Al Balad also known as Old Jeddah in Saudi Arabia
Jeddah is a cosmopolitan city located in the western part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the Middle East.
It’s the second-largest city of the kingdom after Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, it’s the largest city in the province of Makkah. Last but not least, it’s the largest seaport of the Red Sea.
The city of Jeddah is the primary gateway to Mecca and Medina, two of the holiest cities of Islam. Jeddah is located 88 km (54 mi) from Mecca and 416 km (259 mi) from Medina.
Jeddah is home to some of the most beautiful places in Saudi Arabia and one of the best places to visit in the Middle East.
If you are planning to travel to Jeddah, the following table will be very useful. I collected all the apps and portals that you need to get prepared for your trip to Saudi Arabia.
As a solo female traveler, I find the city of Jeddah really safe. I was hanging around in Jeddah a lot by myself at different times of the day. I commuted in Jeddah by taxis or local buses.
I always felt 100% safe in Jeddah. People were always helpful, kind, and respectful to me.
LUXURY HOTEL IN JEDDAH
WALDORF ASTORIA JEDDAH – QASR AL SHARQ
Stunning bathroom in one of the best hotels of Jeddah, Waldorf Astoria Jeddah – Image from Booking.com
Waldorf Astoria in Jeddah is located in an awesome location close to the New Jeddah Jeddah Corniche. It takes a couple of fo minutes to reach the promenade of Jeddah Corniche.
This luxury hotel is located 6.5 km from the Floating Mosque, 12 km from the Mall of Arabia, 17 km from the King Abdulaziz International Airport, and 21 km from Al Balad.
Their suites all offer marble bathrooms and they all overlook the sea. The suites also have incredibly marvelous scalloped archways, elegant arabesque details, dazzling silk curtains, and gold accents.
And to make sure you will feel in the most amazing Arabian fairy tale possible, they serve local specialties in their lavish Middle Eastern dining rooms.
MID-RANGE HOTEL IN JEDDAH
CASABLANCA GRAND HOTEL
It’s a 5-star accommodation, Mirage Hotel Jeddah is situated 1 km from Mall of Arabia, 8 km from the Al Tayebat International Museum, 10 km from Jeddah Corniche, 10 km from Red Sea Mall, 10 km from King Fahad Fountain, 10 km from the Floating Mosque while Al Balad is 21 km away.
The nearest airport, King Abdulaziz International Airport, is only a 10-km journey from the property.
Casablanca Grand Hotel in Jeddah offers a spa center with a swimming pool, a fitness center, and a cool restaurant.
BUDGET HOTEL IN JEDDAH
MIRAGE HOTEL JEDDAH
Mirage Hotel in Jeddah is a 3-star accommodation, Mirage Hotel Jeddah is closer to Al Balad, the Old City of Jeddah than the Casablanca Grand Hotel.
This accommodation is located 7.2 km away from Al Balad. As for the other places to visit in Jeddah, King Fahad’s Fountain is 7 km, Mall of Arabia is 15 km, the Jeddah Corniche is 20 km, the Al Tayebat International Museum is 21 km and the Floating Mosque is 24 km from the hotel.
The nearest airport, King Abdulaziz International Airport, is only a 21-km journey from the property.
5.1. AL-BALAD aka OLD JEDDAH – #1 BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN JEDDAH AS A TOURIST
Al Balad also known as Old Jeddah in Saudi Arabia
Al-Balad, also known as Old Jeddah, is one of my favorite places in Saudi Arabia. As the name says, it’s the old part of Jeddah.
Al-Balad is one of the most famous places in Saudi Arabia and one of the most beautiful places in Jeddah.
Some of the old buildings of Al Balad in Saudi Arabia
This old district which was founded in the 7th century is a fascinating World Heritage Site.
Back in the 7th century up until the oil boom in the 1970s, Al Balad was the commercial center of Jeddah. Today, it’s famous for its ancient architecture and old traditional buildings. The houses were built with coral stone and decorated with lattice windows.
Al Balad also known as Old Jeddah in Saudi Arabia
HOW TO GET TO AL-BALAD
You can take a local bus or an Uber to get to Al-Balad.
If you want to take the bus, consult with your hotel or local friend about it. They can tell you where you can take the bus to get there.
5.2. SHOPS FOR TRADITIONAL SAUDI ARABIAN CLOTHES – #2 BEST PALCES TO VISIT IN JEDDAH AS A TOURIST
When you are in Saudi Arabia, I recommend buying a couple of abayas. They are really comfortable and stylish. You can buy abayas from the market in Old Jeddah. You can find abayas as cheap as 50 riyals (13 USD). But the really nice abayas cost more. I bought mine in a shopping mall for about 260 riyals (70 USD).
Checking out my pretty abaya in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
In the train wearing headscarf in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
5.3. VISITING THE AL TAYEBAT INTERNATIONAL CITY MUSEUM, JEDDAH – #3 BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN JEDDAH
Al Tayebat International City Museum – One of the best places to visit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The Al Tayebat International City was more beautiful and interesting than expected. It’s one of the most beautiful places to visit in Jeddah. It’s also really big. You can plan there at least 4 hours.
It’s a unique private museum. The building of the museum was constructed in the traditional Hijazi style which is the architectural style of old Jeddah.
Inside the museum, you can find replicas of home interiors from every region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The museum also features exquisite Islamic manuscripts, old weaponry, beautiful furniture, and traditional Saudi dresses.
View from one of the rooftops of the Al Tayebat International City Museum – One of the best places to visit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
OPENING HOURS OF THE AL TAYEBAT INTERNATIONAL CITY MUSEUM
It’s open every day except Friday from 8 am to 12 (noon) and from 5 pm to 9 pm.
Traditional home in the Al Tayebat International City Museum – One of the best places to visit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
ENTRANCE FEE FOR THE AL TAYEBAT INTERNATIONAL CITY MUSEUM
The ticket costs 80 Saudi riyals (~21.30 USD).
5.4. RESTAURANTS FOR A TRADITIONAL SAUDI ARABIAN BREAKFAST – #4 BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN JEDDAH AS A TOURIST
Traditional Saudi Arabian breakfast in the Abu Zaid restaurant – One of the best things to do in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
I can recommend the Abu Zaid restaurant chain. They are spread throughout Saudi Arabia and you can also find many of them in Jeddah.
They specialize in serving traditional Saudi breakfast meals at reasonable prices. Some of the best things you can order from there are Mutabbaq, Al Arekah, Masoob, Qulaba, Foul, and Tameez with cheese.
They don’t have an English menu. You can use my image here to order.
Their Ramadan special is very popular. So, if you are in Jeddah during Ramadan, go for it!
5.5. VISITING AL-RAHMAN MOSQUE, THE FLOATING MOSQUE – #5 BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN JEDDAH
The Al-Rahmah Mosque, also known as The Floating Mosque of Jeddah – One of the best places to visit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The Al-Rahmah Mosque is also known as The Floating Mosque of Jeddah.
This magnificent piece of architecture was built in 1985 on the water surface of the Red Sea. Of course, it has its bases constructed under the surface of the sea.
It has a beautiful modern white building and a turquoise dome with traditional Islamic elements.
BEST TIME TO VISIT THE FLOATING MOSQUE OF JEDDAH
The Al-Rahmah Mosque is open 24/7 but as a tourist, I recommend you visit it between the 5 daily prayers. If you want to know the best time to visit the mosque, it’s during sunset and at night when the mosque is lit.
ENTRANCE FEE FOR THE FLOATING MOSQUE OF JEDDAH
There is no entrance fee. It’s one of the free places to visit in Jeddah.
5.6. RESTAURANTS FOR TRADITIONAL SAUDI ARABIAN DISHES – #6 BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN JEDDAH AS A TOURIST
Try the Al-Nakheel restaurant. It’s an awesome restaurant in a beautiful location overlooking the Red Sea.
They have an extensive menu with a lot of authentic Middle Eastern food including traditional food from the region of Hejaz. Their signature dishes include Shish Tawook for 75 riyals (20 USD) or Meat Schwarma Dish for 49 riyals (13 USD).
They also serve shisha that you can enjoy in the outdoor area.
5.7. KING FAHD’S FOUNTAIN – #7 BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN JEDDAH AS A TOURIST
King Fahd’s Fountain – One of the best places to visit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
King Fahd’s Fountain, constructed in the 1980s, is one of Jeddah’s major landmarks. It jets water to an impressive maximum height of 260 meters (853 ft). Its water springs up from the Red Sea.
This makes it the highest water fountain in the world and it’s registered in the Guinness World Records.
The best time to visit this spectacular fountain is at night when it’s illuminated.
HOW TO VISIT THE KING FAHD’S FOUNTAIN IN JEDDAH
You cannot directly go there. The best place to admire the fountain is from the Jeddah corniche. You can go to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and from there walk to the Jeddah Corniche. There are really nice cafés as well with a nice view of the fountain: Culture Cafe and Caffe Aroma.
BEST TIME TO VISIT THE KING FAHD’S FOUNTAIN IN JEDDAH
I think the best time to visit the fountain is during sunset. You might catch a beautiful sunset when you are there.
ENTRANCE FEE FOR THE KING FAHD’S FOUNTAIN IN JEDDAH
There is no entrance fee. It’s one of the free places to visit in Jeddah.
There are a lot of international flights to Saudi Arabia. Wizzair has just started a lot of cheap flights from several European countries to Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam. That means that flying to Saudi Arabia is becoming very affordable.
If you prefer more comfort and luxury, check out Qatar Airways.
You can compare the price on Skyscanner.
Due to the fact that Saudi Arabia is a huge country, taking domestic flights is common. There are a lot of flights daily to Jeddah from many places in Saudi Arabia.
The following three airlines are flying to and from Jeddah:
Saudia – flag carrier of Saudi Arabia
Flynas – Saudi low-cost airline
Flyadeal – also Saudi low-cost airline
I tried Flyadeal from Jeddah to Abha. And I paid 255 SAR (~68 USD) for a last-minute purchase.
Most international flights go to Jeddah, Dammam, or Riyadh. I arrived at the Jeddah International Airport. Therefore, I’ll talk about that one. But I’m sure the procedure is the same for all the airports.
7.1. PASSPORT & E-VISA CONTROL, AND VISA ON ARRIVAL AT THE JEDDAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The Jeddah International Airport, also known as the King Abdulaziz Airport has 4 terminals. I arrived at the North Terminal.
The passport and eVisa control were quick. Everything was checked in less than 2 minutes. I didn’t even have to queue up.
7.2. EXCHANGING MONEY & WITHDRAWING MONEY AT THE JEDDAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
In the arrival hall, there are, of course, exchange offices and ATMs. I withdrew money from the SNB Bank. It worked out perfectly fine.
7.3. BUYING A SIM CARD AT JEDDAH INTERNATIONAL AIPORT
There were three mobile phone companies in the arrival hall: STC, Mobily, and Zain.
My local friends recommended STC, so I took a SIM card with data from them without hesitation. The purchase of the SIM card was really quick. I inserted the card myself and the SIM card worked right away. No activation was necessary.
Sim card prices are the same both at the airport and everywhere else in Saudi Arabia. Thus, the smartest thing to do is to get your SIM card right away upon arrival at the airport.
Escalators at the Haramain High-Speed Railway Station in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The Haramain High-Speed Railway (Haramain referring to Mecca and Medina Islamic holy cities), also known as the Mecca–Medina high-speed railway is the best way to travel to Medina and Mecca.
The Saudi hight speed rail operates between Medina and Mecca through Jeddah.
The high-speed train has first and second class. The first class is much more pricey. Generally, the price depends on how early you can buy the tickets. Last minute, they tend to be more expensive. If you plan your visit on Friday or Saturday (the weekend), make sure to plan in advance, because for the weekend ticket are more in demand and they can get really expensive.
Waiting area at the Haramain High-Speed Railway Station in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Their app works pretty well. But I could never register properly. Thus, each time I purchased a ticket, I had to fill in the form with my details again and again.
There is one railway station in Medina, two stations in Jeddah, and two in Mecca. They are the most beautiful and fanciest train stations I’ve seen in my life.
If you go to the Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca, you need to get off at the first station in Mecca. Also, remember that there are free shuttle buses between this train station and Masjid Al-Haram.
On the Haramain highspeed train traveling to Jeddah to Medina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Business class on the highspeed train running from Jeddah to Mecca and Medina in KSA
Airport in Jeddah – Madinah: without stop 1 hour 50 mins, economy class starting from 138 SAR (~37 USD) & business class starting from 304.75 SAR(~75 USD)
The economy class can go up 218.50 SAR (~58 USD) or more last minute.
Al-Sulimaniyah in Jeddah – Madinah: without stop 1 hour 50 mins, economy class starting from 143.75 SAR (~38 USD) & business class starting from 316.25 SAR (~84 USD)
The economy class can go up 230 SAR (~61 USD) last minute.
Airport in Jeddah – Makkah: without stop 54 mins, economy class starting from 34.50 SAR (~9 USD) & business class starting from 109.25 SAR (~29 USD)
Al-Sulimaniyah in Jeddah – Makkah: without stop 35 mins, economy class starting from 32.20 SAR (~9 USD) & business class starting from 80.50 SAR (~21 USD)
The economy class can go up 46 SAR (~12 USD) last minute.
When you check the schedule, you will see the following message:
“Makkah station is a holy city, only Muslims can book tickets to travel to it. Are you Muslim?”
SAPTCO, the Saudi Public Transport Company, operates urban buses to a lot of places in Saudi Arabia.
From Jeddah, you can travel to a lot of places by bus. But I haven’t tried any of them from Jeddah because it would not have been worth it.
Traveling to Mecca and Medina by bus costs much less than by high-speed train. But if you travel by bus, you are losing a lot of time. For example, from Jeddah to Medina, the bus needs 6 hours but the high speed needs less than 2 hours.
Moreover, there are international buses from Jeddah to the UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ajman), Egypt (Hurghada) via ferry connection, and Bahrain.
I think they took too much time and flying costs pretty much the same.
SAPTCO has an app. It never worked on my iPhone. I managed to download it. However, I could never check the schedule. But it always works on the web browser.
9.1. TAXI APPS IN JEDDAH
In Jeddah, you can use taxi apps to move around. There are many taxi apps:
Careem is more expensive, almost double, than the other apps. When I realized that, I only used Uber or Jeeny.
I really liked using taxi apps in Jeddah. It made my life really easy and comfortable.
TAXI APP FARES
Uber taxi in Jeddah
– 15 km for 27 riyals (~7 USD)
– 10 km for 21 riyals (~5.60 USD)
Careem tax in Jeddah
– 14 km for 40 riyals. (~11 USD)
9.2. HOW TO GET AROUND JEDDAH BY LOCAL BUS
Local bus in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
There are local buses in Jeddah.
If you want to take the bus, consult with your hotel or local friend about it. They can tell you where you can take the bus to get wherever you want.
Taking a bus is super cheap. If you want to use the bus in Jeddah, you have to buy a bus card for 10 Riyals. Then, you can charge it.
A single trip costs 3.15 Riyals. You can recharge through the bus driver or a vending machine.
I used the local bus a couple of times but I mostly traveled by Uber in Jeddah. Traveling by the local bus just took too much time. First, you might have to wait for the bus too long and the bus journey takes so much more time than the taxi ride.
I personally think that using a taxi in Jeddah, and generally in Saudi Arabia, is quite cheap. Therefore, I recommend traveling by taxi instead of by bus as a tourist in Jeddah.
The best time of the year to visit Jeddah is wintertime from December to February.
I visited Jeddah in January. The weather was really pleasant both during the day and at night.
Check out the average temperature during these three months, here.
- Jeddah in December: max 29 ℃ / 83 ℉, min 20 ℃ / 68 ℉
- Jeddah in January: max 27 ℃ / 80 ℉, min 19 ℃ / 67 ℉
- Jeddah in February: max 28 ℃ / 82 ℉, min 20 ℃ / 68 ℉
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