Know before you go
- Region
- Makkah Province
- Best time to visit
- March to May (rose season) and summer
Perched at 1,700 metres on the slopes of the Sarawat mountains, Taif has been the summer escape of choice for centuries. Each spring its farms burst into bloom for the rose harvest — the source of the Kingdom's prized Taif rose oil and water.
Visit a working rose farm, ride the Al-Hada cable car down the mountain road past troops of baboons, and wander the old souq and Shubra Palace.
Taif combines naturally with Makkah and Jeddah, and its cool evenings make it a welcome break from the heat of the coast.
Top things to do in Taif
- Taif rose farms and distilleries
- Al-Hada mountain road and cable car
- Shubra Palace
- Al-Shafa viewpoint
- Okaz Souq festival grounds