Updated · Saudi Arabia Taxi Services
How do you get from Jeddah to Taif by road?
A Jeddah to Taif taxi follows Route 40 east from Jeddah, passes Makkah on the bypass and climbs the escarpment on the Al Hada road. The trip is 170 km and takes about 2 h of driving, door to door from your Jeddah address to your Taif hotel.
Taif sits in the mountains and is about 10 °C cooler than Makkah in summer, which is why it is known as the summer city.
Pilgrims and travellers who are not Muslim: which way does the driver go?
Only Muslims may enter Makkah. The Jeddah to Taif road uses the Makkah bypass, so the trip does not enter the central area and is open to every traveller. Tell us when you book if anyone in the car is not Muslim, and the driver keeps to the bypass the whole way.
If you are on Umrah, Taif fits easily around your stay in Makkah. You can go Jeddah to Taif and then Taif to Makkah (90 km, about 1 h 30 min), or visit Taif from Makkah as a day trip. If you travel from Taif to Makkah to perform Umrah, you enter Ihram at Qarn al-Manazil on the way, and the driver stops there on request. Our guide to Miqat locations shows where the Miqat mosques are on each road.
What is the Al Hada road like?
After the bypass, the road climbs the escarpment in a long series of steep, sharp bends. Our drivers take it steady. If anyone in your group gets car-sick on mountain roads, say so before you set off; a gentler pace and a short stop help.
There is also a flatter road via Al Sail, about 20 km longer than the Al Hada road between Makkah and Taif. Ask for it when you book if you would rather avoid the bends, for example with elderly passengers.
The Al Hada Cable Car (Al Kar) and its leisure village are on the escarpment between Taif and the Makkah road, if you want a stop on the way.
Jeddah to Taif fares
Fares are per car and include fuel, tolls and the driver. Rides between 00:00 and 05:00 carry a 20% night surcharge, shown in your quote.
| Vehicle | Seats | Jeddah to Taif | Jeddah Airport to Taif | Taif to Makkah |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy Sedan | 1–3 | SAR 290 | SAR 320 | SAR 160 |
| Standard Sedan | 1–3 | SAR 340 | SAR 370 | SAR 180 |
| Comfort MPV | 4–6 | SAR 430 | SAR 460 | SAR 230 |
| SUV | 4–7 | SAR 600 | SAR 650 | SAR 320 |
| Family Van | 7–11 | SAR 550 | SAR 590 | SAR 290 |
| Luxury / VIP | 1–4 | SAR 1,020 | SAR 1,110 | SAR 540 |
Straight from Jeddah Airport to Taif
Landing at King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED)? The driver meets you at the arrivals exit and drives straight to Taif: 184 km, about 2 h 30 min, from SAR 320 in an economy sedan. We track your flight and wait free for 60 minutes after landing. See Jeddah Airport to Taif for the airport details.
Taif has its own airport too. Taif International Airport (TIF) receives seasonal international flights and is about 25 km from the city.
Day trip or overnight?
At about 2 h each way, a day trip from Jeddah works if you leave early. Spend the middle of the day in Taif and come back in the evening.
If you want the driver with you all day, book by the hour from SAR 80 per hour, with a 3-hour minimum, and we quote the whole day as one fixed price before you go. For a simple there-and-back, book a return; return trips are discounted.
A night or two in Taif lets you see the city at a gentler pace and enjoy the cooler evenings.
What to see in Taif, and where to go next
In Taif, the main stops are Masjid Abdullah ibn Abbas, the main stop on a Taif Ziyarat, Shubra Palace, a historic palace that once served as a royal summer residence, and Al Rudaf Park among granite boulders. In March and April the rose farms in the highlands harvest roses for rose water and oil, and the Taif Rose Festival usually runs at that time. Our post on Makkah to Taif via the Al Hada road describes them in more detail.
Taif is also the gateway to the southern mountains. Taif to Al Bahah is 220 km on Route 15 south, about 3 h, a scenic Sarawat mountain road with forest stops. Abha is 533 km from Taif via Al Bahah.