. Launched on November 2 by Tourism Minister and Saudi Tourism Authority Chairman Ahmed Al-Khateeb, the Northern Trail’s latest programme links Riyadh with Jubbah in Hail Region along a 1,200-kilometre tourism route.
Part of Saudi Winter 2026, the initiative brings together more than 130 experiences, with 21 destination management companies and over 335 tour guides participating. Activities range from historic villages and traditional crafts to rural visits, local cuisine and desert adventures.
For travel advisors, its appeal lies in the possibility of building a journey around the Kingdom’s regional identities: the architecture, food and everyday traditions that give each stop its character.
An established concept, with a broader offering
The Northern Trail has a history preceding this week’s announcement. In December 2024, the Saudi Tourism Authority introduced a route connecting Riyadh and Qassim, highlighting heritage attractions, farms and leisure experiences. That earlier programme included stops in Al-Bukayriyah and Al-Rass, with attractions such as Al-Suwailim heritage residence and Al-Shananah Tower.
The current offering reaches Jubbah and has a newly unified visual identity. Unveiled on October 31, its branding draws inspiration from Najdi architecture and heritage sites. The authority has invited accommodation providers, tour operators and tourism businesses to adopt the identity in their promotional materials, following its approved guidelines.
Sixteen stops across three regions
The official launch announcement identifies the participating destinations as:
- Riyadh Region: Riyadh, Thadiq, Shaqra, Ushaiqer, Al-Qasab, Al-Majma’ah, Al-Ghat and Al-Zulfi.
- Qassim Region: Al-Mithnab, Unaizah, Al-Rass, Al-Bukayriyah, Buraidah and Uyun Al-Jiwa.
- Hail Region: Hail and Jubbah.
Al-Khateeb placed local communities and private-sector participation at the centre of the initiative. Further sites, stops and experiences will be considered as the trail develops with partners throughout the year.
From mud-brick villages to prehistoric landscapes
Several destinations provide compelling starting points for a culturally focused itinerary.
Ushaiqer’s heritage village offers an introduction to traditional settlement patterns and architecture, with mud-brick houses, a museum and a traditional restaurant among its attractions. It gives visitors an opportunity to explore the built heritage of central Arabia at a more intimate scale.
In Qassim, Buraidah adds a culinary dimension. A member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in the field of gastronomy since 2021, the city offers a strong context for journeys exploring regional food traditions.
At the northern end, Jubbah provides a remarkable historical finale. Jabal Umm Sinman, approximately 90 kilometres northwest of Hail, forms part of the UNESCO-listed Rock Art in the Hail Region. Its petroglyphs and inscriptions overlook a landscape once occupied by a freshwater lake, revealing a very different environment from the desert visitors encounter today. The wider World Heritage property records almost 10,000 years of human history.
What it means for travel advisors
For SA-FE’s travel trade audience, the opportunity is to use the trail as a framework for tailored touring. Selected sections could support a heritage extension from Riyadh, a food-focused journey through Qassim or a longer exploration culminating in Hail and Jubbah.
These are itinerary possibilities rather than announced packages. The launch releases do not specify package prices, recommended trip lengths or a central booking mechanism. Advisors should establish with participating operators which experiences are available for their dates, alongside guiding languages, accommodation standards and transport arrangements.
For clients who value expert interpretation and encounters with local culture, the Northern Trail offers a promising direction: a Saudi journey shaped as much by the places between major destinations as by the destinations themselves.
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Photo top of page: HAIL region
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Read also: Saudi Arabia puts its tourism services under one digital roof
