Taif is in the Sarawat mountains, well over a thousand metres above Makkah, and its attraction is the cooler air. People come for a weekend or the summer, and the questions they ask are about getting up there, getting between hotels and viewpoints, and getting down again by mountain road. This page covers those.
Getting to Taif
Most visitors come by road from Makkah or Jeddah, and a few fly into Taif International Airport. See the Taif Airport page for pickups and departures.
Hotels and resorts
Hotels and resorts are spread out, and some are well off the main roads. Give us the name and a location pin, and tell us what time you are arriving. Check-in is often in the afternoon, so many visitors go to a viewpoint or a farm first.
Send your pickup, destination, date and passengers and we will confirm the vehicle and price.
What to see, and how to get there
The places visitors ask for are in different parts of the area, so a driver for a few hours is practical.
- Al Hada, on the mountain road, with views over the escarpment
- Al Shafa, the highland area known for its cool weather and farms
- Shubra Palace, a historic building in the city that houses a museum
- Rose farms, best in spring when the roses are harvested; check the dates before you plan around them
Weather and clothing
It can be cool, misty or windy at height, even in summer evenings. Take a jacket.
Mountain roads
Roads up to and down from Taif have steep and winding sections. If anyone in your group gets car sick, tell us and we will drive gently and stop for a break. In the summer and on school holidays, the roads are busy at the weekend.
Going down to Makkah or Jeddah
For Umrah, the road to Makkah passes the miqat at Qarn al-Manazil (As-Sayl al-Kabir), and we can plan a stop: see Taif to Makkah. For a flight or the coast, see Taif to Jeddah.
Families and groups
A weekend stay means more bags. Tell us how many people and bags and we will suggest a vehicle. See the fleet, and private chauffeur if you want one driver for the whole stay.
Planning a rose-season visit
Taif is known for its roses, which flower in spring and are harvested early in the morning to be turned into rose water and oil. If this is why you are going, ask the farm about the season and its opening hours before you set off, since they vary with the weather. Visiting early means cooler weather and a better chance of seeing the harvest, but it also means an early start from the hotel.
Farms are often on side roads where the lane is narrower than the highway, so tell the driver the name or give the pin.
A stay of several days
Visitors who stay for a few days often use Taif as a base, going out each day to a different place and returning to the hotel to rest. A car with a driver for the day is usually simpler than several bookings, and it allows spontaneous changes. If you want a driver on certain days only, tell us which, and book the rest as you go.
Summer crowds, winter cold
In summer, Taif fills with visitors escaping the heat, and hotels and restaurants are crowded, particularly at weekends. In winter, nights can be cold enough for frost on higher ground, and some visitors are surprised by how much warm clothing they need. Check the forecast a few days before travelling and pack accordingly.
Taif for pilgrims and for families on holiday
Not everyone in Taif is on a pilgrimage. Many visitors are families on a school-holiday break, and the pace is slower, with long meals, park visits and shopping. Pilgrims who stop in Taif for a few days often use the time to rest between rituals. We plan differently for the two: for families we think about children and play, for pilgrims we plan around prayer and the road down to Makkah.