With kids · Riyadh · Saudi Arabia
Riyadh with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Hamza A. Durrani, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Riyadh is family-oriented: evenings in parks, malls and Riyadh Season venues are packed with Saudi families, and children are welcome in restaurants late into the night. Heat is the main constraint, so plan outdoor visits for the cooler months or after sunset. Top picks: Boulevard City and Boulevard World, Kingdom Centre Sky Bridge and National Museum of Saudi Arabia. Families usually base themselves in Al Olaya.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Al Olaya
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- December
Best things to do with kids
Experience · Hittin and Al Malqa
1.Boulevard City and Boulevard World
These large entertainment zones in the north of the city are the main venues of Riyadh Season, usually held from autumn through the winter. Boulevard City has restaurants, theatres and concert venues, while Boulevard World is laid out as country-themed zones around a lake, with rides and shows.
Check what is running before you go, as attractions and opening periods change from season to season.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Tickets are sold online for each season; some shows and concerts sell out.
- Kids
- After dark
- Food
Viewpoint · Al Olaya
2.Kingdom Centre Sky Bridge
The 302-metre Kingdom Centre, completed in 2002, is crowned by a parabolic opening spanned by a glass-sided bridge about 300 metres up. Two lifts take visitors up for a view over the grid of the city and the desert beyond; a large mall fills the base.
Go around sunset to see the city by day and lit up after dark in one visit.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- After dark
- Kids
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Museum · Al Murabba
3.National Museum of Saudi Arabia
Within the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, the National Museum's galleries run from geology and prehistoric rock art through the incense trade, pre-Islamic kingdoms, the life of the Prophet and the Hajj, to the unification of the kingdom. It is the best single introduction to the country's history.
Allow at least two hours and start at the top of the chronology; the gardens of the historical centre are pleasant in the evening.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Art
Park · Ad Diriyah
4.Wadi Hanifa
This long valley runs along the western side of the city past Diriyah. Its restored banks have walking and cycling paths, palm groves, picnic spots and small lakes, and on cooler evenings and weekends families gather here for barbecues and walks.
Walk the stretch near Diriyah in the early evening from October to March, when temperatures are comfortable.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Kids
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Castle · Deira and Al Batha
5.Masmak Fortress
This clay-and-mudbrick fort with four watchtowers was built in the 1860s and is where Abdulaziz Ibn Saud's men captured Riyadh in 1902, the event that began the founding of modern Saudi Arabia. The museum inside tells the story with photographs, weapons and a spearhead still lodged in the original wooden door.
Combine it with Souq Al Zal and the old souqs around Al Adl Square on the same morning.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
Market · Eastern outskirts
6.Riyadh Camel Market
On the city's eastern outskirts, traders buy and sell camels, sheep and goats in a large open-air livestock market, with feed sellers and stalls of camel gear around it. It is a working market rather than a show, and gives a sense of the desert economy that predates the towers.
Go in the late afternoon, wear closed shoes and ask before photographing traders.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
- Kids
Rainy-day ideas
- National Museum of Saudi Arabia — Allow at least two hours and start at the top of the chronology; the gardens of the historical centre are pleasant in the evening.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, luxury and families
Al Olaya
Olaya is Riyadh's commercial spine, home to the Kingdom Centre and Al Faisaliah towers, large international hotels and malls. It is the most central base for first-time visitors, with metro stations on the Blue Line and quick ride-hailing access to the old centre, Diriyah and KAFD.
- Good
- Central for most sights; Wide choice of hotels and restaurants; Metro and malls on the doorstep
- Watch out
- Heavy traffic at rush hour; Hot, car-oriented streets
- Nearby
- Kingdom Centre, Al Faisaliah Tower, Tahlia Street
Family travel tips
- Plan outdoor sights for the early morning or evening, even in winter.
- Malls have large indoor play areas and are a useful break from the heat.
- Many restaurants have family sections with partitioned seating.
- Carry water and sun hats, and keep children shaded at Diriyah and on desert trips.
- Riyadh Season venues get very crowded on Thursday and Friday nights; weekdays are calmer.
Day trips for families
- Al-Ahsa Oasis (About 3 hours each way by train) — One of the largest oases in the world, with more than two million date palms, springs, the historic Qaisariya souq in Hofuf and the cave passages of Jabal Al-Qarah.
When to go with children
The best months overall are November–March. December is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Riyadh good for kids?
Riyadh is family-oriented: evenings in parks, malls and Riyadh Season venues are packed with Saudi families, and children are welcome in restaurants late into the night. Heat is the main constraint, so plan outdoor visits for the cooler months or after sunset.
+What can kids do in Riyadh?
Boulevard City and Boulevard World, Kingdom Centre Sky Bridge, National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Wadi Hanifa and Masmak Fortress.
+Where should families stay in Riyadh?
Al Olaya: Business towers, malls and hotels along Olaya Street and King Fahd Road.