DON BANARIA
- Jul 10, 2021
- 6 min read

Wadi Al Disah, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

Updated: May 18

Wadi Al Disah blends the geological history and the tilling by the people of today, as the colors of the plants, the reddish canyon walls, and golden, and gray sands are in one setting.

The site suddenly becomes a live cinema showing landscapes similar to a digital graphic movie setting. The lush green of the valley and the rock formations are the best things you could ever see in this region of Saudi Arabia that will make you run out of words to describe it.

All you can do is click the camera, capture the scene and paint the sites for the others to describe on their own.

Quick Facts

Name: Al Disah (Wadi Al Disah, Wadi Disah) Location: Tabuk Province/Region, Saudi Arabia Distance from Tabuk City: 250 km, 2½ hours drive Road Access: Excellent and concrete road

Wadi Disah is indeed a must-see place in the Tabuk region. An open-ended valley gives visitors the chance to pass through and through from one end to the other, entering on one end and exiting to the other end provided that you drive a 4-wheel drive car.

It has six (6) key points that every traveler or visitor must reach and see at least most of them if not all to make the trip worth the time and effort, and to enjoy, see and get these key points, I suggest to do the hiking for the whole day inside Al Disah alone

FIRST POINT - PAGODA VALLEY

Pagoda Valley is not the official name of this Point. But no name is available for this part for reference, so I call it Pagoda Valley.

Located before the end of the road, more or less 1½ from the road ends before entering the main exploring area. The towering rock formation to the right side of the wide-open camping valley looks like the pagodas in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Burma, Laos & others); hence, I refer to the place as Pagoda Valley.

Pagoda Valley is perfect for settling for a picnic during winter times. The open sunlight is enough to keep you warm while feeding your eyes with the scenic views of the rock formations around and the bird chirps as your music in the wilderness.

See More Images of Pagoda Valley:

Click the play tab to watch the video on YouTube

2ND POINT - WATER SPRING AND DATES PICNIC GROOVE

The blending sights of the green grasses, trees, and dates plants with the reddish rock walls of the background make the place look like a fantasy movie set.

Entering the main exploring area, about 200 meters, you will find the water spring below the rock wall right after the road ended. It is visible because you will notice the water flowing on the road; as you track where water flows coming from, it leads you to the spring. The water is potable; you can drink from the spring using a container in your hand. I tried drinking, and

it tastes as natural as the bottled water we buy.

Across the rock wall where the water spring is, you will see the fully-grown dates plant with the magnificent rock towers and rock walls in the background. It appears like a digital graphic image of the place in a fantasy movie. In my experience, I could not easily find a word to describe, except to say, wow!

The full-grown dates are the ones that give shade to the picnickers away from the burning sunlight during the summer seasons. Not to mention the other desert trees and lion grasses growing around it bring music to your ears as the birds fly, perch, and sing around.

See More Images Of The Water Spring & Dates Picnic Groove:

THIRD POINT - 3000-YEAR-OLD ROCK ENGRAVED ALPHABETS & MURALS

A few distances from the water spring will find the rock cliff on the right sight of the dry riverbed and driving trail. This cliff has an engraved alphabet and murals by the ancient people who dwelt way back 3000 years. Centuries ahead before the Arabic alphabet was born.

As you look around, the place gives you astonishing sights, a combined color of rocks, and unique towering rock formations on both sides of the valley. See them as they reflect the sunlight, worth the efforts of trying to reach the place.

Enjoy the golden rocks as they reflect the afternoon sunlight.

Other Images of The Third Point:

FOURTH POINT - AL DISAH WINDOW

The Al Disah Window is a cave beside the driving trail. The distinction of this cave it has a window on its cave wall, facing the driving trail and the mountain on the other side of the valley.

The location makes the cave perfect for resting, eating, and siesta if you are doing the picnic for the whole. The temperature inside the cave is ideal to suit your sleeping comfort.

See Other Images:

5TH POINT - HIDDEN VERANDA

Only a few of the Al Disah hikers, visitors can get to this part. A vantage position for viewing the Al Disah Valley. The hikers need to trek a medium height of the rock-mounted formation in the middle of the valley It would be best if you exerted some effort of climbing the rocks; however, once you get here, the exhilarating view will ease away the tiring experience of climbing. Overlooking the green fields of lion grasses, the dates farms, and desert trees will bring you again to fantasizing about an imaginary world we see in the movies.

You have to have a guide that knows where the passage is going to the Hidden Veranda. Otherwise, you may not find it.

Driving the 4-wheel-drive car is already a challenge because you will find running the car the loose sands, which is good enough to do a beach volleyball.

See more images and sights at the hidden veranda here:

Click the play tab to watch the video on YouTube

6TH POINT - THE END OR EXIT POINT

You may probably think that the exit point of Al Disah (eastern side exit) is nothing but a way to get out and leave the site, not the case, however. I thought that way, but you should be ready with your camera again to capture the scenic formations of rocks as their ridges reflect the afternoon sunlight; another “wow” will come out from your mouth.

The towering rock walls on both sides of the welcome canyon climber to try getting to the top. You only need to look for a safe trail to get to the top, and on the course of climbing, extra precaution is still necessary.

See more images of the Exit Point here:

Click the play tab to watch the video on YouTube

What to Expect

A long drive of 2 ½ hours from Tabuk City for the 250 km distance
Scenic sights to see along the road
Driving a non-4-wheel drive car will require walking to the deeper part of the Wadi Disah valley. You can only drive up to the end part of the concrete road.
Driving a 4-wheel drive car allows you to drive from the entry point to the deeper part of the valley and exit on the other end, moving back to Tabuk running on the other road.
Chance to encounter camels and donkeys along the way.

See images:

Car Requirement

Four-wheel-drive – if you want to go to the inner part of the valley, if not, a non-4-wheel drive car will do and take an exercise to go for walking.

High clearance
New tires are a great advantage.

Terrain Condition to Drive

From the City Center of Tabuk to Wadi Al Disah via Jeddah Road is excellent up to Wadi Al Disah.

Things to See

Magnificent canyon and majestic rock formations.
Al Disah Cave
Rock towers
Wildflowers
Vigor lion grasses
Desert trees
Water spring
Wild birds
Dates Farm
Orchards

Things to Do

Trekking
Sightseeing
Off-road driving
Picnic
Overnight camping

What to Bring

Snacks and water to drench your thirst and the light hunger while exploring.
Sunglass to protect your eyes from the open desert blinding lights of the sun.
Sombrero hat to shade your face without using sunglasses, especially if you are shooting with your camera.
Sunblock to keep your skin from burning, especially during summer.
Visiting during the winter season, of course, you should be in your winter suits to keep you warm and away from freezing.
Lighting gadgets for overnight camping.

How to Get Here:

Those coming from outside of Saudi Arabia may book a flight landing in Tabuk Airport, connecting flight, or direct. Tabuk Airport is one of the international airports of Saudi Arabia; however, the flight frequency is limited compared to Jeddah Airport and Riyadh Airport.
If your Holiday trip is to explore Saudi Arabia, I suggest booking your flights via Jeddah or Riyadh, then book another domestic flight to Tabuk.
Tabuk City should be your take-off point going to Wadi Al Disah.
Better to hire a local guide to assist you in coming to the place to bring you to the deeper and hidden part of the valley.
Drive your car via Tabuk-Yanbu-Jeddah road.

#adventures #naturetrips #picnic #tabuk

Guide: Mr. Ahmed Al Atawi

Mobile: +966 50 417 7818

For more videos about underrated places of adventure, please check my YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdLixKcH0fix6F252pQL5uw