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Major city · Saudi Arabia

Ta'ifالطائف

Go for 1–2 nights between April and September: at 1,879 m it is cooler than Jeddah or Mecca, and the rose farms, cable car and mountain parks fill a full day.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
SAR
Best months
Apr–Sep (rose harvest Apr–May)
avoid Jun–Aug are still the busiest; the city is quiet and cold in Dec–Feb
Airport
TIF
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 5
  • Saudi Arabia ↗Apply for the tourist eVisa only on the official visa portal (visa.visitsaudi.com); lookalike sites charge extra.
  • Saudi Arabia ↗Dress modestly in public: loose clothing covering shoulders and knees; women are not required to wear an abaya but should cover up.
  • Saudi Arabia ↗Alcohol is banned: do not bring it in, and do not buy it from anyone.
  • Saudi Arabia ↗Shops close for about 20–30 minutes at prayer times; plan around them.
  • Saudi Arabia ↗Makkah is closed to non-Muslims; checkpoints on the approach roads turn cars back.

Ta'if sits at 1,879 m in the mountains above Mecca, so it is the one Saudi city that works as a summer escape rather than a winter one. Two nights covers the old centre, the rose distilleries, Al Hada and Al Shafa; one night is enough if you only want the cool air and a cable-car ride on the way between Jeddah and Mecca.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Ta'if, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or teaSAR 10–25
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi or Uber across the centreSAR 25–60
  • Museum or sight ticketPark or museum entrySAR 0–50
  • Budget bedBudget hotel double room, a night, per roomSAR 200
  • Mid-range bedBudget hotel double room, a night, per roomSAR 300
  • High-end bedBudget hotel double room, a night, per roomSAR 450

A day, not counting the bed: Budget SAR 250 · Mid SAR 550 · High SAR 1,100

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Rose oil and spring rose harvestAl Hada and Al Shafa mountain resortsAl Kar cable carCool summer air above Mecca
Airports
TIF Ta'if International Airport (One terminal, about 25 km east of the centre; domestic flights plus Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and the UAE. Check current routes.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Ta'if: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

23°C

9°C

10 rd

Feb

25°C

10°C

1 rd

Mar

28°C

13°C

12 rd

Apr

31°C

16°C

34 rd

May

34°C

19°C

35 rd

Jun

36°C

23°C

4 rd

Jul

36°C

24°C

2 rd

Aug

36°C

24°C

17 rd

Sep

35°C

21°C

9 rd

Oct

31°C

16°C

16 rd

Nov

27°C

13°C

23 rd

Dec

24°C

10°C

5 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The city spreads over roughly 800 km² of mountain terrain, so a car is the practical way to move: rent at TIF or use Uber, which operates in Ta'if. Many central attractions are within walking distance of each other and the mild climate suits long walks. There is no railway; SAPTCO buses link Jeddah and other cities.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Al Hada and Al Kar cable car

go

Door to door: About 1 h (check)

Drive or taxi west on the Al Hada road, about 30–40 min

Cable car runs down the escarpment; check operating days and hours before you go.

Al Shafa mountain village

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h (check)

Drive south-west from the centre, about 1 h

2,200–2,500 m; bring a jacket even in summer.

Souk Okaz

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Drive east of the city, about 30 min

Mostly active during festival seasons; check the programme before driving out.

Jeddahovernight

Door to door: About 3 h by bus; 2 h or more by car (check)

Car via Highway 40 and the non-Muslim cutoff, or SAPTCO bus

Too far for a comfortable return day; sleep in Jeddah instead.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

City centre (Al Balad / Taif's Heart Mall)

Walkable old market, Bab Alrea and most mid-range hotels; best for a first visit without a car.

Al Hada road

Al Hada is a separate resort town west of Ta'if; staying there means a car or taxi for everything (check the drive time).

Airport road / Alqayam Al Asfal

Big international hotels near TIF; convenient for a late arrival, far from the sights.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
SAR 250–450 excl. bed
Mid
SAR 450–900 excl. bed
High
SAR 900+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range hotel double room1 × 2 nights × SAR 550SAR 1,100
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × SAR 550SAR 2,200
Rental car, one day, compact1 × SAR 250SAR 250
Uber across the city, one trip1 × SAR 40SAR 40
eSIM, about a week of data2 × SAR 60SAR 120
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeSAR 371
Trip total≈ SAR 1,020 per person per day, bed includedSAR 4,081

2026 estimate in riyals; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or teaSAR 10–25
Koshary or a fast-food mealSAR 20–45
Mid-range restaurant mainSAR 60–120
Taxi or Uber across the centreSAR 25–60
Rental car, one daySAR 150–450
Rose oil, 12 g bottlecheckabout SAR 1,600
Park or museum entrySAR 0–50

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Ta'if is a low-crime city and visitors rarely meet trouble; the real risks are mountain-road driving, sudden afternoon storms in spring and heat exhaustion if you hike at midday.
  • Non-Muslims may not enter Mecca, so the direct Highway 15 route from Jeddah is closed to you: take the signed non-Muslim cutoff off Highway 40 that links to Highway 15 and bypasses Mecca (check the junction and route number before you drive).
  • Highway 40 between Jeddah and Mecca jams badly during Hajj and Ramadan travel peaks.
  • Mountain roads to Al Hada and Al Shafa are steep, foggy and unlit in places; avoid driving them after dark if you are new to them.
  • Alcohol is illegal nationwide; do not carry it or expect it in hotels.
  • Dress and public-behaviour rules apply as elsewhere in Saudi Arabia; check the national guidance before you pack.

Emergency numbers

Unified emergency
911
Police
999
Ambulance
997

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Ta'ifالطائف

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

إلى هذا العنوان، لو سمحتTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Unified emergency911
  • Police999
  • Ambulance997

Embassy

No embassies in Ta'if; most are in Riyadh, with consulates in Jeddah. Check your own country's list before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • TIF airport → city centre, taxi: SAR 80–150, about 30 min (check)
  • SAPTCO bus Jeddah → Ta'if: SAR 50–200, about 3 h (check)
  • Al Kar cable car: check the official price and hours before you go

Say or show

  • السلام عليكم — Hello (as-salaamu alaykum)
  • شكراً — Thank you (shukran)
  • كم السعر؟ — How much is it? (kam al-si'r?)
  • أين التلفريك؟ — Where is the cable car? (ayna al-telefreek?)
  • هل يمكن الدفع بالبطاقة؟ — Can I pay by card? (hal yumkin al-daf' bil-bitaqa?)
  • أحتاج طبيباً — I need a doctor (ahtaaj tabeeban)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Ta'if. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Sep (rose harvest Apr–May) · avoid Jun–Aug are still the busiest; the city is quiet and cold in Dec–Feb · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for TIF: taxi and ride-hail bands, rental desks, late-arrival hotel rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with anchors: Al Balad and Bab Alrea, the rose factories, Al Hada, Al Shafa.
  3. Place pages with verified hours for Al Kar cable car, Shubra Palace, Souk Okaz and the main parks.
  4. Rose-harvest timing fixture for April–May so the farm pages can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Saudi Arabia

Sources