First documented solo walk across Saudi Arabia completes 2,195-kilometer journey

A 62-year-old Edinburgh adventurer has become the first documented person to walk the entire length of Saudi Arabia from north to south, covering 2,195 kilometers over 112 days. Alice Morrison, an author and TV presenter with decades of travel behind her, completed the feat on Dec. 15, 2025, after starting the trek on Jan. 1, 2025.

Morrison embarked with a small specialist team and two camels, Juicy and Lulu, choosing to travel by foot along routes that trace historic caravan paths across the Kingdom. She said the decision to include camels was rooted in cultural respect, noting that walking the routes without their traditional mode of transport would have felt inappropriate given the country’s heritage. The journey unfolded across six provinces — Tabuk, Medina, Mecca, Al Baha, Aseer and Najran — with daily distances averaging about a half-marathon.

The expedition was conducted under challenging conditions and strict scheduling. Morrison and her team faced extreme heat, with temperatures climbing to around 39C, and the timing of Ramadan in late February forced adjustments to the pace. To manage the heat, she shifted walks to the cooler early hours of the day. A backup support truck trailed behind, but Morrison stressed that camels remain an integral part of Saudi culture, and she wanted to honor that tradition despite the practical risks involved in such a long-distance trek.

Morrison has long been a globe-trotter. Born partly in Uganda and Ghana and educated in the United Kingdom, she has taught abroad and built a career as a journalist, author and television presenter. Her latest journey to Saudi Arabia has been described as more than a passport stamp; she repeatedly cited personal growth and cultural discovery as key outcomes. She spoke of the country’s wild landscapes, history, and, importantly, the hospitality of its people, which helped sustain her through the toughest stretches of the route.

The trek was not without physical and logistical hurdles. Early in the first leg, Morrison developed severe blisters that bled into her shoes, a setback she managed with careful care and rest. Even Lulu, one of the expedition’s camels, developed blisters, prompting Morrison to design a protective shoe for the animal. The daily routine, though grueling, blended endurance with moments of quiet reflection as she passed ancient rock carvings and encamped beside Bedouin tents where cardamom coffee was shared as a sign of welcome.

In reflecting on the journey, Morrison noted that walking the length of the Kingdom offered a unique lens into Saudi culture and landscape. She described the experience as meditative, saying the motion allowed her to “see and feel every detail” of the land and its people. She also highlighted a quiet cultural shift she observed among Saudi women, describing them as part of a broader, evolving social current within the country.

Arriving in Najran, near the Yemen border, marked an emotional close to a chapter she says was as much about personal discovery as geography. Morrison has already written four travel books and indicated she plans to document the Saudi Arabia expedition in a new book. She also plans to produce a film about the journey, aiming to share the story of the trek with audiences beyond the travel community and to illuminate the human connections forged along the way.