Jeddah Layover Guide (JED)

Jeddah Old Town Highlights Tour

Enjoy a guided tour and visit the main landmarks of Old Jeddah. Your guide will tell you about the amazing stories of Jeddah and its surrounding. Take a stroll to traditional Al-Balad and visit the Old Market and galleries. Also, gasp at the architecture of Beit Nassif and the Ukash Mosque. This tour will end by driving towards the Jeddah Corniche where you can see the Al Rahman Mosque located along the Red Sea. Along the way, you can see the recreation areas, pavilions, and large-scale civic sculptures as well as King Fahd’s Fountain, the highest fountain in the world. » book this tour

Visit Taif Highlights & Mountains

You will get to see a lot of things during your visit to the city of Taif. First, you can take a walk in the traditional market “Barhat Al Qazzaz Souq” and the stone-built house that is now transformed into a café, followed by a stop to see “Al-Kaki Palace”. From there head over to the mountains of Taif located over the Al Hada Mountains and see its panoramic views above Mecca and on the Eastern slopes of the Al-Sarawat mountains. Also, experience the traditional meat at one of the local restaurants. » book this tour

Jeddah 4×4 Desert Safari Tour

Marvel the thrill of traveling across the Safari desert in a 4×4 vehicle. In this tour you can enjoy dune bashing with the expert Bedouin drivers, beautiful desert sunset, and a delicious meal on this amazing adventure. In addition, you can have a great meal between the dunes with water, juices, and coffee & tea. » book this tour

Trip to Morning Desert Safari

During the layover you can experience the adventure and thrill of a lifetime with fun dune-bashing ride. In this adventure discover the Arabian landscape and spend a morning surrounded by basaltic stones and stunning hills. Enjoy seeing locals’ ways of conquering some tough dunes to climbing up the hills of sands and dark basaltic stones.

Time required: 5 hours.

Airport to here: 1 hour via private transport.

Khur Al-Shadaiq Beach

The gorgeous beaches on the outskirts of Jeddah offer the best view of the Arabian night sky. View the stars from a beautiful beach outside the city of Jeddah, a modern commercial hub and gateway to Islamic holy cities Mecca and Medina. Get a taste of the Red Sea by taking a dip in the Khur Al-Shadaiq beach area, followed by a boat ride to nearby islands.

Time required: 5 hours.

Airport to here: 30 minutes via.

Balad

Visit this vibrant marketplace in Jeddah which is considered to be the shopper’s paradise. As it contains combination of many specialized markets including gold and silver, spices, electronics, clothings, and much more. If you are shopoholic then this marketplace with convergent markets might be a good thing to do.

Time required: 2 to 3 hours.

Airport to here: Typically 18 minutes via taxi and 29 minutes via public transport.

King Fahad’s Water Spring

If you want to relax then the Jeddah Corniche and King Fahad’s Water Spring is a great area to rest and relax. Also, you check out some incredible sculptures and can take a stroll while viewing the King’s Fountain which is considered to be the largest fountain in the world.

Time required: 3 hours.

Airport to here: 12 minutes via taxi.

Floating Mosque

One of the major tourist attractions in Jeddah is the Floating Mosque. This is a sacred site in the city and it is located next to the Red Sea which is why it gives the illusion that it is floatin. This glamorous construction is also one of the most distinctive symbols of Jeddah.

Time required: 4 hours.

Airport to here: 13 minutes via taxi.

Makkah Gate

During the layover at Jeddah you can visit one of the oldest remaining gates in Jeddah the Makkah Gate. It is also one of the main entrances for Hajj pilgrims. When you look at this majestic structure you can tell that it would have been impenetrable in its heyday. It serves as a historic monument in one of the oldest areas of Jeddah and has been preserved with great care since 1940 when the wall around Makkah was torn down.

Time required: 5 hours.

Airport to here: Typically taxi takes an average of 18 minutes while public transport takes 46 minutes.

Biet Nassif

Biet Nassif is another prominent renovated structure in the city. It is one of the most popular houses in Jeddah. And now it is a museum and cultural center which you can visit and learn about its history. This house was owned by a merchant clan who settled in Jeddah Nassifs. It was built in 1881 by the governor of that time.

Time required: 10 hours .

Airport to here: 39 minutes via public transport.

Visit Green Sarawat Mountains

The Sarawat Mountains also known as the Sarat is an amazing mountain range in the western part of the Arabian Peninsula. It runs parallel to the eastern coast of the Red Sea, and thus encompasses the mountains of Fifa’, ‘Asir, and Taif. You can explore these adventurous rocky mountains that contain some vegetation. It is the best place for adventure lovers as they can find trail options and mountaineering trips.

Time required: 1 day.

Airport to here: 8 hours via taxi.