A Taif day trip from Makkah is a popular break during a longer Umrah stay: the city sits high in the mountains, its summers are milder than Makkah’s, and it is close enough for a return on the same day. On our live route check, the road from the Clock Tower area to the Taif InterContinental measured about 106 km. The dependable way to book it is as two journeys, Makkah to Taif in the morning and Taif back to Makkah at a return time you fix in advance, with any sightseeing planned between them.
This guide is for families and small groups based in a Makkah (Mecca) hotel who want a day in Taif, also written At-Taif or Ta’if. It explains what official sources say about the city and its best-known places, how to structure the day in the Makkah Cabs planner, how stops and waiting work, when to go, how rose season changes the plan, and what to do if the day runs long. It covers transport and planning only. If you are thinking about performing another Umrah after returning from Taif, that is a religious question for a qualified scholar and the official guidance on Nusuk, and it should be settled before you book, because it may change where your return journey ends.
Why families add Taif to an Umrah stay
Most people who are visiting Taif during Umrah are looking for three things: cooler air, a change of scene, and a day together away from the crowds.
Saudipedia’s page on Taif Governorate describes Taif as the largest governorate in Makkah Province, sitting at 1,800 m above sea level on the eastern slopes of the Sarawat Mountains. It records winter minimums of around 3°C and maximums near 18°C, with summer averages staying below 30°C. That altitude is the main attraction for a family escaping the heat, and it is worth remembering when packing: a morning in Taif can feel very different from the afternoon you left behind in Makkah.
The same page lists the places most visitors have heard of, which we cover below, and notes that the governorate is known for its roses and for seasonal fruits such as apricots and figs.
Makkah to Taif by car: what the journey involves
Going from Makkah to Taif by car means leaving the city, climbing onto the mountain plateau, and arriving in a very different landscape. A few facts shape the booking:
- Distance. Our live check from the Clock Tower to the Taif InterContinental measured about 106 km. Road distances differ by direction because of one-way systems and junctions, so read the return distance in your own route summary rather than assuming it is the same.
- No drive times. We do not quote journey times. They vary with traffic, the hour and the season, and a figure that suits one day can mislead on another.
- The climb. A road that gains height quickly can unsettle anyone prone to travel sickness. Sit them in front if possible, keep water and a bag within reach, and avoid a heavy meal just before leaving.
- A named anchor in Taif. The planner’s popular locations include “Taif, InterContinental Hotel”, which gives you a reliable, listed destination. Any other Taif place is typed in and must be checked in the route summary before you pay.
If you are also comparing other routes from Makkah, our overview of Makkah taxi routes, airport transfers and intercity journeys sets them out in one place.
How to book a Taif day trip from Makkah
In the Makkah Cabs planner, a journey is one pickup place, one destination, a pickup date and time in Saudi local time, and the people and bags travelling. The pickup and destination must differ, so going to Taif and coming back is two journeys, each with its own pickup time.
The rules for each journey are the same:
- 48 hours’ notice. Online bookings need at least 48 hours before the pickup time. A search inside that window returns the message “This journey must be booked at least 48 hours in advance.”
- Minimum value. Each journey has a minimum booking value equivalent to £40, shown as a “Minimum booking amount” line if a fare would be lower.
- Payment and confirmation. Makkah Cabs takes full payment online. Payment secures a provisional request; the booking team updates the status, usually within 1 to 12 hours, and a journey is booked only when it reads Confirmed.
- Capacity. Enter every adult, child and infant, and any bags. Only vehicle classes that pass the capacity check for your party are shown.
Book the outward and return journeys at the same sitting, so the return cannot drift inside the 48-hour window while you are still deciding.
Three ways to shape the day
| Plan | How you book it | Suits | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| One place, there and back | Makkah hotel to a single Taif destination; separate return from the same place | Families with young children or older relatives | Pick a destination with shade, seating and facilities |
| Stops on the way up | Outward journey with stops in order (up to 8), ending at your main Taif place; separate return | Groups who want a viewpoint or a market on the way | Stops are part of one journey; agree with the family how long each one is |
| Two bases in Taif | Makkah to the first place; your own arrangements between places; return from the last place | Confident groups who know Taif | The return pickup must be booked at the place you will actually be |
For most families, the first plan is the calmest. The second works well if you name the stops clearly and keep them short. The third needs the return pickup set at the right place, because the place and destination cannot be changed online after booking, only the time.
Places to consider in Taif, from official sources
Saudipedia’s Taif page describes several places that feature in most day plans. We give what it says, plus the transport point for each.
Al-Hada
Saudipedia places Al-Hada in the western part of the Taif area, outside the city. For a day trip from Makkah, it is the area most families think of first. Treat any viewpoint as a named stop on the outward journey, or as the destination of the first journey, and agree how long you will stay.
Al-Shafa
Described as lying south-west of Taif at around 2,500 m, with cool summers. It is higher than the city itself, which can make it welcome on a hot day and chilly for an older relative in thin clothes. Because it sits away from the city, decide in advance whether it is the day’s main destination or not part of the plan.
Shubra Palace
Saudipedia calls Shubra Palace a museum, built in 1905, blending Islamic, Roman and traditional Hejazi architecture. Opening arrangements are not set out on the page, so check them close to your date before you make it the anchor of your day.
Souq Okaz
Saudipedia places it north of the city and describes it as one of the largest and most famous Arab markets of the pre-Islamic and Islamic eras, revived by the Kingdom in 2007. It is an event rather than a place that is always running, so check whether it is on during your stay before planning around it.
Al-Ruddaf Park
Described as one of the largest parks in the Kingdom, spanning over 500,000 square metres. A park with open space can be a good single destination for a family with children who need room to move after days of walking in Makkah.
If you want help choosing between these rather than trying to see them all, our guide to choosing one meaningful stop for a Makkah outing sets out a useful way of deciding, and the same thinking applies in Taif.
Rose season and visiting Taif during Umrah
Saudipedia’s page on the rose season says the season begins in spring, when the rose harvest starts. It describes a festival running for ten to fourteen days, organised by the Ministry of Culture, drawing on around 850 rose farms in Al-Hada, Al-Shafa and neighbouring villages, and attracting around one million visitors.
For transport, rose season changes three things:
- Dates. The festival dates are announced each year. Check them with the organisers before choosing your day.
- Traffic and crowds. Around a million visitors means busier roads and busier places. Leave extra margin on the return pickup time.
- Destinations. Rose farms are spread across the area, so a farm is usually a typed destination rather than a listed one. Check its pin in the route summary.
Outside rose season, Taif is still worth the trip for its air and its parks; the plan is simply quieter.
When to leave and when to come back
On a Taif day trip from Makkah, work backwards from the time you want to be back in your Makkah hotel, not forwards from a hopeful departure.
Morning departure. Set the outward pickup for when the last person will be ready in the lobby, not the first. An early start gives you the cooler part of the day in Taif and a less rushed return.
Return pickup. Choose a time that leaves room for the slowest member of the party, a meal and a prayer if you plan one. It is easier to wait a little at the meeting point than to have the car arrive while half the family is still shopping.
Arriving back in Makkah. The Ministry of Health’s heat guidance advises drinking plenty of fluids without waiting to feel thirsty, planning outdoor activities carefully with rests in shade, and names older adults, infants and children among those most at risk. A return that lands in the evening avoids stepping from an air-conditioned car into the strongest heat of the day.
The next day. A long day out can leave an older relative tired for the next morning’s plans. If something important follows, choose an earlier return. Our guide to agreeing one return deadline as a group helps when relatives have different ideas about how long to stay.
Can the driver wait in Taif?
Every journey includes free waiting, counted from the booked pickup time rather than from when the car arrives. The free minutes depend on the vehicle class: Economy has 15 minutes, then SAR 1.50 per minute; Business & Executive, the Staria VIP van and the H1 family van have 30 minutes, then SAR 2.00 per minute; minibuses and coaches have 30 minutes, then SAR 2.50 per minute; a Premium SUV has 45 minutes, then SAR 2.50 per minute; and Luxury has 60 minutes, then SAR 4.00 per minute.
You can add extra waiting at checkout in steps of 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 or 120 minutes, priced at the class’s per-minute rate. The driver’s instructions then show the total from the booked pickup time.
On a Taif day, extra waiting is most useful on the return journey, when a family spread across a park or market may need longer to regroup. It is not a way to keep the outward car for the whole day, and waiting beyond what was booked is not promised. For a full day in Taif, a separate return at a fixed time is the reliable plan. Our guide on whether a vehicle can stay with your group explains the difference in more detail.
Choosing a vehicle for the mountain road
Comfort matters more on a longer journey. The planner shows vehicle classes with an example model “or similar”, and only classes that fit your party and bags.
- Up to four people: Economy or Business & Executive, each with 4 seats. Business & Executive also gives 30 minutes of free waiting rather than 15.
- Five or six people: a Hyundai Staria VIP van or a Premium SUV such as a Chevrolet Tahoe, each with 6 seats.
- Seven people: a GMC Yukon XL or Hyundai H1 family van, both 7 seats.
- Larger groups: a Toyota Hiace (11 seats) or Toyota Coaster (19 seats).
Children count as passengers. Child seats (infant seat, child seat or booster) and a wheelchair requirement can be added in the search and are then confirmed for the vehicle; add them to both journeys. Our guides to asking for a child seat for a day visit and to a stroller and day bags on an outing cover the details families most often miss.
Worked example: a Friday in Taif for a family of six
Farhan and his wife Nadia are on a two-week Umrah stay with their three children, aged four, eight and eleven, and Farhan’s father, Ghulam. By the second week the children are restless and Ghulam is finding the afternoons in Makkah hard. They decide on a day in Taif.
The plan. For their Taif day trip from Makkah, they choose the first shape from the table: one main place, there and back. Al-Ruddaf Park gives the children space and Ghulam shade and benches, and they add one stop on the way up for a view.
The booking. On the Tuesday, three days ahead, Nadia books two journeys. Journey one runs from their hotel to the park, with one stop on the way. Journey two runs from the park back to the hotel in the early evening. She enters two adults, one older adult and three children, adds a child seat for the four-year-old and a booster for the eight-year-old on both journeys, and she picks a Hyundai H1 family van from the classes shown. She types the park’s name, checks the pin in the route summary, and adds a booking note naming the park and asking the driver to note that an older passenger walks slowly.
Waiting. The return is where the family is most likely to be slow, so she adds 15 minutes of extra waiting to journey two. With the H1’s 30 free minutes, the driver’s instructions show 45 minutes from the booked pickup time.
Confirmation. Both journeys read Confirmed that evening. The driver-assigned emails arrive later with registrations, and Nadia saves them on both phones.
The day. Ghulam takes the front seat on the climb. In Taif, the family agrees a meeting point by the park entrance before spreading out, and they send a live location when ready. They are back at the hotel before night.
What made it work. One main place, a return fixed in advance with extra waiting on the leg most likely to run late, and seats confirmed for every child in both directions.
If the day changes after booking
- Only the pickup time can be changed online. “Request a new pickup time” in your account asks for a different time on a paid booking, before the current pickup time, and stays pending until approved. An approved new time carries a £5 rescheduling fee, converted into the booking currency and added to the cash paid to the driver at pickup; a rejected request costs nothing.
- Place, destination, passengers and vehicle cannot be changed online. If you decide on a different Taif place, contact the booking team, or make a new booking and request cancellation of the old one.
- Cancellation. Bookings are subject to our cancellation terms (free cancellation with a full refund up to 48 hours before pickup; inside 48 hours the deposit element of the price is kept) if the customer cancels. If we or the transport partner cancel, or cannot supply the journey and no suitable alternative is accepted, you receive a full refund for the affected journey. See the Makkah Cabs cancellation and refund policy.
Your Taif day trip from Makkah checklist
- Settle any religious question about returning to Makkah with a scholar or Nusuk before booking.
- Choose one main Taif place, and decide whether any stops belong on the way up.
- Check rose season and event dates if they affect your plan.
- Book two journeys at least 48 hours before the first pickup.
- Enter every traveller, child seats and any wheelchair requirement on both journeys.
- Type any unlisted Taif place carefully and check the pin in the route summary.
- Consider extra waiting on the return journey.
- Pack water, a warm layer for the altitude and something for travel sickness.
- Confirm both journeys read Confirmed, and save the registrations.
- Agree a meeting point in Taif and send a live location when ready.
When the family has agreed on the day, open the Makkah Cabs planner, choose your hotel and your Taif destination, book the morning journey, then add the return at the time you have agreed.