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4 Minute Read
Riyadh is a city poised for greatness, there is no doubt about that. If you have traveled to Riyadh before then you will recognise it simply in the cities infrastructure and the mega projects that are on the cusp of being completed - from a city-wide tram line due in 2026, to Riyadh Sports Boulevard a 135km project worth $23B that encompasses facilities for amateurs and pros alike, open green spaces, and a multitude of world class facilities, including canoeing routes (no Riyadh is not near any water). Let’s not forget the super impressive KAFD - King Abdullah Financial District, another mega project where the largest MNE’s across the globe join one another in cloud splitting skyscrapers with some of the funkiest and coolest architecture… and this is just scratching the surface in regard to what's going on in Riyadh, give this city another 10 years on this trajectory, and wow…
But, we are not here to talk about the city of Riyadh - we are looking at the ins and outs of the Edge of the World tour, a beautiful natural wonder located about an hours drive / 100km out of the city, extending off the Tuwaik Mountain range with stunning 300m cliff drops accompanied by magnificent views across the desert plains.
Do I Go Alone? Or with a Tour Guide?
We made our trip in the middle of the summer and only had a relatively short time in Riyadh - so we decided to use a tour provider to avoid any mistakes, we also had no idea what to expect in regard to the length of hiking or any other factors as information is fairly limited. However, it is absolutely possible for you to go solo - we saw a few groups who had done just that.
Something to keep in mind is while the route may be on Google Maps, much of the drive is pretty much on open desert - no signs, and honestly if I was dropped and spun in circles 5x on the way, I can’t say for sure that I would know one direction from another. While the Edge of the World boasts huge cliffs and ranges, much of the drive out there is relatively flat… that is, sloping hills with odd pockets of craters - you absolutely need a 4x4 - do not attempt this without. Fortunately our tour guide knew this area of the desert like the back of his hand, no maps, in the light or night, and he was going full throttle (...and well who doesn’t in Saudi).
We have added all the details of our Tour Provider below and how to contact them.
What to Expect?
I find this question always the most exciting aspect of going on hikes anywhere other than well mapped out routes found across the western world, or amongst hiking communities - as it appears many of the untouched routes and ranges across the rest of the world, located in countries with much less safety rules than the Europe, always leads to an un-expecting, and we hope, exciting time - much the case when summiting Mount Agung in Bali - but that's another story.
We met with our Tour guide about 35 minutes outside of Riyadh at Dunkin' Donuts at 3pm, and had opted for a Sunset Group Tour which was $99 p/person.The round trip was expected to be 6 hours. We were told that we would do a hike, explore the cliff side, shoot, and eat dinner. Now let’s get something out of the way right away - there was no hike… nor any shooting (that may have been a good thing). I was disappointed about the hike not being there, as this was in a way the main attraction to me, along with the views - however maybe this is another package?... Yet, I selected the most popular one.. so I am not sure.
Anyway, there is significantly more driving than I was expecting, the drive to the cliff was about an hour and a half with a multitude of stops for petrol, dates and supplies, and also a fairly interesting 500 year old village - the multitude of stops was odd - just made me think why hadn’t they done this before, however I should say our guide was very friendly and he clearly only wanted us to have a good time - one of those stops was a quick one for ice lollies :)
On route to the Edge of the World, definitely one of the better stops, was checking out a bat cave, on the contrary, we didn’t see many bats except a handful of miniature ones - but maybe that was the heat - it was still 40C+. The cave was a great addition, as you climb down a 10 foot-ish ladder through a relatively small hole into the bat cave that probably goes back in pitch darkness for about 30-50m, or so. The cave is filled with naturally developed salt and if you shine your light behind it, it illuminates like a natural mood light. We did also stop near a camel pen (in the middle of nowhere), where some of us managed to get some great shots with the camels, but they seemed well versed enough to reject us when they had had enough!
When you get to the Edge of the World which was a fairly rough drive across the desert, and with your full trust in your drivers skills and navigation, it is absolutely stunning. It’s almost hard to believe that it is there when you consider the drive in, but you have to park your car about a 10-15 minute walk away from the cliff edge, and you walk up and down a gravel route - turns out this was the hike?? Nevertheless, the views were amazing and the walk was very enjoyable and relaxed.
Once you reach the Edge of the World, you should absolutely proceed with caution. The area is very gravelly and there are plenty of slip points and exposed edges to huge cliff side drops - there is zero safety in place here - which is amazing in so many ways, but also a liability, and as I understand it won’t be the first time to have lost someone on the cliffs edge. The paths are not for everyone, you should be steady on your feet, and comfortable with heights in some areas, and if you wish to record while you go…. Look where you are going, not at your phone!
Do note however, if that scares you slightly, I do not mean to, there is still plenty of opportunity to enjoy spectacular views without risking anything, it is only the walk to the furthest point that involves any sort of risk. Just be careful with kids.
If you’re fine with heights, take it easy, don’t rush, it's absolutely worth it. You start by being met with the classic photo cliff edge drop, and you have two routes, first route is to the peak if you like, another great photo opportunity and one with less dangerous paths, and the second that takes you around the peak and onto the tall cylindrical structures. Paths are probably a meter and a half in the best areas, and smaller in others, and you will need to navigate down a fairly steep gravely peak side… But all this said, one side is a cliff drop, and the other is a fairly gradual sloping mountain side - so if you stay with your eyes on the sloping side, chances are, if you fell, you would fall to the sloping side :) but let’s not fall at all.
It is a beautiful place and the risk is somewhat low, it's just the consequences are high if you mess around. Do check your routes as there are more often than not, easier paths than the obviously presented ones - like reaching the cylindrical structures you can stay to the sloping side (right), but many unknowingly climb a risky edge side for no reason on the left, over some larger boulders - speaking from experience here.
I promise though, it is well worth every step. We watched the sunset with these breathtaking views, got tons of pictures, climbed up and down for different sights, soaked up the vastness and then started our trip back to Riyadh. There was one last stop which was dinner at camp - this was actually quite pleasant, and was only about 30 minutes or so in total. A colleague of the guide had cooked chicken and rice (we wondered if they would test us with camel meat and or milk, but they didn’t), and we had mint tea under the stars, again in the middle of nowhere. This could have been an extra extra special moment if you knew the 5 others you were with - but it was still quite amazing, especially if you haven't been out in the Arabian desert much before.
Getting back to Riyadh seemed much faster on the way back, as the camp stop broke it up a little and we were now watered and fed.
I greatly recommend this trip to anyone with a half day to spend in Riyadh, it made the trip in many ways. We got back to the meeting point by 9pm on the dot. I have shared below our Tour details in case you want to embark on the tour with them directly.
Tour Details
Riyadh Trips
+966 562234171
Do note when you meet at the Dunkin' Donuts - they have refurbished the facade of Dunkin, so it looks slightly different to the one on Google Maps.
If you prefer to book via trip advisor or Viator you can find them here: