Jeddah is a long city on the Red Sea coast, and distances inside it are bigger than visitors expect. It is also where most people arrive for Makkah, so its taxi needs are of two kinds: the airport and the road to the Holy Cities, and getting around the city for hotels, business and sightseeing.
The airport and the road from it
King Abdulaziz International Airport is on the northern side of the city. From it, the hotel in central Jeddah is a 30 to 40 km drive, Makkah is about 100 km and Madinah about 430 km. Which of those you choose changes how you should book. See the Jeddah Airport page for arrivals, departures and what to send us.
Send your pickup, destination, date and passengers and we will confirm the vehicle and price.
Getting around the city
A ride across Jeddah can take much longer than one on a map. The places visitors usually ask for are:
- Al-Balad, the historic district, where streets are narrow and we agree a drop-off point nearby
- The Corniche along the waterfront, with hotels, restaurants and the King Fahd Fountain
- Al-Rahma Mosque, the mosque on the water often called the Floating Mosque
- Malls and business districts spread along the main roads
A driver for the day
If you have several stops, book one driver for the day instead of separate rides. The car waits between stops. See private chauffeur for how that is arranged.
Business travellers
Meetings in Jeddah depend on arriving when you said you would. Send us the addresses and times and we plan the pickups with a margin. For executives, delegations and events see business transportation.
Day trips to Makkah, Madinah and Taif
Many Jeddah residents and visitors go to Makkah for Umrah and come back the same day: see Jeddah to Makkah. Madinah is a longer day trip and often an overnight: see Jeddah to Madinah. For cooler weather, Jeddah to Taif.
Families and hotel stays
Hotels are spread along the Corniche and in the north and centre, so give us the hotel name and the pickup time. A Premium SUV takes five passengers and four bags and a Luxury Van takes eight passengers and six bags. See the fleet.
A city measured in kilometres, not minutes
Jeddah is a long, low city, and a trip from the northern districts near the airport to the historic district in the south can take as long as the road to Makkah on a bad day. When you book, give the district and a landmark, not only a hotel name. Many Jeddah hotels share names with places elsewhere, and a wrong guess costs time.
Traffic is at its worst in the late afternoon and early evening. For flights and meetings, we suggest leaving more margin than you would in a smaller city.
The old city and the waterfront
The historic district of Al-Balad has narrow streets that cars cannot enter, so pickups happen at the edges. The Corniche, by contrast, is wide and easy for vehicles. If you plan an evening on the waterfront and a late return, agree a pickup time in advance, since taxis are harder to find when the crowds leave.
Using Jeddah as a base between holy cities
Some pilgrims prefer to stay in Jeddah and visit Makkah and Madinah in separate trips, because hotels, restaurants and shops are easier in a larger city. If that is your plan, a driver for each outing keeps things simple: out to Makkah in the morning, back for rest and out again another day. Agree the times in advance, since the busiest hours on the road to Makkah are predictable.
Jeddah for transit passengers with a long layover
Some travellers have several hours between flights and want to see something of the city. If that is you, give us your arrival and departure times, and we will say what is realistic. A drive along the Corniche and a meal in the old district is possible with a long layover, but only if the margin back to the airport is generous. A shorter visit near the airport is safer when the gap is tight.