Taif Travel Guide: City of Roses, Mountain Air and Summer Retreats

Taif is one of Saudi Arabia’s most pleasant cities for visitors — a mountain city at 1,800 metres above sea level in the Hejaz Mountains, with a cool climate, rose farms, honey markets, and a long history as a retreat for the Saudi royal family and wealthy Hijazis escaping summer heat.

The Roses of Taif

Taif produces approximately 70% of Saudi Arabia’s supply of rose oil (attar al-ward) — used in the region’s distinctive perfume culture. The roses grown here are a specific variety called the Taif rose (Rosa damascena trigintipetala), harvested in a short window in March and April. During harvest, the hillside farms are fragrant for kilometres around.

The rose water and rose oil distilled from Taif roses are among the most prized perfume ingredients in the Gulf. The Taif Rose Festival celebrates the harvest with farm visits, distillery tours, and market stalls selling rose products. Visiting the farms during the harvest is genuinely distinctive — worth timing a visit around if possible.

Climate and Summer Escape

The elevation (around 1,800 metres) gives Taif temperatures noticeably cooler than Mecca and Jeddah. Summer daytime temperatures reach 30–35°C rather than the 45°C of the coastal lowlands. Saudi kings historically moved government to Taif during summer, and the practice continues — Taif retains its status as a second administrative centre.

Things to Do in Taif

Al Rudaf Park is a large forested park in the city — unusual for the region. The park has pine and juniper trees and is a popular family destination. It is most pleasant in the cool months.

Shafa and Al Hada are mountain areas above Taif with dramatic views and cooler temperatures. The Al Hada cable car descends from the mountains down into a valley — the views across the escarpment are the main draw.

Taif Fort (Al-Qasabah) is an Ottoman-era fort in the city centre, partially restored. Associated with the siege of Taif in 1924 during Ibn Saud’s conquest of the Hijaz.

Taif Zoo is one of the larger zoos in the region.

The honey market near the old city centre sells Taif honey alongside rose products — both are the best food souvenirs from the city.

Getting to Taif

Taif has its own airport — Taif Regional Airport — with flights from Riyadh and Jeddah. By road from Jeddah it is approximately 2.5 hours. The mountain road from Al-Hada (below Taif) climbs through a series of switchbacks with views across the escarpment to the coastal plain below. Book tours from Jeddah or Mecca through our Taif page.