By air
Abha (AHB), ~20 km
Middle East · Saudi Arabia
Abha, Saudi Arabia
Cool mountains and painted villages
Getting there
Best time to visit
June to September — cool in the mountains
Don't miss
Rijal Almaa
Al Soudah
The Abha Dam
Al Muftaha village
Things to do
The cable cars
Al Soudah's peaks
The painted houses
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: marviikad · CC BY-SA 2.0
What to pack
Layers
A quieter corner
The hanging village of Al Habala
Questions travellers ask
When is Abha cool enough to visit?
June to September, when it's cool in the mountains. Bring layers.
What should I see around Abha?
Rijal Almaa, Al Soudah's peaks, the Abha Dam and Al Muftaha village — plus the cable cars and the painted houses.
Is there a hidden gem near Abha?
The hanging village of Al Habala.
Where do I fly into for Abha?
Abha (AHB), about 20 km away. Once you arrive, try areeka, a date and bread dish.
About Abha
- Mountains
Where it is
Abha is the capital of the Asir Province in south-western Saudi Arabia, high in the Sarawat Mountains at more than 2,000 m above sea level, with the Red Sea coastal plain of the Tihamah far below to the west.
History
The highlands of Asir were long ruled by local tribes and emirates and contested by the Ottomans and regional powers before being brought into the Saudi state in the 1920s. Its villages kept a distinctive architecture of stone and mud towers, and in recent decades the cool climate has made Abha a summer retreat for Saudis escaping the heat of the lowlands.
People
Asiris speak Arabic and are known for Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, the bright geometric wall painting traditionally done by women inside their homes, which is on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Men of some Tihamah and mountain tribes traditionally wear wreaths of herbs and flowers.
Known for
- The stone tower houses of Rijal Almaa
- Al Soudah's peaks and cable car
- The painted walls of Asiri houses
- Cool summers and misty mountain views
- Al Habala, the hanging village
Did you know?
Jabal Sawda, near Abha, rises to about 3,000 m and is usually cited as the highest mountain in Saudi Arabia.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.