Riyadh

Best Things To Do

The National Museum and Riyadh Zoo are safe bets for enjoyable places to take children and the Desert Diamond hunt is family friendly, even if it does take an entire day. The Ice Skating center is also a great distraction for the children, especially since the center also contains tennis courts, a bowling alley, and a restaurant.

Showing 1–11 of 11 places

City guide section

Top picks in Riyadh

Showing 1–11 of 11 places

Browse the highlights below, then open any place for maps, area notes, and practical details.

The National Museum and Riyadh Zoo

The National Museum and Riyadh Zoo are safe bets for enjoyable places to take children and the Desert Diamond hunt is family friendly, even if it does take an entire day.

Kingdom Centre

Kingdom Centre Daily 4-9 PM. Kingdom Center is situated in Al-Urubah Road between King Fahd Road and Olaya Road in the growing business district of Olaya.

The Diplomatic Quarter

The Diplomatic Quarter, or DQ as it is popularly known, is home to foreign embassies and international organizations, as well as residential structures and malls.

Masmak Fortress

The heart of old Riyadh, this was the fortress stormed by King Abdul Aziz and his men in their daring conquest of Riyadh in 1902.

National Museum

Opened in 1999, this museum is undoubtedly one of the top sites in Riyadh. The museum is infused with the latest technology and is very accessible to visitors, with almost everything available in English.

Murabba Palace (Qasr al-Murabba)

This is Riyadh's second old mud-brick palace, built by King Abdul Aziz after he conquered Masmak Fortress because he wanted a more strategically powerful fort.

Dirab Golf & Country club

This attraction is a thirty minute drive west of Riyadh. It features a traditional country club layout with superb grassy greens; the last nine holes are even floodlit for night golf.

Al-Thumairi Gate

This is an impressive restoration of one of the nine city gates that led into the city until its walls were torn down in 1950. It is a quaint reminder of the city’s past.

Riyadh Zoo

The park is located in the Malaz area, east of Al-Ahsa Street and North Street Musab bin Amir. The zoo is home to over 1,400 animals of 40 different species of animals and birds including reptiles, crocodiles,

Al Faisaliyah Center

This commercial skyscraper is the second tallest building in Saudi Arabia (after the Kingdom Center) and is located in the business district of Riyadh.

Dir’aiyah

Reconstructed palaces, mosques, and the old city wall, made from the traditional mud brick, form what is now the country’s most popular archaeological site.