Taif International Airport (TIF) is a smaller airport than Jeddah, and some pilgrims and visitors use it to reach Makkah. The road goes down through the mountains, so it is a different drive from the one from Jeddah. This page covers the airport pickup, the mountain road and the miqat stop for pilgrims.
At the airport
Send us the flight number, the date, the number of passengers and bags, and your Makkah hotel. We confirm the driver and the vehicle. Message us if your plans change. More on the airport is on the Taif Airport page.
Hand luggage for the miqat
If you want to enter ihram at Qarn al-Manazil, have the clothing and anything you need to pray in hand luggage when you collect your bags at Taif. It saves unpacking suitcases at the roadside.
The road down
The distance is about 100 km, and it takes an hour and a half to two hours. The road descends through the Sarawat mountains on steep, winding sections, and the last part is the busier road into Makkah. Fridays and the Umrah and Hajj seasons slow the final stretch.
Qarn al-Manazil (As-Sayl al-Kabir)
If you are travelling for Umrah, travellers on this road commonly stop at Qarn al-Manazil to enter ihram. Tell us when you book and we will plan the stop and the road that passes it. Rulings are for your group leader or a scholar.
Send your pickup, destination, date and passengers and we will confirm the vehicle and price.
Arriving at your hotel
Vehicle access around the Masjid al-Haram changes with the crowds. Give us the hotel name and we will confirm the drop-off in advance.
If you are not going straight to Makkah
If you want to rest in Taif first, see Taif taxi service for getting to a hotel, and book Taif to Makkah for the day you choose.
A smaller airport, so confirm early
Taif has fewer flights than Jeddah, and a cancelled or retimed service has fewer alternatives. Check your flight details the day before and again on the morning, and send us any change. If your flight is delayed by several hours, tell us as soon as you know, so that the pickup is rearranged rather than left to run on.
After landing, arrivals at a smaller airport are often quicker than at Jeddah, but baggage can still take time. Message us once you have your bags.
Heading to Makkah from the mountains
The road to Makkah drops from the highlands to the lowlands over about 100 km and takes one and a half to two hours. If you plan Umrah on arrival, the Miqat on this road is Qarn al-Manazil. Ask your scholar or operator how it applies to you, and tell us if you would like to stop. For the reverse journey, see Makkah to Taif.
Choosing the vehicle for a mountain descent
The first part of this journey is downhill with bends, and passengers in the back of a full-sized van feel the motion more than those in a smaller car. If anyone is prone to travel sickness, a front seat and a smooth driver help more than the choice of model. For large groups, the van keeps everyone together, but ask the driver to take the descent steadily.
Luggage placement matters here too: heavy cases belong in the boot and low, so they do not shift on the curves.
If your hotel is in Makkah and your arrival is late
A late flight into Taif followed by a road trip to Makkah can mean reaching the hotel after midnight. Tell the hotel your expected arrival time and confirm that someone will be at reception. Roads into Makkah are quieter at that hour, but hotel check-in desks are not always staffed, so a quick message beforehand saves a long wait on the pavement.
Carrying Taif purchases to Makkah
Visitors who spend a few days in Taif often arrive at the airport with jars of honey, rose products, boxes of fruit and an extra bag. Fragile and sticky items travel better upright on the floor of the cabin than loose in the boot, and a box of fruit left in the sun will not improve on the drive down to the heat of Makkah. Wrap what can leak and keep it where you can reach it.