SA
Abha
Misty green mountains and stone villages of the south
Misty green mountains and stone villages of the south
The highest point in Saudi Arabia, this misty escarpment above Abha is cloaked in juniper forest and often wrapped in cloud, with a cable car dropping to the valley below.
💡 Mornings are clearest before the afternoon fog rolls in.
A stunning restored heritage village of multi-storey stone-and-quartz houses on the old trade route to Yemen, a UNESCO-tentative site rich in Asiri architecture and colourful interiors.
💡 The village museum shows the vivid painted Al-Qatt interiors.
The dramatic ‘hanging village’ clings to a cliff ledge once reachable only by rope, home to the Flower Men; a cable car now descends to the abandoned stone dwellings.
💡 Take the cable car down for the cliff-edge village and views.
Several cable cars string across the Asir valleys, gliding over forested slopes and cliffs between the city, Al Souda and mountain parks for spectacular aerial views.
💡 Ride on a clear day for the best mountain panoramas.
A striking white-and-ochre mudbrick palace in the city centre, now a museum of Asiri heritage, standing amid Abha’s bustling streets and markets.
💡 Combine it with the lively Tuesday market nearby.
Asiri cuisine is hearty mountain food: try areeka (mashed bread with honey and ghee), aseedah, grilled meats and local honey prized across the Kingdom. Abha’s markets overflow with fruit, and cafes serve Saudi coffee with cardamom. The cooler climate makes for pleasant open-air dining, and the region’s honey and coffee, grown on terraced slopes, are famous souvenirs. Alcohol is prohibited nationwide.
Explore Shada Palace and Abha’s markets, then ride a cable car over the green valleys for mountain views.
Visit the stunning stone village of Rijal Almaa and the cliff-hanging houses of Habala by cable car.
Head up to Al Souda, the Kingdom’s highest point, for juniper forests, viewpoints and cool mountain air.
Asir catches monsoon cloud in summer; mornings are clearest, and afternoons often turn misty and cool.
At altitude Abha is cool even in summer and can be cold at night; bring warmer clothing.
Modest dress is expected, as across the Kingdom.
Cards work in the city, but keep riyals for village stalls and rural areas.
Skyscraper Riyadh, Red Sea Jeddah, the Nabataean tombs of AlUla, misty-mountain Abha and the reefs of the Farasan Islands — five faces of Saudi Arabia.