Updated · Saudi Arabia Taxi Services
How far is Makkah to Taif?
Makkah to Taif is 90 km on the Al Hada escarpment road (Route 15), about 1 h 30 min by car. The road climbs from the Makkah plain into the mountains, and Taif is around 10 °C cooler than Makkah in summer, which is why Taif is known as the summer city.
Entry to Makkah is for Muslims only. If you are not Muslim and want to visit Taif from Jeddah, tell us when you book and the driver takes a route that avoids Makkah.
What is the Al Hada road like?
The Al Hada road climbs the escarpment in a long series of steep, sharp bends. Our drivers take it steady, and the views on the way up are worth the slower pace.
If anyone in your group gets car-sick on mountain roads, tell the driver before you set off. A gentler pace and a stop on the way help.
You may see baboons at the roadside on the escarpment. Do not feed them, and keep the windows up if you stop near them.
Al Hada road or the As-Sail road?
There are two roads between Makkah and Taif. The Al Hada road is shorter and climbs the escarpment. The alternative via As-Sail (Al Sail) is about 20 km longer but flatter. Drivers use it if the Al Hada road is closed, or if you prefer to avoid the bends.
| Al Hada road | As-Sail road | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | 90 km | About 20 km longer |
| Road | Steep climb with many sharp bends | Flatter |
| Good for | Views and the shortest drive | Passengers who get car-sick, or when Al Hada is closed |
| Miqat on the way to Makkah | Wadi Muhrim | As-Sail al-Kabir |
Coming back to Makkah for Umrah: where is the Miqat?
If you travel from Taif to Makkah to perform Umrah, you enter Ihram at the Miqat of Qarn al-Manazil before reaching Makkah. On the As-Sail road this is As-Sail al-Kabir. On the Al Hada road the Miqat mosque is at Wadi Muhrim.
Tell the driver you need the Miqat stop; it is included at no extra charge. If you are unsure which Miqat applies to you, ask your scholar or group leader, and see our guide to Miqat locations.
Makkah to Taif fares
Fares are per car with fuel included. For a day out, two one-way fares cost SAR 320 in an economy sedan. If you want the driver with you all day, book a driver by the hour from SAR 80 per hour; we quote the whole day as one fixed price before you go.
| Vehicle | Seats | Makkah to Taif | At night | Jeddah to Taif |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy Sedan | 1–3 | SAR 160 | SAR 190 | SAR 290 |
| Standard Sedan | 1–3 | SAR 180 | SAR 220 | SAR 340 |
| Comfort MPV | 4–6 | SAR 230 | SAR 280 | SAR 430 |
| Family Van | 7–11 | SAR 290 | SAR 350 | SAR 550 |
| SUV | 4–7 | SAR 320 | SAR 380 | SAR 600 |
| Luxury / VIP | 1–4 | SAR 540 | SAR 650 | SAR 1,020 |
What to see in Taif in a day
Check opening hours before you go, and allow extra time on the winding roads to Al Shafa and the farms.
- Al Hada Cable Car (Al Kar): a cable car and leisure village on the escarpment between Taif and the Makkah road. Bring a light jacket.
- Masjid Abdullah ibn Abbas, the main stop on a Taif Ziyarat.
- Shubra Palace, a historic palace in central Taif that once served as a royal summer residence.
- Al Rudaf Park, with granite boulders and picnic spots on the south side of the city.
- Taif Rose Farms in March and April, when roses are harvested for rose water and oil.
- Al Shafa, terraced mountain villages south of Taif with fruit farms and cool air.
When is the best time to go?
Summer is Taif's busy season, because the city is cooler than Makkah, and weekends in summer are busy at the cable car and parks. In spring, the Taif Rose Festival usually runs from March to April, with farm visits, markets and rose-water distilleries.
Leave Makkah in the morning for a full day in Taif, or in the afternoon if you only want a cool evening. Rides at night (00:00–05:00) carry the 20% night surcharge, shown in the quote.