Abha

Abha is the part of Saudi Arabia that surprises people. Green mountains, juniper forest, stone villages painted inside, and cloud pouring up over an escarpment in the middle of summer. It looks nothing like the country most visitors picture.

The season runs backwards

This is the single most important thing to understand about the Asir. Peak season is July and August, when the rest of the Kingdom is at its hottest and this region is cool, green and wrapped in mist. Saudi families come here to escape the heat, which means hotels fill and cable car queues build.

Spring and autumn are quieter and clearer. Winter is cold, sometimes below freezing at night, with occasional snow on the high ground.

How long you need

Two days minimum, three to do it justice. The distances between sights are long, the roads wind, and rushing it means spending the visit in a car.

One day is only worth it if you are passing through and just want Souda and a viewpoint.

What is here

• Jabal Sawda, around 3,000 metres and the highest ground in the country, with cable cars running out over the escarpment.
• Rijal Almaa, a restored stone village with painted interiors, and one of the finest sights in the region.
• Al Habala, the hanging village on a ledge once reachable only by rope ladder.
• Asir National Park and the old quarter of Abha itself, plus the dam lake for an evening.

On the cable cars

There is more than one, which catches out most first-time visitors. Souda runs down the escarpment and is the dramatic one. Green Mountain is a short hop in the city. Al Habala drops to the hanging village. Different stations, different routes, different prices, and anyone quoting you "the Abha cable car" should be asked which.

Tickets are sold at the station rather than online, so arrive early on weekends and through the summer holidays.

The mist is the point, and the risk

From June to September moist air off the Red Sea rises up the escarpment and condenses. The result is fog, drizzle and a landscape that does not look Arabian at all. Locals come specifically for it.

The consequence for you is that a view may simply not be there. Some days it lifts by mid-morning; some days it does not. Take the ride anyway, but do not plan around a photograph you have to have.

Getting there and around

Fly. Abha has its own airport with domestic connections, and the drive from Jeddah is long enough to eat a day of a short trip.

Once here you need a car. The plateau roads are long and winding and nothing is walkable between sights. We quote the Asir on request rather than from a fixed card, so message us with dates and we will send a fare.

Worth knowing

• Bring warm layers and something waterproof, whatever the forecast says for the rest of Saudi Arabia.
• Three thousand metres is high enough that some people feel it mildly on the first day.
• Cable cars close in high wind and heavy fog. Have a second plan.
• The region is open to visitors of any faith.

Where it fits

Abha is a destination in its own right rather than an add-on, and it does not combine neatly with an Umrah trip because of the distance. Treat it as its own long weekend. Our Abha and Asir guide covers the sights in detail.