THE ULTIMATE HITCHHIKING GUIDE TO SAUDI ARABIA
I hitchhiked Saudi Arabia about a month and here is everything you need to know to plan your next trip to Saudi Arabia.
What you need to know before travel to Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia official language is Arabic. Most of the Saudi people doesn’t really speaks english except from the capital Riyadh and the big holiday destinations like Jeddah or Al Ula.
The population is about 35 million. The average age around 24 years old.
Saudi Arabia is one of the safest place where I’ve ever been. Talking from a man perspective.
Before you arrive you need a visa. There is 2 different types: e-visa and visa on arrival (VOA)
The visa to Saudi Arabia cost approx. 135 EUR, valid for 90 days and it is a multiple entry visa.
Part of the application process involves securing mandatory health coverage that lasts for the duration of your stay.
Here are the list of the countries who need visa and all the important information. SAUDI VISA. HERE
However, it seems a little expensive, but keep in mind this visa come with a health insurance.
If you are looking for a good travel insurance you can also find it here! CLICK HERE
There is super cheap tickets, from Budapest to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam too with Wizz Air . So make sure you, check it out if you have options to fly through Budapest.
If you are a female, and planning to visit any mosque make sure you have a proper clothes what covers your shoulder and your whole leg, and use something to cover your hair.
When you arrive:
Saudi Arabia doesn’t have any backpacker infrastructure. So, no hostels or cheap accommodations, but you can use Couchsurfing they have fairly active community so hit them up before hand to secure your bed.
It is difficult to imagine our life with out data. You can choose some of the local ones or you can get an e-sim from AIROLO, I just started to use e-sim at leat the first day of my travels. Before, I was kind of against it, but it makes my arrival to any country so much easier. At the beginning I was always ripped off here and there, but I just realised with few euro extra I save money energy and a lot less stressful.
If you choose the local one make sure you choose the right option because sometimes they have data just for a week.
Get around in the cities like Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah or any of the big cities.
You can use Uber, Bolt or Careem all of them has application and you can call a car anytime to save some hustle from the taxi drivers. Really they are the same everywhere in the world they just try to rip you off.
Keep in mind the public transportation extremely limited when I write this post. December of 2023
However, if everything goes wrong there is the bullet train https://sar.hhr.sa/timetable#
or the Saptco bus company https://saptco.com.sa/en-us/homepage or https://nwbus.sa/en/homepage/
So here we are. Let’s start the journey.
The first thing what you need to learn how to hitchhike here in Saudi Arabia.
The people here doesn’t understand the concept of hitchhiking and most of them doesn’t speak English.
So let’s begin with a little bit of Arabic lesson what’s gonna take you places.
Hello- Marhaba- (Assallamu’ Allaikum’)
How are you? Khaf Hallek
Thank you- Shukran
No money- Mafee Folos
No problem- Laa Mushqelah
Yes- Na’am- Eah
No- Laa
Food- Akl
No more- bss (used for already having enough of food, tea, coffee)
Coffee- Qahwah
Tea- Shay
bye-Ma’a Alsalamah
The only difficulty here to explain them, it is okay if they just take you some part of the road and this way of travelling is a new thing for the people who lives here so just show them your route ask them where are they going. At the beginning it can be difficult, but after a while you can catch the method how to explain them don’t worry.
Time to time they will invite you to their places to sleep there or have an arabic coffee, tea and dinner with them. It depends on you how much time you have, but good to accept these invitations to get a better insight to the culture and don’t worry if you don’t speak the language I spent sometimes days with people who were not speaking English and with my super small 10-15 words vocabulary in arabic was enough to have fun.
Later on, I had to be a little more strict on this because if I accept all the invitations I’m still in Riyadh. This is how hospitality works here in Saudi Arabia.
The ethical part of travelling here you might feel uncomfortable to accept all the gift and kindness what they give you, but this is the part of the Saudi culture so don’t bother yourself too much about it, because in a way it is offensive against their culture if you reject the effort what the people give.
Other things you should keep in mind don’t take a picture of a woman without ask for a permission.
Use you right hand to give and receive.
As I mentioned before, accept the kindness, but try to find your limits and boundaries.
Here is a MAP what are the hot spots, what I visited, later on I will come with more detailed blogposts about these places, so don’t hesitate to come back, or subscribe to my newsletter.
Let’s talk about the money. You can survive easily less then a 800 EUR a month, and if you don’t mind to wild-camping and you don’t drink 2 coffees a day in a speciality place you can make it under 400 EUR.
Here is my google maps. I saved some places what might be interesting to visit coffee, food and sightseeing places.
Make your own research about the route what you want to do, but if I would suggest just one thing, spend more time in the southern region of Saudi Arabia and for your own health don’t visit them at the summer time it is insanely hot and you not gonna be able to do anything especially in the northern region.
Solo travel is safe and easy from my experience as a man.
The following years gonna be the best to visit Saudi to see how the full-fill their dreams and opens up for tourist.
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If you have further question or if you want to travel or hangout send me a DM on IG.