- October 1, 2026
Ninety minutes from the Haram there is a city where you need a jacket in July.
I left my Makkah hotel at 44 degrees and stood in a Taif rose garden before ten with my sleeves down. Taif sits 1,800 metres up and about 90 km away, and it gives a pilgrim three things in one day. Sites from the Prophet’s hardest journey.
A miqat on the way back for a second Umrah. And cool air in the middle of a hot trip. I have done it four times by taxi, and this is the day I would book again, with the fares.
Why Taif Fits a Longer Umrah Itinerary
Taif is the day trip to add when the trip runs ten days or more. Pilgrims from the US, the UK and Canada tend to book longer stays than the seven day package, and by the second week the heat and the crowds wear on a family. Taif is the rest day that is still worship, because it ends at a miqat with a fresh ihram.
On a shorter trip it competes with time at the Haram. On a longer one it is the day everyone remembers.
The Al Hada Road from Makkah to Taif
The taxi leaves the city on the Taif road and climbs the Al Hada escarpment. That is 22 km of hairpin bends rising about 1,500 metres in half an hour. The driver stops at the viewpoint near the top. The whole plain towards Makkah opens out below, and baboons sit on the barriers waiting for tourists.
The climb takes about 90 minutes from a Makkah hotel. Go up this way in the morning while the air is clear, and come back on the flatter As Sail road in the afternoon, which passes the miqat. A driver who knows the loop does this without being asked.
Ziyarat Sites in Taif
The ziyarat places in Taif are four mosques that mark the Prophet’s visit in the tenth year of his mission. All four sit within 15 minutes of each other in the old town.
- Masjid Abdullah ibn Abbas, beside the grave of the Prophet’s cousin, the largest and the one to pray Dhuhr in
- Masjid Addas, on the site of the vineyard where the Christian servant Addas brought grapes to the Prophet after the people of Taif had driven him out
- Masjid al Kou, where the Prophet is said to have rested and prayed on the same journey
- Masjid al Madhun, the oldest standing mosque in the city
A Ziarat Taif driver takes the four in the order that avoids the market traffic and waits at each door. Allow two hours for all four with prayers.
Qarn al Manazil Miqat on the Way Back
Qarn al Manazil at As Sail al Kabir is the miqat for anyone entering Makkah from the Taif side. The return road passes its gate. Pilgrims who want a second Umrah shower at the hotel in the morning and carry the ihram in the car. They change at the miqat mosque, which has washrooms and space to pray the two rakah.
From the miqat to the Haram is about an hour. Leave Taif by three in the afternoon and you are in tawaf before Maghrib. Anyone not taking a second Umrah stays in normal clothes and the stop is ten minutes.
Cooler Weather and the Best Months
Taif runs 12 to 15 degrees cooler than Makkah all year. In summer that is 28 against 43. In winter it means mornings near 8 degrees on the Al Hada road and a real jacket, and fog can close the viewpoint before ten.
The rose harvest in late March and April is the one season worth planning around, when the farms in Al Hada and Al Shafa distil the oil and let visitors watch. Outside those weeks the farms are open but quiet. Souq Okaz, the old poetry fair, runs for a few weeks each summer with dates that move, so check them if it matters to you.
The Taif Day Hour by Hour
Leave at seven, not nine. The first two hours of the day decide whether you see the view or the fog, and whether you are back for Maghrib.
- 7:00, leave the Makkah hotel with ihram packed for those who need it
- 8:30, Al Hada viewpoint, 20 minutes
- 9:30 to 11:30, the four mosques in the old town
- 11:45, Al Shafa or a rose farm, lunch in the hills
- 14:30, market stop for rose water and dates, 30 minutes
- 15:00, leave Taif on the As Sail road
- 16:00, Qarn al Manazil, change into ihram, two rakah
- 17:15, back at the Haram
The order runs the other way in winter, mosques first and viewpoint last, because the fog burns off by noon.
Taif Taxi Fares from Makkah
The trip is priced per car for the whole day, door to door, with fuel, tolls and the driver’s waiting time inside the fare.
| Vehicle | Passengers | Day fare |
| Toyota Camry | 4 | SAR 500 |
| Hyundai Staria | 7 | SAR 550 |
| GMC Yukon XL | 7 | SAR 700 |
| Toyota Hiace | 10 | SAR 700 |
For a family of four the Staria is SAR 50 more than the Camry. It carries the jackets, the rose water and the ihram bags without anyone holding them. The best Umrah taxi I have used for this loop sent the driver’s name the night before. The As Sail return and the miqat stop were confirmed in the chat, and the day fare was the only charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to visit Taif on an Umrah visa?
No. Taif is in the Makkah region and an Umrah or tourist visa covers it, with no Nusuk permit needed. The only permit on the day is the Umrah permit for the second tawaf, which you book in the Nusuk app for a slot after your return.
What should I buy in Taif to bring home?
Rose water and rose oil from the Al Hada farms, which cost a fraction of the airport price, and Taif honey and dried figs from the old town market. Keep the rose oil in hand luggage. Bottles over 100 ml go in the checked bag, and the cabin limit catches most pilgrims at Jeddah.
Can I take a bus or train from Makkah to Taif?
There is no train. SAPTCO runs coaches from Makkah for about SAR 30 to 40 each way. They use the As Sail road, stop at the bus station away from the mosques, and cannot wait at the miqat. The ziyarat and the second Umrah both need a taxi in Taif anyway.
Can I stay overnight in Taif instead of returning the same day?
Yes, and hotels are cheaper than Makkah. Book the taxi as two one way transfers, come back through the miqat the next morning, and you reach the Haram before Dhuhr. It suits families with young children who find the ten hour day too long.
Can I do the Taif trip on the day I arrive from Jeddah?
Not sensibly. After a long haul flight the mountain road and the ten hour day are too much, and the second Umrah at the end needs energy. Do it on day three or later, once the first Umrah is complete and the family has slept.
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