Taif is a city of 560,000 in the Mecca region of western Saudi Arabia, set at about 1,880 metres on the Sarawat Mountains. Noticeably cooler than Jeddah on the coast and Mecca, it has been the summer retreat of the Hejaz for centuries; the Ottoman era Shubra Palace was used as a summer residence by King Abdulaziz and King Faisal. Today Taif is known for the Damask rose and the rose oil that carry its name; the knowledge and practices of growing this rose were inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2024. The Shubra Palace, the rose distilleries and the pre-Islamic Souq Okaz are the historic side of a visit; the slopes of Al Hada, the cable car and the orchards of Al Shafa are the nature side.
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See flights to Taif →When to visit Taif
Late March to mid April is the rose harvest: days of 25C to 30C, the distilleries begin work and the Taif Rose Festival is held in Al Rudaf Park. June to August is the season of summer visitors from within Saudi Arabia; the city reaches 35C by day but the higher ground at Al Hada and Al Shafa is cooler. October and November are quiet and mild. From December to February days are 23C to 25C and nights drop to 9C or 10C; rainfall is low, but short showers come in April, May and November.
Things to do in Taif
Shubra Palace
Built in 1858 as a two storey house and rebuilt in the Ottoman period by Ali Pasha, with work completed in 1905, the palace is a four storey Hejazi building with four identical facades. Inside is marble brought from Carrara in Italy, outside are latticed wooden windows and balconies; King Abdulaziz stayed here in summer and two of his sons were born in the palace, and it was a summer residence under King Faisal too. Since 1995 it has been the regional museum, with weapons, coins, pottery and sections on the Taif rose. Because restoration work sometimes limits visits to the exterior, it is worth checking that it is open before going.
Al Hada Cable Car
From the ridge of Al Hada west of Taif, the cable car descends to the Al Kar tourist village in the valley below, crossing the steep escarpment where the Sarawat Mountains drop towards the Tihamah plain. From the cabins you see the winding Al Hada road, granite crags and, in clear weather, the view stretching towards the plain; summer evenings are the busiest time. The Al Kar village below has restaurants, play areas for children and amusement rides. The baboons that roam the roadside on the Al Hada slopes are a familiar part of the trip.
Al Shafa mountains
Some 25 to 30 kilometres south west of Taif, at around 2,500 metres, the Al Shafa area is the coolest corner of the city, bounded on the west by the steep edge of the Sarawat Mountains. Pomegranates, grapes, figs and roses are grown in terraced gardens, and fruit is sold by the roadside in summer. The view from the slopes at sunset and the cool evening air are why people from Taif come up at weekends. It is visited on the same day as Al Hada, as a loop by car.
Souq Okaz
Okaz, about 40 kilometres north of Taif, was the largest and best known fair of pre-Islamic Arabia: each year the tribes traded here for twenty days, poets competed and the finest poems were chosen by judges. Saudi Arabia revived the fair in 2007 as an annual cultural festival, with tents, poetry readings, a craft market, camel displays and historical re-enactments on the site. It is at its liveliest during the festival, whose dates vary from year to year and are worth checking in advance. The scale of the site on the open desert plain comes across well in photographs.
Al Gadhi Rose Factory
Close to the city centre, the Al Gadhi distillery is one of the oldest and largest rose factories in Taif and has been run by the Gadhi family for generations. Damask rose petals picked in the early morning in the valleys of Al Hada and Al Shafa go into copper stills the same day and are steam distilled; thousands of roses go into a single tola of rose oil. During the harvest, from late March to mid April, distillation can be watched on site, and for the rest of the year rose water and oil are sold in the shop. Madawi is another well known family distillery in the city.
Al Rudaf Park
Al Rudaf Park in the south of Taif is a large city park whose lawns and walking paths are set among huge, wind worn granite boulders. With an artificial lake, fountains, play areas and picnic spots it is the evening meeting place for families and one of the most visited places in Taif. The Taif Rose Festival in spring and the city's open air celebrations are held here. Entry is free; go late in the afternoon for the sunset light among the rocks.
Flights from Turkey to Taif
Direct flights to Taif from Turkey leave Istanbul Airport on Turkish Airlines; the route runs three times a week, departing in the morning, and takes about 3 hours 50 minutes, with frequency varying by season. On other days it is possible to fly to Jeddah and continue by road. There is no time difference. Taif International Airport is about 30 kilometres north east of the city; airport taxis, ride hailing cars or a hotel pick up reach the centre in 30 to 40 minutes.
Taif FAQ
How many days do you need in Taif?
A day for the Shubra Palace, a rose distillery and Al Rudaf Park and a day for the Al Hada cable car and Al Shafa are enough; Souq Okaz adds half a day if the festival is on. Three nights are enough for the city, four during the rose harvest. Muslim visitors can combine Taif with Mecca, about 90 kilometres away, and the Umrah.
How far is the airport from the city centre?
Taif International Airport is about 30 kilometres from the city centre. A taxi takes 30 to 40 minutes, with the fare agreed before getting in, or a car is booked through an app; most hotels arrange a pick up. The drive is longer to places to stay at Al Hada and Al Shafa.
Do you need a visa for Saudi Arabia?
A Turkish passport needs a visa, but Turkey has been on Saudi Arabia's tourist e-visa list since 2023. The application is made online through the official visa.visitsaudi.com site; the visa is usually valid for a year with multiple entries and stays of up to 90 days each time, and it can also be used for the Umrah outside the Hajj season. Taif is open to all visitors, while only Muslims may enter Mecca, and landing at Taif airport does not involve passing through Mecca. The passport must be valid for at least six months.
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