AlUla, with its lush oasis and rich history, has long been a sanctuary for travellers, offering a blend of revitalisation and discovery.

This legacy is beautifully captured during the annual Winter at Tantora festival, which celebrates history, culture, music, dining and offers immersion into the rich traditions of AlUla and northwest Arabia from 19th December to 11th January 2025.

One of the most unique ways Winter at Tantora harnesses this legacy is through the ‘In the Footsteps of Ibn Battuta Discovery Tour’, which is a deep dive into the life of its namesake, offering Saudi and international visitors rare insight into the icon.

In the 14th century, the famed Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta visited AlUla during his legendary journey across four continents. Heralding from Tangier, Morocco, Ibn Battuta’s life and travels exemplify the transformative power of exploration. His encounters, recorded in his famous travelogue known as The Rihla (‘The Journey’), offer a glimpse into AlUla’s pivotal role as a place of exploration and respite on the historic trade and pilgrimage routes.

Born in 1304 to a family of qadis (judges), Ibn Battuta seemed destined to follow in their footsteps. However, at 21, he embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca, igniting a lifelong passion for travel. Over 29 years, he traversed approximately 113,000 kilometres — equivalent to travelling between AlUla and Sydney nearly 10 times. His reflections, including his well-known adage, “Travelling — it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller,” capture the transformative nature of his journey.

When Ibn Battuta arrived in AlUla in 1326, he described AlUla as “a large, beautiful village with palm groves and well-stocked water.” The oasis must have felt like a haven to weary travellers navigating the harsh landscapes of Arabia. For over 7,000 years, AlUla’s fertile ground and abundant water sources have supported a variety of crops, including dates, figs, grapes, and citrus fruits such as tangerines — a fitting connection to Ibn Battuta’s nickname. The explorer himself praised Arabian dates, calling them the best he had ever tasted, and AlUla’s date palms remain its oldest living residents, some thriving for over 150 years.

The generosity and hospitality of AlUla’s people also left a lasting impression on Ibn Battuta. Travellers often entrusted locals with provisions, a testament to the town’s reputation for trustworthiness and its strategic importance along trade and pilgrimage routes. These values are still reflected today in AlUla’s vibrant markets and warm traditions, such as offering visitors water, Arabic coffee, and dates — symbols of its enduring culture of welcome.

The journey to AlUla was not without peril. Ibn Battuta recounted the dangers of traversing nearby regions, where scorching heat and the dreaded ‘samoom’ winds tested even the hardiest travellers. Arriving in AlUla’s oasis must have felt like a moment of delight — a place to rest, replenish, and prepare for the next leg of the journey.

Today, AlUla continues to embody its historical role as a crossroads of culture and commerce. The Old Town, with its maze of 900 mudbrick buildings, harbours centuries of memories, while modern day markets and events like the Old Town Tantora Celebrations highlights its ever-valued heritage. Visitors walking these storied lanes are not just tourists—they become storytellers, carrying the legacy of Ibn Battuta and countless others who found inspiration in AlUla’s timeless beauty.

As Ibn Battuta wisely noted, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” In AlUla, every visitor adds a new chapter to this enduring tale of exploration, connection, and revitalisation.

Learn more about Winter at Tantora and the ‘In the Footsteps of Ibn Battuta Discovery Tour’ here.