Saudi Arabia & The Hijaz Railway ~ A Unique New, Private Tour from Corinthian Travel ~

BASINGSTOKE, U.K. - Aug. 12, 2021 - PRLog -- Corinthian Travel has put together a new itinerary entitled Saudi Arabia & The Hijaz Railway (https://www.corinthiantravel.co.uk/destination/saudi-arabia-tours/saudi-arabia-hijaz-railway), an epic journey through the heart of Arabia that traces the doomed Ottoman built Hijaz railway from Tabuk to its terminus in the Holy City of Medina.

On this privately guided tour, become one of the first visitors who has travelled to Saudi Arabia and witnessed where T.E Lawrence and the Bedouin forces of Prince Faisal (amongst others) wrought fire and destruction on the Hijaz railway during the Arab Revolt (1916-1918).

Exploring the railway is an adventure in itself that also reveals a magical piece of history that has been frozen in time. Despite its abandonment in 1920, the blockhouses, embankments, cuttings, and culverts of the Hijaz Railway in Saudi Arabia still stand and remain a monument both to the last engineering huzzah of the Ottoman Empire, and to all those who fought in Arab Revolt.

Highlights of the Hijaz railway tour in Saudi Arabia include following the railway off-road though the stunning mountain scenery of the Hijaz, passing through the 180-metre-long 'abgaz' tunnel, crossing dry wadis on the original Ottoman embankments, and stumbling across the derailed or abandoned Hartmann, Krauss, and SLM locomotives in their eerie, desert isolation.

There will also be a visit to km 1121 where T.E Lawrence derailed a train, and Abu Na'am station, the location of his first attack on the Hijaz railway in March 1917, as well as the Hijaz Railway Museum in Medina where you can see several locomotives.

Before the unique journey concludes on the Red Sea coast, travel by High-Speed train between Medina and Jeddah, taking in the locomotives and rail memorabilia at Saudi Arabia's two dedicated Hijaz railway museums, and visit the iconic Nabataean tombs of Hegra – the southern Petra.

The tour can also be extended to include an exploration of the Hijaz railway to the north of Tabuk, a journey from Al Ula to Medina (in two stages), or a visit to the vast oasis of Al Ahsa by train.

The holiday costs from £4980 per person (two sharing a room) which includes private transportation throughout, train tickets, nine nights' B&B (plus six lunches and two dinners), sightseeing/entrance fees, services of chauffeur-guides for all specified sightseeing (day 2 to day 9) and all transfers.  Flights not included.

Corinthian Travel (020 3583 6089, corinthiantravel.co.uk).

The KSA resumed re-issuing tourist visas on 1 August.