Saudi Arabia On A Shoestring Budget—With Saudi Arabia having recently opened its doors to tourism, it appears that intrepid travelers like myself are the ones who are eager to experience what this closed-off Kingdom is truly like!
Can you backpack Saudi Arabia and travel Saudi Arabia on a budget? We equate “backpacking” with “budget travel,” so can you backpack Saudi Arabia and travel Saudi Arabia on a budget?
So, let me tell you right now, Saudi Arabia is not a budget place, at least not right now, as it adjusts to tourism.
I believe that in the next few years, Saudi Arabia will become more budget-friendly, with hostels, the completion of the Riyadh metro, and day tours that are less expensive than they are now, but that will not be the case in 2020. And I believe the same will be true in the next years!
That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t visit Saudi Arabia. Exploring the Kingdom is an incredible experience, especially if you travel like a local and meet some locals as I did!
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Saudi Arabia On A Shoestring Budget
In this Saudi Arabia travel blog, I’ll teach you how to go backpacking in Saudi Arabia, give you an idea of how much travel in Saudi Arabia costs, and show you how to save money in Saudi Arabia while visiting the best spots in the country! Yalla!
Saudi Arabian Accommodation On A Budget
The first factor that makes travelling to Saudi Arabia on a budget difficult is the lack of affordable housing, at least not cheap, good accommodation, because hostels do not exist.
The greatest locations to browse for hotels in Saudi Arabia are Booking.com and Airbnb!
In Riyadh, a reasonable hotel will set you back roughly 300SAR / £62.00 / $80.00 USD per night, or less for a lower-cost choice.
I found accomodation in Jeddah for 100SAR per night / £20.00 / $25.00USD, which was significantly less expensive than Riyadh.
However, you will have to spend extra once you leave these two major cities and travel to cities like as Abha, Dammam, Jazan, and Tabuk.
When it comes to hotel ratings in Saudi Arabia, it’s worth knowing that Saudis are notoriously severe. Normally, I would never book a hotel with a rating of less than 8 on Booking.com, and I would always book a 9 rating, however in Saudi Arabia, a 7 rating is rather normal. I discovered that the quality isn’t as poor as it is in other parts of the world, which is a good thing!
How To Save Money On Accommodation In Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, Couch Surfing is the ideal way to save money on lodging, yet it should be mentioned that Couch Surfing is more than just saving money on lodging. You must be willing to use the app to meet and socialise with locals.
Couch surfing has made my vacations to Saudi Arabia much more enjoyable. I’ve hung out with both men and women. I felt very safe in Saudi Arabia as a solitary female travelling. Of course, when couch surfing, you must be cautious about who you choose and check their ratings, but this is true all over the world.
You may wild camp for free in many spots in Saudi Arabia if you’re on a road trip and the weather permits!
Another strategy to save money on lodging is to plan your trip to Saudi Arabia depending on where the cheapest hotels are. If you want to visit both, for example, Jeddah is less expensive than Riyadh, then stay an extra night in Jeddah rather than Riyadh!
Saudi Arabia’s Low-Cost Transportation
Saudi Arabia is a massive country with equally massive cities like Riyadh.
Riyadh is currently constructing a metro system, which will make visiting the greatest places to see in Riyadh much more affordable once it is completed. Currently, the only method to get around Riyadh is via taxi, which is also the case in Jeddah, Dammam, Abha, and Jazan.
There are a few ways for going from one city to another in Saudi Arabia:
The bus is the cheapest mode of transportation in Saudi Arabia. SAPTCO is Saudi Arabia’s most reliable bus service, offering InterCity Buses like the one I took from Jeddah to Madinah, as well as Urban Transportation within the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam. Makkah and Madinah.
I found the SAPTCO Bus to be well-organized, on time, quite comfortable, and reasonably priced, and I highly recommend it!
Train — While the train does not connect all cities in Saudi Arabia, it does connect parts of them, and the costs are reasonable and less expensive than flying if you buy tickets in advance. I took the train from Riyadh to Dammam, but because I booked last minute, I was only able to get Business class. Saudi trains are of good quality and comfortable, but they do not travel as frequently as buses.
What’s more perplexing is that Saudi Arabia’s train networks aren’t all under one website or firm, so you’ll have to look elsewhere.
SAR is the website where you can book trains departing from Riyadh, as well as trains to and from Qassim, Hail, Jauf, and Majmaah.
You may reserve trains between Riyadh, Dammam, and Al-Ahsa on the SRO website.
The HRR SAR website is where you may book trains between Jeddah, Madinah, and Makkah. Look at this post for further information on this train, including its schedule and days of operation.
Flight – The quickest way to go about Saudi Arabia is to fly. There are a few low-cost airlines, such as Flyadeal and Flynas, that fly all across the country on a regular basis. If you book ahead of time, are flexible with your flight time, and only bring hand luggage, flight fares can be very affordable! I got a flight for 150-180 SAR / £30.00 – £37,00 / $40.00 – $48.00 SAR from Riyadh to Jeddah and Jeddah to Madinah.
Within Saudi Arabia, Skyscanner is the best place to search for and compare flights!
Car Rental – Fuel in Saudi Arabia is inexpensive, as you would assume, so this is one method to tour Saudi Arabia on a budget. However, car rental is not cheap, and be aware that driving in Saudi Arabia is dangerous.
How To Save Money On Transportation In Saudi Arabia
If you’re booking last-minute, consider taking the bus; it will take longer, but costs appear to be low until the day of travel. If you’re planning a trip to Saudi Arabia in advance, book your flights and trains ahead of time to receive the best deals!
Saudi Arabian Sightseeing On A Budget
As previously said, there is a severe dearth of public transportation in Saudi Arabia, therefore you will need to drive or take cabs to tour the cities, villages, and countryside.
As with any city, the best approach to see all of the major attractions on a budget is to organise your itinerary ahead of time and visit locations that are in the same vicinity all at once, rather than taking taxis all over town.
In Riyadh, for example, I recommend seeing the National Museum of Saudi Arabia and Masmak Fort on the same day because they are so close.
In the east, the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh and Old Deerah are also close.
Check out 16 Things to Do in Riyadh as a Tourist but Like a Local for more suggestions on things to do in Riyadh, including several local activities.
In Saudi Arabia, day tours are offered, particularly from Riyadh to the Edge of the World and the Red Sand Dunes. Although group trips cost around 300 SAR, they are significantly less expensive than private tours.
If you wish to see the Edge of the World, I propose Riyadh Hiking. It’s not only a fantastic tour, but it also attracts a large number of Saudis, so you’ll make some new acquaintances from the region. These tours are only available on weekends (Friday and Saturday), so plan your trip to Saudi Arabia around them!
Saudi Arabian Food And Drink On A Budget
In Saudi Arabia, food can be costly. Local cuisine like as Kapsa (rice and meat) is available, but Saudis prefer international cuisine and western brands, and it’s simple to eat mostly at these establishments, which can quickly add up.
Burgers are major business in Riyadh, and they cost the same as they do in London or any other Western city, making it difficult to stick to a budget when visiting Saudi Arabia.
How To Save Money On Food In Saudi Arabia
Shawarma is the most cost-effective dish in Saudi Arabia, and there are plenty of Shawarma restaurants to choose from!
There are many of tiny, local eateries run by Indians, Pakistanis, and others if you want to eat cheap, local food and are willing to consume Indian food, although they are not always simple to discover. Furthermore, as a guy, you will most likely feel comfortable entering them, however as a woman, you may not, and you may not even be permitted in!
In terms of drinking, because Saudi Arabia is a dry country, this keeps alcohol costs to nil. They do, however, consume a lot of coffee instead of alcohol, and the cafés in Saudi Arabia are very spectacular and elegant, resulting in a higher price tag for the coffee.
The cheapest coffee I found was from Dunken Donuts, and outside of coffee shops and chain brands, men selling coffee and chai from their cars for a few SAR can be found around parks and on the street.
In Saudi Arabia, you must purchase water because it is not safe to drink from the tap. A bottle of water costs around 2SAR. Of course, purchasing water from a supermarket or corner store is less expensive than purchasing water from a restaurant.
If you happen to live among Saudis, you’ll notice that they all have a filter tap in their kitchen, which will save you money on bottled water and help the environment (something Saudi isn’t concerned about right now, regrettably!)
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