Taif is east of Makkah and Madinah is north, so this is a deliberate detour rather than a shortcut: a full day that turns the transfer between the Holy Cities into a mountain excursion, with your luggage staying in the vehicle throughout.
Taif, Saudi Arabia — CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Prices are per vehicle in Saudi Riyal, not per passenger, and cover the full journey with your driver.
Up the Al Hada escarpment to Taif in 1 hour 15 minutes to 2 hours, two to three hours in and around the city, then the long run north to Madinah — nine to ten hours in total including prayer and rest stops.
This only works with an early start. Leaving Makkah after Fajr gets you into Taif while it is cool and into Madinah at a reasonable hour rather than after midnight.
Masjid Abdullah bin Abbas, the rose farms and distilleries, the markets, and the viewpoints on the escarpment. Al Shafa, higher to the south, is possible only if you shorten the city stops.
Taif is also where the Prophet (peace be upon him) was rejected while calling its people to Islam — for many pilgrims that history, rather than the scenery, is the reason to come.
Honestly, it depends on your family. Nine to ten hours in a vehicle with young children or elderly parents is a lot, and by the Madinah leg everyone is tired. Two shorter trips — a Taif day from Makkah, then the direct transfer — cost more but are much easier.
For couples, small groups and anyone travelling on a tight itinerary, doing it in one day is efficient and genuinely rewarding.
Take a light jacket for the altitude, plenty of water, and snacks. Size the vehicle up: a seven-seater for four people rather than a saloon changes the whole day for the better.
Drivers plan prayer stops at masjids en route and one proper meal stop. Tell us your priorities in Taif when booking so the schedule is built around them.
Roughly nine to ten hours in total, including two to three hours in Taif and the necessary rest and prayer stops.
No, it is a detour east into the mountains. That is why this is a full-day route rather than a slightly longer transfer.
Yes, throughout the day. You load once in Makkah and unload at your Madinah hotel.
It is a long day. Many families prefer a separate Taif trip from Makkah followed by the direct transfer to Madinah.
Yes. Tell us your priorities when booking and the driver will plan the Taif portion around them.
Confirm online in a few minutes, or send us your flight and hotel details on WhatsApp and we will arrange the rest.
