3 DAYS

Taif
City Break

Day 1. Arrival & Rose Farms

Arrive in Taif — the ‘City of Roses,’ set at 1,800 metres in the Hejaz mountains southeast of Mecca, Saudi Arabia’s coolest and most fragrant summer retreat. Taif is world-famous for its Taif roses (Rosa damascena) — the most prized in the Arabian world, used to produce the luxury rose water and rose oil that scents mosques and palaces across the Islamic world. Visit a traditional rose farm and distillery (best visited March–April, peak blooming season). Overnight in Taif.

Day 2. Sharif Museum & Mountains of Taif

Morning at the Sharif Museum — a private collection of extraordinary historical artefacts, weapons, coins and cultural objects from across Arabia, housed in a traditional mansion. Afternoon scenic drive through the dramatic Hada Mountains and the Eastern slopes of the Al Sarawat range — sweeping mountain roads with views over terraced hillsides and the distant Tihama plain. Visit the Al Hada cable car for aerial views. Overnight in Taif.

Day 3. Taif Souq & Departure

Morning at Taif’s famous souqs — the best honey market in Saudi Arabia, selling the prized Sidr (jujube) honey from Yemeni bees, considered among the world’s finest. Browse the fragrant rose-water stalls and traditional pottery workshops. Transfer to Taif International Airport for onward travel.

Winding mountain road through the Al Hada mountains above Taif

Must see

ATTRACTIONS

Options

ACCOMMODATIONS

Taif

★★★★★

InterContinental Taif
Mövenpick Hotel Taif
Al-Hada Sheraton Hotel Taif

★★★★

Golden Palace Hotel Taif
Ramada by Wyndham Taif
Le Méridien Taif

★★★

Holiday Inn Taif
ibis Taif
Taif Grand Hotel

Must try

FOOD

Kabsa

Regarded as Saudi Arabia’s national dish, Kabsa is an aromatic one-pot chicken and rice mix similar to an Indian biryani; the chicken and fluffy, fragrant rice is cooked in a chicken and tomato-based broth with a rich blend of spices and garnished with almonds, raisins and chopped parsley.

Masoub

A bread pudding prepared with mashed bananas, honey, cream and whole-wheat bread; an ideal combination of richness from the cream, sweetness from the bananas and honey and earthy nutty flavor from the bread; delicious as a sumptuous dessert or a wholesome breakfast.

Taif Rose Honey

Unlike floral honeys where rose flavour is infused after production, Taif Rose Honey is created naturally by the bees, who feed exclusively on the Taif rose; no oils, no extracts, no artificial scents, with the flavour, aroma and colour coming purely from the rose nectar itself.

RESTAURANT

Options

Halal Certified

Taif

Al-Shifa Restaurant – Traditional Hijazi food in the rose city of Taif, honey and lamb
Rose Valley Café – Saudi café with rose-themed décor, local specialties and rose honey
Al-Baik Taif – Saudi fast food chain, popular stop for families and pilgrims
Turkish Grill Taif – Turkish restaurant with grills and meze, cable car district
Kabsa Palace Taif – Traditional Saudi rice and lamb dishes, generous mountain portions

Download pdf

Taif
City Break

Day 1. Arrival & Rose Farms

Day 2. Sharif Museum & Mountains of Taif

Day 3. Taif Souq & Departure

ATTRACTIONS

ACCOMMODATIONS

Taif