The Najd plateau gets brutally hot — May to September daytime temperatures regularly clear 45°C, and the mud-brick walls offer little useful shade. The right months are November to March, when daytime highs are pleasant (20–25°C) and evenings cool down enough for jackets.
The annual Diriyah E-Prix in late January or February (Formula E electric racing) and the Diriyah Season cultural events from November to February together fill out the high season. At-Turaif is most photogenic in the hour before sunset, when the mud-brick walls turn copper.