By air
King Abdulaziz International (JED), ~20 km
Middle East · Saudi Arabia
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Coral-stone houses by the Red Sea
Getting there
Best time to visit
November to March — mild
Don't miss
Al-Balad
The Jeddah Corniche
King Fahd's Fountain
The Floating Mosque
Things to do
Al-Balad's old houses
The Corniche
King Fahd's Fountain
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Jpatokal · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Modest clothing
A quieter corner
The Red Sea reefs off the Obhur coast
Questions travellers ask
When should I plan a Jeddah trip?
November to March, when it's mild. Dress in modest clothing.
What should I see in Jeddah?
Al-Balad's old houses, the Jeddah Corniche, King Fahd's Fountain and the Floating Mosque.
What's Jeddah's hidden gem?
The Red Sea reefs off the Obhur coast. Round off the day with seafood and mutabbaq.
Where do I land for Jeddah?
Fly into King Abdulaziz International (JED), about 20 km away.
About Jeddah
- Coastal
Where it is
Jeddah is a port city in the Makkah Province of western Saudi Arabia, on the Red Sea coast of the Hejaz and the country's second-largest city; it is the main gateway for pilgrims travelling to Mecca, a short drive inland.
History
Jeddah was a fishing village until the caliph Uthman made it the port for Mecca in 647, and pilgrims have arrived here ever since, first by sea and later by air. Its merchants built tall houses of coral stone with carved wooden rawashin balconies in the old town, Al-Balad, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. The city grew rapidly from the mid-20th century with oil wealth.
People
Over centuries pilgrims from Africa, Asia and beyond settled among Jeddah's Hejazi families, giving the city a diverse population. Arabic is spoken, and Hejazi cooking includes dishes such as saleeg, rice cooked with broth and milk, and mutabbaq, a stuffed and folded pastry.
Known for
- The coral-stone houses of Al-Balad
- The Jeddah Corniche
- King Fahd's Fountain
- Red Sea diving and snorkelling
- The Floating Mosque
Did you know?
King Fahd's Fountain in Jeddah shoots a jet of water up to 312 m into the air above the Red Sea and is listed by Guinness World Records as the tallest fountain in the world.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.