This page is for people leaving Makkah for Jeddah itself, not for the airport: a few days on the coast after Umrah, a business meeting, a family visit or a hotel on the Corniche. Jeddah is a long, spread-out city, so where in the city you are going matters more than the 80 km on the highway. For the airport see Makkah to Jeddah Airport.
Leaving Makkah
Traffic in central Makkah is slowest around prayer times and after the congregational prayers, and on Fridays. Agree a pickup time that avoids them and a pickup point that a car can reach. Tell us the hotel and we will confirm where the car can wait.
Where in Jeddah are you going?
The highway from Makkah enters Jeddah from the east. From there, trips to different parts of the city differ a lot in length.
- Al-Balad, the historic district, has narrow streets, so we agree a drop-off point near your destination.
- The Corniche and the north have many hotels and restaurants and are a longer drive across the city.
- Business districts and malls are spread along the main roads, so give us the exact address.
Send your pickup, destination, date and passengers and we will confirm the vehicle and price.
If you are staying on the coast after Umrah
Some pilgrims spend a few days in Jeddah before flying home. If your flight is a few days away, take the hotel transfer now and book Jeddah Airport separately for the day you fly, so the airport pickup is timed to the flight and not to today's journey.
A driver for the day in Jeddah
If you have several places to go, hire the driver for the day instead of booking separate rides. The car and driver stay with you between stops. See private chauffeur for how that works, and tell us your itinerary when you book.
Business trips
For meetings, tell us the time and the address and we will plan to arrive with a margin. If a colleague or client is travelling with you, see business transportation for executive vehicles and delegations.
Where in Jeddah are you going?
This route ends in many different places: a hotel on the Corniche, a family home in a residential district, an office, or a ferry, rail or bus connection. For each, the driver chooses a different final approach, and the time varies. If your destination is the airport, use the Makkah to Jeddah Airport page, which is built around flights. This page is for everything else.
Share the exact address or pin and we will confirm whether we can reach it by road easily. In older parts of the city streets are narrow, so the car may need to stop on the nearest main road.
Business travel from the holy city
Business visitors who are staying in Makkah while attending meetings in Jeddah sometimes find the road quicker than they expect and the central Makkah hotel exit slower. Allow time for the hotel forecourt, which can be congested after prayers, then add the hour on the road, then the last few kilometres inside Jeddah. If you need a driver for several stops, see private chauffeur.
Timing the exit from central Makkah
The hour after Fajr and the period after Isha see the roads around the Haram fill with vehicles and pedestrians. A car that tries to leave in those windows may spend more time on the first few hundred metres than on the next 20 km. If your departure time is flexible, ask us to suggest a slot that avoids the worst of it, such as mid-morning or early afternoon.
If you are leaving after a late-night prayer, the roads are usually clearer from about midnight, and the drive itself is easier.
Heading to a port, rail station or bus terminal
Some travellers continue from Jeddah by rail or by another bus. If that is your plan, tell us the station or terminal and the departure time, and leave time for security and ticketing. Our job ends at the kerb, so confirm the correct entrance in advance.