Andante Travels (www.andantetravels.co.uk, 01722 713 800) has launched an exciting new tour for 2021, which will take archaeology and history enthusiasts on a unique, expert-led exploration of Saudi Arabia. Departing on 13th January and priced from £8,695 per person, this adventure begins in Riyadh, Saudi's impressive capital, and travels onward through locations such as the Empty Quarter, Ha'il, Al'Ula, Hegra, Dedan and Jeddah, where the trip finally comes to an end.

The highlights on this tour are both extensive and awe-inspiring. Guests will stop to observe Elephant Rock before continuing on to Hegra, the second most important Nabatean city after Petra, where a staggering 131 monumental tombs and 2,000 non-monumental tombs can be found. At the King Saud University, guests will be treated to a privileged personal encounter with Dr Samer from the Antiquities Department, who will talk with the group about recent excavations. There will also be a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Jubbah, which contains some of the best petroglyphs in the Middle East, produced from the 10th to the 6th millennium. Additionally, the internal journeys during the 12 days will vary from a scenic rail journey in business class to a ride aboard a fleet of 4x4s.

Roger Harrison, the expert guide who will lead this tour, worked for 18 years as a Senior Reporter at the Arab News, where he engaged with Saudi people at all social levels, travelled widely and flew over the Kingdom accompanying two senior princes in gliders, which resulted in his definitive work, “Wings Over Arabia”.

To view the tour in full, including its day-by-day itinerary, please click here.

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For more information, call Andante Travels on 01722 713800 or visit https://www.andantetravels.co.uk/

For further media information, contact: Martha Whatley, Content Marketing and PR Executive, martha@specialistjourneys.com 

Notes to editors 

Founded in 1985, Andante Travels – part of the Specialist Journeys group – has grown to become one of the UK's leading specialist tour operators. The company has previously won the 'Best Small Holiday Company for Customer Service' title at the prestigious British Travel Awards, and thanks to the wonderful support of its travellers, it won the Best Special Interest Holiday and Best Holiday Company to the Italian Peninsula & Malta categories at the 2018 British Travel Awards, and was also shortlisted for the Best Cultural Tour Operator in the 2018 Silver Travel Awards. In 2019, Andante made the shortlist for the Marketing Excellence prize at the South Wilts Business of the Year Awards. It won two prizes at the Luxury Lifestyle Magazine Readers' Travel Awards and, most recently, the company won silver for Best Special Interest Holiday Company and bronze for Best Holiday Company to the Italian Peninsula at the 2019 British Travel Awards.

Andante's tours have been named 'Trips of a Lifetime' by the National Geographic Traveler on five occasions and in 2018 it appointed Jackie Willis as its new CEO, who brought with her over 35 years of touring and travel experience. Over the years, the company has introduced thousands of people to the wonders of the ancient world. Its tours are all designed and led by renowned experts, who bring a unique, special insight to each site visited in every corner of the globe, and every one of its itineraries boasts exclusive access to either a museum or venue, a specific archaeological site or to a workshop. Andante's tours are peppered with hands-on, immersive experiences that offer an authentic taste of each destination and leave the guest with memories that will last long after they return home.