Yanbu divides sharply between its industrial port operations and the older town. Most visitors are here for the diving — the reefs off Yanbu are the main draw, less visited than those around Jeddah and in noticeably better condition as a result. The Yanbu Waterfront provides an accessible seafront area with walking paths along the Red Sea. The Old Town (Al-Balad) of Yanbu preserves some traditional Hejazi architecture that the modern city has largely swept away elsewhere.
For diving, several dive centres in the city organise boat trips to specific reef sites. The water is warm year-round — around 22-26°C — and visibility is generally excellent from October through May. Sharks, rays, and large pelagic fish are more commonly encountered here than at the busier sites to the south.
Yanbu Commercial Port, one of the oldest ports on the Red Sea, has a long history connecting the Hejaz to trade routes across the Indian Ocean and East Africa. T.E. Lawrence passed through during the Arab Revolt in 1916, and the port saw action during the Ottoman campaigns of the early nineteenth century.